the inspiration behind the man shirt
to create the man shirt Alison snuck her three favourite shirts from her husband, we decided which features from each shirt we liked. all of us in the studio tried each on so we could. see how they looked across all of our various heights and sizes. one had the best collar, the other a good scooping hem while a third inspired the two pleats on the shoulders. we then created a pattern inspired by these ‘mans’ shirts while making some adjustments to make the shape more unisex. this included making the shape a soft a-line shape and shortening the sleeves. they’re held by several of our stockists and we have just three left, the ones we have are size small but we would like to point out that the easy fit means they would work for most people.
what fabrics is it available in?
our classic collared shirt is available in a vintage orange and pale grey striped cotton shirting which we sourced from Japan as well as a white japanese crisp cotton, this fabrication is smart looking but softened down by the slightly oversized shape and rubbed down buttons.
who makes the man shirt?
the man shirt is hand made one by one by the artisans we work with in vietnam. The workshop in vietnam is in a beautiful location between the paddy fields and the mountains, a few hundred miles south of ha noi. the workshop was founded by yen, who’s passion was to perpetuate the crafts of her region. since the 15th century much of the province have made a living from hand embroidery, and they continue this on into the twenty first century.
design details of the man shirt
the man shirt is a classic collared shirt, loose fitting with a small pointed collar and buttoned front opening and cuffs. we handmade and hand painted the wooden buttons and then sand them down so that the under layer of paint is visible.
to style to man shirt for colder days, throw on full-length lundy coat with balloon-shaped lower sleeves; paris jacket which is an elegant bomber-style made in “flight” or our new oversize stan jacket. for autumn you can pair man shirt with a fluffy wool mallin vest, which is shown in the image at the top of the page.