I salute Slate’s Farhad Manjoo; like him (the opposite actually), my chest is a little moobsy (too many push ups) and my arms are a touch bulgy (too many chin ups); if I were to buy off-the-rack, I would have to buy a size and a half to big to accomodate leaving the torso area flappy like an 80s office worker and we all know the essential tip to style is (repeat after me)- The fit.

The Best Shirt Tailors (Without Ever Leaving Your Chair)

Thankfully, the intrepid Slate tech columnist has ventured where no real gentlemen have dared to tread- getting tailor made shirts online and this is what he discovered – no point in buying off the rack again. [Read the rest here] Monsieur’s cheat sheet follows below:

Indochino

Shirts range from $79 to $109. The Monsieur’s brief: Small selection. 30 fabrics – none fancy (think corporate). Really great suits but I digress. Customisation options: 8 different collar and cuff styles and monogram. [Shop here]

J. Hilburn

Shirts range from $79 to $159; customization extra. The Monsieur’s brief: Founded by Wall Street fat cats with a penchant for custom-made (who would have guessed?); A style consultant comes to your home or office with measurements and fabric swatches- subsequent orders can be made purely online. Expect it to be luxurious (as you would a banker). Customisation options: Fabrics to fit function or weather, cuffs, collars- the whole shebang. Expect it to be pricey. [Shop here]

Blank Label

Shirts range from $60 to $98. The Monsieur’s brief: Don’t expect Indochino’s flash or J. Hilburn’s bang. Do expect a wider variety of fabrics and customization; they even allow you to mail in your best fitting shirt for use as a template. Customisation options: Customise everything (there were portions of shirt I wasn’t even aware could be customized). [Shop here]