Design 
Quality of Materials 
Value for Money 
Craftsmanship 
Customer Service Working from home was pretty fun.
Until I wore holes through all my sweats and my wife asked if I still had a job.
Yep, that’s when I knew it was about time to make my way back to the office. And that’s when I started researching good, solid business casual brands.
Of course, when searching through classic menswear brands, you can’t escape Charles Tyrwhitt. So I decided to get some of their most popular pieces to see how to stack up against other big brands.
Here’s what I found out.
What Is Charles Tyrwhitt?
Charles Tyrwhitt was founded back in 1986 from a Bristol University dorm room.
After several attempts at entrepreneurship (including selling Christmas trees and shoes to clowns), Nick Wheeler skipped classes to start a shirt company. Charles Tyrwhitt (Nick’s two middle names), was born.
Fast forward several years, and the brand opened their first flagship store on the popular and stylish Jermyn street.
And then fast forward several years beyond that, and Charles Tyrwhitt’s reach now spans across the US, UK, and in Paris. In fact, when I recently went to New York for a conference, it was like Charles Tyrwhitt was following me around: stalking me on bus ads, surprising me from the sky with billboards.
They’re the big-time, baby!
Things to Consider Before Buying
If you’re considering Charles Tyrwhitt, you’ve also likely looked at Brooks Brothers, maybe J.Crew, perhaps even Banana Republic.
One thing I’ve noticed about shopping with Charles Tyrwhitt is that they have a level of customization that’s incredibly difficult to pull off.
Take the Non-Iron Poplin Shirt for example: 6 colors, classic and slim fits, choice of collar size, choice of sleeve length, a choice of two cuff types, and you can add a pocket or monogram.
There are many brands that offer this level of customization, but in my experience, they’re usually 50% more expensive.
And some of the other big names often try to replicate this, but finding exactly what you want in stock is a pain.
Few high quality brands are as easy to shop with as Charles Tyrwhitt. I’m most impressed with the material selection and quality. From the pieces I’ve tried, the fit is exactly what I expected, and the finishing touches are well done.
My Hands-On Review
Button-Down Collar Washed Oxford
The Button-Down Collar Washed Oxford is my favorite piece from the whole haul I picked up.
I love Oxford shirts, and the material on this is both soft, but has a thicker feel that gives me confidence wearing it time and time again.
There’s something so English about the powder blue and white pinstripes, so I couldn’t pass up the color.
As a classic Oxford, this shirt is made with 100% cotton. That has its pros and cons.
On the positive side, the material is excellent quality and it both looks and feels rich.
On the negative side, you must iron the shirt out of the dryer. Otherwise it looks like a total mess.
This might not be a shock to you—you may iron all your shirts as part of your regular routine. But I’ve been testing a lot of “performance” dress shirts, which don’t need to be ironed at all.
That said, the main reason I wanted to try Charles Tyrwhitt even though I had several “performance business casual” pieces is because I liked the classic, iconic look. That classic look comes with some ironing time.
I picked mine up in the classic fit and it’s spot on. I’ve noticed that many US-based brands have a “roomier” classic fit, but Charles Tyrwhitt’s classic is still slim and modern looking, which I like.
The Button-Down Collar Washed Oxford is a true classic fit, and it's my favorite piece I've tried from Charles Tyrwhitt so far. While you do need to iron it straight out of the dryer, the material is excellent quality and it both looks and feels rich.
Pure Linen Shirt
Where’s my drink?
The Pure Linen Shirt is the perfect balance between classic style and comfort in hot summer weather. To me, it’s the ideal shirt for a summer date night. Which is exactly when I first wore it.
I picked mine up in Ocean Blue Slim Fit. It’s light as a feather, but not so thin that you can basically see through it, which is always my biggest concern with linen shirts.
And it feels solid. Not flimsy like other linen shirts I’ve had in the past.
This brings me to my big thesis with Charles Tyrwhitt: their fabric selection is some of the best I’ve seen at this price point. Their casual shirts have substance to them, especially around the collars and cuffs, but they’re not heavy at all.
Their fits are great, but I wouldn’t say they’re necessarily better than other comparable brands I’ve tried. Their big advantage is in the fabric.
The Pure Linen Shirt is the perfect balance between classic style and comfort in hot summer weather. It’s light as a feather, but not so thin that you can basically see through it, which is always my biggest concern with linen shirts.
Non-Iron Poplin Shirt
My wardrobe leans entirely toward casual, but I was also curious about Charles’ more office-ready shirts. So I picked up their Non-Iron Poplin Shirt.
