While it’s acceptable to have a well-worn pair of jeans, showing up for work or a meeting with a worn out dress shirt sends the wrong message.

Did you know that very garment actually has a “life expectancy?” A quality dress shirt is generally made from cotton or a cotton blended fabric and should last about 2 years. Like any garment that you wear regularly, dress shirts will begin to show signs of wear and tear. Including:

1. Frayed cuffs and collars
2. Thinning fabric, especially around the elbows and sleeves
3. Faded or dingy color
4. Stains
5. Holes

[picapp align=”left” wrap=”true” link=”term=dress+shirt&iid=5253018″ src=”http://view4.picapp.com/pictures.photo/image/5253018/close-mid-section-mid/close-mid-section-mid.jpg?size=500&imageId=5253018″ width=”152″ height=”152″ /] Keep in mind that the more often you wear a dress shirt, the faster it will wear out.   To maximize the life of your dress shirts, it’s recommended to build up your wardrobe so you don’t have to wear the same shirt more than once a week, and of course have the shirt professionally cleaned and pressed regularly.

Also, starch can cause dress shirts to wear out sooner. So if you really like a particular dress shirt, try skipping the starch every few cleanings.