Thomas Pink Shirts: Getting Down to Business by Dressing to Impress

How to wear your shirts for work, business and travel? How to impress colleagues and business contacts? Here I've worked with Thomas Pink and Nick Maroudias, photographer, to give you some ideas, selecting shirts from their large range of business shirts.

The chairman, MD or director. Stripes all round, with fine cotton British-made shirt

We make an assessment about people we meet for the first time within a split second of first seeing them. This is well-known, yet we so often see poorly-fitting suits, cheap shirts, horrible shoes and mismatching ties that do the wearer no favours at all. If we fail to make a good impression immediately, we are at a disadvantage in our work, our play and our friendships. Place yourself in the position of the businessman wanting to close a deal or the date looking for a mate. Given the choice, how will they choose between the scruff and the dapper?

It's no accident that the word 'smart' means dapper in the UK and clever in the US. Being well-dressed and well-groomed suggests (not always accurately it has to be said) intelligence, reliability and competence. It also shows respect for others and, just as important, self-respect. A tie isn't always needed, but is a safe option as, whether at work or travelling, giving a good impression is vital.

Business executive - a good quality shirt with classic tie and pocket square to lift the look

Thomas Pink's business shirts vary in price from £45 to £225, offering a choice of styles and price points for men at every stage of the business ladder. The idea is that you can buy an affordable shirt for your first interview and job and then move up the range as you progress through your career. The shirts come in a wide choice of colours, fit, patterns, collar styles and cloths. Well-cut and designed, they give you the ideal framework for a stylish business outfit.

Business smart doesn't require a suit and black shoes - a less formal look

You could lose the tie, but look the part when you travel; comfortable but dapper

The seven collections vary from the affordable and robust through to British-made shirts of exquisitely fine Italian-made cotton, offering the successful businessman a high quality accompaniment to his bespoke or made-to-measure suit and hand-made shoes.

As part of this, they've launched The Business Bundle which offers four shirts from their Stirling and Travel ranges for £200. Individual shirts in these two collections cost between £69 and £89, so the bundle offers good value to those starting out and those wanting a pile of shirts to take abroad on business.

See Thomas Pink Shirts for their large range of shirts for business and casual wear.

This feature was sponsored by Thomas Pink.