How Shirts Age - Taking Inspirations from Mr Crompton

Renowned blogger, KOL and mastermind behind the Permanent Style brand and pop-ups, Mr Simon Crompton once authored a series titled How Great Things Age. Taking inspiration from that, it may be interesting to see how some of my favourite or most interesting shirts age.

In the shirting (fabric) department, few things age gracefully. Some think that a frayed collar of an OCBD is part of the look itself. I disagree. The two shirt fabrics that can age gracefully are (1) pure linen and (2) authentic, rugged cotton denim.

In this post, I would like to share how natural wash has altered the appearance of my Testa indigo linen shirt, bespoke by The Anthology. While the shirt started off as some bluish colour similar to a post they shared a while ago, as the indigo on the yarn surface washes off, it gradually assumes a bluish, slate grey appearance.

[Please see The Anthology Shirt Review (Part I), The Anthology Shirt Review (Part II) and The Anthology Shirt Review (Part III) - The Final Shirt if you would like to know more about the bespoke process and some stylistic/ construction choices in the making of this shirt.]

It is impossible to show the beautiful collar shape without putting it on a hanger (which I have) or a manikin (which I don't have). Suffice to say, the natural shape of the collar and the graceful curves wouldn't have been possible without Andy's expert input. The collar is made without any interlining - not just non-fused - and whenever the shirt is worn it gives a special casual feel quite unlike any other shirt @shirtingfantasy has owned.

The pure linen fabric is woven in a twill weave. As the twill structure naturally leads to certain "grooves" or depressions where the natural action of water and detergent cannot reach, the indigo pigment in those areas becomes protected. With time the washed look becomes very exaggerated. The white creases result from machine wash and tumble dry - testaments to the robustness of the fabric and construction.

 

Linen is the only fabric when a "hairiness" developed with wear adds only to its beauty. As can be seen from this photo, the cuffs (also made without any interlining, extremely soft) acquired an almost "3D" effect with the fading indigo and natural linen slubs.  

Would I have done the shirt differently? Yes and no. Perhaps I could have requested non-fused interlining instead of the totally "unconstructed" construction (in order to match with the relatively stiff placket on the front). Or perhaps I could have requested the front placket to be similarly "unconstructed", so it becomes as soft as a casual shirt should be...

The bottom line: linen ages gracefully - indigo linen happens to be an extra (although the look is't the most conventional).