By Lucas Nicholson.
Whilst nattering away to Simon as I usually do on one of our days working together, I mentioned I had a revelation recently.
In my past life at Drake’s, I always favoured slightly eccentric tailoring (cream cord suit anyone?). But I’ve recently found my tailoring commissions have become more subdued (bar one fairly lairy Fox Tweed from Fred Nieddu; I am human after all!). My last two commissions were a classic-navy lambswool suit and a khaki cotton-linen.
Maybe it’s not working at a brand anymore, maybe I’m just getting older, but fun tailoring just isn't landing for me as well.
The same applies to shirts. I’ve settled into a comfortable rotation of OCBDs in PS cloth from either Jake’s or Luca Avitabile. They’re amazing, make getting dressed a breeze, and allow for versatility. As Simon mentioned in The Italian Background this clean, smart uniform is a calling card for anyone trying to navigate the world of style without drawing too much attention to themselves.
Sometimes, though, there is an itch… For me, that itch has been scratched by experimenting with more interesting shirts instead of suits. It’s fun, an under-explored are in my view, and a lot cheaper than doing the same thing with tailoring.
It began with the purchase of an old Armani Collezioni blue-striped shirt on Vinted. Subtle in colour but slightly bolder in its stripes, it had a soft collar and quickly proved to be an effective partner for loafers and tailored trousers, for an evening drink or cocktail. I’ve found it has a purposefulness that shows you’ve made an effort, but without going over the top in terms of dandyism or formality.
The fun shirt, as most menswear enthusiasts will know, is that preppy staple which mixes several patterns together in a single shirt (one more eccentric thing I’m guilty of having, indeed having multiple times, in my life).
So perhaps we should use the term ‘stimulating shirt’ instead for this idea - for a shirt that makes an outfit, that breathes new life into a classic navy suit. A shirt that can give the same sense of excitement and adventure as bold tailoring, but is easier to tone down and definitely costs a lot less.
Commissioning a suit these days, whether MTM or bespoke, is increasingly expensive. The cost therefore also grows of falling into the trap of getting something that turns out to be too loud. Such pieces also stand out more and you become “the guy in that jacket”. So I’ve been tumbling down the rabbit hole of the stimulating - or simply interesting - shirt.
Historically, it appears the last time this was really a trend was in the nineties. It had a ‘Cool Britannia’ vibe when worn by Hugh (first image above) but was equally popular with a hellraiser like Peter O’Toole (second image). My thought that this could make a comeback was further stimulated by the recent lookbook from Michael Browne, featuring a blood red shirt with his signature sharp black tailoring (last image).
I’d suggest something can be borrowed from interior designers and their ‘unexpected colour theory’. This advocates “adding something, big or small, to a room where the colour wouldn’t conventionally match. It’s a colour pop, but with a twist of spontaneity…this surprising touch of colour enhances the overall aesthetic, providing a delightful dose of dopamine” (Taylor Simon). I feel we can all do with a top up of dopamine right now!
A stimulating shirt is less of a risk than a new suit, travels smaller, takes up less room in the wardrobe, and can be easily covered by a jacket if you suddenly stop feeling as confident as when you left the house!
Skin tone is important here of course - as Simon wrote a couple of years ago, colour theory becomes much more relevant when colours are strong and close to the face.
But everyone can find their own level here, and what fits their own wardrobe. It might be a pop of Yves Klein blue, a deeply saturated red, or unusual but tonal stripes, such as those offered by the Florentine tailors Speciale in Notting Hill (above).
I also find unexpected patterns and colours are a helpful way to transition a formal look to a slightly more laissez faire, laid-back one. And if no one’s wearing a tie anymore, it’s just nice to have something else going on.
The stimulating shirt can also be a cheaper way to create less formal black-tie outfits (oxymoronic as that sounds). I’ve been looking at pale-coloured dress shirts, and imagine my nineties Armani tuxedo with a pleated, lavender shirt and large, floppy bowtie. It would be a way to stand out without splashing thousands on a new smoking jacket.
Most readers will probably have something in their closet that they commissioned as their more ‘novel’ suit - that, sadly, they tend not to reach for. (Simon, I’m looking at you and your purple Liverano). I imagine the guilt of a wasted commission staring them in the face, goading them into trying it on again, for the umpteenth time, and yet still not quite making it work. To them I say: a shirt stares you in the face a lot less, and is easy to hide in the back of the wardrobe.
