Kiton Men

Kiton Men

Guide to Men's Shirt and Ties

The shirt has come a long way from its humble beginnings as an underwear garment when its long tails were used in the absence of underpants.  It is now, along with the always attention seeking neck tie, an item of clothing where you can really experiment with colour and patterns, where you can express your personality and fashion flare, and where you can easily change your look depending on your mood. 

THE CLASSICS

Take for instance the Classic man – Your look needs to be smart and well groomed.

The crisp white shirt is the epitome of classic. Originally it was the symbol of a gentleman because it soiled so easily and indicated a man who worked at a desk (if at all) and could afford a good laundry. But now you can also achieve the look with the pastel shades of pale blue ( a colour which became standard in the 1920's but before then was unthinkable for a gentleman to wear), light grey, pink and lilac.

 Patterns here are the classic stripes and fine checks. 

It's all about quality and not quantity so you're looking for:

 Good quality cotton: Sea Island and Egyptian cotton both have extremely fine long staple fibres, allowing them to be spun in to tight yarns and so producing a high thread count which gives a silky feel to the finished cloth.  They also hold dyes better.

Attention to detail: Single needle stitching gives strong seams that are more pucker resistant. Buttons (mother of pearl) should be cross-stitched onto the shirt by hand to ensure that they do not become loose over time. Split yokes ensure a perfect fit across the shoulders. And the collar should be handmade (fused or unfused) A well fused collar will give a smooth look with no puckering, and should use cotton interfacing materials. Collars should have removable bones to keep the shape of the wings perfectly straight when inserted.

French shirt makers, Charvet offer bespoke and RTW shirts and are considered the best, as are the Italian brands Brioni and Kiton. However they are very expensive so make sure your luck with the horses is not a flash in the pan before investing in a few of these.

Cheaper options are the British shirt makers Turnbull & Asser and Swedish shirt makers Eton which feature a non iron finish – great for those of you who have an aversion to ironing (me included). 

For the classic look in ties it has to be silk. A quality silk tie should feel smooth and be made of three pieces of fabric to lie better, cheaper ties use only two pieces.  A classic combination would be a white shirt and dark coloured plain tie. This is a good look for you high contrast men but for the lower contrast men go for a lighter coloured tie such as a mid blue or grey.  And for a softer look go for tone on tone e.g. pale blue shirt and light blue tie or a softer contrast e.g. pink shirt and light grey tie.

 

THE DRAMA

For those days when you want to create an impact go for the Dramatic look.  Bright colour block shirts combined with equally bright contrasting colour block ties, or bold patterned shirt and tie combination will give high impact but you need to consider your own colouring and whether you can take such bold colours and patterns.

Duchamp is a good choice for the dramatic look as most of their shirts and ties are brightly coloured and patterned.

 If the Duchamp colours are too bright and deep for you then Eton has a similar but paler combinations.  Also a Paul Smith shirt in the label's signature coloured stripes is a more subdued dramatic alternative look.

 Gone are the days when you couldn't wear a patterned tie with a patterned shirt – experiment with some of the cheaper brands until you are confident for the more expensive ones.

The rule is when mixing shirt and tie patterns is to make sure they have one colour in common with each other. For different looks you can match the tie with the shirt's dominant colour or for a more subtle look match with the least dominant colour.

When using the same pattern, you can have contrasting colours, but the pattern should not be the same scale – usually the tie's pattern is the larger or wider if a stripe.

And when you are super confident – then there are no rules!!

 

THE ROMANCE

Get in touch with your feminine side with floral and paisley patterns. These have become very  popular in shirts and give the wearer a softer more romantic look.

 If you are unsure of this look then go for a cheaper shirt, Matalan have a white and purple floral shirt at only £16, so if you decide florals are not for you then losing that shirt off your back won't be a big financial loss. 

And if you find saying it with flowers works for you then go for the more expensive and better quality shirts..

Eton has a 'hostage of love' collection with a floral print and block coloured collar. Ted Baker has a 'Pashion' shirt (the merging of passion and fashion) in a deep purple floral jacquard print - more masculine and the floral pattern is less obvious.

 

THE NATURAL

And for those days when you want a more relaxed look but without looking scruffy and unkempt, where comfort is high on the list rather than trends and fashion:

 Woollen ties are great for the winter, keeping your neck warm and the ultimate is the cashmere tie.

For a smart casual look wear a button down collar shirt – a style introduced by Brooks Brothers in 1900 and the story goes - John Brooks took the idea from wealthy polo players' shirt collars which were buttoned down so they didn't flap about during a match. This look was popularised by American businessmen.

Oxford cotton is ideal for less formal shirts such as the button down and tab collar – it is softer heavier cotton than poplin, more comfortable and hard wearing - so ideal for the winter months.

Cotton blended with Merino wool combines warmth and durability of wool with the weight and comfort of cotton. Developed in 1890 by Hollins, a Derbyshire mill owner and branded Viyella, it was originally a blend of 55% merino wool and 45% long staple cotton. Now the mix is usually 80% cotton and 20% wool for a fresher and tailored look.

The country check of Tattersall (named after the patterned horse blankets used in Richard Tattersall's famous market) is still a classic and looks smart with a tie.

Christmas is near and you'll probably get a shirt or tie from Santa. But please don't rely on him to choose as he'll only pick out what he likes and not necessarily what suits your colouring, personality or lifestyle. So give him a hint at least – how else will you have fun showing off the real you?

About the Author

frumpy to funky was established by Karen Grace, an affiliate member of the Federation of Image Consultants. Karen has studied Personal Styling at the London College of Fashion and received her professional training in one of the London's leading Image Consultancy training centre. More details can be seen on http://www.frumpytofunky.com

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