Business Shirts

While it’s the staple of every office wardrobe, the work shirt is too often overlooked, undervalued or just woefully misjudged. Our guide will help you know your barrel cuffs from your superfine 200s, so you can dress to impress whatever your profession

Fabric Of Time

It may be ubiquitous but the shirt has had a diverse history. Barely 200 years ago, a shirt was not a shirt at all, but an undergarment. Detachable collars and cuffs were the stars of fashionable get-ups, while the material on your back was not considered fit for public eyes. By the early 20th century this had started to change, with front buttons and fixed collars presaging the contemporary shirt. Even so, old customs remain: it is still considered gauche at formal functions for a man to remove his jacket. Remarkably staid conventions have meant that the shirt has evolved little in the past 60 years, to the point where it is overlooked in terms of dressing priority. But this is a mistake: know your collars, cuffs and fabrics and you will navigate a smoother route to the corner office.