There is one big caveat to all this: taste is still a factor, and you can go too far. This is only my opinion but I think we need to leave the flamboyant Dad shirts of the 90s/00s in the past. You know the ones: floral prints, coloured buttonholes, contrast colours on the inside of the collar. But is this just a British thing?
In my experience it’s best to start with stripes. I would recommend avoiding florals and checks, at least to start with. It is possible to make these look good, but it’s much harder in my experience, so if you’re interested in this area I would start with stripes in subtle, muted tones and then build upwards.
Below are some examples I’ve found that are available now, and that I think would be a suitable stimulating shirt to elevate a classic wardrobe. From top to bottom:
- A nice washed-out red with an interesting stripe option from LEJ
- A new one from Aaron Levine for Drake’s
- A fun colour which would pair well with navy from J Mueser
- Or this gorgeous bordeaux tonal coloured stripe from The Anthology
Let us know whether you wear patterned shirts like this (particularly outside the summer) and with what tailoring.
In the words of Gogol Bordello: “Start wearing purple wearing purple!” Xoxo
Ha exactly, thank you that will be stuck in my head all day now!
I do love stripes – pin stripe or chalk stripe suit – a shirt eg Bengal stripe and especially the very fine, almost imperceptible stripe, do I call it micro stripe?
Jackets:- I recently relinquished my seersucker jacket and I am thinking of a replacement. I think it’s the Bateman & Ogden or Standeven cloth people where I saw an interesting cloth. Think of a black or navy pinstripe and reverse the colours! The effect can be positively quite striking. What about the Holland & Sherry Oceania bunch… I’ve seen some very loud and eccentric stripes in that bunch and there are other bunches too. I’ve seen some flannels in loud stripes. College and “boating” stripes are nice but loud and need to fit the occasion eg. Henley Regatta….but I do love stripes in a garment where I can feel comfortable and not out of place.
Out of interest Lucas, which of those more flamboyant drakes pieces of tailoring, if any, do you still find you wear now?
Personally I do find these kind of shirts more apt in the summer, when there are fewer layers to play with and a pair of chinos and plain oxford shirt alone can feel very bland. Definitely open to trying a subtler version with a jacket and knit tie though…I feel like Simon had a nice subdued lilac stripe he might have worn with a grey flannel suit before.
That 90s/00s Dad look is to be avoided at all costs though isn’t it….I’m shuddering just thinking about it….the contrast button stitching…..argh!
I actually don’t wear any but it was more a case of fit and I think the technical term is post pandemic spread!
I agree this is especially useful in the summer when you need something to lift the outfit, there is a quote mainly used in womenswear “If an outfit isn’t interesting by colour, then it has to be interesting by shape. If it isn’t interesting by shape, then it has to be interesting by texture. If it isn’t interesting by texture, then it has to be interesting through colour.” And I think about that a lot, the stimulating shirt definitely helps to make more minimal/simple outfits more visual interesting at least to me.
Yes I remember the shirt you are talking about, that is a really nice example where it isn’t too statement-y but subtly interesting.
What is this Dad look you refer to? The sort of flowery shirts they sell in Ted Baker with patterns on the inside of the collar?
Yes exactly, and as mentioned it isn’t impossible but it generally is harder for it to be pulled off in a stylish way!
Thanks Lucas. I’ve enjoyed both of your articles and hope there is more to come from you in the future.
Hi Lucas
The 70’s and 80″s have some wonderful examples. Vintage Turnbull and Asser, Harvie and Hudson and Hilditch and key are good souces with Harvie and Hudson particularly famed for their bold stripes. All these English made too. Lovely deep 70’s collars are often particularly flattering and worth a look.
The fabulous actor Peter Bowles wore colour beautifully Deep blues and lovely yellows often with a contrast collar.
Hi Daniel, Yes a good friend of mine often wears one of these kind of shirts! I often struggle with the stiffness of the collar though as I prefer something slightly softer. But definitely some great inspiration to be had from the stripe point of view.
I have just googled Peter Bowles and there are some very good examples so thank you for the reference!
