Dont judge what you don’t understand Shirt
Photo by Jamie Ferguson.“They’re so functional as well as beautiful,” says Jermyn Street shirt-maker Emma Willis of the male shirt – a garment which is not just her passion in life, but also her vocational calling. “Everything about it – the mechanics that give it maximum flexibility without too much volume and so on – appeals enormously. It’s such a wholesome product in terms of purity of materials.” Needless to say,The Rakeheartily agrees.The word ‘shirt’ has become a catch-all one, referring to a variety of upper body garments – fromslim-fit pieces in Swiss poplin and organic pique with cutaway collars at the top of the scale, tonylon atrocities worn by Stella-bloated football fans who can only iron them properly with the aid of a wok at the bottom. But a ‘shirt’ in gentleman’s parlance – as in what someAmericans separate from the chaff by calling it a “dress shirt” – is the ultimate staple garment for men of all backgrounds and inclinations. (Even dot-com hippies, Trustafarians and student dweebs who brag about not owning a suit almost certainly possess at least one garmentwith collars, sleeves, cuffs and a vertical fastenable opening.)
Were one to enter the fabled doors of 71-72 Jermyn Street, a store with such a staggering selection of fine shirts, this ‘oxymoron’ would become a very real issue. Home to Turnbull & Asser, this prestigious heritage brand has welcomed over the years such style luminaries as Sir Winston Churchill, Sean Connery and Prince Charles, all of whom valued the incredible quality and transformative effect of the brand’s shirts. Whilst the shirt has endured popularity throughout the decades, for Turnbull & Asser, this humble garment has never been more relevant. Steven Quin, T&A’s retail director and Royal Warrant holder since 1999, tells The Rake, “the shirt is now such an important part of the modern man’s wardrobe, as the need to wear a jacket becomes less and less. With men looking after their bodies more, it’s important to have a good fitting shirt that’s not too blousy and reflects the work they put in at the gym. Our bespoke service gives the customer the opportunity to make a shirt that’s individually tailored to their body and to fit them exactly as they wish, whilst allowing them to stamp their own personal style on the shirt with an infinite selection of collar and cuff styles on offer. A Turnbull & Asser bespoke shirt is like no other, made at our factory in Gloucester by the most skilled machinist and crafts people using the best quality fabrics available. To slip on a crisp cotton bespoke shirt made specifically for you is the most enjoyable feeling and gets you confident and ready for the day ahead”.
