Tailored-made fashion is now on the rise, leaving behind off-the-rack shirts to embrace personalization and pieces that will last a lifetime. Menswear journalist Andrew Whitty, in partnership with Santamaria Shirtmakers and Cornerstone, understands the benefits of bespoke shirts and thinks you should too.
It’s About Quality Not Quantity
If the history of fashion was defined as a night out, then its current state would be when you’ve had one too many. The Sambuca of fashion, if you will. We like to believe in quality over quantity, and that’s how the benefits of bespoke tailoring come into place.
The luxury of being able to desire something, obtain it and – more often than not – dispose of it in an instant is a very modern way of doing things. Despite its acceptability by the masses, it’s a section of the industry that comes under much scrutiny, for both ethical and environmental reasons. To gain a better understanding of how we’ve come to be in this predicament, we need to go back in time. Back to a time when bespoke was best.
Bespoke Shirts In Brief
In the decades before the Second World War, fashion was reserved for the upper echelons of society and those that could afford it. Gentlemen would frequent London’s Savile Row being measured inch by inch and often relying on one tailor for everything from socks to suits and shirts.
The post-war liberation of women, the Sixties’ sexual revolution, and forward thinking designers such as Yves Saint Laurent, with his ready-to-wear collections, all contributed to the demise of this practice.
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A New Era For Bespoke Shirts
Now it seems, there is a new found respect in the ‘old ways’, with a resurgence in brands offering bespoke tailoring. Anyone that’s ever shopped bespoke knows that a perfectly fitted piece can be the making of a man. It has the power of increasing a man’s confidence ensuring he can start his day right.
As easy as it is to opt for a packed shirt from a department store, these conveyor-belt products do not flatter or adapt to the myriad of shapes and sizes guys come in today. The fit of the shirt, however, is just the beginning when it comes to customising an entire bespoke piece.
Down To The Details
Here in lies the beauty of bespoke. You are creating an item from scratch, designed with just you in mind. Take the collar. Prefer button down to cut-away? You got it. What about materials? Working in a hot climate? You can choose luxurious Italian linen over inappropriate wool. And as much as we love a personal touch at Cornerstone, you can even embroid the cuffs with your initials.
Here’s everything you need. Not only will you leave the house with a smooth shave but with a shirt that will give you the confidence you need to tackle the day.
Head over to www.santamariashirtmakers.com to see what’s on offer and get 20% off your first shirt with the code CORNER20 at checkout. You can also visit their brand new London-based showroom in Notting Hill (55A Ossington Street).