Most men own too many shirts that do too little. A print they bought on holiday, a check they thought would work with more things than it does, a stripe that only pairs with one pair of trousers. The plain shirt is the one that actually solves the wardrobe. It goes under a suit jacket, over a t-shirt, tucked into tailored trousers or left out over denim. It asks nothing of you. That sounds simple, but a badly made plain shirt is its own kind of disappointment. The collar loses its shape, the fabric pills after six washes, the fit works in the changing room and nowhere else. We have been looking specifically at plain shirts that hold up in all three areas and do so across a range of colors, from reliable whites and blues to the more considered earth tones that have quietly become the more interesting choice. These are the ones that earn their place.