How to keep your white collars white

Most people think fashion needs to be complicated, that you need to look like you've made an effort, but the most enduring styles are the simplest; a black suit, well-fitting jeans or an iconic leather jacket.

The one thing these all have in common and the reason they last from season to season is their simplicity. The most important building block of any wardrobe is the one most often overlooked; the white dress shirt. You may laugh, but a white shirt can be used in almost any outfit for any occasion, it's comfortable, smart, looks good and can be matched with almost anything from office casual to weekend formal and everything in between.

The only downside to white shirts is that they can sometimes be quite difficult to maintain, especially to keep the whiteness in the fabric. It can sometimes be easier to buy a new shirt rather than try to maintain the classic white look of your shirt, but you'd be surprised how effective our stain removers for clothes can be.

For something so cheap and ubiquitous, it can be worn in a myriad of different styles. It's hard to mess up when matching a white shirt to different looks and styles, but the thing most people don't realise is how to buy a properly fitted shirt to suit their frame or body type, here are the most important things to look for when shopping for a properly fitted shirt:

Allow two fingers in the collar when buttoned.

Be tight enough around the wrist so that the cuffs must be unbuttoned to slip them off.

Have long enough sleeves so that you can raise your arms like wings and not pull the cuffs down the forearm; they should be short enough so that you don't have more than 1 inch of fabric bunching near the cuff when your arms hang.

Shoulder points that extend to the end of the shoulder and no farther.

Have room in the chest and waist to pinch out 1-3 inches of fabric (depending on fit desired).

The white shirt's only drawback is that in some people's minds it can be hard to keep clean, but with Vanish Oxi Action Crystal White Powder, you can keep your white's white and your white shirts looking fresh and new every time you wear them.

1. Pour 100ml onto the stained item, gently rub and then soak in 4L of water.
2. Soak colours for 1 hour max. 
3. Soak whites for 6 hours max.
4. After soaking, wash as usual or rinse thoroughly.
5. For best results on stains, rub before rinsing.