MAR 2016
SYSTEM OF SHI RT A REASEARH ON MEN’S WHITE DRESS SHIRT
By:
H E N R Y
H U
T
ABLE OF CONTENTS PART 3
19 MODERN DAY
40 Collar 40 Button Down Collar 40 Button Down Collar Button Size
25 Key Elements that Define Men’s White Shirt 25 Off the Rack or Boxed 26 Tailored Shirt or Bespoke
PART 2
27 Pocket Style
PART 1
02 INTRODUCTION
05 HISTORY
The Archetypal Men’s White Dress Shirt
Down Collar
42 Cuff 42 Interlining 43 Shirt Cuff Types 44 Construction Variations
28 Fabric 28 Fabric Ply 28 Fabric Yarn Count
07 The Early Evolution of Modern Men’s White Dress
02
41 Unbuttoned Button
Shirt 08 User & Key Influences
09
03
Styles Through the Ages
Specific Elements and
09 The Golden Days of
Fabric Cutting Instructions
Tailoring
for a Men’s Dress Shirt
10 Victorian & Edwardian 11 1920’s 13 The Dress Shirt
28 Fabric Finish 29 Weave
31 Fit 33 Dress Shirt Collar Fit 34 Dress Shoulder Fit 35 Dress Torso Fit 36 Dress Shirt Sleeve Fit 37 Dress Shirt Sleeve Cuff
PART 4
45 TODAY’S MARKET
38 Dress Shirt Sleeve Length 39 Dress Shirt Bottom Hem Length
15 1960’s
39
15 Shirt Collars
Placket
45 Modern Innovations
47
16 Victorian & Edwardian
Market Trends
Collars
49
17 Turn Down Collars 18 Shirtsleeves
Market Trends 49 Off The Rack 50 High-ends / Bespoke / Custom
The white
dress shirt is
designed to be tucked in (hence the curved hem) and may or may not be worn with a tie. It is referred to as a dress shirt, because it is typically worn within the formal end of social wear and within cosmopolitan, professional settings. It also can be worn for formal evening wear where the suit and tie may or may not be dominant.
PART I : INTRODUCTION
SYSTEM OF SHIRT
PAGE 02
1 INTRODUCTION The Archetypal Men’s White Dress Shirt
T H E archetypal men’s white dress shirt has a nat-
listic variations. Other functional elements include: a
opening with tab, rigid collar and cuffs, yoke custom-
(called a placket) on the sleeve to allow for access to
ural fit for the upper-body and has a centre front button arily cut double, long set-in-sleeves and a curved hem
line. The fabric used is generally either 100% cotton
or, more recently, a cotton-polyester blend. This icon of men’s fashion exists across the range of menswear outlets – from elite designer stores to low-cost clothing outlets.
The anatomical elements of a classic undecorated
men’s dress shirt consist of several major pattern or block shapes: two sides of the front, the back, the
sleeve and the yoke. These key components determine the form and fit of the garment. The main sub-elements
consist of: the collar, which is normally cut in two pieces with a stand and a fall, and the cuff. The purpose of
these elements is to formalize the garment through
rigidity, as well as to provide the main scope for sty-
front tab for buttons and buttonholes, and a small band
the arm. These major pattern pieces combine to produce a basic dress shirt, although there are a range of extra pieces that play key supporting roles. Additional
interfacing components provide rigidity to the front tab, the cuffs, the collar fall and collar stand. Interfacing
can also be applied to the placket according to fabric density. Depending on construction methods, the collar
fall and the cuff may also have an under pattern that is cut smaller than the top pattern. The placket can also
have a small bind to facilitate a precise closure. There-
fore, even though a basic shirt appears relatively sim-
ple in form, it can have, in entirety, up to approximately a dozen fabric pattern pieces, half-a-dozen interfacing
pattern pieces and, once the fabric is cut, over two dozen shapes.
PART I : INTRODUCTION
SYSTEM OF SHIRT
SPECIFIC ELEMENTS AND FABRIC CUTTING INSTRUCTIONS FOR A MEN’S DRESS SHIRT
FRONT
COLLAR STAND
UNDER COLLAR
Fabric cut as a
Interfacing cut as
BACK
OUTER COLLAR
Fabric cut on the
Fabric cut single
FRONT TAB (Centre front panel for buttons)
Fabric cut as a
pair to provide a
left and right side
fold of the fabric YOKE
Fabric cut double SLEEVE Fabric cut as a
pair for left and right sides
OUTER CUFF Fabric cut as a pair
UNDER CUFF Fabric cut as a pair
pair
pair
UNDER COLLAR
Interfacing cut as
Fabric cut single
CUT INTERFACING
TAB FRONT Fabric cut as a pair
PLACKET (Sleeve Vent) Fabric cut as a pair
PLACKET BIND Fabric cut as a pair
UPPER COLLAR Interfacing cut single
a pair
Interfacing cut as a pair
PLACKET Interfacing cut as a pair (optional)
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PART II : HISTORY
SYSTEM OF SHIRT
PAGE 05
2
HISTORY S I N C E before the Middle Ages the shirt has existed as a piece of clothing, but then only as underwear for
men or as a night gown. In the early days the shirt had neither collar nor cuffs, but a hem that could be tightened
and buttoned, and was put it on by pulling it over your head. In the Middle Ages one could choose between fixed or detachable collar. The garment was often made out of linen and sometimes silk. In the 18th century the shirt was no
longer worn only as underwear, the collar grew into enormous proportions and was decorated with embroidery and lace. Later the collar grew back to smaller sizes again.
PART II : HISTORY
SYSTEM OF SHIRT
T H E shirt (peri-
2.1 T
od term, ‘sherte’) is an enduring item in both name and in its principal design. Its provenance can be traced back to the Norman period, around the turn of the first millennium, with a loose, utilitarian garment referred to as a chemise or a smock. This unstructured form, which was considered as an undergarment, essentially remained consistent in silhouette up until the mid to late part of the nineteenth century. In the middle part of the nineteenth century the
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origins of the modern shirt, including the dress shirt, begin to emerge. During the period 1840s to 1870s the shirt shifted from a loose garment to a fitted garment which essentially resembled current notions of fit and style. The catalysts for change were threefold. Firstly, during the mid to late nineteenth century tailors adopted a scientific approach to drafting shirt patterns and this mathematical system enabled a better fitting garment. Many shirt drafting systems from that period were pat-
ented and enterprising inventors created highly novel and intricate systems to enhance the fit of the shirt. Shirtmakers could now draft patterns to fit a multitude of sizes and the quality of individual fit significantly improved. Secondly, this transformation of cut was necessary as the vest and jacket were becoming more fitted and a bulky undershirt was uncomfortable to wear. Through waist shaping, a shoulder yoke and a curved armhole and sleeve head, the shirt was able to reduce its bulk, whilst still allowing for movement.
button opening) front, yoke, firm cuffs and collar and a curved hemline. The distinction between a dress shirt and a casual shirt was also becoming evident. Dress shirts had either pleated or plain bib fronts (on occasion, detachable bib fronts) or small frills on the front tab, depending on the fashion of the time. Collars, and sometimes cuffs, were also detachable on formal shirts, whereas casual shirts had attached, soft collars.
the white dress shirt. The basic form is consistent with current notions of fit and silhouette and the construction, apart from the detached collar is, on the whole, allied to contemporary practices. Hence, it can be argued that between 1870 and 1890, the white dress shirt was in a form that paralleled modern variants, notwithstanding inconsequential styling, decoration and construction differences. At this point in history, the white dress shirt as we know it today, was clearly in existence
HE EAR LY EVOLUTION OF MODER N M EN ’ S W HITE DRESS SH I RT Also, as the vest and coat opening became higher it necessitated more formal and rigid collar and cuff shapes. Finally, due to improvements in sewing manufacture and the industrial revolution, the domestic sewing of men’s shirts was rapidly in decline. Ready-made, affordable shirts were gaining popularity and this enabled a more refined style and cut to permeate the market. By 1890, the basic fitted shirt had evolved. It consisted of a fitted silhouette with coat style (full length
By the close of the 1890s, the bedrock had been laid for what we know today as
PART II : HISTORY
2.1.1 USERS & KEY IN F LU E NC E S
Upton Sinclair, first used the adjective ‘while collar’
Banker’s Collar White Shirt, first invented in 1827 in Troy NY, by Mrs. Hannah Montague
Button-down Collar, an ad-hoc remedy hastily cobbled together during a “chukka” in a heated polo match in Great Britain
SYSTEM OF SHIRT
T H E adjective
‘white collar’ was first used by Upton Sinclair in relation to modern clerical, administrative and management workers during the 1930s. Sinclair’s usage is related to the fact that, during most of the 19th and 20th centuries, male office workers in European and American countries almost always had to wear dress shirts, which had collars and were usually white.
