Once you've decided how many white shirts to send a missionary out with, there are three smaller decisions left — sleeve length, collar style, and whether there's a pocket. They sound minor. They're the ones people call us about.

Here's how to decide each one.

Long sleeve or short sleeve?

The rule first: some missions require long sleeve. If the mission president's letter says long sleeve, that's the end of the discussion. Read it before you buy.

Where both are allowed, the answer is a mix, weighted by climate:

• Four-season mission — roughly four long sleeve, two short. Long sleeve is more formal, works under a suit coat, and covers most of the year.
• Hot or humid mission — flip it. Four short, two long. In genuine heat, short sleeve is what actually gets worn, and a long-sleeve shirt with the sleeves rolled looks like a long-sleeve shirt with the sleeves rolled.
• Cold mission — long sleeve almost entirely, with a layer over the top rather than a heavier shirt underneath.

One practical note: long sleeve shirts in performance fabric are usually more comfortable in heat than people expect, because the fabric moves moisture rather than holding it. The old logic of "cotton short sleeve is cooler" doesn't transfer directly.

Standard collar or button-down?

A standard (point) collar is the more formal of the two and the safer default. It sits correctly under a tie, works with a suit coat, and is what most people picture when they picture a missionary.

A button-down collar has small buttons securing the collar points to the shirt. It reads slightly more casual, and it has one genuinely useful property: the collar stays put. On a bike, in wind, over a long day, it doesn't flap or curl.

Our honest read: if he's serving somewhere with a lot of bike or walking time, a couple of button-downs in the rotation are worth having. If the mission leans formal, keep it to standard collars.

Pocket or pocketless?

This is the one that surprises families most often.

Some missions specify pocketless shirts. Not many, but enough that it's worth checking rather than assuming. The reasoning is usually a cleaner, more uniform look, and it means nothing can be visibly carried in the chest pocket.

Where it isn't specified, it's preference:

• Pocket — practical. A pen, a card, a small notebook. Most missionaries use it.
• Pocketless — cleaner line, especially under a tie, and slightly more formal. It also looks better in photographs, which matters more than you'd think over two years of them.

A common compromise: mostly pocketed shirts, with two pocketless ones for Sundays, transfers and pictures.

Sizing: the part that actually goes wrong

Sleeve length and collar style are easy to fix. Size is not, especially once he's in the field.

Buy his usual size. Most young men wear the size they already wear in a dress shirt. The temptation to size up — for growth, for comfort, for layering — produces a shirt that looks borrowed for two years.

Know that fit and size are different questions. A slim fit and an athletic fit in the same nominal size are cut differently through the chest, shoulder and waist. An athletic build in a slim cut will pull at the buttons; a lean build in an athletic cut will billow. If he lifts or plays sport, start with athletic.

Check whether tall exists. If he's over about 6'2", or has long arms relative to his height, a tall size solves a problem that a larger regular size doesn't — it adds length without adding width.

Order early, and use the returns window while he's still home. This is the single most useful thing in this article. Most returns windows run 30 to 45 days from the day the order arrives — ours is 45 — and most US brands, us included, don't ship exchanges internationally. An eighteen-year-old's measurements are a moving target, so give yourself enough runway to swap a size before he flies rather than after.

A reasonable default kit

If you want a starting point to adjust from, for a four-season mission:

• 4 × long sleeve white, standard collar, with pocket
• 2 × short sleeve white, standard collar
• Of those six, make one or two pocketless if he likes the look
• Swap one standard collar for a button-down if he'll be on a bike daily

Then adjust the long/short ratio for climate and follow whatever the mission letter says.

Common questions

Are short sleeve dress shirts acceptable for missionaries?

In most missions, yes, particularly in warm climates. Some missions require long sleeve. The mission president's letter is the authority.

Do missionaries need pocketless shirts?

Only if the mission specifies it. Otherwise it's a preference — pocketless looks slightly more formal, pocketed is more practical.

What's the difference between slim fit and athletic fit?

Slim is cut narrow through the chest and waist. Athletic allows more room through the chest and shoulders while staying tapered at the waist — designed for a build with more upper body. They are different cuts, not different sizes.

Should I size up so he can grow into it?

No. Buy his current size and exchange it inside the returns window if it's wrong — 45 days from delivery with us. Do it before he leaves the country, because exchanges are US only.

What we make

&Collar white performance dress shirts come in long and short sleeve, standard and button-down collar, with and without a chest pocket, in slim and athletic fits, sizes XS–5XL, including tall. Shirts are $49.99 or any three for $99.

Returns, plainly: 45 days from the day your order arrives, unwashed with tags on if you still have them, no questions asked. Add risk-free returns at checkout and every return and exchange ships free; without it you're charged only for the cheapest return label we can find. Exchanges are US only.

If you want help choosing, our size finder will ask a few questions and make a recommendation.