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Home / Blog / Clothing and Style

How to Keep Your Shirt Tucked In

Published on October 4, 2016 by Brock McGoff · Clothing and Style May contain affiliate links (what's this?)

Have you noticed how button up shirts seem to constantly come untucked throughout the day?

It seems like, no matter what you do, your shirt will come untucked and look sloppy, especially when you reach your arms above your head.


KK and Jay logoNote: Huge thanks to KKandJay for making this post possible! KK & Jay makes shirttail garters and suspenders for men. Their products are handmade in Brooklyn – very high quality and stylish.


Even fitted, tailored shirts are prone to coming untucked. And no one likes the muffin top look.

So how do you keep your shirt tucked in? Read on for three unique solutions.

How to keep your shirt tucked in

First off, it’s important to tuck your shirt in properly. I like to use a technique commonly referred to as the “military tuck” that involves folding the excess fabric of your shirt as you tuck it in.

Unless your shirt is extremely slim (to the point of being restrictive), the military tuck (or some variation of it) is a good idea.

But even if your technique is tucking perfect, your shirt will still come untucked, especially when you reach your arms over your head.

Shirt comes untucked
Every time I reach up to get something…

I don’t know about you, but at 5’6″ in boots, I’m reaching my arms up many times throughout the day (to grab a mug from the cabinet or to fix my hair, for example).

So what can you do to prevent your button downs from coming untucked? One of these three things:

Technique #1: Shirt Stays

Also called shirttail garters, these are the best accessories for keeping your shirt neatly tucked in all day long.

Plus, they keep your socks up at the same time. Bonus points for shirt stays!

These things have been around for a long time, and after using them myself, I can understand why. They just work. Better than any rubber belt or magnetic clip.

Shirttail gartersYou simply attach one end of the stay to your shirt and the other end to your socks, and that’s it.

Now, I’m sure you have a couple of questions about wearing shirt stays, so I’ll try to answer them now:

“Do they fit shorter men?”

Shirt stays are usually one-size-fits-all, and they should work for most shorter men. The garters I have are meant to cover a distance of 14-24 inches.

So, if they distance between the top of your socks and the bottom of your shirt is less than 13″, there won’t be enough tension for the garters to do their job.

That said, unless your dress shirts are too long and/or your socks are too high (like over your knee), you won’t have a problem.

If you wear mid-calf socks, you’ll definitely have enough tension.

“Are they comfortable?”

Yes, they are comfortable. You get used to them very quickly.

“Do you have to take them off to use the bathroom?”

If you’re sitting down, you’ll have to unclip either the top or bottom of each stay. I prefer unclipping the bottom (the part that’s attached to my socks) because it’s just one clip instead of two.

“What if I’m getting undressed, you know, in front of someone?”

Worst case, they think the shirt stays are funny. Best case, they find them sexy. I wouldn’t worry about this at all!

KKandJay Shirttail Garters

KK and Jay shirt staysThe shirt stays I tried out for this post are from KKandJay, a Brooklyn based company founded by New York City Jew and a west African Ivy-Leaguer who share a passion for menswear.

I spoke to NYC native Jason over the phone and learned about his vast experience with menswear and his passion for helping men look their best.

Together, him and Mohamed Kaykay are on a mission to help men stay tucked – all tucking day.

If you’re serious about keeping your shirt tucked in, I recommend trying shirt stays. The next two techniques are better than nothing, but they’re not nearly as effective as garters.

Technique #2: Rubber Grips

Some pants come with strips of rubber built into the inside of the waistband.

Rubber strip on pantsI’ve noticed that many made-to-measure brands offer this as a default option these days, which is great.

If your pants don’t have this feature, you can actually add it in yourself, or have a local tailor do it for you.

Many tailors carry rubber grip “tape” that can be sewn along the inside of your waistband.

If your tailor doesn’t have any, you can actually buy it yourself (couldn’t find any on Amazon, but you can buy it from sewing supplies shops like this one or this one).

While this technique is better than nothing, it’s not nearly as effective as shirttail garters.

