Shirt tales for springtime
The men’s staple has undergone a radical shift from upright and formal to relaxed, says Stephen Doig
Idon’t think that I ever saw my grandfather in anything other than a crisp, neatly ironed shirt. The older generation would sooner don fancy dress than step out of the door in anything but a shirt, but that old perennial has had a tricky old time of it lately.
With the casualisation of our wardrobes – already prevalent pre-pandemic, and accelerated during the work-from-home mandates when suiting became obsolete – the men’s style staple has been relegated.
Suit jackets, if you’re one of those still wedded to proper tailoring, are as likely to be worn with T-shirts as shirts these days (I write this wearing just that), and the industry has seen a decline in the standard, starched, upright varieties that once were so prevalent.
Daisy Buchanan might have been moved to tears by the beauty of Gatsby’s shirts, but today she would be hard-pressed to find one in his wardrobe. That high street go-to TM Lewin has had to be saved from administration, and Thomas Pink shut its flagship store in Jermyn Street during the pandemic.
Of course, the shirt is never going to become obsolete, but it has undergone a shift in recent years. Part of the evolution has come about because of the death of the tie; we no longer require a firm, solid collar.
Historic outfitters on Jermyn Street (that traditional epicentre of shirtmaking) have pivoted to focus on softer, more relaxed variants – lightweight linens designed to be worn loose, as opposed to upright and proper.
It’s also worth considering noncollar variants. Grandad or mandarin collars look more contemporary and fresh; there is a clean minimalism to them. On the subject of collars, consider the camp collar, too – a wider, rather retro look that peps up a suit and looks summery.
The issue of printed shirts is the subject of much debate: tropical motifs are all well and good at aperitivo hour overlooking a beach vista, but can appear a little “Brit dad on holiday” in other settings, particularly in a work environment. I tend to opt for an “all or nothing” approach – go for broke in something high octane and bold, in the right setting, or steer towards cleaner, sleeker options.
Also consider the fabric; a solid workwear option such as chambray is a grown-up, sophisticated version of rugged denim, and the dark tones look suitably appropriate with a blazer in the office.
Linen, however pleasingly lightweight, tends to crumple easily, so opt for something in a linen mix, with silk or cotton. And as a step on from shirting, a smart, long-sleeved polo shirt in a light wool can also look sharp and together when worn with a suit.
The style authorities on TV’S Queer Eye (where straight men are made over by a bevy of debonair gay men) would have you believe that a “French tuck” is an informed way to wear a shirt – tucked in at the front but loose at the back. It might be a style affectation for a certain Instagram demographic, but the average man should steer clear. The result can look a tad sloppy in the wrong hands.
As for the merits and pitfalls of silk shirts? One man’s David Beckham is another’s 1970s lothario; we’ll leave that for another day.