The “banker’s collar white shirt” had its origin in the 19th century detachable collar, first invented in 1827 in Troy NY, by Mrs. Hannah Montague, a housewife who was having difficulties with her husband’s “ring-around-the-collar.” Her husband showed off his wife’s invention to the guys around town,
and soon all the wives of Troy embraced this new invention. Soon after, merchants followed suit, and manufactured collars in mass quantities for sale to the outside world. By 1897, twenty-five manufacturers in Troy were producing a total of eight million dozen collars and cuffs a year. Linen collars were offered in a breathtaking variety of styles and had become the status-symbol of the growing office-worker class (i.e. “white collar” workers). Mail order catalogs like Sears-Roebuck, Montgomery-Ward, and Bloomingdale’s sent detachable collars to every part of America, along with the often colorful collarless shirts with which they were worn. The button-down collar is an ad-hoc remedy hastily cobbled together
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during a “chukka” in a heated polo match in Great Britain. A frustrated player realized that by ingeniously anchoring ends of his collar points with a button not only prevented their wild flailing about in his face but completely eliminated the bedeviling problem that tormented his concentration as he galloped full-speed, down-field. Oddly enough, the button-collared shirt was originally imported to the United States by Brooks Brothers. Ironically, it was intended for sale to blue collar workers.
PART II : HISTORY
SYSTEM OF SHIRT
2.2 S
T YLES THROUGH the ages
2.2.1
the golden days of tailoring
D U R I N G this period of
time no shirts were mass produced in factories. The well suited man bought his shirt from the tailor, just like many do today again, whilst the common man wore shirts made by his wife. For long the shirt was a garment of simple design, but in the middle of the 19th century the shirt was tailored more to the shape of the body, the fixed collar disappeared and the shirt started to show up in more colorful designs especially as sports shirts and labor shirts. The white shirt was, until the end of the 19th century, considered to be an important attribute of prosperity.
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PART II : HISTORY
SYSTEM OF SHIRT
2.2.2
Most modern Tuxedo shirts come with a wingtip collar. The modern Tuxedo pleated shirt is historically incorrect but may be your only option to find a wingtip collar locally.
VIC TOR IA N & E DW A R D IA N
A Victorian man on the Western
frontier or living big city life as a Gentlemen is in need of a few good shirts. Plain white shirts were the most common for gentlemen while rustic folk found dark colors easier to keep clean. Button up, bib front, yoke, with or without collars. There are many styles of men’s Victorian shirts to choose from.
Edwardian Men’s Shirt. Shirt collars were detachable so they could easily be laundered or replaced.
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Victorian Men’s Shirt. There are many styles of men’s Victorian shirts to choose from.
Edwardian men’s shirts are similar to today’s dress shirt with a few exceptions. Shirt collars were detachable so they could easily be laundered or replaced. You won’t find these easily today so a white collar shirt in either round, club collar, or classic wide points over a thin vertical striped shirt is ideal. Edwardian dress shirts could be all white or a light solid color too. Work shirts were usually dark blue heavy cotton. Formal shirts were button down with wingtip collars. Regardless of what jacket you choose the rest of the formal clothing remains the same. A white “bib” or button down starched skirt with tall wingtip collar was always worn for formal occasions.
The other collar style was a tall standing collar with rounded edges. These were dreadfully uncomfortable because the stiffness of the collar prevented the head from turning and often bruised a man’s neck. They were appropriately called “poke” collars. You can still by these as detachable collards and wear them on a collarless shirt.
V
PART II : HISTORY
SYSTEM OF SHIRT
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2.2.3 1 92 0’ s
W H I T E collar shirts in either straight point or round club collars attached to a stripes shirt was the most popular men’s dress shirt.
The 1920s war on women’s fashion was over the length of dresses and for the men it was on the softness of shirt collars. In previous decades, dress shirts and collars were starched stiff so that no wrinkle would ever make a man look sloppy. They contributed to the regal or stuffy air of a proper gentlemen in the Victorian age.
Detachable Collars saved on laundering since they were the part that needed frequent cleaning and replacement
When men were in World War 1 they were issued soft shirts with attached collars. For the most part white collars had been sold separately since the 1830’s. Detachable collars saved on laundering since they were the part that needed frequent cleaning and replacement. These new softer shirts and collars were a drastic change from pre-war life. Men became used to the comfort and ease of soft shirts and were reluctant to change back. The conservative men did not take the change well. They fought in the media, in club rooms, at social gatherings, in colleges to keep the stiff collar in man’s wardrobe. The war over stiff and soft collars was strongest in Britain who thought Americans were the cause of the soft collar craze and everything else casual about menswear. Both countries were divided over this hot fashion issue.
In the early 20’s, the stuffy detachable collar was still the norm. They were always white, always detached, and quite tall (up to 3 inches.) The round edge club collar was the most fashionable from the preceding decade. Fans of Boardwalk Empire will recognize Enoch ‘Nucky’ Thompson who is almost always wearing one. The pointed collar gained favor after 1923. The collar was still tall and the points longer than today’s dress shirt. Some soft point collars came in the button down style.
The pointed collar shirt remained popular for the rest of the 1920’s although other versions such as the spread collar had their famous moments too. The popularity of the wide Windsor knot tie required collars to have wide openings hence the introduction of the spread collar in both round and point styles. For evening wear the collar of choice was still the wingtip collar with bent over points opening up for the bow tie.
SYSTEM OF SHIRT
PART II : HISTORY
PAGE 12
BOYLSTON
CAMBROSE
MILTON
ELLIOTT
MURRAY HILL
MARLBOROUGH
HENLEY
HAMILTON
WILTON
MIDDLESEX
RUGBY
ASCOT
NEW MARKET
NEW CRANFORD
BROOK 1
RAQUETTE
GOLF
IMPD BERWICK
BEAUFORT SQUARE
BROOK 2
1920’s Men’s Stiff Collars
By the mid 1920’s men’s collars were now mostly attached and not all white. First, shirt cuffs started to be made of the same material as the shirt and later the collars matched too. The look of a striped shirt and white cuffs and collars was the most common throughout the twenties. The all one color shirt was seen in casual day shirts but too informal for mens dress shirts until the late 20s. The casualness of soft, colorful,
day shirts contributed to a popular working class look- the unbuttoned collar! A summer time style, shirts and collars were unbuttoned and worn without ties. The points flapped over the suit lapels, vest or a shirt alone. These wide collar shirts were called Danton or Byrons. The Americans loved this style. Collage kids copied it tooeven the rich preppy kids- whose fathers strongly disproved.
PART II : HISTORY
SYSTEM OF SHIRT
PAGE 13
2.2.4 T HE DR E SS S HI R T
C O L L A R type contro-
versies aside, men’s shirts experienced an explosion of color. Let’s start with dress shirts. Previously dress shirts were white, white and more white. White shirts went with every suit and tie. In the 1910’s the striped shirt such as blue and white vertical stripes were very popular in the summer months. The trend for stripes continued into the 1920’s where various thickness of stripes were mixed with not just one color but multiple colors of stripes. Blue, green and yellow could be seen on one shirt or pink, yellow and green on another.
For dress shirts the stripes were nearly always against a white background so as to complement whatever suit men chose to wear. Besides stripes, Chevoit checks, light plaids, and even polka dots had their trendy moments. Solid color dress shirts were acceptable towards the late 20’s. Greens and blues were the favorites although pastel colors like peach, pink, purple, and orange were seen on trendy dressers.
