So what is actually a shirt placket? The term refers to the (double) layer of fabric that holds the buttons on the shirt fastening, which you can find in the centre of your shirt front. Maybe you did not even know there is more than one type of shirt plackets, but now, you will get to know the most basic ones with us.
Maybe you think that this topic is not interesting for you but believe us – a true gentleman knows his shirt plackets and knows which one he should wear to look the best. So bear with us for a moment and read this short guide on how to wear and choose your shirt placket.
Front placket
A front placket is the most popular type of shirt plackets. It has a very business-like, dressy appearance. The placket fabric is folded back outside and sewn to the rest, but it can also feature a separate piece of fabric to create the same look.
No Placket (French Front)
This sophisticated shirt placket creates a clean one-piece fabric look because the placket fabric is folded back and sewn from the inside. The plain design looks very elegant but it is often used on casual shirts, too. It might be a bit trickier to iron this kind of shirt placket where you cannot reach the underside, but it is nothing a true gentleman could not master.
Covered Placket (Fly Front)
Fly Front has an additional piece of fabric to cover the buttons below it. A covered shirt placket is a very stylish choice and one of the most formal options. Even though it is not very common, it gives you the cleanest look you can achieve. Due to its formality, this type of shirt placket is often associated with tuxedo events.
Popover placket
This sporty and informal shirt placket is often used on casual shirts. The fabric is also folded back to create the front placket look, but the lacing part is shorter and features only three buttons. Comfortable to put on, just pop the shirt over your head and close the three buttons.
Tuxedo Front (plain)
Tuxedo Front is a tuxedo shirt version of the French front placket with one significant difference – the top four buttons can be removed and replaced with tuxedo studs. As the name suggests, we recommend wearing this shirt placket only on tuxedo shirts.
Pleated Tuxedo Front
This type of tuxedo shirt placket features small fabric folds on the shirt front. An extravagant tuxedo or a classic black choice may complement the bold appearance of the shirt. Similar to the plain tuxedo front, the top four buttons are also replaceable with tuxedo studs.
We have also created a simple shirt placket infographic for you to share on social media :)
Get inspired by our shirt collection:
Poplin
Bengal stripes
Cotton
