Shirting

While they were historically an undergarment, to be worn beneath a jacket and/or waistcoat, shirts have gained popularity as an exterior garment in the last 15 years.

Don’t be mistaken, their purpose is still to be a base garment, protecting the jacket from one’s skin. As a matter of fact, the cuffs and collar of a dress shirt serve as a buffer so the jacket stays pristine. In the Depression, a man would buy a blue dress shirt at a store and wear it until the cuffs and collar were ragged. The fraying and discoloration was irreparable. Since he couldn’t afford a new shirt, he would visit a tailor and ask simply for new cuffs and collars. The tailor needed the business but surely wouldn’t have the same blue fabric as the body of the shirt. To solve the problem, he/she would use a simple white fabric. This look, most associated with Wall Street, was born out of poverty. It was easier to replace the cuffs and collar than it was to buy a new shirt.

Nowadays, it’s easier to buy a new shirt than it is to buy a new jacket. We take just as much care designing and constructing our shirts as we do our jackets, pants and vests. We want to create a durable and mindful shirt that looks just as good as it performs. During a shirt fitting, we speak to clients about cuff size to accommodate watches, type of deodorant to mitigate arm pit stains and ways to clean the shirt to elongate its lifespan.

We’ve designed 30 shirt collars and 15 cuffs so that clients may find their own personal style within the program. We allow clients to choose front plackets, sleeve plackets, collar stay preferences, buttons, monograms, yokes and pockets. There is an almost endless combination of customizations that can be chosen.

One of the most personal choices a client can make is the construction of the cuffs and the collar. Our interfacing comes in standard, soft, firm as well as an unconstructed option. Typically the standard construction suffices, but our soft and unconstructed options can create wonderfully comfortable shirts.

Furthermore, we use a French seam construction on our side seams. We set those into the gusset where the front hem meets the back hem of the shirt. This is all done for strength along with turning the bottom buttonhole on the front placket.

Our collection of fabrics numbers in the hundreds from mills like Canclini, Soktas, Thomas Mason, Albini, Martin Savile and Luthai. They range in price from $150-$235 and, as always, we include the customizations with our pricing.

Lastly, discreet branding is very important for our company especially on our shirts. To avoid discomfort, we move our label from the nape of the neck to the backside of the placket near the front hem of the shirt. It’s hidden so it won’t scratch.

Our Made To Order shirts can be purchased here and appointments for new fittings can be be made here.