Dry Cleaners' Guide: Dress Shirts That Last!

Posted:Mon Jan 17, 2022
Posted By:Bill Rothrock, CGCP

Every day at Yale Cleaners, we clean, starch and press several thousand men’s dress shirts. Over the years this adds up to hundreds of thousands of shirts processed. Some shirts we only press once, while others will be cleaned numerous times. But did you know, manufacturers design and construct shirts to only withstand being worn about 35 times? Their intended purpose is for a shirt to be worn every other week for about a year. I tell you this not to boast about how many shirts we clean, nor how long you should wear a garment, but rather to express the importance of selecting the right shirt that best fits your specific needs.

So, the question becomes… What’s the best shirt for me?

This is a question I wish I heard more often! I take great pride in how nice a shirt looks fresh off the press. But no matter how hard we try, some shirts just refuse to look good. With thousands of different brands in today’s market, it becomes very hard to make an informed choice. Consumers are left to base their decision on budget, style, price, fit or even what their favorite celebrity wears. While these are important factors to include in your purchasing decision, serviceability (i.e. how many times it can be cleaned pressed and worn, before it looks worn) should not be overlooked.

For the past 33 years, I have spent 6 days a week inside the back of a dry cleaning plant. From that experience, I can tell you all shirts are NOT created equal. This doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot of $$$$ to get a stylish shirt with a long life cycle. Below you will find my list of great shirts for the individual on a budget, shirts for the trendsetting hipster or shirts for anyone else in between.

Without a doubt the best shirt on a budget is JCPenney’s Stafford line. These shirts start at just $25.00 and their 80% cotton / 20% polyester construction makes them built to last. Their low price point, classic style and long life cycle make them a good choice for anyone’s wardrobe.

For those guys that want to wear the latest trend without breaking the bank, I highly recommend looking at Banana Republic. This line starts around $80 but can often be found on sale for less. It’s a great option for those individuals who want to make a fashionable impression in a well-constructed shirt.

No Budget? Thomas Pink and Rufs are without a doubt my favorite brands. These lines are constructed with some of the highest quality fabric on the market. The shirts are built to last and never go out of style. Unfortunately, these brands are not sold in the Tulsa area and can only be purchased online or in a bigger city. That being said, Robert Graham is another designer brand with a good serviceability that can be found at a few retailers locally.

Although I don’t dress the part, I’ve wrangled enough western wear to know which brands cowboys can depend on. Week in and week out, Cinch brand shirts are a cowboy’s best bet to withstand heavy starch and his rugged lifestyle.

Over the years, I have definitely come across a few brands of shirts that would never find in my closet. No matter the price point, Roundtree & Yorke is not a wise decision. I see way too many of these shirts with interfacing problems. Inevitably the interfacing will shrink, causing the shirt to pucker. Once this occurs, the shirt becomes almost impossible to clean, press and restore to wearable condition. Another brand I avoid buying is Van Heusen. Their shirts contain too much polyester which causes it to lose color and fade after just a few cycles.

I could go on and on about which shirts are the best value for your hard earned dollar but that would probably bore you. Please check out my list of favorite and least favorite shirt makers below. This isn’t the be all, end all of lists. It’s just the brands I have found to be consistently good or bad over my many years in the dry cleaning industry.

Before you grab a shirt off the rack, take a closer look to insure it was made by a brand that will live up to your expectations.