Contrasting lining in collars and button holes or button themselves are also a (big) thing in germany. I do not know how people can think, that it looks good by any means. Though I‘ve never seen a movie where a character wore such a shirt.
The Speciale one could also be for me!
if I could wish for people at work to stop wearing one thing it’d be white dress shirts with black buttons. I also don’t know whether they genuinely think it looks good or are just so disinterested in style.
I think it’s a case of the latter. People subconsciously think that a white shirt on its own looks too boring (true for a classic business suit combo) and since nobody wears ties anymore they get these ridiculous looking shirts to compensate for the lack of personality of their outfit.
That might be it, sort of a misplaced attempt at style rather than sticking with the tie or wearing something actually interesting.
Do I understand correctly that you have taken the PS fabric to Jake’s to be custom made for you – if so is this (bring your own fabric) a normal part of Jake’s service and how much does it cost?
Thankyou
Hi Freddie, that is correct, I think he does it fairly often I am not sure how much it costs though as I ordered quite a while ago now.
Also here is a picture of the shirt that inspired the post
Huge afficionado of this, it’s easy and it always bring a little bit more personnality to a fit, even if it’s a simple denim, a blue or grey suit.
Chuckled at the ‘dad shirts’ comment. Reminded me of the multi-striped Paul Smith shirts that folks would wear with a suit in the City.
However, article has given me some inspiration on building my shirt collection. Cheers Lucas!
Ha! my first employer in London! Yes I always was fascinated by the hold that print had over certain people. Not and easy one! No doubt due a resurgence from the kids!
Oh, are the Paul Smith stripes ‘Dad’-ish? So rare to have a sighting of these iconic(?) stripes in shirts here in Southeast Asia that I thought they’d immediately qualify as the kind of cool, fun/stimulating shirt Lucas was talking about. Am I wrong, or does geographic/cultural context matter?
It think it is a sliding scale and definitely has cultural context rule and how the cuture reacts to wearing bold and bright colours. I am thinking of their very famous one from the 90’s/00’s see attached and how bold that one is. But I am sure they have plenty of other striped shirts which are maybe slightly more tonal and less challenging! I hope that makes sense?
This shirt looks eerily similar to a Thomas Pink I once rocked with pride. 🤣🤣🤣
Really hope this will be back with people my age (23) honestly hahaha.
…and with that, the black denim shirts are back in stock…
😂
What do you think of the Ralph Lauren ‘fun’ shirt?
After having numerous fun shirts in the past, I can say I personally end up getting slightly bored of them. The use case for them is pretty slim and I ended up preferring bolder single colour shirts if I am looking for something more fun. There is nothing wrong with it I have just been through my stage with them!
Fair do! It’s something I occasionaly think of buying but ultimately didn’t think get much (if any) use out.
Part of growing old gracefully is becoming more comfortable in one’s own skin, thus, fun becomes less fun.
My currently one and only stimulating shirt is a tattersall from Cordings, one from the new range with a thinner graph check. It’s surprisingly versatile for such a country-coded item, probably because the lines are much thinner than on the traditional tattersall shirt, although presumably it also helps that I do not live in the UK and so the design doesn’t have that same level of recognition. It’s made me consider buying more shirts with patterns, which I’ve stayed away from so far.
Yes, tattersall is a tough one in the UK very strong cultural associations, I remember we had one at Drakes when I was there and tried to bring a sense of irony to it and have fun with it but I don’t think it really landed.
A thoughtful and thought-provoking article. I do love the use of a “stimulating shirt” when it’s done right, but as with most things involving pattern deployed at scale, I think it’s a very advanced manoeuvre and even skillful and seasoned dressers can often get it wrong. There are just so many ugly shirts in the world, and most of them are bold.
Within the contemporary landscape, I think Drake’s is the most reliably deft at deploying this type of shirt, viz. the image attached below. Most of their lookbooks and candid editorial content offer good lessons into how to skillfully incorporate a stimulating shirt into an otherwise sober outfit. For me the main danger is appearing “retro” in the musty, mothball-y, charity store sense. Some brands whose tailoring I love are often guilty of this in the looks they show, and I find it cheapens the whole outfit.
