White Shirts

August 21, 2007

Luigi Rocca has never wavered in his appreciation for white dress shirts.

Crisp, classic and always appropriate,the style is well-suited to his lifestyle as a financial advisor with RBC Dominion Securities and one that he can call upon to take him from day into evening.

"You can wear them with everything and they never go out of style," explains the Moncton man, on the sort of gloriously sunny day that has white cuffs around the city being rolled up in deference to the weather."There is something clean looking about them and, to me, nothing looks better than a white shirt and a navy suit."

Indeed. Harkening to another time as much as the modern era, the classic white shirt is fashion at its most elemental and versatile. Whether debonair, (think Cary Grant in To Catch a Thief), sophisticated (George Clooney on the red carpet), rumpled and practical (Jack Lemmon in The Apartment) or feminine, when worn by Katherine Hepburn, Diane Keaton (AKA Annie Hall) or Sharon Stone, the look is a timeless one. It is also one that appears eternally fresh as it moves effortlessly from casual and business life to formal evening occasions.

After a long winter of dark tones, there is something of an inherent universal appeal to such a clean slate. And this season, in particular, white shirts are serving as a welcome break from the profusion of saturated colours and bold stripes that have been popular for several years.

"I think what's been happening in the past is that the blue and white shirts were around for a long time and then coloured shirts came into focus," explains Jeff Garcia, manager at Cecil d's in Moncton (134 Church Street) and a former shirt maker in Toronto. "We went through this phase with coloured shirts and more interesting fabrics and people neglected their white shirts."

The reaction to bright solids and pronounced stripes completes another full cycle for a white shirt that has been a men's wardrobe staple for more than a century. Men have long relied upon the basic to serve a variety of functions ranging from dressing up suits to working with denims and chinos.

The practice continues. A very clean, tailored white shirt with French cuffs complements a suit and highlights a tie for work, but simply opening the top button and adding a different belt works for an elegant evening out.

"Traditionally, a white shirt has always worked with an outfit, or made the outfit," says Jeff. "Any tie goes with a white shirt ? whether it's earth brown or a pumpkin or cranberry or yellow ? and the white makes an interesting tie stand out. I think that everybody looks very dressed in a white shirt and that's probably the appeal of it."

There are prices to suit every budget. Great white shirts are easily found for under $50 ? sometimes much less ? at department and off-price stores while higher-end versions can go for $100 and well beyond. At the lower end, the Joe Fresh collection at Real Canadian Superstores is the latest to join the ranks of low-priced, fresh-off-therunway offerings. Wal-Mart boasts the George label, while Fairweather sells Isaac Mizrahi-designed clothes. And, from everyday bright white cotton shirts to more fashionforward textured oxfords, shiny sateens and wrinkle-free poplins, looks vary considerably.

As with any classic, the challenge for designers is to imbue the familiar with something different. Fabric choices and different cuts ? full cut, regular cut, slim cut and super slim ? lend multiple personalities. A white shirt may be likened to a blank canvas: begin with a white fabric and turn it into something special through the fabric and the treatments.

Along with different cuts, cotton fabrications come in a variety of weights. Lightweight and airy poplin is perfect for summertime wearing at the same time that heavier brushed broadcloth proves ideal for cooler months. And even among white fabrics, there is a variety in patterns ? stripes, checks, herringbones ? to add subtle interest. Then, too, there are collar and cuff styles to consider, along with stitching.

"Before I started having my shirts made, I didn't know that much about materials, or even what a difference there was between machine and hand stitching," says Luigi. "But when you put on a good quality made shirt, you just know it. Everything from the way it feels to the way it looks, how the collar stays, is different."

Shirt fabric is often described numerically as 50s, 80s, 100s, 120s, 140s, 160s, etc. This number refers to the thickness of the yarn: the lower the number, the thicker the yarn; the higher the number, the finer the yarn. From 120 and up, the two-ply cottons are the most luxurious (and expensive) dress shirt fabrics, with thinner individual yarns, tighter weaves and greater thread counts per inch. While the price of a higher thread count dress shirt is usually twice that of its 80's counterpart, many men make that extra investment because they enjoy the softness and luster, as well as the finer tailoring details that typically are offered in such a luxury shirt.

"These are beautiful fabrics that feel incredible and are also very durable," says Jeff, referring to the two-ply thread (two individual threads are twisted together) and close weave.

No matter how often a classic look gets reinterpreted, sometimes it's the tried and true traditional style that prevails. From season to season, retailers say that novelty shirts will always sell and people are attracted to them, but the bestselling style is often still the classic, fabulous white shirt; a great button-down with French cuffs, and a stand-up collar.

Still, some shirt makers take the challenge to update a classic more seriously than others. For example, the British apparel firm Ted Baker, known for its tailored menswear styles, has now expanded into women's apparel. And, at Cecil d's, Jeff has created custom shirts for some of his client's wives who wanted exquisite workmanship and detail of a classic white shirt. "These are really a classic shirt, much like men's," he explains.

"There are no darts, so it's not something we do a lot of, but we have made some for women who are looking for a very simple white shirt."

For women seeking more details, there is a wide range to consider. Sleeve styles (long-sleeve, threequarter sleeve and sleeveless), collar styles (band collar, point collar, shawl style and no collar), details (pleats, ruching, embroidery, belts and sashes) and varying lengths all add exclamation points to an otherwise ordinary top.

The wrap look endures as a classic for women, updated this year by being longer and with a larger flourish in the side tie. Also, vintage details are working: everything from buttons to certain lace treatments, tucking, the shape of a collar, a cuff treatment, corset details and really big ruffles.

The peasant blouse category is big, as well. There are silhouettes that are more feminine and fitted, yet also comfortable, such as an oversized boyfriend shirt in a tuxedostyle, perhaps updated with a really great belt.

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