The shirt cuffs were almost always French cuffs, also called double cuffs. The cuff folded back onto itself and attached together with a snazzy cuff link. Very fashionable gentlemen also wore a collar bar or collar pin that coordinated with their cuff links. Collar bars held soft white collars in place by clipping to the collar on each side. Collar pins, common in the late 20’s, pinned the collar in place through the eyelet holes in the shirt collar. The tab collar, also common, did the same trick but without the need for bars and pins. The necktie was worn over the collar bar/pin/tab. Read this good article on collar pins for more information.
Fabrics were mostly cottons or linen in summer. Silk was very popular in the 1910’s until the cost of silk import drove the prices too high for the common man in 1920. Thicker, coarser weaves such as broadcloth were favored in the early years with the softer oxfords and mercerized cotton leading the later years. Soft material that was primarily used for men’s underwear and night shirts became a welcome fabric in men’s dress and casual shirts too.
Vintage Collar Bars
Gold Collar Bar Under The Necktie
PART II : HISTORY
1927 Catalog of Men’s Shirts
SYSTEM OF SHIRT
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PART II : HISTORY
SYSTEM OF SHIRT
PAGE 15
2.2.6 SHIRT CO LLARS
A S with shirts, collars up until
2.2.5 1 960’ s
A basic white button down shirt
with pointed collar. These haven’t changed much in many decades except for the cuffs. You may remember Don Draper taking on and off his cuff links a lot in the show. Cuff links were an everyday accessory with men’s shirts.
Cuff Links were an everyday accessory with men’s shirts.
1800 were very simple – a square cut band at the neck, around which a gentleman wrapped his cravat or stock. As the fashion for stocks got higher, so too did the collar, until both mounted all the way to the chin, the stock almost completely obscuring the collar underneath. By Jane Austen’s era the collar had reasserted itself, and a fashion developed for collar points that not only cleared the stock, but came right up level with the cheeks!
By the 1870s Prime Minister Gladstone popularized a more comfortable version of this collar, in which the points were turned out away from the chin. This style continued alongside the straight up, until by the end of the century, they had evolved separately into the ‘Pokel’ and the ‘Wing’ collars. Through this time an increasing middle class were struggling to keep to the high standards of the Victorian age while working day after day. In 1827, the story goes, a Mrs. Montague of Troy, New York, decided to cut down on the washing by snipping the collars off her husband’s otherwise clean shirts, washing them separately, and sewing them back on again. Very quickly this innovation spread
across the civilized world. In time the ease with which collars on their own could be starched to a high finish led to very sharp fashions which furthered the demise of the attached collar. So it was until put to death by the washing machine and the sudden growth of cheap working class fashions in the 50s. Separate wing collars for formal wear persisted into the 60s, and are relatively easy to find.
Initially separate collars were tied around the neck, but the standard soon became to use two studs. The collar is secured at the back before the shirt is donned, then a second stud is inserted at the front. The front stud has a longer shaft than the rear one as it has to pass through the overlapped ends of the collar. While some collars were soft and floppy, others, particularly the nonfolding rigid ones such as the Wing collar and the Imperial collar, were treated extensively with laundry starch to help them keep their shape (as well as making them easier to clean).
PART II : HISTORY
SYSTEM OF SHIRT
2.2.7 V IC TOR IA N & EDW A R dIA N COL L A RS Double Round Collar
A S the century wore on the
traditional collar was still the poke. It was cut square, with a small splayed gap between the points. These varied in height, peaking at about 2¼ inches around 1900. (These are very hard to find, but can be faked by standing up a square cut collar – particularly if hidden by a wide cravat).
Gladstone Collar
The chin high Gladstone collar lowered and stiffened into the wing, which initially had small points and its height kept pace with that of the poke, the higher versions of each being referred to under the shared name of ‘Imperial’.
By 1880 a version of the wing collar seems to have appeared with rounded points, this had to wait until the ‘20s - ‘30s to achieve popularity. What did catch on, though, were the rounded points, and the Double Round was born, a turnover collar with rounded points to accommodate a tie with the small the-in-Hand knot.
Turnover Collar
Turnovers were initially worn as painfully high as the Imperial, and with barely any room for the necktie, which was worn at the base of the collar, with the stud showing above it. Early versions are starched mercilessly and quite flat, like two concentric cylinders of card. To allow access to the rear stud, these collars would often have to be cutaway at the back.
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About 1890 a version of the poke collar appeared known as the Lap collar, which had no gap between the points, but was carefully cut so that they would overlap with a straight vertical edge. This style, and the poke itself, do not seem to have outlived the Victorian age.
Lap Collar
As the poke collar disappeared the wing too was only seen for formal wear, replaced by turned down collars worn with neckties. An exception to this was the butterfly wing, which could be worn with a bow or neck-tie and even accommodated itself to boaters and blazers. However, there was a strong association between the wing collar and the bow tie. Some wings even had a flap at the back to secure the bow tie in its correct location at the base of the neck.
PART II : HISTORY
2.2.8 T URN DOW N COLLARS
SYSTEM OF SHIRT
T H E Double Round continued
to be worn into the ‘10s, but was impractical for the larger tie-knots then becoming popular, and it gave way to turn down collars with points.
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In the ‘20s, the splayed collar went out of fashion temporarily and the Spearpoint became popular. This had long straight points and the tie was worn high. Sometimes the points were secured by a clip behind the tie, which also served to push the knot up and out. By now, turndown collars were more ‘rolled’ with a rounder top and far less starch than their predecessors.
Turn Down Collar
Square-cut turndown collars initially had almost vertical ends, but as the Duke of Windsor popularized his eponymous large knot, the collar points splayed out to accommodate it and the cutaway, or Windsor collar emerged in the Edwardian period. Current shirt collars are a direct descendant of the Windsor, though this example is from the early ‘40s.
Spearpoint Collar
By the ‘30s virtually the entire Victorian wardrobe had been relegated to formal wear. Wing collars settled as the most formal, though innovations still occurred – collars were gradually lowering, and their points shrank or grew as fashions changed. Textured Marcella weave, or piqué, which had become the standard for shirtfront, white tie and waistcoat, is sometimes also seen on collars.
Square-cut Turn Down Collar
Wing Collar
PART II : HISTORY
SYSTEM OF SHIRT
PAGE 18
2.2.9 S HIR TS LE E VE S
A P A R T from early shirts
having removable and adjustable collars and cuffs, they also had adjustable shirtsleeves. Early shirts came in one size, extra-large. The shirt was considered an undergarment, no thought was given to its fit on a man’s body, since nobody was ever likely to see it. Shirts were sized roughly according to neck circumference and shoulder-width, but everything else was measured and made to be as accommodating as possible. This included shirtsleeves. Prior to the arrival of the modern shirt that we know today, shirtsleeves were all made and measured to be extra-long. This way, they would fit the largest man in comfort. If you weren’t able to find a shirt maker to customize the sleeves, or as was more likely the case, weren’t rich enough to get a shirt maker to custom-measure your sleeves, then what did you do? Most men utilized these things: Forever associated with bartenders, writers, banker-tellers and barbershop quartets, there was a time where almost every well-
dressed man owned at least one pair of these things and kept them on his dressing-table. They’re called sleeve-garters. Made of elastic material (or in this case, springy steel), sleeve-garters were worn on a man’s shirtsleeves, just above the elbow. They worked by holding back the extra sleeve-material that would otherwise cascade down a man’s arms and prevent his hands from doing any useful work. They were also handy for holding a man’s shirtsleeves back if he was doing heavy work and didn’t want to get his sleeves and cuffs dirty. Thanks to the modern, madeto-measure, off-the-rack shirt, sleeve-garters aren’t as often used as once they were. However, you can still buy them (they’re usually very cheap) and if ever you have a shirt you like but which you can’t wear on account of the sleeves being too long, you might want to break out grandpa’s sleeve-garters and slap them on. They can still come in handy.
