MAN FRIDAY WHY IT’S TIME TO RE-INVEST IN A PROPER SHIRT
The backbone of a man’s wardrobe is having its own moment, says
You don’t need me to tell you that the humble shirt – that most essential, day-to-day backbone of a man’s working and off-duty wardrobe – is an essential. From school, it’s drummed into you that a shirt is your everyday mainstay; in most men’s working life, it’s mandatory. But the innate “uprightness” of the shirt has meant it’s part of a more formal roster of clothes that have been on the wane in recent years.
These pages have noted before about the rising tide of casual attire in the last decade; athletic clothing in place of traditional tailoring, suits that are crafted in technical fabrics, and a general move towards ease and, in the worst iterations, a style that is slouchy and unkempt. In such a landscape, the shirt has suffered.
But it seems like we’re due a rethink. The recent spate of men’s fashion shows Tiger of Sweden designer. creates traditional striped shirts with rounded collars, some of them in shirting cotton but without buttons on the front.
Niche brands such as Lemaire offer Asianinspired collars that are minimal and sleek, and just as appropriate with a blazer. Similarly, in these colder months it’s also worth exploring how you wear a shirt – try slipping on a lightweight polo shirt underneath, wearing the collar open for a touch of Sloaney stateliness, or experimenting with the exotic-sounding “French tuck” – tucking the front in but leaving the back hanging – for a touch of Gallic loucheness. Sometimes it’s worth giving an old familiar some attention.