''With the emergence of several shirt makers occupying every little space across the cities of Italy, Britain and, of course, France, it is now an old belief that only someone with enough money to buy a large quantity of shirts and have them washed regularly, can afford to wear white shirts. Before the beginning of the twentieth century, the white shirt used to be the embodiment of refinement among men. Not everyone gentleman could afford a white shirt. The cleanliness that comes with the use of a white was too stressful for many. Soon after the end of the nineteenth century, a sartorial doorway ushered in the striped shirts which had a struggle before being accepted.
Some noble men would not wear the striped shirts because they believed they were made for the poor to conceal their lack of cleanliness. Whatever other suspicion that was raised at the emergence of the patterned shirts, they have come to stay all around the globe. In fact, because of the rigorous skill and craftsmanship put into the making of some handmade striped shirts, they have occupied more space in the noblemen's wardrobe. And you will even see some coloured or patterned shirts with white collars and cuffs.
With these combinations, real men have concerned themselves with the details of shirting. And, if these details are to form a part distinct from the whole, we will be looking at the shirts made in Italy. This is simply due to the absence of hand-sewn shirts in other fashion capitals These hand-sewn shirts contain the quality and high standard every gentleman expects in his shirts.
Today, Italy is the only place where shirts are still being sewn by hands. There, shirt makers sew their shirts by hand, using needle and thread. And, it is the same skill and craftsmanship for small and large order. Among the few well-known shirt makers from Italy enjoying a good reputation recently is Luigi Cordone, the designer who individually processes his every single without the use of machinery.
Luigi Cordone shirts, and in fact, other products from their company often consist of life and vigor. They are all made with soul and unequaled energy.
So, how do you know a good shirt before you buy one? Here is how:
- The Fabrics: A good shirt is identified from its fabrication which is done with fabric cotton, and popular among this type is the cotton batiste. Some good shirts are also made from poplin, Royal Oxford, ribbed twill, herringbone twill, sea island and brushed cotton.
- The Split Yoke: This is one detail you will find in most good shirts. It is used to suggest the expensive work that has been done as well as to create a balanced fit exactly to the customer's stature as some men have shoulders of different heights. The split yoke is at the back of the shirt where the neck meets the shoulders.
- Flow Of Patterns: If one takes a good look at Cordone1956's shirts, he will see where stripes or checks meet. This is where the shoulders join the sleeves or at the back where there are usually two pieces of material sewn together to create a perfect flow with the yoke.
- The Collar Bones: The collar bones are the removable tabs made of plastics. These help the collars to maintain a good stay and shape. In low quality shirts, they are sewn into the collar and this can cause a shiny patch to the collar from ironing.
- Mother-of-Pearl Buttons: These are the traditional buttons you can find on the Cordone1956 shirts. They are the good features of a good shirt. On Cordone1956's shirts, they can be so hard they are capable of breaking the needle during sewing.
- The Collars: These come in various shapes. With Cordone's, they come as cutaway collars, a combination of Kent and cut-away collar, broad turndown collar, the button-down collar and the moderately wide cutaway collar. The rule of thumb here is buying shirt with collar that suits your face shape. For example, a man with a round face will not, without a question, be owning a shirt with a round cutaway collar, but a turndown collar with long tips.
Beyond all these details, the Cordone's shirts provide a wide range of attributes that differentiate them from off-the-rack shirts. The dandy stripes, the Bologna stripes and the King 3310 stripes are among their top of the range. They are indeed the right shirts with the right fit.
Photo Credits: Cordone1956
Written by Wumi Balogun Of FOSImage UK
For more styling tips, personal styling and menswear training,
Email: fosconsultinguk@gmail.com''
THE NUANCES OF A GOOD SHIRT
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