Sleeve-Garters. Made of elastic material (in this case, springy steel); worn on a man’s shirt sleeves, just above the elbow
Sleeve-Garters. Work by holding back the extra-sleeve material that would cascade down a man’s arms and prevent his hands from doing any useful work
PART III : MODERN DAY
SYSTEM OF SHIRT
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3 MODERN DAY The Modern Era of the Men’s White Dress Shirt
I N the last decade of the nineteenth century shirt
styles were relatively fixed by societal codes of dress, heightened through the popularity of men’s journals. In this period, uniformity of shirt styles was widespread, except for discreet style and manufacturing innovations. At this time, the white dress shirt was plain; however, some detailing around the neck and front chest area, known as the bib, was in use.
Whether such shirts were figured, braided, pleated, or adorned with embroidery or open-work, they all obeyed one basic principle: the wider the pleats, the easier they were to make and maintain, and therefore the more common they were. In contrast, the narrower the pleats, the more elegant they were. Unlike prior periods the shirt’s role as a display medium was diminishing, except for very formal evening wear,
as the waistcoat now formed the avenue for decorative display. Consequently, the collar was the principal visible element of the shirt. The button-on collar was standard dress and the shirt was now becoming a fixed item to connect varying neckline and cuff variations. The collar was also used as a symbol of social rank, with high standing collars preventing a downward gaze “to look downward, high-status men had to literally look down their noses”. Consequently, high rigid collars distinguished the elite from clerks who necessitated low collars for ease of movement. The detachable collar could also be readily starched, thereby allowing a rigidity and armor like appearance for the wearer. This rigidity was considered a crucial aspect for correct and sober dress during this period. In fact, these areas of upper chest and neck region, match the armory of old with its rigid torso plates.
PART III : MODERN DAY
SYSTEM OF SHIRT
Even though the white dress shirt was comparatively unchanging in form, and for the most part hidden by outer garments, it still formed one of the keystone elements for understanding classical male dress until the first decade of the twentieth century. The white shirt, until the end of the nineteenth century, was a significant historical symbol of wealth and class distinction, as only a person of substantial wealth could afford to have their shirts washed frequently and to own enough of them to wear. The link between social distinction and the whiteness of the shirting cloth was used as a marker for affluence, as an unclean white shirt was connected with ‘dirty’, poorly paid laboring work. Even an unclean collar implied that not only was the garment unclean, but the inner body – including the mind – was as well.
The white dress shirt was also a powerful emblem of sobriety and uniformity in the Victorian era. The white shirt, with its ‘virgin’ and pristine appearance sent a message of being authoritative, steadfast and trustworthy. The relationship between responsibility, sobriety and uniformity allowed the white shirt to become a customary vehicle for masculine dress. The pure white color fulfilled masculine ideals of unwavering somberness and the shirt, through its embodied consistency and rigid appearance with high collars and stiff bibs and
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cuffs, epitomized conformity and dependability. By the nineteenth century, men who concerned themselves with decorative versus utilitarian needs were reviled for being non-masculine. The unadorned white dress shirt was intrinsically correlated to appropriate moral masculine behavior and it was believed that any deviation from that norm would result in a collapse of society’s established conservative values. This austerity of dress “indicated that a man could be trusted, that he was serious and that he meant business. It also meant that he was unlike a woman”. Hence, in the Victorian era, the white shirt underpinned attitudes to manliness and it formed a foundation stone for visual and moral assumptions about masculine ideals.
Furthermore, when patterned shirts were worn in that period, suspicions were raised as the patterned fabric was perceived to mask a lack of personal cleanliness. The potent historical message a white shirt can convey is noted by Mark Twain in his autobiographical account of his life, “if a man wanted a fight on his hands without any annoying delay, all he had to do was to appear in public in a white shirt and he would be accommodated. For those people hated aristocrats”. In essence, the white shirt was used as an emblem of business success and power and as a distinguishing marker for social rank.
PART III : MODERN DAY
SYSTEM OF SHIRT
This association with formality is evident in the 1880s and onwards with the adoption of the terms ‘white collar’ and ‘blue collar’ workers – white collar denoting a clerical or managerial level, and blue collar denoting manual work. Traditionally, shirts for manual workers were dyed a shade of indigo to conceal laboring stains and many working class men resented clerical workers for wearing white shirts, referring to them as ‘white collar stiffs’ as they dressed above their station, as an employer not an employee. Hence, the white shirt was essentially viewed as a symbolic icon inferring social status.
By the close of the nineteenth century the use of the white dress shirt as an insignia to define status had diminished and it had become ubiquitous male apparel. The reasons are threefold. Firstly, with the rise of the industrial revolution, manufacturing costs for shirts decreased and availability increased. As a result, men were able to afford to own at least one white shirt and they were readily available. Secondly, the rise of the middle class enabled an increased affluence brought about by a new ethos, which combined consumption, cleanliness and European gentility. This penchant for cleanliness acted as fuel for a public desire for immaculate white shirts, thereby escalating their popularity. The rise of consumption patterns allowed a new, restrained style of dress to thrive and the correct external appearance of a man became fused to his social mobility and possible business success. Finally,
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the average man could now afford to launder at least one white shirt with multiple detachable collars, cuffs and bibs. This shirt was then able to equip a man for church, the ‘high street’ and for employment within clerical roles. Detachable collars and cuffs, which could be reversed when one edge was soiled, allowed the shirt to circumvent laundry amenities. The white shirt was now able to bridge societal divides and the defining factor for class separation was no longer the color but the fit, quality of the cloth and very discreet style variations.
By the beginning of the twentieth century, with the rise of commercial laundries and inside plumbing, the whiteness of a dress shirt could easily be maintained. It was now common place to own a number of white shirts and the increased quality of manufacture ensured robustness during the laundering process and improved garment longevity. In this period the wearing of colored shirts for business wear was gaining popularity; however, white shirts were still regarded as appropriate for eveningwear and ‘Sunday best’ attire. This period continued with detailing that was relatively plain. At times, bib fronts were pleated but, generally, detailing was discreet or non-existent. As Burtis stated in a 1911 ladies’ journal, Making a Shirt for a Man, “many men believe that it is unbecoming for any one, save perhaps a college boy, to affect anything bordering on decoration or fad stunts as they call them”.
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In the early twentieth century, the white dress shirt continued to have an undergarment association and, if a man was wearing only trousers and a shirt, he was considered to be ‘undressed.’ A shirt was considered as an undergarment up until the First World War and the notion of an outer garment touching the skin was simply abhorrent. Even in contemporary times, this customary hangover can be evidenced where it can still be considered poor taste, in certain social contexts, for a man to take off his jacket in public and expose his shirt. After the end of the First World War, a societal shift was occurring with a consequent rejection of Victorian rigid and ‘starched’ ideals and a desire to adopt new, post war conventions. The white dress shirt was still commonly worn; however rigid collars, cuffs and bibs became fundamentally aligned to formal wear. A new, softer and more fluid look was developing for less formal clothing. One of the key influences was the Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII for only one year in 1936), who was a popular leader of fashion at the time. His rejection of the white shirt, with its severe lines, in favor of soft, floppy, colored shirts created a major shift in menswear. Alongside this shift to a ‘softer’ style of dress, casual shirts were becoming popular, including tennis and sports shirts. This period also aligned to the start of the demise of the detachable collar on the dress shirt, due to reduced laundering and manufacturing costs.
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In the first part of the 1920s, the white dress shirt was still associated with moral respectability. Hence, in 1924 the founding father of IBM, Thomas J. Watson, was insistent on a dress code and demanded all his office employees wear a classic white shirt as part of their mandatory attire. A white shirt possesses sterling qualities of reliability, respectability and responsibility. The starkness of a white shirt juxtaposed against a darkly colored suit coat or trousers, has been an enduring code of dress for decorum and propriety and this visual expectation is still manifested within many professional roles in the modern era.
By the start of the Second World War detachable collars were used for only the most formal of occasions, the white tie dress code. The white dress shirt was plain, except for minor frontal bib treatment and, in essence, had not changed in form apart from construction details. In this period the shirt was no longer considered as an undergarment, as the white tee-shirt now fulfilled that role. The next major change for the white dress shirt was the introduction of synthetic fabrics in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Even though the adoption of synthetic fibers did not alter the garments appearance, it transformed the wearability and serviceability of the shirt. With the introduction of nylon blends, and subsequently polyester, shirts were drip dry and required minimal ironing. However, synthetic fibers had questionable ability for comfort, particularly in hot, humid climates.