With that said, I do have a few beautiful (and beautifully threadbare) vintage Charvet shirts that certainly tow this line, and those I do enjoy wearing very occasionally for exactly the effect you describe. But I think you can get a lot of the benefits of this look without turning up the volume all that much: usually just a slightly unusual scale to a stripe is enough to do the trick, or a more saturated hue in a stripe or solid. I think the examples you’ve highlighted in the article strike the balance beautifully.
Thanks Kevin, and yes I agree it is something that is easy to get wrong and Drakes are excellent at presenting it. The Charvet shirts sound great too!
All dark shirts I ever bought in my life were a waste of money for me.
Sometimes they may appear good under certain super specific light conditions for several hours a day. But I found that I always feel better substituting them for a shirt in a light colour. I especially like white, off-white, or light beige with or without some colourful checks or colourful stripes. The stripes or checks may with pleasure contain colours like orange, red or green.
I like 2 out of the 16 shirts above (No 3 and 7).
My opinion is obviously subjective and radical, but this is also part of what dressing is all about. One develops an own taste and style over time.
Really enjoyable article Lucas!
I have started to buy more striped shirts not so long ago, I even have a green striped shirt just like the one in the picture with the navy DB jacket (it might even be the same, mine’s from Eton). It does look more interesting than a navy tie on top of an ice blue shirt, but it doesn’t look out of place in business outfits, especially if you do tone on tone with the tie.
The picture from the Michael Browne look book, with that tone of red and tall collar, immediately reminded me of the video where Prince makes everyone’s jaw drop with that ending solo in While my Guitar Gently Weeps. While I appreciate the excuse to play the video again, I don’t think I could pull that off without a Telecaster and Prince’s guitar skills (money may get me the first, but I don’t think I’ll ever have the second).
I think that is a good warning to make sure you don’t stray in to “rockstar” territory unless you have the skills to back it up!
This is probably not a popular theory, but here goes anyway . . . I think a lot of loud clothing and peacockery is to garner attention. As you get older, you are comfortable with who you are and have less and less of a need to grab attention, hence you gravitate toward simpler patterns and colors.
I’m not sure that’s a matter of age per se TCN, nor am I entirely sure that your theory holds in all cases. Obviously Pitti Peacocks are there to grab attention, but I contend that there exist contexts in which comparatively loud patterns look perfectly natural and might indeed be worn more by older people. For example, where I live, men of a certain age tend to dress in shirts with very strong checks, often in pure greens or reds, or failing that the kind of multicolour stripe shown here. I don’t think anybody considers this unusual, even though by the standards of PS these shirts are obviously “loud”.
Conversely, I favour much more muted colours – grey, navy, muddy greens and browns – but then I flagrantly violate the PS advice of keeping my overdressing within a degree or two of my working environment. It is probably no stretch to say that my prima facie subdued tailoring is much more attention-grabbing than the flamboyant shirts on the older gentlemen around me! As Simon so often says, context is very important.
I also agree I hate the idea that I reach a certain age and all the colour and fun drains out of my clothes as I lean in to a life of drudgery and responsibilities!
I don’t think the desire for attention goes away either but rather we become more secure in ourselves which is what your saying but I don’t think the two have to be mutually exclusive, there are plenty of people throughout history who have been secure and at the top of their game so to speak and still enjoy brighter colours and patterns.
Agreed, and I didn’t mean to say that we stop wearing color as we age (my own grandfather was proof of that, and probably not in a good way), but rather that our need to wear things for the sake of attention fades, for as you point out, we become secure in who we are. If who we are is colorful, then that remains. In answer to your other question, I find that I tend to buy rather loud stripes for summer wear and then seldom wear them; not sure why. I’m more likely to wear colorful checks and flannel in cold weather (although they are not nearly as attention grabbing as the summer stripes). Great article.
Thanks Lucas! It’s so interesting to hear! As I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently and came to a similar conclusion. The sentence: ‘anyone trying to navigate the world of style without drawing too much attention to themselves.’ Rings so true!
I’ve been experiencing this in myself as well as a lot of people around me, male and female and I’ve been subsequently wondering about the psychology behind this.
Is it because of the never ending ‘minimalist’ trend? Or everyone is too busy to take a lot of time to groom, so need easy things that make them stand out? Or because of the current climate in which it feels inappropriate to look too extravagant?