Thomas Pink Shirt
Yale's Rating
Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5
Price$$$$
Shirt LevelHigh End
Propercloth Shirt
Yale's Rating
Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5
Price$$$$
Shirt LevelHigh End
Theory Shirt
BrandTheory
Yale's Rating
Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5
Price$$$$
Shirt LevelHigh End
Hugo Boss Shirt
Yale's Rating
Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5
Price$$$$
Shirt LevelHigh End
Thomas Dean Shirt
Yale's Rating
Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5
Price$$$
Shirt LevelHigh End
Robert Graham Shirt
Yale's Rating
Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5
Price$$$
Shirt LevelMid Level
Chaps Shirt
BrandChaps
Yale's Rating
Yale's Rating: 4/5Yale's Rating: 4/5Yale's Rating: 4/5Yale's Rating: 4/5Yale's Rating: 4/5
Price$$
Shirt LevelMid Level
Izod Shirt
BrandIzod
Yale's Rating
Yale's Rating: 4/5Yale's Rating: 4/5Yale's Rating: 4/5Yale's Rating: 4/5Yale's Rating: 4/5
Price$$
Shirt LevelMid Level
Express Shirt
BrandExpress
Yale's Rating
Yale's Rating: 4/5Yale's Rating: 4/5Yale's Rating: 4/5Yale's Rating: 4/5Yale's Rating: 4/5
Price$$
Shirt LevelMid Level
Ralph Lauren Shirt
Yale's Rating
Yale's Rating: 4/5Yale's Rating: 4/5Yale's Rating: 4/5Yale's Rating: 4/5Yale's Rating: 4/5
Price$$$
Shirt LevelMid Level
Banana Republic Shirt
Yale's Rating
Yale's Rating: 4/5Yale's Rating: 4/5Yale's Rating: 4/5Yale's Rating: 4/5Yale's Rating: 4/5
Price$
Shirt LevelMid Level
Cremieux Shirt
Yale's Rating
Yale's Rating: 3/5Yale's Rating: 3/5Yale's Rating: 3/5Yale's Rating: 3/5Yale's Rating: 3/5
Price$$
Shirt LevelMid Level
Calvin Klein Shirt
Yale's Rating
Yale's Rating: 3/5Yale's Rating: 3/5Yale's Rating: 3/5Yale's Rating: 3/5Yale's Rating: 3/5
Price$$$
Shirt LevelMid Level
Roundtree & Yorke Gold Label Shirt
Yale's Rating
Yale's Rating: 2/5Yale's Rating: 2/5Yale's Rating: 2/5Yale's Rating: 2/5Yale's Rating: 2/5
Price$$
Shirt LevelMid Level
Joseph Abboud Shirt
Yale's Rating
Yale's Rating: 2/5Yale's Rating: 2/5Yale's Rating: 2/5Yale's Rating: 2/5Yale's Rating: 2/5
Price$$$
Shirt LevelMid Level
Pronto Uomo Shirt
Yale's Rating
Yale's Rating: 2/5Yale's Rating: 2/5Yale's Rating: 2/5Yale's Rating: 2/5Yale's Rating: 2/5
Price$$$
Shirt LevelMid Level
Jos A Banks Shirt
Yale's Rating
Yale's Rating: 2/5Yale's Rating: 2/5Yale's Rating: 2/5Yale's Rating: 2/5Yale's Rating: 2/5
Price$$$
Shirt LevelMid Level
Steven Azzolina Shirt
Yale's Rating
Yale's Rating: 2/5Yale's Rating: 2/5Yale's Rating: 2/5Yale's Rating: 2/5Yale's Rating: 2/5
Price$$
Shirt LevelMid Level
Stafford Shirt
Yale's Rating
Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5
Price$
Shirt LevelEntry Level
J Ferrar Shirt
Yale's Rating
Yale's Rating: 4/5Yale's Rating: 4/5Yale's Rating: 4/5Yale's Rating: 4/5Yale's Rating: 4/5
Price$
Shirt LevelEntry Level
St John"s Bay Shirt
Yale's Rating
Yale's Rating: 3/5Yale's Rating: 3/5Yale's Rating: 3/5Yale's Rating: 3/5Yale's Rating: 3/5
Price$
Shirt LevelEntry Level
Geoffrey Beene Shirt
Yale's Rating
Yale's Rating: 3/5Yale's Rating: 3/5Yale's Rating: 3/5Yale's Rating: 3/5Yale's Rating: 3/5
Price$
Shirt LevelEntry Level
Arrow Shirt
BrandArrow
Yale's Rating
Yale's Rating: 3/5Yale's Rating: 3/5Yale's Rating: 3/5Yale's Rating: 3/5Yale's Rating: 3/5
Price$
Shirt LevelEntry Level
Van Huesen Shirt
Yale's Rating
Yale's Rating: 3/5Yale's Rating: 3/5Yale's Rating: 3/5Yale's Rating: 3/5Yale's Rating: 3/5
Price$
Shirt LevelEntry Level
1mx Express Shirt
Yale's Rating
Yale's Rating: 2/5Yale's Rating: 2/5Yale's Rating: 2/5Yale's Rating: 2/5Yale's Rating: 2/5
Price$$
Shirt LevelEntry Level
Apt9 Shirt
BrandApt9
Yale's Rating
Yale's Rating: 2/5Yale's Rating: 2/5Yale's Rating: 2/5Yale's Rating: 2/5Yale's Rating: 2/5
Price$
Shirt LevelEntry Level
Croft & Barrow Shirt
Yale's Rating
Yale's Rating: 2/5Yale's Rating: 2/5Yale's Rating: 2/5Yale's Rating: 2/5Yale's Rating: 2/5
Price$
Shirt LevelEntry Level
Roundtree & Yorke Shirt
Yale's Rating
Yale's Rating: 1/5Yale's Rating: 1/5Yale's Rating: 1/5Yale's Rating: 1/5Yale's Rating: 1/5
Price$
Shirt LevelEntry Level
Eagle Shirt
BrandEagle
Yale's Rating
Yale's Rating: 1/5Yale's Rating: 1/5Yale's Rating: 1/5Yale's Rating: 1/5Yale's Rating: 1/5
Price$
Shirt LevelEntry Level
Wrangler 20x Shirt
Yale's Rating
Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5
Price$
Shirt LevelEntry Level
Wrangler George Straight Shirt
Yale's Rating
Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5
Price$$
Shirt LevelWestern
Panhandle Shirt
Yale's Rating
Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5Yale's Rating: 5/5
Price$
Shirt LevelWestern
Wrangler Short Sleeve Snap Shirt
Yale's Rating
Yale's Rating: 4/5Yale's Rating: 4/5Yale's Rating: 4/5Yale's Rating: 4/5Yale's Rating: 4/5
Price$
Shirt LevelWestern
Cinch Shirt
BrandCinch
Yale's Rating
Yale's Rating: 4/5Yale's Rating: 4/5Yale's Rating: 4/5Yale's Rating: 4/5Yale's Rating: 4/5
Price$$
Shirt LevelWestern
Ariat Shirt
BrandAriat
Yale's Rating
Yale's Rating: 3/5Yale's Rating: 3/5Yale's Rating: 3/5Yale's Rating: 3/5Yale's Rating: 3/5
Price$$
Shirt LevelWestern