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Another significant shift for the white dress shirt was in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This period witnessed an escalation in detailing, in particular frontal flounces and ruffles, as well as increased collar widths. Also, for some, the necktie was being rejected in favor of open neck shirts. The white dress shirt was still seen as a formal garment as a vast array of highly colored and printed shirts popularized the mar-
SYSTEM OF SHIRT
ket place for casual clothing. In the early 1980s, for a brief period, an innovative, romantic style of dressing with loosely styled foppish and frilled white shirts was the height of fashion.
Through the 1980s ‘power dressing’ was adopted and the white dress shirt, once again, regained its hold on social status. The formal shirt styles were austere and rigid
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and the tie regained a strong foothold. By the 1990s, however, the casualization of clothing was occurring and the tie, which was the principle place for floridity, was being rejected in many formal settings. It is also noteworthy, that similar to prior periods, shirts significantly varied in quality during this period and a segment of the market did not follow fashionable changes.
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3.1.1 OFF T HE RACK OR BOXED
T H E white dress shirt has
3.1 k
come to be available in two distinct presentation methods: folded and boxed, or, on a hanger. The boxed version is significant for the following reasons. Firstly, this approach to presentation is emblematic of the shirt’s level of historical garment engineering.
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As a result of scientific approaches, particularly through pattern drafting systems, the relationship to body fit has been exceedingly honed and the wearer can ‘trust’ size and fit designations. Through standardized measurements, exacting tolerances, industrialized fabrication and a comparatively universal appearance, the boxed shirt highlights the historical ‘fine-tuning’ that has occurred. Secondly, the boxing is symbolic of the archetypal status aligned to the white dress shirt. Boxed shirts appear void of human contact and, in this form, they are escalated to an eminent position in comparison to racked shirts.
ey elements that define men’ s white shirt Furthermore, in an odd contradiction to this position of status, the boxing of shirts also contrasts with the ubiquitous nature of the garment. The boxed shirt materializes as a generic item that dilutes its associations with the high status that may be attributed to fashion. Finally, this method of packaging also parallels issues relating to consumption practices for men, particularly the fact that, in this form, the garment cannot be tried on and the consumer cannot experience the comfort, fit and feel of the shirt prior to purchase. Male
consumers (generally speaking) are reluctant to try on clothing at retail outlets and the boxed shirt, with its intricate presentation, epitomizes this consumption practice. Hence, even though the boxing of the shirt is, in essence, a means of merchandising a product, it is still highly symbolic of aspects relating to men’s clothing. Many companies merchandise their shirts boxed and these range in quality and price, from designer labels such as Dior Homme to shirts bought in lowpriced clothing stores.
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3.1.2 T A ILO R ED SHIR T OR B E S P OK E
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A tailor-made shirt is a valuable garment that you treat with dignity and care and you are quick to put it on as soon as you get it in your hands. And then you long for wearing it again and again. Accompanied by a suit and a tie of superb taste or casually unbuttoned together with your favorite jeans the tailor-made shirt makes your outfit complete. You are quite simply very comfortably well dressed. Dress shirts are also produced in bespoke form, crafted to fit individual body measurements. This approach to producing white dress shirts is in sharp contrast to the mass produced nature of many boxed variants. Henry Poole & Co, a bespoke tailor in Savile Row in London, is exemplary of this practice. The company crafts the classic conservative white dress shirt and, in the main, does not deviate from
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time honored assembly practices. Clients can request the traditional practice of handmade buttonholes and the company has a reputation for fine classic hand tailoring. They are acknowledged as the founders of Savile Row, a street in central London famous for its traditional men’s bespoke tailoring. The shirt designs produced by this company align to classic conventions, including the use of archetypal collar styles such as the Ascot, the British Spread, the Prince of Wales, the Windsor, and the button-down collar.
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3.2
P
OCK ET STYLE
Rounded Chest Pocket
T H E rounded chest pocket is standard dress
shirt pocket. It is on the left side of the chest. The pocket is positioned such that the top of the pocket is slightly above the third button hole. The pocket measures 4 3/8″ x 4 7/8″ for most shirts, but will be slightly smaller (3 7/8″ x 4 1/2″) for very small shirts and slightly larger (4 5/8″ x 5 1/8″) for very large shirts. Pockets are placed such that the inside edge of the pocket is 2 1/4″ from the center of the shirt. Double Flap Pockets
This style had pockets on both sides of the chest. These pockets are the same shape and size as the angled pocket, but with buttons and a flap over them. The pockets are relatively small and measure 4″ x 5 1/4″ including the flap. Buttons will match the other buttons on the shirt. Flaps contain a lightweight, unfused interlining. Pockets are placed such that the inside edge of the pocket is 2 1/4″ from the center of the shirt.
Angled Chest Pocket
The angled chest pocket is a more casual pocket option. The pocket is slightly smaller than the rounded pocket and measures 3 15/16″ x 4 7/8″. Pockets are placed such that the inside edge of the pocket is 2 1/4″ from the center of the shirt.
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3.3.3
3.3
F
fabric finish
ABR IC F A B R I C S , especially 100% cotton, are the primary material for dress shirts.
3.3.1 FA BR IC PLY
Fabrics are either 1-ply or 2-ply. This is the number of yarns twisted together to make a single thread. 2-ply fabrics are generally finer with a tighter weave than 1-ply fabrics. 2-ply fabrics lend a smoother, more crisp hand feel. Single-ply fabrics create a lighter, more breathable fabric.
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3.3.2 fabric yarn count
The number you see on shirt fabrics (80s, 120s etc.) indicates the size of the thread in the fabric and therefore how many threads per square inch. Higher numbers mean that the threads are finer which results in a softer, smoother and lighter fabric. Shirts run a wide range of thread counts. We prefer 100s, 120s and 140s for our classic dress shirts because of the silky texture and lightweight. Lower counts are used for weightier fabrics.
Often overlooked, the finish of the fabric is the production process used to actually mill the fabric. A 2-ply 200s fabric sounds impressive but if it’s made with low quality cotton by a dubious manufacturer then it is no better and probably worse than a 1-ply 50s fabric made by a reputable mill.
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3.3.4 weave
T H E weave is the way in which the threads of cotton (called warp and weft) are actually put together to make a fabric. Different techniques create different properties in the fabric. Here are a few:
Twill Weave
Twill fabrics have a weft thread that runs over and under multiple warp threads (as opposed to a plain weave where the weft crosses a single warp thread at a time). This can create interesting patterns like a herringbone, houndstooth or a simple, diagonal rib. Twills are very durable fabrics that have a softer hand feel than poplins and a bit more sheen.
Poplin Weave
Poplin, sometimes called broadcloth, is a plain weave which means the threads alternately cross over and then under each other. This results in a very smooth and durable fabric that has an almost silky hand feel, particularly with higher thread counts. Also, poplins look very crisp when ironed.
Oxford Weave
The traditional oxford is a type of basket weave where multiple weft threads are crossed over an equal number of warp threads. The threads are usually of a single color crossed with a white to give oxford its unique, checkerboard appearance. It’s a versatile fabric that can be worn casually or professionally depending on the thread count and finish. Check out our selection of woven oxford cloth shirts.
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Herringbone Weave
Dobby Weave
The dobby weave is considered a “fancy” weave because dobby weaves generally have unique geometric patterns in the fabric. This is accomplished using a special loom that raises and lowers the warp threads individually, allowing the weaver to create the dobby weave’s distinctive patterns. Dobby fabrics can come in all kinds of patterns, colors, weights and hand feels.
Herringbone weaves are most often found in wool fabrics and suiting, but it is also found in dress shirting as well. Herringbone weave is a type of twill, and has a distinctive v shaped pattern, named after the herring fish. Herringbone weaves tend to be slightly heavier in weight, and are more often found in seasonal shirting fabrics for cold weather.