Speaking of better than nothing…

Technique #3: The “Undertuck”

I’m not sure who invented this tucking method or if “undertuck” is even the correct name, but here’s how you do it:

How to tuck your shirt in

Tuck your undershirt into your underwear, then tuck your shirt into your pants. So the layers go:

skin → undershirt → underwear → shirt → pants

That’s it. I don’t know why this works better than the traditional tuck (i.e., tucking both your undershirt AND shirt into your pants), but it does.

Trust me on this one. Just try it. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Of course, this won’t work if you don’t wear an undershirt (or underwear, for that matter).

Then again, you’re probably not going commando at the office…right?

Your Tucking Turn

If you use the undertuck and practice proper tucking technique (i.e., the military style tuck), you’ll already be in much better shape than most guys.

If your pants have rubber grips, that’s an added bonus.

But if you really want to stop your shirt from coming untucked, get yourself a pair of KKandJay shirttail garters (or three).

Clothing and Style button up shirt, shirt stays, sp

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About Brock McGoff

The Modest Man founder, Brock is an aspiring minimalist who enjoys working out, spending time with his family, discovering new brands and creating great content.

Background: Brock McGoff has a bachelor's degree in psychology and a professional background in digital marketing. He believes that men's fashion is just one facet of self-improvement, and he started The Modest Man to help regular guys feel more confident by improving their appearance.

An east coast native, Brock currently lives in Arizona with his wife and daughter. When he's not working, he spends time with family, training BJJ, reading/listening to books and podcasts, and unsuccessfully trying to decide which movie to stream.

Expertise: Brock has built a men's lifestyle YouTube channel with over 400k subscribers. He's also worked as the creative marketing manager in a men's apparel startup. Brock has been quoted in, mentioned by or featured in publications like Esquire, Huff Post, Men's Health, WWD and Forbes.

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    Got questions? Want to share your opinion? Comment below!

  1. cf says

    February 16, 2019 at 11:36 am

    When a pair of underwear ends its useful life, I remove the waist band. With a shirt on and before the pants goes on, I slide the band over my head down to about were the sides of the shirts dips up. I then pull the shirt tight and then pull up my pants. It may slip a bit but whenever a trip to the bathroom is required, pulling the shirt tight will give you the “good” look.

    Reply
  2. JR says

    March 1, 2017 at 9:24 am

    Cool tip on undertucking; I’ll have to try. Any advice on selection/style of undershirt to best achieve this effect? I feel like I already have problems finding an undershirt that fits well with my dress shirts and ties.

    Reply
  3. Forrest says

    October 4, 2016 at 8:02 pm

    I have heard great things about shirttail garters, but do they ruin your shirt and socks faster? I have heard they do which so far has stopped me from trying them. I was wondering if you had noticed unusual wear and tear because of them, how much, and if it is just worth it for that nice streamlined look.

    Reply
    • Brock says

      October 4, 2016 at 8:16 pm

      I haven’t used them long enough to notice anything. The ones I have don’t have any sharp edges, just a plastic circle that slides into a metal slot. On their FAQ page, KK&Jay says they definitely don’t ruin your shirts and socks.

      Reply
    • gentlemanwithin says

      October 5, 2016 at 12:04 am

      I have a set from a different brand, but the locking mechanism is identical. I wear them occasionally and haven’t noticed any destruction of my shirts or socks.

      The bigger issue is the pulling of your leg hairs. That’s a pain, which after a while you may feel it. But hey, gotta sacrifice one thing for another right?

      Reply
  4. EMM says

    October 4, 2016 at 1:19 pm

    I’ve been undertucking for about 2 years now. It definitely helps streamline my 9 to 5 wardrobe. I highly recommend it (unless you have swamp ass).

    Reply
  5. Mo says

    October 4, 2016 at 11:46 am

    Traditional double-tuck doesn’t work b/c the undershirt actually lowers the friction of the overshirt sliding around. It’s like wearing two pairs of socks in the winter – the outer pair slides all over the place b/c the inner pair gives it a smooth surface to slide on instead of sliding directly on your foot. I’m convinced most people do the “undertuck” and just don’t talk about it.

    Reply

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