Do you ever have this problem? You start your day with your dress shirt tucked in, looking great. However, after only an hour, your shirt is coming out, giving you the dreaded muffin top look. Here is an expert guide on how to keep your shirt tucked all day long.
How Do I Keep My Shirt Tucked In?
If you wear an oversize shirt, the surplus fabric will always move up during the day. Your shirt should comfortably fit against your mid-section. There is less fabric left to come out in a well-fitted shirt. Your shirt should not be too short to the extent that it rides up when you bend over or sit down. Below the beltline, you should have 3 inches to tuck in at the minimum.
Use the Military Style to Tuck in Your Shirt
Start with your pants undone. Then take the surplus fabric between your fingers on both sides of the shirt, pull it tight, and place it in your pants. Lastly, buckle up your pants, and cinch your belt.
If you are wearing an undershirt, tuck the undershirt first into your underwear, and then tuck the shirt into your pants.
Wear a Belt to Firmly Keep Your Pants in Place
After you have tucked your dress shirt into your pants, fasten your belt to the level you are comfortable with. This will prevent your pants from sliding down, which is a cause of your shirt untucking.
Choose a belt that rhymes with your outfit style. For example, wear a classic black belt when wearing a plain dress shirt or khakis.
In Shirts That Slides Up, Use a Rubber Strip to Hold the Pants
If you have pants with a smooth inner band, your shirt may remain too loose the entire day. Instead of just dealing with it, affix a rubber grip tape to hold it in place along your pants' front and inner back. Your tailor can do this for a small fee if you cannot do it.
Alternatively, you can attach a rubber band to the lower button of your shirt and then attach the rubber band to the button on your pants or dress. This method is one of the best to ensure your shirt remains tucked in all day long.
If You Have Long Pants, Wear Shirt Stays
If the military tucking is still not working on your shirt, shirt stays is another method you can use.
First, acquire shirt stays; these resemble straps that you fix to the bottom side of your dress shirt. You then straighten out the other end of each stay, circling your foot.
The stays will keep the shirt tucked in, and you will walk smoothly. Instead of attaching under your foot, some stays attach to the top of your socks.
People will like one method over the other; it's a personal preference. The following are some of the accessories you can buy to keep your shirt tucked in.
What Accessories Are Available to Keep a Shirt Tucked?
Shirt Stays

Also referred to as shirttail garters, shirt stays are one of the best accessories to keep your shirt tucked on. Since they are attached to the socks, they also help your socks to remain on, which is another advantage.
They are straightforward since you only attach one end of the stay to your shirt while the other end connects to your socks. Some of the commonly asked questions about stays are.
Can short men use stays?
Stays work for most shorter men; they are a one-size-fits-all solution. You can only have a problem using stays if you have a long dress shirt and long socks over your knees; there needs to be sufficient distance between the two garments.
Otherwise, if your socks are mid-calf and your shirt fits, your stays will have enough tension to keep the shirt tucked on.
Are shirt stays comfortable?
Yes, they are very comfortable, and you will quickly get used to them.
Do you have to take your shirt stays off to use the bathroom?
When sitting down, you will have to unclip either the bottom or top of the stay. Unclipping will prevent too much stay tension that can make you feel comfortable.
It is easier to unclip the bottom side since it has only one clip, unlike the upper side, which has two clips attached to your shirt.
Shirt Lock
A shirt lock is simply another belt worn over your shirt but under your pants. The belt will hold your dress shirt tight and prevent it from sliding upwards when you lean or bend over.
Magnetuck
Magnetuck are half golf ball-shaped magnets but smaller than a golf ball. The outer face is raised such that when you fasten your belt, the raised part will be lower the belt, so there is no way your shirt will slide up.
To install;
- You will put the flat side inside your dress shirt
- Place the half golf shape piece on the outer side of the shirt.
- Make sure both parts hook together.
- On each side of the shirt, place one magnetuck
The advantage of magnetuck is that they have a solid magnet to hold your shirt tight, and they are small. A Magnetuck disadvantage is if you are a business person who travels a lot, the magnet will keep setting off security checkpoints!
Another disadvantage is that magnetuck are placed on the sides of the shirts leaving the front and the rear part with little support. Other people complain of the bulge magnetuck creates after joining the two sides.
Tucked Trunks
Tucked trunks are convenient and very easy to use. These are boxers with additional waistbands with a rubber grip on the band inside. The rubber grip holds your shirt anytime you wear the boxer shorts without adding other accessories.
Tucked trunks serve two purposes: First, they are worn as boxers, and secondly act as holders that prevent shirts from sliding up.