Print (Hand-Blocked) Weave
End - On - End Weave
End-on-end fabrics are essentially poplins but with one colored and one white (or other color) thread. This gives the fabric a heathered appearance up close but looks like a solid color from a distance. End-onends are sometimes called fil-a-fil from the French for “thread-to-thread” or Chambray.
While yarn-dyed fabrics are the most common sort of weave for dress shirting, prints are becoming more and more popular. Print fabrics are as they might sound the pattern is printed onto the fabric, instead of woven by colored thread. Print fabric might be pieced dyed after being woven, and then printed on again. When done by hand, this is known as block printing. Block printed fabrics are most often created by cutting out patterns from wood blocks, which are then dipped in dyes that are pressed in repeated patterns onto fabric. Given the process is done by hand, it is natural to see deviations and slight aberrations in the pattern - which results in a desirable imperfection.
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Print (Screen) Weave
Screen printing is the most common form of fabric printing, as it allows for a fast transfer of pattern to the fabric. Screens usually produce a much more detailed pattern than hand blocked methods.
3.4
F
Pin Dot Weave
Pin dot fabrics is short hand for jacquard fabrics that have a raised weave, in consistent patterns. The pattern might be dots, or other geometric shapes.
IT
T H E fit of a shirt is
of particular importance due to its centrality in the body and its proximity to the face. When a shirt is the foreground of an outfit, such as when a person isn’t wearing outerwear or layers, the fit in the torso is focal. A well-fitting shirt will emphasize the positives of a physique without drawing unnecessary attention to the negatives.
The shirt will outline the body without telling too many secrets, offering a flattering figure without emphasizing every curve and crevice. When a shirt is in the background, such as with layers, the placket and the collar is of greater importance. In both cases, the shirt serves to draw the eye towards the face. With layers this effect may be pronounced
by the V-shape created by lapels or a half-zipped jacket. Without layers, this can be achieved by unfastening a button or wearing a v-neck. The collar is also of great importance because it frames the face.
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COLLAR
SHOULDER
Should be able to slide in 2
Seam should meet at the
fingers when closed
corner of your shoulder bone
SLEEVE Neither tight or billowy, should allow natural
ARMHOLES
motion
High enough without causing restricted motion
SLEEVE Should end where your palm meets your wris, about 1” beyond your
TORSO
wrist bone
Should not give more than 3-4” of fabric when pulled tightly away from the body
How A Shirt Should Fit
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3.4.1 DR ESS S HIR T C O L L AR F IT
JUST RIGHT
TOO TIGHT
TOO LOOSE
The perfect collar fit
The collar is close
The collar does not touch
way around the neck, but
press against the skin
off the body. You could
touches the skin all the
does not press against it.
You should be able to slip a finger in between your
neck and the shirt at any point without struggling or forcing.
enough to actually
underneath it. There’s a discernible sensation of
constriction. It would be
impossible to put a finger between the neck and
collar without stretching, tugging, or forcing.
the neck, but rather rests
slip a finger in next to the neck without moving the cloth at all.
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3.4.2 DRESS SHO ULDER F I T
JUST RIGHT
TOO TIGHT
TOO LOOSE
The vertical shoulder
The seam will be shifted
The shoulder seam
the shoulder, where the
the neck. Some of the
down onto the outside of
seam sits at the edge of plane of the shoulder
meets the plane of the outer arm. The arms-
cye (the hole where the sleeve joins the shirt
body) is large enough
that there’s no tugging or twisting on the shoulder seam.
up the shoulder toward
sleeve rests on top of the shoulder. If the tightness is in the armscye, there
may also be twisting that causes wrinkles or dis-
tortion along the seam.
slumps off the shoulder, the bicep. There may be
billowing under the arm as well, if the armscye is too big.
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3.4.3 DR E SS S HIR T TOR S O F IT
JUST RIGHT
TOO TIGHT
TOO LOOSE
The buttons close
The buttons strain to
Excess fabric hangs slack
underside of the plack-
wrinkles around the
chest, causing visible
comfortable and the
et (the strip where the
buttons and buttonholes are located) rests lightly
against the sternum (the central bone of your
ribcage). The shirt tucks in with no billowing at the sides.
close, causing radiating buttonholes. Tightness
may also cause pulling on
the sleeves, distorting the armscye and shoulder seams.
around the stomach or billowing. The shirt
placket moves about and does not rest against the sternum. Tucking the
shirt in causes billowing, ballooning, or “muf-
fin-topping� near the trouser waist.
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3.4.4 DRESS SH I RT SLEEVE F I T
JUST RIGHT
TOO TIGHT
TOO LOOSE
The sleeve is slightly wid-
The fit is snug when
Too much slack that grav-
the cuff, with a smooth,
causing pinching when
creates hanging folds of
er at the upper arm than
even taper. There should
be some looseness when the arm hangs straight
(so that the elbow isn’t constricted when the
arm bends). Looseness
should be evenly distributed, not bunched up at the shoulder or cuff.
the arm hangs straight, the elbow or shoulder moves. Tautness may
cause radiating wrinkles at the shoulder seam or elbow.
ity pulls it downward and cloth, especially around the cuff. Loose sleeve
fabric can also flap and
sway around the elbow and bicep.
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3.4.5 DR E SS S HIR T S L EE VE C U F F
JUST RIGHT
TOO TIGHT
TOO LOOSE
The cuff is close to the
It is impossible to pull
The cuff is wide enough
space between the cuff
unbuttoning the cuffs (or
over a wristwatch and
body but allows a bit of and the skin. It should be possible to put the shirt on or take it off without unbuttoning the cuffs.
Enough room for a pair of fingers (or for a nor-
mal-sized dress watch) is a good amount of slack.
the shirt off without
popping a button). The
cuff presses against the skin all the way around
the wrist. Wrist watches can only be worn below the hem of the cuff, and the cuff bunches up if it
meets them rather than sliding over the watch.
that it can slide loosely
still have room for several fingers to be inserted between the cloth and
skin. Folds or wrinkles
form in the fabric of the cuff when the arms are
rested against a surface like a tabletop.
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3.4.6 dress shirt sleeve length
JUST RIGHT
TOO SHORT
TOO LONG
The sleeve comes all the
The cuff leaves the wrist
The cuff falls all the way
wrist bone at the base of
den completely beneath
hand begins to widen
way down to the large
the pinky/ring fingers.
If a jacket is worn, about a half-inch of shirt cuff
should show beyond the end of the jacket sleeve. The cuff should at least
touch (and in some postures cover) the wristwatch, if one is worn.
bones exposed, or is hidjacket sleeves.
to the point where the
outward from the wrist.
This can cause bunching if the sleeves are so long
that slack piles up behind the point where the cuff stops. If a wristwatch is worn, it is completely
covered by the sleeve at all times.
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3.4.7 DR E SS S HIR T B OT TOM H E M L ENGT H
JUST RIGHT
TOO SHORT
TOO LONG
When untucked, the hem
The untucked shirt does
The shirttails fall all the
the belt. It should be
the belt or waist of the
front or bottom in back.
falls far enough to cover
long enough at all points (including the sides, if
the hems are scalloped)
to tuck at least an inch or
so into comfortably-worn trousers.
not completely cover
trousers. When tucked in, points of the hem
remain exposed, or have so little cloth tucked in
that they are likely to pop
out when the body moves and bends.
way to cover the crotch in When tucked in, excess fabric has to be shoved
down between the legs to hide bunching up.
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3.5
P
LACK ET
D R E S S shirts generally
come with a few different options for the front placket
No Front Placket (French Front)
The French front is a popular placket style that features no fold back placket. It has a “cleaner” more “downtown” appeal to it. It can be slightly more difficult to iron than the standard front placket, but works well on both business and casual shirts.
Front Placket (Fused or Soft)
A dress shirt front placket is the most common dress shirt front style. The fabric is folded back over and sewn with a fused interlining to give it that crisp, dressy appeal. You’ll rarely, if ever, go wrong with this on a business shirt. The soft front placket is very similar in style to the classic fused front placket, but with a soft, unfused construction. It’s ideal for casual shirts and pairs really nicely with a soft collar.