Or simply because everyone is increasingly socially anxious and doesn’t want to stand out or indeed ‘be the one in that jacket’.
Any thoughts?
Might make for an interesting essay.
I think you’re definitely on to something all you have to do is open instagram or tiktok and see swathes of post about supposed “quiet luxury” and the rise of Loro Piana. Often these posts miss the point of quiet luxury and suggest you get a beige pair of trousers from Zara but I think the main reason as you mention is the ebb and flow of logomania and luxury minimalism. I think people are more conscious of their conspicuous consumption and definitely about flaunting that. Also along side the raft of fakes removes a lot of the shine from easily recognisable items. So people go back to subtle if you know you know wealth signifiers.
Why is the “quiet luxury” pushed by magazines always beige or light gray?
I think it comes back to this idea that rich people can afford to wear lighter colours as indicates they don’t have to labour or do things which require them to get dirty. At this point it is a bit of a pastiche or caricature in my opinion.
I may have recommended it here in the past, but I’d suggest taking a look at David Batchelor’s Chromophobia. It traces the fear of color (and the “dangerous other”) among the elite of western culture back to the veneration the classical ideal in the form of paint-stripped marble in statues and ruins from antiquity.
Great article. Original. Different. Interesting. Great to read something that isn’t just “3 ways to wear grey flannels”
Thank you Ryan!
It was more striking shirt and tie combinations that first piqued my interest in the finer points of menswear. Ben Silver is a retailer in Charleston, South Carolina that had an extensive offering of British regimental and club ties. But the ties were never shown with a plain white or blue dress shirt, but with interesting stripes and tattersals of various sizes. Many of the combinations were unexpected, but all could be and were meant to be worn with a standard business suit. Nothing at Ben Silver ever says “excess” or showiness, but there was an art to letting the shirt and tie “speak”. On occasion, the old Brooks Brothers would show striped or tattersall shirts with a chalk stripe suit. Now without ties as much, the shirt does all the work. My signature look is still a subtly patterned shirt with a solid navy or fine herringbone suit. But definitely no florals or paisley.
I am not generally convinced by “stimulating shirts”. It’s so much easier to get it wrong, and look like a poorly dressed guy in a very colorful polyester “party shirt”, than it is to get it right.
But having said that, I think from the shirts shown in your article the ones from L.E.J. and The Anthology could work best, probably due to their toned-down / washed-out colours.
Of these types of shirts, I have only liked two that I have bought so far, both in green colour tones (olive-khaki, sage-green) (for you, these shirts might not fall into the category of stimulating shirts):
https://www.lucavitabile.it/product/primavera-khaki-irish-linen-shirt/
https://lucafaloni.com/de/at/shop/sage-green-portofino-linen-shirt
An enjoyable article, and nice not to be confined within navy, cream, blue and brown as can be the case on colour. The early and mid 00s were particularly good for Etro striped shirts, which came in a bewildering rush of different colours and stripe width. One of their models had a double button on the shirt band which was a bit much, but the aesthetic was fun and made suits fun as ties began to die away. Being Etro they made funkier patterns too. The other interesting manufacturer around then was Arthur & Fox in Paris, who continue to mix and match formal clothing with bursts of colour and fun.
I wear striped shirts fairly often. Checks, not so much. The latter tends to work better for those slimmer than me.
Simon has been featured wearing reasonably distinct over shirts in the fairly recent past. Do these fall into your classification of the more difficult to wear stimulating shirt, or is the more informal nature of such shirts that this is less of an issue and they are generally easier to pull off?
Hello Chris, I would say it has a slightly different effect. The overshirt being more casual in its nature anyway I think can afford to be slightly more stimulating (mainly in colour). I am thinking more of using classic cut shirts in more interesting patterns/colours to lift slightly safer/classic outfits.
This is a brilliant article Lucas. I think you’re spot on out it being easier to take a gamble with a bolder shirt as opposed to something that cannot be so easily disguised or toned down like outerwear or trousers.
So far my most colourful shirts consist of fairly muted ticking stripe shirts, so nothing particularly adventurous. I’ve been looking for something more exciting, but it’s so difficult to find something bold yet still tasteful. I’m particularly taken by the LEJ and Anthology shirts here, although I think they’re too similar to justify both. Which would you recommend for someone looking for their first stimulating shirt?
