Shirt: Correct Size and Non-toxic Materials
COTTON – THE MOST HEALTHY OR THE MOST TOXIC?
The best shirt is made from high-quality 100% cotton fabric. The quality of cotton fibres depends on their fineness, length, and strength. Long-staple cotton feels particularly refined and soft to the touch and has excellent mechanical properties. It does not require additional treatment with various chemicals, which may be toxic. The most expensive and best cotton varieties are Egyptian Mako cotton and Sea Island cotton from the USA, as they have optimal natural growing conditions.
ECOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
Today, most cotton in the world is genetically modified. This type of cotton is less susceptible to pests and much cheaper. However, there is an increasing use of organic cotton, which is grown without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and insecticides, and only organic fertilizers are used. Organic cotton is certified. Like all other organic textiles, it must have a certificate that covers all stages – from the preparation and purchase of raw materials to production, transportation, packaging, use, reuse, recycling, and disposal. GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) is the leading international standard for the production of organic textiles. The entire process is monitored, from raw material processing to environmentally and socially responsible production, as well as clear product labelling. There are also other certifications from individual countries (Der Blaue Engel, Nordic Ecolabel, Textile Exchange, SOF, BCI, etc.). Many chemicals used in cotton production are dangerous; some may be carcinogenic, adversely affect the nervous system, and act as hormone disruptors. In the final processing of cotton fabrics, which achieves properties such as stain resistance, flame retardancy, wrinkle resistance, scent release, and anti-static features, chemicals such as formaldehyde, caustic soda, sulfuric acid, bromine, urea, sulfoamines, halogens, and bromines are used. One of the most toxic substances is formaldehyde, which is proven to be carcinogenic and is used in fabric processing to reduce wrinkles.
QUALITY SHIRT
You can recognise a quality shirt by the construction of the back at the shoulder blades, which is called the “yoke.” For very high-quality shirts, this part is made from two layers of fabric. This design helps the shirt hang more elegantly from the body. You can also recognise it by the exceptionally high-quality double stitching, which is sewn with a single needle rather than two at the same time, preventing tiny wrinkles between the stitches. A quality shirt also features a triangular insert on the side seams at the bottom hem, which improves the shirt’s construction and protects this sensitive area, where it can easily tear. The highest-quality shirt is also distinguished by matching patterns – the stripes align with each other, and the pattern continues seamlessly onto the adjacent section of the shirt.
In Slovenia, you can buy high-quality bespoke shirts – Van Laack, available at the Emporium store. If you follow my posts, you will receive an invitation twice a year to purchase bespoke shirts at discounted prices. For more information, write to lea.pisani@imageconsulting.com.
COLOURS AND PATTERNS
The most prestigious shirt remains the white one. It is suitable for formal and special business occasions or simply for a fresh look. The daily colours of plain business shirts are light blue, light grey, and light pink. Shirts in more intense colours are less formal and are usually paired with blazers of a more relaxed cut. These shirts are also difficult to combine with a tie. Typically, a dark shirt is paired with a matching tie, for example, black on black. A checkered pattern is appropriate for less formal shirts, and for this pattern, choose a collar that fastens with buttons. A striped shirt is classic if the stripes are narrow and not in intense colours. If the stripes are wider, the shirt becomes less formal. Such a shirt can be combined with a white collar and white cuffs, though it is rarely seen in our country. Other formal patterns include mini checks and mini checks in two colours.
PLASTIC INSERTS IN THE COLLAR
A well-stitched collar has plastic (or metal) tips – inserts that can be removed before washing and reinserted into the freshly ironed collar. The inserts keep the collar flat and prevent the tips from curling outwards or inwards. Some shirts have the inserts stitched into the collar. This construction is not ideal, as plastic inserts may crack during washing, and the marks from the inserts can imprint on the fabric when ironing.
COLLAR FIT
When buying a shirt, the collar should be large enough to allow two fingers to slip between the neck and the collar (not vertically, but around the neck). After the shirt has been washed three times, it should only allow one finger. It is true that the shirt will shrink slightly after three washes, but this should not prompt you to buy a larger size. The difference before and after washing is minimal.
SHIRT CUT AND DARTS
A shirt can be narrow (slim fit), normally wide (normal fit), or wider (loose fit) for a larger build. It typically has a central dart or two side darts at the back to allow for better movement. For slimmer individuals, a shirt with side seams both at the front and back is a good choice. These seams allow the shirt to be more tailored to the body. The bottom can be either rounded or straight. High-quality shirts have a triangular insert in the side seams at the bottom.
SHIRT SLEEVE LENGTH
The shirt sleeve should extend about 1 cm from the sleeve of the jacket. A shirt with double cuffs has sleeves that are approximately 2.5 cm longer so that the cufflink can be seen. A shirt with double cuffs is more suitable for formal and special business occasions. The jacket sleeve must be wide enough to prevent the double cuff from getting caught and riding up, while ensuring that the shirt sleeve does not hide within the jacket sleeve.
CONTROVERSIAL SHORT SLEEVE SHIRTS
A formal short-sleeve shirt is a shirt missing a piece of fabric. It is “cut off.” Damaged. Even worse, some people wear a tie with a short-sleeve shirt. A tie cannot replace the missing piece of the shirt, let alone appear professional. The shirt and tie form part of the business uniform. If you feel you don’t need such strict business attire, it is better to replace the short-sleeve shirt with a polo shirt. If you prefer shirts, buy a long-sleeve shirt and, if it is very hot and the occasion permits, roll up the sleeves twice.
SHIRT LENGTH
The shirt should be 20 to 25 cm longer than the waistband of the trousers. If it is too short, it will ride up, and if it is too long, there will be too much fabric inside the trousers, which looks unattractive.
POCKET
High-quality formal and ceremonial shirts should not have pockets, although many off-the-rack shirts do have a pocket on the left chest. Two pockets are only found on casual shirts. Pens, glasses, and other items should be carried in the jacket pocket, not the shirt pocket.
INITIALS – FIRST AND LAST NAME LETTERS
A men’s shirt can become a status symbol if it has embroidered initials on the left chest, approximately 15 cm above the trousers’ waistband (never on the cuff). It becomes a status symbol because we assume that the shirt was custom-made. This is why top shirt manufacturers do not embroider their company logos on the shirt.
UNDER-SHIRT UNDER A SHIRT
From an aesthetic point of view, it is better if the edges of the undershirt are not visible through the shirt. The fabric of the shirt also falls more smoothly on the body if there is no friction between the two fabrics. If you cannot forgo wearing an undershirt, buy shirts made of opaque material and undershirts with invisible seams. Another solution is to wear an undershirt with a round neck that reaches the neck and is hidden under the shirt’s collar seam. It should never be visible under the collar. For the most important occasions, when wearing a white shirt, it is best to forgo the undershirt.
SHIRT WITH A TUXEDO
The shirt worn with a tuxedo is white or cream. The front is richly made (with pleats, a stiffened fabric, or double fabric as in a shirt worn with a tailcoat). The buttons are hidden. The shirt has a ceremonial collar. In Slovenia, formal shirt collars are often sewn in, while in the United Kingdom, it is still customary for a high-quality shirt to have a removable collar. The cuffs are double and fasten with cufflinks. The buttons are silver, gold, or made of onyx.