Tukz
Tukz closely resembles tucked trunks. They are boxers for men and women; the only difference is that Tukz comes with clips. The clips are comparable to those of the shirt stay attached to the boxer.
Advantages of Tukz
Unlike shirt stays where you have to clip the stay to the socks, with the Tukz, the clips are attached to the boxer near the shirt's tucked part. As a result, Tukz are easier to grab and wear.
Disadvantages
The rear clips are stationed on you but in a way that it can pain when you sit down or bend for a long time.
Shirt Gripper
The shirt gripper is a rubber belt that has studs. The studs hold on to the slacks creating friction so that a shirt cannot slide up.
The shirt gripper's advantage is that you can adjust it according to your desire, making it loose or tight. On the other hand, the disadvantage of the shirt gripper is that it does not have downward support, which makes the shirt gripper belt slide up if the belt is not tight enough.
Another con is that your belt must always remain tight to hold the shirt and prevent it from moving upwards.
PantsProp
PantsProp is another product that assists in keeping your pants up. You will fix them at the bottom of your pants or shirt and design a gripping point on the waistline of your pants.
Strapless Suspenders
The strapless suspenders create a bond between your shirt and pants, holding your shirt up while keeping your pants up. They use specialized gripping material and a patent-pending design that looks nice and feels comfortable.
The strapless suspenders are attached to your belt on four sides, the rear, front, and both sides. You will then flip the grip into your pants which places the specialized grips are now between your pants and trouser. Once you tuck in your shirt, tighten your belt to your comfort, and you are ready to go.
Shirt Tails
They are magnetic, just like magnetuck, but shirttails come in four pairs and have a rubber coating on one side of each set. You use it similarly to the magnetic one where one part of the shirttail is inside the shirt while the other matching side is on the outer side. The only difference is that you will have two shirttails on the front side and two on the rear side of your shirt.
How Do I Keep My Button-Down Shirt Tucked In?
There is a solution for those shirts to keep their button-downs from coming out.
Tailor Your Pants So That They Fit Comfortably on Your Hip Bones or Waist
One of the reasons your button-down shirt keeps on coming out is that loose pants that leave space or the waistband of your pants keep on sliding up and down, making the shirt slide up.
In this case, you should see a tailor so they can tailor your pants to fit your natural waist.
Seek Pants With Elastic Waist
Pants with elastic waist will hold your shirt dress tightly and prevent it from sliding up. Some cloth designers have already incorporated this technique. Still, you can see a tailor if your pants don't have an elastic waist.
Small Tight Armholes
If the armhole is small or correctly fits, there will be no excess fabric around your shoulder and armpit. The effect is that when you lift your hands, the bottom part will remain intact since nothing is pulling it upwards.
On the contrary, if the armhole is more significant and you raise your hands, everything will be pulled up, untucking your shirt. Therefore, you should always ensure a small armhole in the shirt while the shirt remains as comfortable as possible.
Tape Your Shirt to Your Pants
Another great hack that you can use to make your shirt remain tucked in. Use two small pieces of clothing tape that are double-sided. Fix them in the front and rear part of your pants and attach them to your shirt. Your shirt will remain stuck the whole day.
The only shortcoming of using tape is that it only works in smooth fabrics such as cotton, fine wool, and silk. Knits and nubbier wool won't stick.
The Mysterious Button
Sometimes you find some small buttons inside your trousers. These buttons are more than just decorating features. You can use the buttons on both sides of the trouser to hold your shirt once tucked in.
How Do You Properly Tuck In a Shirt?
Half Tuck / Front Tuck
The front tuck is the casual tucking in of the front part of your shirt in the pants while the rear part remains untucked. Mainly used to make the oversized shirt look classic and fashionable.
Full Tuck
The formal tuck-in method that you apply during working days. You tuck entirely in your shirt in both front and rear parts. Below is how you perform a full tuck;
- Iron your shirt and ensure there are no wrinkles.
- Gather the bottom of your shirt and use the other hand to create a gap in your pants.
- Push the shirt flat against you and ensure no bunching, and then fasten your pants.
Loose Full Tuck
You apply this style when you still want to tuck in but in a less dressy version. Loose tuck presents a more casual look. You will do the same procedure as a full tank, but raise your hands above your head to create a loose puck.
Is it Okay to Tuck Your Shirts Into Jeans?
Yes, you can. Tucking your shirt into jeans gives a more casual look. However, this style depends on the occasion; it is okay for special events but not offices.
Final Thoughts
A neatly tucked-in shirt conveys a strong message to anyone that you encounter. Try out some accessories in this guide and see which one works out for you well.
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