The Yoke
Although not a make-or-break element of a dress shirt, the yoke is nonetheless a finer detail that deserves your attention.
If like most men you have no idea what a yoke is (or at least not by its proper name), it could just mean you don’t spend a lot of time looking at the back of your shirt. By breaking down a dress shirt into its core components, you’ll begin to appreciate how it all comes together. The yoke is one of those components, and depending on whom you ask it affects comfort.
Stretching along the upper back from shoulder to shoulder, the yoke can be one solid piece of fabric—known as the single yoke—or two pieces of fabric sewn together in the middle—known as the split yoke. It would be hard to successfully argue that either choice has a big impact on comfort, but some guys swear by the difference.
As the logic goes, having a split yoke positions two fabrics together at a diagonal angle, giving the entire yoke added stretch and the wearer added mobility around the shoulders. The difference is modest at best, but you can imagine how every advantage can become valuable over the course of a long day.
In terms of style, the yoke is again an entirely personal decision. When the shirt incorporates a busy pattern, or even a basic one, there is the added concern of cohesion with a split yoke—how the patterns match up where the fabric meets in the middle. The pattern should flow seamlessly from one side to the other, since the split yoke is designed for comfort, not to make a style statement.
Looking for a more personal touch? Our style advisors can meet you at your office to display fabric samples, take body measurements and guide you through the customization process. Or you can visit us for the same great experience.
The beauty of custom is the ability to impose your personal style on any aspect of design. Using our intuitive design interface, which features 3D-rendered shirts and changes shown in real-time, you can choose to customize every last detail or simply the ones that matter to you.
Without the assurance of a perfect fit, there’s no trust. We guarantee your shirt to fit the way you intended. If it doesn't, we’ll fix it, then we’ll save your updated measurements in our system for seamless future orders.
