How to Tell a Well-Made Shirt: 8 Things to Check in Under a Minute

You can judge a shirt in under a minute without reading the price tag. Count the stitches per inch along a seam, check that the pattern lines up at the placket, feel the collar, look at the buttons, turn it inside out to see the side seams, and look at the label, hem and cloth. A good shirt passes all eight checks; a poor one usually fails three or four.

1. Stitches per inch (SPI)

Look at the topstitching along the side seam or the edge of the collar and count the stitches in one inch. More, smaller stitches make a stronger, flatter seam that does not pucker after washing.

Every mtsya shirt is sewn at 15–17 stitches per inch, the stitch count of a good formal shirt, even on our more casual colours.

2. Pattern matching at the placket

On a stripe or check, look at the front where the two sides button together. The lines should run straight across the placket as if it were one piece of cloth. Then check the pocket (if there is one), the yoke and where the sleeve meets the cuff. Matching needs more cloth and more care, so careless makers skip it.

3. The collar

• Both points should be the same length and lie flat, with no bubbling on the surface.
• Roll the collar between your fingers. It should feel smooth and even, not papery or glued.
• The collar should sit evenly on both sides when buttoned, with no twist at the band.

A well-made soft collar holds its shape without a stiff, shiny fused layer that bubbles after a few washes.

4. Buttons

• Check they are sewn on firmly and do not wobble.
• Look for a small shank (a few wraps of thread under the button) so it sits above the cloth and buttons easily.
• The buttonholes should be dense and clean, with no loose threads or fraying.
• Spare buttons sewn inside or included are a good sign.

5. Side seams

Turn the shirt inside out. The best seams are clean on the inside, with no raw edges showing: either felled (the edges folded into each other and stitched flat) or neatly finished. Loose overlocking with threads hanging off is a sign of haste. The seam should lie flat with no puckering or wave along its length.

6. The label

It sounds small, but a label tells you how a maker thinks. A dense, fine, high-pick woven label with crisp lettering costs more than a printed or loosely woven one, and it is sewn neatly at the edges rather than tacked at the corners. Check that it is soft against the neck too. mtsya uses a high-pick damask label.

7. The hem

Look at the bottom edge. It should be narrow, even and flat, with no ripples. A curved hem, longer at the back and front and higher at the sides, is a sign the shirt was designed to be worn both tucked and untucked. A tight, small rolled hem is neater than a wide, loose one. Read more on hem shapes in should you tuck in your shirt.

8. The cloth

• Hold it up to the light: the weave should look even, with no thin patches.
• Scrunch a corner in your fist for five seconds. Good cloth recovers; poor cloth stays crushed and creased.
• Feel it. It should feel smooth or pleasantly textured, never scratchy or plasticky.
• Read the composition label. Natural fibres like cotton and linen breathe better in Indian heat than polyester.

For more on yarn counts and why finer is not always better, see the cloth.

The 60-second checklist

1. Count stitches per inch: 14 or more is good.
2. Check stripes and checks line up at the placket.
3. Collar points equal and smooth.
4. Buttons firm, buttonholes clean.
5. Side seams clean inside.
6. Label dense and neatly sewn.
7. Hem narrow and flat.
8. Cloth even, recovers from a scrunch.

Fit is the ninth check

Even the best-made shirt looks cheap if it does not fit. Check the shoulders, chest and sleeve length against the size guide before you buy, and see outfit ideas for men to make the most of it once you do.

How mtsya shirts are made

We built our shirts around these checks: 15–17 stitches per inch, a soft point collar, a clean placket, single-button cuffs, tonal buttons, a curved hem and a high-pick damask label. One regular fit in sizes S to XXL. The only thing added is the Matsya fish, stitched small at the left chest, for the fish that guided Manu's boat through the flood. Look at Hard Rain or First Light to see the stripes and checks in close-up, or browse the full collection. Every shirt can be returned within 30 days, no questions.