How do you tell if a $200 dress shirt is worth it?

[josepidal]

Because a cousin mentioned it, I passed by Paul Smith walking around a mall today. The salesman explained the merits of their trademark double cuff, but their cotton dress shirts were simply all $130 to $200 and slightly beyond. The striped shirts with more detailing and texture on each stripe were the most expensive, he said.

I saw a few other shirts in the same range, from Dunhill to Rykiel, etc.

Is too much of this price simply brand name and marketing? I figure you can get a decent shirt on sale for $40 at most at any credible Italian botique, with similarly nice detailing and fabric. (I live in Manila in Southeast Asia, and it's too hot here to truly appreciate the more delicate high thread count, extra-thin dress shirts, in my opinion, unless you like them with sweat stains.) If it's a slim cut like Paul Smith, you can have a tailor do some alterations.

How do you tell if a lesser known brand's dress shirt is worth it?

Though I have to admit, those Paul Smith shirts looked very nice.

[giantreptile]

how it hangs over the shoulders, and how it looks after one wash.