Last updated on October 8th, 2023 at 10:52 am
People tuck in their shirts for the sake of tucking in. There are rules to everything. Here is how to tuck in your shirt and have it tucked all day.
This post is about how to tuck in your shirt. You can look around and see how many guys talk in their shirts properly.
Okay, maybe you don’t know when a shirt is tucked in properly, this article is going to deal with all of that.
Table of Contents
- When a shirt is not tucked properly
- Rules for tucking in a shirt
- The gig line
- Four ways to tuck in your shirt
- How to tuck in your shirt without looking fat
When a shirt is not tucked properly
Some times, people knowing or unknowing tuck their shirts inappropriately either to make a fashion statement or ignorantly. Here are ways people can be wrong.
Tucked shirt untucking on its own
When you see tucked-in shirts pulling up or coming down over the belt and trousers, it is either it was not tucked in well or it untucks with each movement of the body.
Such guys would be adjusting and retucking their shirts several times a day. And the last thing you would want to worry about when in a social place is your cloth.
It distracts and embarrassing to be fumbling with your shirt to keep them in place while you are at a task.
You don’t want to be readjusting or retucking in your shirt over and over again because it is slipping out of the trousers.
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The half tuck
Also, you see some guys who unwittingly do the half-tuck. Might be a fashion statement or they hurriedly tucked in and left one tail of the shirt, especially the one having the button out.
This is a common scenario, especially for stressful situations where someone would have to move around throughout the day and the least he can do is to pay attention to his dressing.
Untucked shirt with a loose tie
Some would decide to fly a shirt that is meant to be tucked in. You could even see guys who go further to wear a loose tie over an untucked shirt.
As wrong as they seem, they are normal dressing styles of some young people. But because people dress these ways don’t make them right.
Hopefully, the techniques that you would read in this article would give you some ideas, and you can figure out ways to tuck in your shirts properly.
Here are techniques I use and you will be able to find them helpful. First of all, what actually makes a shirt good to be tucked in?
Rules for tucking in a shirt
- The shirt should fit you properly, not baggy: You don’t need your shirt to have excess material around the chest and waste areas. That’s way too much and makes it too free on your body. It is always in good taste to buy the best fit for your body size and when it doesn’t fit, you can always find a tailor to adjust it properly to fit you better.
- Make sure the shirt is long enough at least 3 inches below your waist or belt line. When it is not up to that length, then it would be going up and untucking as you move your body as you go about your business. Always make sure you buy shirts that are long enough. If you are having custom shirts made, make sure they make them at least 3 inches below the belt line.
- Pay attention to the gig line: The gig line is the alignment of the shirt’s placket (the line the buttons run from the top downwards), the belt’s buckle, and the seam that houses the zipper. These three must always align to form a straight line to give a neat fitting.
Failure to align these elements will result in a ‘gig’ which is a fault during an inspection in the military.
The gig line
It’s important to describe the gig line elaborately because it’s in an important element in fashion as it connects with the trousers and belt buckle to give a neat statement.
Anyone who is sensitive to the alignment of these is seen as down to earth and has eyes for details.
Without the gig line, the buckle, and the seam of the trousers (zipper) aligning in a straight line, the entire dressing looks off and tacky.
Gig line is a military term for this alignment and is an offense to ignore which attracts punishment during an inspection.
The above are the three most important points to note in tucking in your shirt. Now let’s talk about the ways to tuck in your shirt.
There are four ways to tuck in your shirt, three little bit more advanced ways, and the normal simple tucking in of shirt.
Four ways to tuck in your shirt
1. Simple tuck
This is what most of us have simply been doing. Just tuck in without much thought and go about our business.
That works for some guys, and they don’t mind the shirt coming out untucked throughout the day and making the entire dressing shapeless.
What do you do to improve that, especially when you have got excess materials? The next technique takes care of that.
2. Military tuck
Military tuck is different in the sense that you grab the excess material at both sides, a little bit towards the back of your torso, folding them into your thumb before tucking them in downwards and holding them in place with your belt.
This technique takes a little bit of practice before you can master it. The big advantage is if you do this right, if you have got a decent belt, it takes care of the flowing excess material that hangs out and gives your shirt a baggy shape.
This technique is common in the military and a perfect one when you combine it with the next technique.
3. Underwear tuck
This is not tucking your shirt into your underwear, although that can help your shirt tucked in better but you don’t want your underwear band (boxers) showing up above the belt line.
I have seen this once by a very weird fellow who got his underwear band showing just above his belt. That’s very wrong.
What I mean by underwear tuck is this: if you are putting on innershirt – (a t-shirt or singlet), you got to tuck it into your innerwear (boxers), then your shirt over your boxers before having your trousers over your shirt with your belt holding everything together. See illustration.
By doing the above, by having your inner shirt (singlet) separated from your dress shirt in the tuck-in area, you have your dress shirt stays tucked longer.
4. Shirt stays
This is used mostly by people who are very active – walk around, jump, and stretch in a demonstration. In the course of all of these, the shirt usually pulls up and untucks.
The ‘shirt stays’ attaches your shirt to your socks. Some people call it shirt guard. It is made up of two straps that crisscross at the center with clips at the two ends of the straps.
One end of the strap clips the hem of the shirt while the other end clips the hem of the socks pulling both towards each other. See photo below.
This is the most effective technique to keep the shirt tucked in throughout the day.
Depending on your preference and situation, you might want to combine two or more of the above techniques to see how better your shirt stays tucked in.
However, you don’t need any of the techniques when you use ‘shirt stays’.
How to tuck in your shirt without looking fat
We all have seen bulky people who look awful when they tuck in because they don’t have the right shirt or size or they simply do not know how to talk in as bulky or fat people.
Here is a simple technique to tuck in your shirt without looking fat even if you are.
First of all, you must have the right size and length of the shirt. In fact, the length should be more than usual as you will see the reason down this section of the post.
- Put your trousers (pants) on but don’t button
- Put your shirt on and tuck it into the trousers, you can use the underwear tuck or military tuck described above and make sure the material is tucked deep down toward your laps
- Button and lock your trousers either with the hooks or belt
- Then gently pull your shirt up evenly around your waist with the belt and trousers not coming up. This helps to get the extra material flowing just above your belt and allows your fat bulk have some free space inside the shirt. This also hides the entire bulk and gives a moderate look.
This is the simplest way to tuck your shirt without looking fat. The simplest summary is, to tuck in your shirt the way you normally do, but free up some material to cover your torso.
Thank you for reading. If you found this article helpful or you have an opinion, please write us.
SOURCES:
How To Tuck In Your Shirt Without Looking Fat
How To Tuck In Your Shirt Properly
Pious Clements is the insightful voice behind "The Conducts of Life" blog, where he writes about life ethics, self-development, life mastery, and the dynamics of people and society.
With a profound understanding of human behaviuor and societal dynamics, Pious offers thought-provoking perspectives on ethical living and personal growth.
Through engaging narratives and astute observations, he inspires readers to navigate life's complexities with wisdom and integrity, encouraging a deeper understanding of the human experience and our place within society.