Covered Placket (Fly Front)
Commonly known as the Fly Front, the Covered Placket is a more formal style placket with an extra piece that covers up the buttons on the front of the shirt. Commonly used for tuxedo shirts, this certainly will give your shirt a very dressed-up look.
Tuxedo Front (Plain)
Similar to the French front in look and construction, but the top four buttons are removable so that one can put in tuxedo studs. We suggest only going with this option when buying a tuxedo shirt.
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3.6
C
OL L AR
3.6.2 BUTTO N DOWN CO LLAR BUTTO N SI Z E
T H E buttons which
Button Down Collar
3.6.1 B UT TON DOW N C O L L AR
T H O U G H all
dress shirt collars should be ironed, button down collars are actually quite soft. Some starch may be used to get the collar points to lay flat, but the roll of the collar should be soft and it shouldn’t remind you of wearing a stiff formal shirt collar. Make sure the buttons which will hold the collar points down are of good
quality because they will be very visible – if you wear a tie and custom suit, they will be the only shirt buttons visible on the front of the shirt, and being so near your face, they will be noticed.
Be sure that the only time they are unbuttoned is when you are putting on your necktie. This collar, particularly on an oxford shirt, can be worn equally well without a tie. That’s the great thing about this men’s shirt collar – it can go up or down in dressiness.
hold down a button down collar are smaller than shirt front and cuff buttons. They should be about the same size as sleeve gauntlet buttons and the shirt should have come with a spare. Do not try to replace one of them with a spare shirt front button because the eyelet will be too small and you will have two different size buttons holding down the collar (if you can get the first one through the eyelet).
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Also do not try to get by with replacing both buttons with larger ones. Even if you can fit them through the eyelets they will look way too big to belong right under your face. If you lose more than one, you can use the gauntlet buttons if you absolutely have to as long as you wear a jacket and cover up those missing gauntlet buttons.
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3.6.3 UN BUT TON E D BUT TON DOWN C OL LA R Unbuttoned Button Down Collar
I T is worth noting that while the rule
is to button down the collar points with this shirt collar, a man may wear them unbuttoned to make a fashion statement. This statement is not for everyone and a man who doesn’t button down his collar points out of laziness will not look like a fashion-forward man, he will still look simply lazy. If you think this would work for you, give it a try and wear it with confidence. If you like the idea of a button down collar and don’t want to have to fret about buttoning or not buttoning down the collar points then you should look for a
hidden button down collar. The hidden button down functions the same way except that behind the shirt point there is a small loop sewn on for buttoning. This collar is still soft and it can even be rumpled if the look suits the man while the collar points stay put.
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3.7
C
uff
D R E S S shirt
cuffs remind us of what makes menswear so unique: it’s all in the details. Most dress shirt cuffs are pretty classic: a barrel cuff with a squared edge and two buttons - which helps determine the snugness you want in around your wrist. Otherwise, a dress shirt cuff is usually defined by the shape of the cuff enclosure.
3.7.1 I NTERLI NI NG
Interlining is an extra piece of material sewn in that gives a shirt cuff extra structure for a crisper look. Much like the collars, interlining is always used, but the weight and texture varies from style to style. A more casual shirt will naturally have a lighter interlining, while a more professional style like the two-button scalloped cuff above, will have a heavier
weight interlining to give the cuff a crisp finish that maintains its look over time. Most brands don’t bother using quality interlining in the cuff because it’s expensive, but we feel that it’s what separates the shirts from sloppy ones.
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3.7.2 S HI R T C U F F T YP ES Mitered Cuff
Convertible Cuff
The standard shirt cuff. It’s a traditional barrel cuff (rectangular piece of fabric with square corners that’s closed with a button). However, we put a second button-hole on the other side of the cuff that is unseen when worn normally buttoned, but can be opened up and worn with cufflinks. This makes the shirt much more versatile.
Rounded Cuff
The rounded cuff is simply a barrel cuff but we’ve sanded the sharp corners off. Rounded cuffs give off a slightly more casual and relaxed feel so we generally pair them with the button-down collars and, appropriately, the rounded collars.
The mitered cuff is a barrel cuff that has had the corners “mitered” or cut at an angle. It’s an interesting detail that creates a sharp look fitting for more professional or formal occasions. Like the standard convertible cuff, the mitered cuff features the extra button hole, allowing them to be worn with or without links.
French Cuff
The French cuff is the most formal cuff. French cuffs are twice as long as regular cuffs and then folded back on themselves and closed with cuff links. They have a very pronounced look and we usually pair them with the more debonair collar styles or formal shirts.
Two-Button Scalloped Cuff
Two-buttoned scalloped cuff is one of the most unique styles. It features a two-button closure and a curved or “scalloped” cuff edge. It provides a distinctive look, particularly when seen poking out under a jacket sleeve.
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3.7.3 C O N ST RUC T ION VA R IAT ION S
Interlining
Single-Needle Stitching
Gussets
The gusset is the little piece of triangular fabric sewn in where the side seam meets the hem of the shirt. It adds extra strength to this high-stress area. Most brands don’t use a gusset because it’s a difficult and time-consuming sewing technique.
Also known as a lockstitch, this seam has two pieces of thread that lock the pieces of fabric together from both sides. Single-needle stitching is where a single seam is sewn, then folded over itself and sewn again. It results in a much stronger seam that is difficult to rip and also gives a cleaner look to the shirt.
Most mass brands will use a double needle seam that is less labor intensive but more prone to puckering and tearing.
Interlining is an extra piece of material sewn in that gives our collars, cuffs and plackets extra structure and a stiffer feel that looks crisp holds up to repeated washings and ironings. Most mass-brand dress shirts are only lightly interlined if at all because it is an expensive and time-consuming production process.
Darts
An essential element to fit, darts are the two curved seams in the back of the shirt. They take in some of the extra fabric in the back and give a shirt a tapered shape.
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4 TODAY’S MARKET Modern Innovations
O V E R the years, a great many innovations have
been made to the evolution of the dress shirt.
Nano-Tex. Many major brands — such as Gap, Eddie Bauer, Hugo Boss, and Old Navy — use Nano-Tex treatments, which rearrange a textile’s fibers at the nano-level to create interesting properties. Nano-Tex offers up four main treatment lines: “Coolest Comfort,” which wicks moisture away to cool the skin; “Resists Static,” which prevents other clothes from clinging to polyester garments like fleeces and suit linings; and, finally, “Repels & Releases Stains” and “Resists Spills.”
Wrinkle Resistant. The most common and established self-maintaining textile is wrinkle-resistant cotton. Its secret is a special resin that clothiers apply to individual fibers to lock in smoothness. Throw wrinkle-resistant clothes in the dryer and they come out with that crisp look most garments only get after a visit to the dry cleaner. Because of wrinkle-resistant cotton’s supreme flexibility, such clothes make for excellent
casual and business wear. They’re also must-haves for frequent travelers; you don’t want to worry about ruined creases and dry cleaning bills when you have a business meeting at 9 a.m.
Moisture Wicking. There are high tech moisture wicking fabrics by cutting edge companies like Mizzen and Main, whose specialty is American-made, moisture wicking, wrinkle-free men’s dress shirts that blend class and comfort. Resists Static. Nano-Tex’s “Resists Static” garments are good for people who live in busy homes, where high foot traffic and diverse wardrobes can generate high amounts of static around the hamper, dresser or laundry room. The “RS” treatment process also comes in handy for clothes worn in cold, dry weather. Machine Washable – This is a huge plus with jackets as a wool jacket has to be either sport cleaned or drycleaned. If you’re headed to a part of the world where services like this are non-existent, machine washable stylish travel-wear makes life simple.
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Stain Resistant. Using nanotechnology, the company has created a completely unstainable fabric that can be used in shirts, jackets, or anything else in danger of discoloration. The shirt is treated with a hydrophobic coating that prevents the liquid from absorbing into the shirt. That coating is made of a hydrophobic polymer that repels moisture of all types and causes it to bead up on the surface of the fabric.
