If the shirt fits....

It is a favourite pastime among people frequenting style and fashion forums on the internet to ask for a critique of the fit of a shirt. The replies to such question are always of great interest as it shows that one man's definition of 'correct' fit may be somewhat different to another's.

There are two measurements that most people do seem to agree with and that is the collar sizing and the shoulder - and probably for good reason. The collar is one of the most important features of a shirt - whether a bespoke shirt or a ready-to-wear shirt the collar has to be right which means a fit where the thumb can fit comfortably between the neck and the collar. This will ensure that there is no gape at the neck and also the collar will be comfortable. Most people wear shirts with collars too tight and is a large contributor to people believing that wearing a tie is uncomfortable.

The shoulders are also important as they provide a foundation for all the other parts of the shirt - it is from the shoulders that the shirt hangs. If this is correct then the shirt can always be altered in other areas to achieve the desired fit. Note that ready-to-wear shirts do not have any variation in shoulder widths - they either fit, or more likely, do not fit. The shoulder (or yoke) of the shirt should meet the top of the sleeve at the same point that the wearers arm joins the shoulder.

Get these two right and the next to check is sleeve length - if it is too short then the shirt is never going to fit you (unless you go for a costly re-sleeve). If it is too long a tailor should be able to shorten for you. The length of sleeve required is oft debated on the forums but most people opt for a sleeve that reaches just lower than where the wrist joins the hand. In any case this should be 1/4 inch or so longer than your suit sleeves.

The other main measurements are chest, waist, seat and back length. These are really a case of personal preference and dependant on the use of the shirt - i.e business, casual etc.

Typically for a 'fitted' shirt we will make bespoke shirts with a 3 to 4 inch allowance in the chest and waist and 2 to 3 for the seat but it really does depend on the wearers personal preference and their build. A too tight shirt is definitely worse than a too loose shirt, that is for sure.

The next most important

Online bespoke shirts - reduced in price

We are very pleased to say that our online ordered bespoke shirts from the fantastic Canclini range of fabrics have been reduced to an unbeatable £120 (£110 for stock specials).

These shirts are made in the same way as out standard bespoke service, a pattern is individually produced for each client and cut for you to craft a perfect bespoke shirt.

Click here http://www.shirt-style.co.uk/bespoke_shirts_online.html for more details

Our bespoke shirt pattern fee

Most makers of bespoke shirts will demand an initial order of between three and six shirts which will have to be paid upfront. The reason for this is that the first shirts are usually more expensive to make as they require the pattern to be drafted and cut and may require some rework. The guarantee of an order of several shirts ensures that all costs are covered.

We realise that not everybody wants or needs so many bespoke shirts, or would like to try one or two initially and so we allow you to buy a single shirt if wanted. To help cover some of the extra costs we charge a token £30 pattern fee. This is only charged once only (unless you drastically change shape and weight).

New fabric range from Holland & Sherry

A new fabric bunch dropped through the letterbox this morning; the Inter City 2010 range. Last year the Intercity range was launched by H & S and this bunch has expanded on that range with a good number of nice mid-weight worsteds.

The Inter City range is Holland and Sherry's entry range, but is still an exceptional cloth. Our made to measure suits from this range are just £450 (or £540 for full floating canvas).

Individual but still elegant

Many shirt makers seem to market their products at the more gaudy and trendy end of the bespoke shirt market. You know the things; patterned collar and cuff linings, contrast stitching and buttons etc.

Many of our clients are successful business executives and professionals and they are looking for a bespoke shirt that is more elegant and understated and for this reason we do not promote the trendier side of things (although of course if you want those things then we are more than happy to make them for you.

A bespoke shirt is more about a well fitting, high quality garment, and it is these aspects we concentrate on when discussing our shirts with our discerning clients.

We recently made a shirt for a London based clients and it is one of my favourites. It is made from Alumo Soyella in a very pale grey. This is an end-on-end fabric of the highest quality with an exceptional handle and a delightful feel against the body. The client has added a personal touch with the collars being made in White, which in darker shirts can give an unfortunate 'Gordon gecko' effect, but in this instance, we believe, the lower contrast with the body colour has resulted in a particularly refined shirt.

Find out more about our bespoke shirts at http://www.shirt-style.co.uk

The Mayfair Collar

One of our stock pattern collars is a cutaway very similar to Italian collars such as those favoured by Finnamore. The collar style has a large amount of elegance and style about it and looks excellent with a four-in-hand knot (we do not recommend using the windsor or half-windsor, ever!).

The image shown is of a recent shirt that we made sometime ago for client who decided that he actually prefers a Mayfair collar to the original collar he chose. The shirt shown is the result of the Mayfair being 'grafted' onto his bespoke shirt.

The fabric used for the shirt, for those interested in these matters, is an Alumo Supraluxe 120s cotton which sells for £140 per shirt.

Shirt in profile

I recently made this shirt for a client from Oxford. He has had quite a number of shirts made to date but this is my favourite of all the shirts we have made for him.

The fabric used is from the Thomas Mason Silverline range and is a 120s 2-ply cotton fabric in a micro-check pattern.

The collar was designed by the client to suit his own requirements and is a nice cutaway, less dramatic than a full cutaway.