But my perfect white shirt is made by Etro. Strangely I wear all my other white shirts far more frequently because I feel the need to save the Etro for a special occasion. I tend to wear it when I need to feel confident, polished, put together.
It is 100% cotton and of the poplin family rather than the oxford family. If I knew more about shirts, I imagine that thread count might be a factor in its perfection. It feels amazing on. So soft and yet so structured. It has darts and is fitted perfectly. The cuffs are crisp and the collar stands stiff and tall. There are no design flourishes and from a distance it looks like a normal shirt but you can tell there is something different about it because every time I wear it I am complimented on it. It is classic and simple.
(This weekend I intend to take a page out of Carolina Herrera’s book and wear my PWS with a very fully pleated floor length Yohji Yamamoto black skirt to a black tie wedding. Thanks, Carolina!)
When I asked several friends to tell me what they look for in a PWS, all took the question very seriously. It is a serious matter. The boys are as equally passionate as the girls.
Across the board, collar and cuffs that hold their shape are the most important detail. Z.A. likes hers a tad see-through: “nothing sexier than a black bra under a beautiful white shirt”. T.K. likes his shirt opaque but the fabric cannot be heavy. He feels that the custom shirt is the only guarantee for the perfect fit. For L.O. it’s a classic white button-down 100% cotton shirt with bigger than average, stiff, crisp collar and cuffs. It’s form fitting but not tight. It’s very white.
L. B. likes the Thomas Pink shirts with French cuffs.
M.C. is looking for "sleeves that can roll or be pushed up without looking sloppy, a collar that's neither too big nor too small, a middle button that's not too low so I feel forced to be buttoned too high and the way in which the collar parts". J.T. looks for design details that set it apart.
Theory makes a nice fitted shirt at a comfortable price point but it relies too much on synthetic fabrics to keep the shape.
Banana Republic also makes a nice shirt at a good price point but it doesn’t keep its shape very long. Boo.
Some friends commented on the first PWS post and I want to share. Most have a renewed commitment to finding one. And this, so true, from AT: To me the crisp white shirt signals luxury: the person wearing this either has enough time to launder it, or she has enough money to have it washed and pressed every time she wears it! I'm always envious of white shirt wearers.
My PWS is the Thomas Pink pictured above which I have had for over 10 years. My expensive tastes + my limited budget has made me an expert in hand washing and I have learned the hard way that dry cleaning can really dull the color- like it did with your Ann Fontaine. There is a detergent called BIZ that can revive almost any white shirt. I learned about it from an antique clothing dealer who uses it on the most delicate fabrics. I soak my white shirts in a solution of it overnight (it can even be longer), hand rinse, hang dry and then take it to the dry cleaner for ironing only. (My DIY impulses end at ironing).
ReplyDeleteAHHH! I am so behind in reading and posting comments!!!! So Solly!
ReplyDeleteI now realize why I don't have a perfect white shirt. I wear black wash and wear because I get so dirty a white shirt would last moments on before it was stained needed washing and ironing and I iron very little and use the dry cleaners even less. When my children were little they would constantly be getting anything I wore full of various unattractive stains. I've remained black wash and wear. We dress differently out in the podunks!
kim, you couldn't be cuter!
ReplyDelete