I would like to start with a mea culpa...
Indeed, while I like the art of tailoring, and we have always made sure to offer a nice range of suits, with original fabrics, we had a very slim range of shirts to wear with them!
It was time to fix that, and release a “real” dress shirt , designed to be worn with a suit or blazer.
The first thing I had in mind was the collar, because I wanted a collar that would sit very well with a tie, or without anything, just under the lapels of the jacket. It needs a minimum of hold but also a certain flexibility, so as not to have a too “stilted” side.
But we will see this point a little further…
Also, you know that I really like materials with relief, and I didn't want a “flat” shirt. I wanted a dressier shirt, but BonneGueule style , with soul and passion.
But that's not all: many of you will wear this shirt on beautiful sunny days, you obviously need a fabric suitable for high temperatures.
And to find a fabric with that little something extra, we turned to one of the most renowned suppliers of shirt fabrics: the Italian Albini.
Important note: this shirt is already available on our e-shop and in our stores!
A very beautiful striped cotton linen from Albini
It is a fabric composed of 55% cotton and 45% linen from Albini, with a very interesting relief, uncommon on this type of shirt:
It's a weight of 105 g/m2, so rather considered a light weight for a shirt.
If you look at the fabric very closely, you will see that it is the linen which gives this slight irregularity , which gives it all its charm. Thanks to him !
But it's not over... there's a little dobby texture on the fabric which adds that extra soul.
It is therefore a shirt perfectly suited to summer temperatures , and I wanted it to be a piece of choice for your weddings in the sun, for example. If you also wear it with a ventilated suit, like our Breno suit , you have one of the best formal outfits for the summer heat, even if I remind you that our clothes still do not have built-in fans!
A generous collar
I'm increasingly obsessed with the way a collar fits under the lapels of a jacket . This is why I wanted to continue developing our 7 centimeter collar that you have already seen on a few shirts from previous years.
I really like it, because it ties well, and it sits nicely when open.
It takes on the slightly flared side of Italian shirts, but is a little more sober. And I say it again: this slight flare is very important, because it allows the collar to have a nice hold when worn without a tie!
We deliberately used a fairly light iron-on on the collar to maintain flexibility. Indeed, when it comes to shirting, I am rather influenced by the Italians, who do not hesitate to work with soft collars, who live throughout the day , with a tie, or in the evening, when the shirt is wide open and the sleeves are casually rolled up (but the shirt remains tucked into the pants!).
I would also like you to take the time to look at this photo:
This is a famous photo by Gianni Agnelli, a well-known vintage style icon. And I really like the spirit of this photo, where he is both relaxed and elegant, especially thanks to his impeccable pants. You understand that to convey this atmosphere in this shirt, our shirt needed a collar with a certain flexibility, which can live with you. I insist on this point, but it is important that you understand that behind the choice - a priori simple - of the rigidity of a shirt collar, there are many things hidden!
The finishes of this shirt
Choosing a fabric is one thing, the right collar shape is another, and all that remains is to look at the finishes! To accentuate the luxurious side of this shirt, I wanted two things:
- very thick mother-of-pearl buttons,
- English seams.
Let’s get into the details!
Obviously, on this shirt, we had to put our very thick mother-of-pearl buttons, to add that luxurious touch . The thicker the mother-of-pearl button, the more expensive it is, but it is still much prettier!
Then, still in the spirit of having a high-end shirt, there are French seams which add refinement .
They are considered a sign of quality on a shirt, because they require more work and time to make, but visually the result is more sophisticated and high-end (in addition to demonstrating the know-how of the workshop) . For the record, it's one of the finishes that I look at first when I have a shirt in my hands.
As a reminder, this shirt is already available in our stores and on our e-shop:
To be continued…
Eh yes ! Another dress shirt will arrive, but more for July, where we will revisit the white shirt , in our own way, therefore with texture. Stay tuned!
