Although shirts do not have complex structures like suit jackets. However, this is also an item that sticks with you every day. A shirt with excellent quality always gives a different experience. This difference is due to the feeling of the material, shirt making technique and every detail that makes that shirt. Therefore, in this article, I will share with you how to evaluate a truly quality shirt.
A quality shirt, this can be ready-made, and also bespoke. Shirts are quite simple, so the criteria of a quality shirt can be counted on the fingers. Anyway, an average shirt that fits two of the criteria below can still look great.
So once you've spent over $200 on a shirt, you have every right to demand the best in the product. Like every stitch, every stitch, every button or button stitching style is carefully handled. On the other hand, the meticulousness in every detail of the shirt is a way to reflect the quality of the manufacturer. Especially Italian tailors often invest in handmade details.
Pertinence.
This is a basic element, after all, you need to wear them to be beautiful. Someday I will write in detail about the fit of the shirt. Shirts will usually need a fitted collar, armpits that are not too loose or too tight, and should be worn neatly on the body (shirts will usually be a bit loose).
Collar style.
It is important that the collar is sized enough to match the collar of the jacket, stiff enough so that the collar always stands up, and does not fall or fall flat when worn with a coat. Personally, a strong and well-shaped neck is the top influence on the wearer's image.
The collar does not press the mosquito net.
A flat collar that is still stiff and straight without needing to be pressed still creates a class of its own. This is still controversial, some Italian shirt makers still use mosquito nets. Shirts with non-pressed collars are often more difficult to iron because the inner layer of fabric will create wrinkles in the stitches on the collar. On the other hand, a stitched collar with lining fabric inside also requires carefulness from the maker.
Use quality fabric.
The shirt is something that comes into direct contact with the skin, it's really like your second skin. Therefore, a quality shirt needs to come with fabric that makes you feel comfortable. A high-end shirt has two basic things that need to be met: material and fit. 2-ply cotton fabric (woven in a 2×2 pattern) is something that is always appreciated for its durability, this is a weave with each weave being braided from two fabric fibers. Tailored shirts often use fabric from specific sources such as shirt-specializing brands such as Albini's Thomas Mason, or from commonly found reputable fabric companies.
Hem Gussets.
The first and most obvious thing is the piece of fabric that is wrapped around the edge connecting the front and back of the shirt. Each shirt usually has two, these are two small pieces of fabric located at the end of the seam between the front and back body. This brace is used to reinforce the connector firmly. Making this detail is not difficult, but it is typical of manufacturers for high-end shirts. I think it's like an "unwritten rule" of reputable shirtmakers.
French seams.
Because the shirt has a very simple structure, it requires even more sophistication and investment in every detail. Therefore, a special detail that needs to be mentioned immediately is French seams. To identify, first look at the assembly areas between the front and back body, the area where the arms and the shirt body are assembled, and the sleeve assembly area. If these shirt seams show only one stitch on the outside, this will be French seams.
Speaking of sewing, there are two methods commonly used on shirts: double machine stitching and French seaming. If on regular shirts, you will see that these seams will show two stitching lines, then this is the double machine method. Double machine is the most common and least labor intensive method. Of course, it doesn't look as beautiful as French seams.
French seams require more effort. It still has 2 seams to assemble the shirt, but the worker must skillfully sew and fold the fabric to hide 1 seam, then turn the fabric on both sides and sew the remaining seam. They take a lot of work, but the finished product of having a neat shirt down to every seam is nothing like it.
The armpit of the shirt is skewed.
For high-end, or bespoke houses. When you turn up the armpit of the shirt, the shirt will have sleeve seams and body seams that are about 1 to 2 cm apart. With normal shirts, this seam will connect the body seam and the seam. This seam is skewed to make the shirt easier to iron and move. It helps position the arm seam to follow the spine of the arm, which helps the shirt be neater and less bulky in the armpit area
Buttons made of natural materials.
A shirt with all the details I just mentioned above and with plastic buttons is quite a waste. Buttons here are often made from clam shells. When you look at them, they will change colors like a rainbow, and the surface will be naturally shiny and not lifeless like plastic.
Button stitching.
As mentioned, the regular button stitching will have a cross which is good enough. However, to increase the meticulousness of the shirt, tailors often make arrow lines, also known as chicken feet (in Italian, zampa di gallina ). In particular, this is also a typical detail of Italian shirts. This type of arrow also has many tricks to show sophistication, for example, in a row of 5 buttons, there will be 4 arrows pointing down and the last one will be an arrow pointing diagonally up.
Epilogue.
Wearing a beautiful shirt of moderate quality is not difficult. But once you are willing to spend on a quality shirt, having the above elements is a must. Especially if you have spent a large amount of money to buy a shirt, you are also paying for your own experience.
At HY WO, we are confident to serve and satisfy every requirement regarding fabric material, design and editing of details as requested by you.
Contact HY WO for more experience
Phone: (+84) 969 905 904
Website: hywovn.com
Instagram: @hy.workshop
Address: 427 Bạch Đằng street, Ward 15, Bình Thạnh District, HCM city, Vietnam
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