Thanks Dan, I think it depends on how you tend to dress and which fits better, I would go Anthology if I leant more smart/tailored and LEJ if I was more denim and casual.
Omfg. I’ve been thinking exactly the same thing. We may be shirt-brothers, separated from out shirt-mother at shirt-birth. I’ve got a yellow vintage RL number on right now, and a dusty pink white and black striped western shirt at home.
As summer erupts down here I’m getting closer to pulling out some more floral numbers as well…
Ha the menswear group think is alive and well! Looks great!
Do you like this shirt?
What about it Joshua? Please try to reach your conclusions about some things!
You’re absolutely right, and I appreciate your patience.
I don’t mind the fabric and it is definitely a bolder stripe. I am not so sure if I would choose the collar as it looks a bit small and flat for my personal taste.
We like to think that everyone dresses well, but they don’t. I think Bill Nighy estimated that perhaps 12% of men dress “ok”.
In my view, executing the essentials flawlessly IS stimulating. A perfectly fitting white OCBD under an equally well cut navy blazer turns heads still. Color is for accents. Just my opinion.
Shirts are definitely the way to go for me. I don’t wear ties, there’s never the right time and place for me. I hardly need my jackets either, they come out once per month at most, so having four seasonal options is already more than enough.
For that kind of wardrobe, plain shirts make no sense. Oxford, maybe. But I really don’t care too much for them – even the semi-casual outfits with sweaters over them aren’t my thing. I’d rather have something darker, with a little more interest and weight, something than can work over a t-shirt or under a jacket.
And if everything else is solid, patterns can fit in easily. Maybe not in bright colors, but stuff like dust pink, mid blue or washed red definitely feels right for me.
Back in 2008-10, I used to pour over the Duchamp London website, which was replete with “stimulating” statement shirts. They seem to have gone slightly downhill now but a bargain can be had on Ebay!
I have – all with slightly long and pounted collars- white Katherine Hamnet shirt with white embroidery on the front (worn with grey or blue suits) and similar “dress” shirts in black with stitching from Richard James (worn with grey suit) and pleating from Junya Watanabe (worn untucked with shorts or tucked with wider high raise trousers from Yuri and Yuri) plus collarless blue and white linen ikat patterned shirt from Shanghai Tang worn with blazer and grey tailored trousers and would also mention the utility of the Gayabera style shirt which is good with tailored trousers and no jacket in hotter climates. I have one from Emma Willis in a fairly bright blue. For stripes, a 20y old purple and white Prada number which is ok with a solid blue suit or blazer and other colours, a few olive green items ( a BD with a rather military look and a camp collar in linen) worn with casual jackets such as workwear/ fatigues or alone with tailored shorts or trousers. I live in Bangkok, where much tailoring (jackets and long trousers) is reserved for full on AC spaces.
Interesting article. Years ago i had shirts made at Budd and went for the ‘Budd stripe’ as well as several plain white and pale blue shirts. For years the stripe it was hardly worn but more recently, with the demise of the tie and a more casual work dress code, i find myself wearing it to bring interest to grey flannels and a navy tweed jacket. I also find i’m wearing ‘stimulating shirts’ more under knitwear (just the collar and a bit of cuff that’s visible) including a madras flannel shirt inspired by Manish’s article in August.
That’s a great point, maybe the demise of the tie will usher in more comfort with bold shirts?
If you’re after interesting shirts, you will do no better than look at Frank Foster’s instagram: frank_foster_shirts.
Frank made shirts for just about every British movie star since the 60s. His wife and daughter now run the business, and much of the beautiful fabric is original old stock.
If nothing else the instagram account is one of the best and most inspiring you will find.
Thanks Tim
With the exception of some contrasting collar T&A shirts a few decades ago (including one that was purple gingham with white collar and cuffs – ouch!), this is about as colorful as I get now. Left to right 100 Hands, Charvet, Budd, and John Garland.
Consider me stimulated!
I live in England so I tend to own a lot of stimulating shirts and jumpers, from orange or bottle green jumpers to red corduroy shirts and generally vibrant garments. It seems when the weather is constantly grey outside, you are doing a public service by adding a bit of colour.