This piece is 100% cotton, lightweight, and fits well. It’s not the smoothest or softest dress shirt I’ve worn, but I like the double-button French cuff, and I love that the shirt comes with brass collar stays.
Do Charles Tyrwhitt shirts shrink?
A little, but not significantly. I recommend washing them in cold water and hang-drying them. The poplin business shirts have a tight weave that dries quickly, so hang drying, or even tumble drying without heat will help reduce shrinkage.
With this shirt, you can either add a left pocket or leave it plain depending on how you’d like to wear it. Since I’ll be mainly wearing mine with a suit or at least a blazer, I left mine without the pocket.
While I wasn’t totally blown away with this shirt, I think it becomes a fantastic deal for the multi-buy pack. That’s really where you’re going to get an exceptional value.
The Charles Tyrwhitt multi-buy program applies when you pick up four or more shirts, and the discount is significant (like 30-40% significant).
It’s basically like a “buy three, get one free,” type deal, and I highly recommend taking advantage of it.
This piece is 100% cotton, lightweight, and fits well. It’s not the smoothest or softest dress shirt I’ve worn, but I like the double-button French cuff, and I love that the shirt comes with brass collar stays. While I wasn’t totally blown away with this shirt, I think it becomes a fantastic deal for the multi-buy pack.
Lightweight Pants
The Lightweight Pants have a similar cut as chinos, but the fabric is a little lighter and has more of a “washed” look to them than your standard chino.
I’ve been loving these pants during summer—because they have 3% elastane woven into the cotton fabric, I never feel like my pants are going to explode when I bend over.
And because the fabric is lighter, they don’t become a burden in the 90 degree humidity I get here in North Carolina.
It’s a major challenge finding comfortable pants for the summer in the South, but the Charles Tyrwhitt Lightweight Pants do it for me.
I got mine in the Sage Green color, which has a relaxed, washed look to it. I probably wouldn’t get this colorway for a true business casual outfit, but I like it a lot for my standard casual everyday wear.
It’s a major challenge finding comfortable pants for the summer in the South, but the Charles Tyrwhitt Lightweight Pants do it for me. The Sage Green color has a relaxed, washed look to it. I probably wouldn’t get this colorway for a true business casual outfit, but I like it a lot for my standard casual everyday wear.
What Do Other Reviewers Say?
Charles Tyrwhitt has racked up over 6,500 reviews averaging a 4.5-star rating on their site, and many professional reviewers give CT a lot of love.
One issue I saw pop up is that returns were a little more difficult online. And while you can do free exchanges, the returns cost $8.95 at the time of writing. A big part of that is because all Charles Tyrwhitt clothes are shipped from the UK, so getting them back to the UK can be expensive.
My Thoughts Overall
What I Like
- The material quality is excellent, and among the best for the price point.
- You have a lot of options for “customization,” including sleeve length, fit, collar size, etc. Charles Tyrwhitt does a lot to ensure you get exactly the shirt you need.
- I’m a fan of their color selection—if I had a bigger budget, I would’ve picked up even more because many of the colors were right in my wheelhouse.
What I Don’t Like
- Charles Tyrwhitt uses high quality classic fabrics (not the new-age performance stuff), which is awesome. But it usually wrinkles a lot through the washing process, so an iron is necessary.
Who is Charles Tyrwhitt for?
Charles Tyrwhitt is an excellent brand to shop with if you’re looking to restock your business casual wardrobe and you want quality that’s beyond the norm.
The Verdict
If you have the budget for it, I recommend the Charles Tyrwhitt multi-buy shirt program. Even at their full price, I think Charles Trywhitt’s shirts are excellent. But if you buy four or more, the discount is pretty huge and your value for money skyrockets.
My favorite thing about the brand is the quality of their materials. They’re among the best at their price point (and definitely the best if you jump on that multi-buy deal).
Expect to spend some more time ironing because the natural materials aren’t wrinkle-free. Far from it.
And it really helps to know your measurements before shopping with Charles Tyrwhitt because returns can be pricey.
Overall, I’m really pleased with my Charles Tyrwhitt experience, and next time I need a wardrobe refresh for my business and business casual styles, I’ll be checking out their shirts for sure.
Few high quality brands are as easy to shop with as Charles Tyrwhitt. I’m most impressed with the material selection and quality. From the pieces I’ve tried, the fit is exactly what I expected, and the finishing touches are well done.
