Stretch shirts for comfortable dressing
Are you still struggling to get back to wearing 'normal' clothes after the casualness of working at home? I've found a lot of guys being drawn to a more comfortable version of what they were wearing before including their shirts. And that's where the pique or tech fabric shirt comes in.....the fabric is reminiscent of a t-shirt but the look has the smartness of a regular shirt, making an ideal combination.
The ones below are what I've been buying with clients, or seen out and about, or in their wardrobes. If you haven't tried one yet, what are you waiting for?
A client bought one of these shirts after I introduced him to the brand last year, and he liked it so much, he went back for a second one. Worn under a cotton suit, it creates the perfect smart/casual look for work or even for a wedding.... just add different accessories. As well as that you could roll the sleeves up and wear the shirt just as easily with jeans, or even smart chino shorts for summer.
If you're the sort of guy who's a classic dresser and likes to look neat and put together but also feel comfortable then this is the perfect shirt for you.
Slim-fit Fil d'Ecosse cotton jersey shirt with French collar - Glanshirt at Slowear - £265
If you've ever read the Permanent Style blog, then you'll know Simon Crompton who runs it, is a very detailed-oriented sort of guy. So you can be sure he's really paid attention to the finishing touches on the collaboration he's done with Neapolitan shirtmaker Luca Avitabile, to create this long sleeved polo shirt.
The collar stand is cut high so it sits well under a jacket but looks good without too. This is a great style for long necks, but if yours is shorter you may find it ends up looking a bit "Harry Hill" (as my client so aptly put it the other day!), so it's worth taking that into consideration. Made from a lightweight, breathable pique, it's great for summer or if you live in warmer climes.
The 'Lightweight Friday Polo' - Permanent Style - £185
This shirt straddles the divide between smart and casual really well. The cutaway collar gives a nod to more formal shirts, and yet the half placket is more on the casual side of things. It looks great how they've styled it with a casual suit, or wear it with a pair of brown linen trousers and loafers for a very elegant summer look.
I find beige tends to look better if there's a bit of contrast with your skin tone, so if you have olive skin or darker then it's likely to look great, but if your skin tone is the same colour as the shirt then go for something else....you don't want to blend in to it and disappear!
Sand cotton long sleeved polo shirt - Cad & The Dandy - £125
I discovered lots of these custom fit shirts in my client's wardrobe whilst doing a wardrobe edit for him last week. He got them from Son of a Tailor which is a great online service where all you have to do is fill in some details and tick your body shape and how you like your shirts to fit and it creates your custom size.
He'd gone for neutral colours which are always very useful, but after doing a Colour Consultation with him, I'm now trying to persuade him to get this colour too, as it looked so amazing on him! It'll go really well with black or grey jeans, and light blue or indigo denim, plus navy chinos and white trainers.
Custom fit pique shirt - Son of a Tailor - £92
When is a blue striped work shirt not a blue striped work shirt? When it's made from a technical fabric and is as comfy as a t-shirt! Admittedly, this fabric is a little 'Marmite'.....some clients love it because it's soft, stretchy and comfy, and some hate it because they don't like the thought of nylon.
I find that stretch shirts are particularly good if you have a triangular shape with broad shoulders and a much smaller waist.....you can go for a snugger fit on top without it being uncomfortable, and then it'll be a better fit around the waist too, especially when it's slim fit like this one.
Slim fit sky blue striped stretch nylon shirt - Boggi - £109
Will you be going out to get one of these shirts for your new work wardrobe? If you'd like some help to add this and other components for a comfortable set of clothes to wear to work, then get in touch and I can arrange a shopping day for you:
"I’m a guy in his early 40s and post pandemic I didn’t know what to wear at work or socially - things had changed!
For work it’s now smart casual instead of a suit and socially I wanted to look smarter (but not boring). I didn’t know where to start, but a shopping trip with Sarah (together with all the amazing prep and follow up she did) means for the first time in my life I have a genuinely nice and varied wardrobe full of clothes suitable for any occasion. She introduced me to some great stores of varying price points and styles, so I feel confident about adding things on my own. I feel like I’ll be well set for a long time.
Appearance is really important in my line of work, so the value I’ll get from working with Sarah will be huge - money very well spent! Not to mention that Sarah is great company and fun to spend a day with, although her shopping stamina is something I couldn’t match!
If you’re thinking about working with her, just go for it - the upside is huge."
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