Arlington · Est. 1972
What you arepaying for
The difference between a good shirt and an expensive one is invisible on the hanger and obvious after twenty washes.
Emanuel Berg shirts at The Man’s Shop in Arlington. The construction details that decide how a shirt ages — collar interlining, stitch density, two-ply cotton — none of which show in a photograph and all of which show after a year of wearing and washing.
What matters
Worth knowing
- Collar interlining
- The single detail that decides whether a shirt still looks right in a year. A fused collar bubbles; a properly interlined one does not.
- Stitch density
- More stitches per inch along the seams. The shirt keeps its shape through repeated laundering instead of twisting.
- Two-ply cotton
- Softens with age rather than going limp and thin. The difference appears around the twentieth wash.
- Mother of pearl buttons
- Thicker, and they survive a commercial laundry. Plastic buttons crack, which is how most good shirts die.
- Altered here
- Sleeve length and body taper adjusted on site by Enrique.
The process
Two visits, not five
- First appointment
- About an hour. Cloth, measurements, and a conversation about how you actually wear the garment.
- Build
- Four to six weeks. Nothing is rushed and nothing is sent overseas without us knowing where it is.
- Collection
- Twenty minutes. Anything needing adjustment goes to Enrique, who works on site.
- Alterations
- Included on what we make. There is no separate bill at collection.
- Afterwards
- Your pattern stays on file, so the next order is a phone call.
Common questions
Dress shirts, answered
What makes an expensive shirt worth the money?
Collar construction, stitch density and the cotton. None of it is visible on the hanger, all of it shows after a year, and it is the reason a good shirt is still in rotation when a cheap one has been thrown away.
How should a dress shirt fit?
One finger inside the collar, the shoulder seam at the edge of your shoulder, and the cuff stopping at the base of your thumb. Everything else can be adjusted; those three cannot easily be.
Do European sizes run differently?
Yes, and more than most men expect. It is the main argument for trying rather than ordering, particularly the first time you buy from a maker you have not worn before.
Where are you and what are your hours?
100 S. West Street in downtown Arlington, parking beside the building. Monday to Saturday, ten until five, closed Sundays.
Arlington to Arlington
Book with Patrick or Austin
In stock and on the floor. Alterations on site.
Book with PatrickBook with Austin
100 S. West Street, Arlington, Texas 76010
Mon–Sat 10am–5pm · Closed Sunday
(817) 265-1116