What Is The Difference Between Fitted and Athletic Fit Dress Shirts?

These two shirts are standard options among athletes, but do you know the difference between fitted and athletic fit dress shirts?  

Below, we’ve put together a detailed guide to help you understand the subtle differences between the two styles.

We’ll also suggest an alternative style that is better for athletic body types, as it’s not the cookie-cutter style that’s sold on shop shelves.

What this article covers:

• What Is an Athletic-Fit Dress Shirt?
• What Is a Fitted Dress Shirt?
• True Muscle Fit Dress Shirts
• What Can I Wear Them With?

What Is an Athletic-Fit Dress Shirt?

The athletic-fit dress shirt is a common choice among athletes, for obvious reasons. These shirts are fitted and quite tight. They’re shaped for athletic physiques.

This fit has a tailored look. It’s a great option for the slender, naturally athletic body type. It’s not so great for actual athletes though.

Because these shirts are made for people with slender builds, they have a very narrow cut. The cut is also straight, and as a bulkier athlete, the upper half of your body is likely an inverted triangle shape.

While they’re a little more difficult to find in shops, getting specifically tailored clothes results in the best-fitting dress shirts for men with an athletic build.

This means your shoulders are wider than your waist, and your chest area is broader than the average person's. Your abdomen is lean and has a V-shape.

An athletic-fit dress shirt is, therefore, probably not a great fit for you. The cut will be too straight and won’t fit your V-shaped torso well. 

The arms also have a straight cut, making no room for the bigger biceps you have.

This means that although you mightjust fit into an athletic-fit dress shirt, it’s not the best option for your body shape. You need something that’s made for muscular athletes specifically, and not slender athletes.  

What Is a Fitted Dress Shirt?

The fitted dress shirt is another popular option in terms of dress shirts. It’s got a sleek, tailored look; and it looks great. Again, the problem is that it’s not made for muscular men. 

This fit is better suited to someone with a more average shape. This is mostly because of the arm space issue. A fitted dress shirt is made so that the material sits very close to the skin - in fact, there’s no room between the skin and the shirt.

This looks great but can be a problem when your arms are too large to fit into the right size. You’d likely need to buy two sizes bigger than your regular size for your arms to fit into the shirt, and then you have the problem of the shirt being too big around your torso.

This is unflattering for someone with your physique. When shirts have a boxy look around your torso, they can drown out the body you’ve worked so hard for, hiding all your definition behind a curtain of cloth. You’ll be left looking large, and not in a good way.

We don’t recommend fitted dress shirts for muscular athletes. You need a shirt that’s tailored to your specific body type to accentuate your best features.

True Muscle Fit Dress Shirts

This brings us to the solution to your problem: TAILORED ATHLETE’s True Muscle Fit dress shirt. 

We specialize in making shirts with the perfect fit for your body type. After intensive research, this is the fit we created. 

We’re athletes ourselves, so we know exactly what your pain points are when it comes to shirts. We didn’t rely only on our knowledge, though. We worked with thousands of athletes to create the perfect True Muscle Fit shirts.

We’re raising the standard of traditional fits with these shirts. We created them to address all the problems we mentioned above: the cut allows for bigger chests, broader shoulders, and large upper arms. 

This means no more sizing up. Whatever your size, our men’s athletic fit dress shirt allows space for your arms and shoulders without changing your size.

The waist on our True Muscle Fit is tapered. The result is that you always looked polished and presentable. No more boxy looks and squeezing into shirts!

We make the best athletic cut dress shirts, and we can prove it with the reviews from thousands of satisfied customers.

Which Is Best For You?

We believe our True Muscle Fit dress shirts are the best option for working athletes. We want to provide you with thebest dress shirts for bodybuilders and athletes that money can buy.

As we said, this has been created specifically for your body type. It’s available in more than one style, so you can choose what works best for you.

We have a bamboo cotton option, which is ultra-soft and comfortable. The material is eco-friendly, so you can rest assured you’re making a sustainable choice when you choose to purchase this shirt. We’ve got this in bright and muted colors, so you can pick whether you want to stand out or look more formal.

Our pique jersey shirts have a jersey finish, so you can elevate your style and comfort levels in the colder months. No more unflattering warming shirts. This one is stretchy, and warm, and will fit you just right.

This is what makes TAILORED ATHLETE’s garments some of the best button-down shirts for athletes.

We know you also need formal officewear that fits you properly, and our solution is the Essential Business Shirt. Made in our True Muscle Fit, this shirt will have you looking sleek in no time. 

It accentuates your favorite parts of your physique while keeping you looking professional.

They’re available in a variety of subtle patterns. We know you don’t always want to go with a plain look. 

If you still want to show off while staying warm in the winter, check out our collection of long sleeve athletic shirts that won’t hide your hard work beneath reams of unnecessary fabric.

Give our dress shirts a try, and let us know what you think! We know you’ll be impressed.

What Can I Wear Them With?

If you’re in the market for trousers that are tailored to your shape, we’ve got some good news for you. We make True Muscle Fit trousers that are perfect for business and casual settings.

We prioritize both comfort and versatility. Our trousers are rich in cotton, so they’re not only comfortable, but the fabric is also breathable. 

Available in a variety of colors and styles - give our trousers a try. You won’t regret making the switch.

Did you find our blog helpful? Then consider checking:

• How a Dress Shirt Should Fit
• How Should Button-Up Shirts Fit
• What Shirts Make You Look Muscular
• How Do Essential Shirts Fit
• How Should a Short-Sleeve Shirt Fit
• Traditional Fit vs Tailored Fit
• Slim Fit vs Fitted: Who Are They for?
• Trim Fit vs Slim Fit: How Are They Different?
• Slim Fit vs Classic Fit
• Muscle Fit vs Slim Fit - The Difference Tailoring Makes
• Slim Fit vs Extra Slim Fit: Is It for Me?
• Tailored vs Slim Fit: Which Looks Best?
• Custom-fit vs Slim-fit - Which Fit Suits You Best?
• Contemporary vs Slim Fit: Which Is for Me?
• Sharp fit vs slim fit