Custom Shirts. Thanks to advances in technology, a competitive market and consumer demand, custom clothing has moved within the barrel-cuffed arm’s reach of the common man. Click a button in Burbank and a factory in Beijing can cut and sew a dress shirt made to specification -- not just in size, shape and fabric, but with a mind-boggling number of other options as well (including mitered pockets, contrasting buttonholes, French cuffs and rounded collar points). And it can be delivered to your doorstep in less than three weeks for the sum of $100 -- less than half the price of an off-the-peg luxury brand using the same high-end Italian fabrics. 
PART III : MODERN DAY
SYSTEM OF SHIRT
4.1
M
A R K ET TREN DS
W I T H the rise of popular television series
featuring protagonists like the slick 1960s advertising gurus of Mad Men and a proliferation of modern day musicians, actors and athletes paying increasing attention to fashion and collaborating with some of the world’s biggest fashion brands, men’s style has officially gone mainstream.
Growth in menswear continued to outpace growth in womenswear in 2014, with these categories growing by 2% and 1% in current value terms respectively. Menswear continues to benefit from increasingly sartorially minded millennial consumers, with many younger men choosing to wear tighter fitting clothing. While changes in men’s fashion are very slow to develop in comparison with womenswear, it appears that the slim fit for men is becoming more accepted and more mainstream. According to retailer Nordstrom, currently 40% of its former shirt sales are regular fit, while 50% are slim fit and 10% are extra-slim fit, while five years ago, 60% were regular and 40% were slim fit.
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Mintel’s research shows that men are more than four times as likely to prefer to buy classic styles that will last beyond the seasons, than to buy the latest fashion. While young men aged 16-24 still like to keep up with the latest trends, more of them are opting for classic styles. The renewed appetite for classics is being driven by an uncertain economic climate, which has resulted in a rise in men mainly buying clothes when they need to replace worn out ones. Therefore, when men do buy, they are more likely to opt for quality clothes that will last. What is the profile of consumers driving growth in the menswear market? While young men aged 16-24 are still keen clothes shoppers, 25-34s have overtaken their younger counterparts to become the most frequent buyers. While there has been a 10-percentage point drop in under-25s purchasing clothes once a month or more since Mintel’s last report, there has been an increase in 25-34s shopping more often. The economic downturn has impacted the prospects of young people and rising levels of unemployment and an inability to get on the housing ladder have led to more people living at home with their parents. Men aged under-35 who are still living with their parents are the ones continuing to spend a lot. These men are free from immediate financial pressures as they have no mortgage or rent to pay and therefore have more money left over to spend on fashion. While this has proved positive for leisure industries and the fashion sector, it has made it more difficult for marketers to target this age group as they no longer fit into the description of a typical twenty- or thirty something who is a parent and owns their own home.
PART III : MODERN DAY
SYSTEM OF SHIRT
The 25-34 age group is expected to rise by 11% between 2012 and 2017, creating an opportunity for the industry to grow sales amongst these men who are less interested in the latest trends than the 16-24s and tend to be buying fewer but better quality items. This age group are the biggest online clothes shoppers and favor multichannel retailers, which is likely to drive sales of online fashion. They are twice as likely as average to buy from higher-priced fashion stores suggesting that multichannel retailers such as Ted Baker, Reiss and Jigsaw could benefit from this growing demographic. Interest in men’s fashion is unlikely to die down in the US during the forecast period as younger consumers are among the strongest drivers of fashion trends in menswear. Menswear is expected to take some cues from feminine styles in terms of fabrics, for example. High-end menswear designers are increasingly embracing unique fabrics that combine creativity with comfort, key attributes that appeal to men, according to reports published in Womenswear Daily. Many fashion designers are now working more closely with specialized fabric mills to create unique and comfortable fabrics. According to young fashion designer Tillmann Lauterbach, there is a major shift in attitude and progress underway in terms of the ecological footprint of fabrics. Consumers generally want to know the story behind an apparel in terms of its origin and its carbon footprint. These trends may be more relevant at the higher end of the price scale at this point in time, although it can be expected to slowly trickle down to the mainstream during the forecast period.
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Men today are buying more shirts with collars and cuffs, according to NPD Group, a market research firm. In fact, NPD reports that sales in the men’s dress shirt category jumped 13.49% to $2.78 billion in the 12-month period ending Nov. 30, 2012. That’s compared with a 2.26% increase in the overall men’s shirt and sweater business during the same period.
However, According to a study by the NDP Group, a consumer market research firm, young men just aren’t buying as many dress shirts as they used to, even though they’re buying more tailored clothing than ever before. In fact, while sales of suits and sport coats have gone up 2% over the past year, dress shirts are down 3%. It sounds like a minimal loss until you consider that on their own, dress shirts are a nearly $3 billion industry, and even a small loss can mean hundreds of millions of dollars missing from the bottom line.
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4.2
T 4.2.1
OP BR A N DS
OFF T HE RACK
Off-the-Rack Shirts are based on pre-established sizes and limited shirting fabrics, often by neck size / sleeve size for men. For example, a 16.5/33-34 would be a 16.5″ neck with a 33″ to 34″ arm.
Off-the-rack shirts can be great bargains if you shop intelligently (e.g., during the day-after-Christmas sale at Nordstrom, dress shirts from Italian shirtmaker Canali are priced at huge discounts, taking $275 retail shirts down to $165), you fit comfortably into a standard size, and you are lucky enough to find a pattern you like. If you are looking for decent dress shirts for men to wear under a sweater or with a pair of blue jeans, off-therack shirts have their place. The problem you are likely to face is one of experience. Once you’ve become accustomed to having your shirts fit exactly how you want, move precisely how you desire, feel just as you like them, and be made to your specifications and personality quirks, it can be very difficult to accept anything else, even if the alternative is nice.
Top Off the Rack / Budget Friendly Brands: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Ralph Lauren Brooks Brothers Guess Calvin Klein J. Crew Gucci Kenneth Cole Armani Louis Vuitton Nordstrom Hawes & Curtis Todd Snyder
All else equal, even a $500 off-therack shirt is going to be inferior to you, as a wearer, than a $200 made-to-measure or bespoke shirt. It is amazing to see people buying Charvet or Brioni shirts off-therack at the Saks flagship store in New York when, for very little additional money, you could have them custom made to your specifications in the respective showrooms of each fashion house.
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4.2.2 high - end / bespoke / custom
Bespoke Shirts are completely custom designed for you based on a pattern drawn to fit your exact body size and preferences. Once your pattern is on file, you can order new shirts any time you want simply by flipping through fabric books. You have total control and virtually anything you can sketch or describe can be made.
Made-to-Measure Shirts are modified based on a set of existing patterns to adjust for your own measurements and limited preferences. If you have a fairly standard body type with ordinary proportions, there isn’t an enormous difference between made-to-measure shirts and bespoke shirts. It may or may not be worth the additional money for you to pay for bespoke. Your pattern adjustments can be kept on file so you can reorder when you find a new fabric you love without needing to get re-fitted.
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These are some of the best shirtmakers in the world. Arguably, the two most famous high-quality shirt makers in the world are Charvet in Paris, France, and Turnbull & Asser in London, England.
One of the reasons Charvet is so famous is their policy of carrying more on-site shirting fabrics in their Paris flagship store than any other shirtmaker on the planet, turning it into a veritable playground for men. Other brands are considered nice; e.g., a Brooks Brothers made-to-measure shirt is a very good value, especially during the semi-annual 25% off private sales events.
Top High End Brands: ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Charvet Turnbull & Asser Luigi Borrelli Brioni Kiton Emenegildo Zegna New & Lingwood Budd Shirt Makers Ascot Chang Harvie & Hudson
■ Hilditch & Key ■ Thomas Pink ■ Ralph Lauren Purple ■ Label ■ Dege & Skinner ■ Geneva Custom Shirts ■ CEGO Custom Shirtmaker
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
Anto Tom Ford Canali Ede & Ravenscroft Gieves & Hawkes Paul Stuart Hamilton Shirts Charles Tyrwhitt Brooks Brothers
In most shirting fabrics, prices range from $100 to $600 per dress shirt, with some shirtmakers requiring a minimum order of several shirts. A well-constructed dress shirt for men should last for several years.
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