Bill Rothrock, CGCP

About the Author

Bill Rothrock, CGCP

Bill Rothrock owns and manages the Yale Cleaners’ Owasso branch. In 1992 the International Drycleaners Congress selected Bill to spend 6 weeks training abroad in Australia and England. He graduated 1st in his class from The Drycleaning and Laundry Institute formerly The International Fabricare Institute. Bill is a Certified Professional Drycleaner (CPD), Certified Professional Wetcleaner (CPW), and a Certified Environmental Drycleaner (CED). Having all three of these certifications makes him a Certified Garment Care Professional (CGCP), a distinction held by few people in the dry cleaning industry.


Related Posts

It's An Ink War - Hairspray VS A Professional Dry Cleaner
It's An Ink War - Hairspray VS A Professional Dry Cleaner
It's An Ink War - Hairspray VS A Professional Dry CleanerI have been a dry cleaner for more than 25 years. During this time, I have seen and heard a lot of crazy things. However, there is one urban stain removal legend that stands out above the rest. This myth is so prevalent, it's been on the Oprah Show, is ...
First Location - 11th & Yale
Yale Cleaners began with family, stayed with family
Yale Cleaners began with family, stayed with familyAfter beginning in a storefront on Route 66, two brothers-in-law joined forces to buy Yale Cleaners from founder Jim Hodges. And it’s been a family affair ever since.In fact, dry cleaning was in the family’s blood even before they bought Yale Cleaners in 1959.“Our dry cleaning history really dates back ...
"Know when to let go!"
Start off 2021 organized: Tips to tame your closet
Start off 2021 organized: Tips to tame your closetThe new year always begins with it lots of dedication to doing better – eating healthy, scheduling exercise and tackling home projects always top the list of New Year’s resolutions.Often, we abandon these new ideals as real life kicks in after the holidays. But, here is a resolution that you ...
Solvent Team: Robert, Jim & Mark
The dry cleaner's dirty secret: Dirty solvent
The dry cleaner's dirty secret: Dirty solventThe dry cleaning industry has a dirty little secret.Many dry cleaners actually use dirty solvent to clean your clothes, but Yale Cleaners is clearly different. But before we get into the details, you may be asking yourself – what is dry cleaning solvent?Dry cleaning really is a simple process that ...
Curt Rothrock, CPD - Store Manager
Curt Rothrock heads flagship location, adding fourth-generation leadership to Yale Cleaners
Curt Rothrock heads flagship location, adding fourth-generation leadership to Yale CleanersAt 12, William Curtis Rothrock IV, known as Curt to everyone, began working at Yale Cleaners, officially marking the start of a fourth generation of family members to join the company.It was a humble beginning, though. He wasn’t given special treatment or passes to avoid the hard work.In fact, he ...