The London Lounge

I have recently read a few books written or based in the recent past (the Fifties, Sixties and Seventies) in which men are said to have worn silk shirts. I only own one, a very matte ivory-coloured evening shirt, and I'm interested in getting some more. London shirtmaker Emma Willis has some oxford-weave silk that's rather tempting:
http://www.emmawillis.com/collection/re ... Path/15_45

What do people think? Has anyone experience of wearing silk shirts that they'd like to share? Is anyone producing decent fabric?
Emma Willis' idea is to wear a silk shirt with an open collar in the evening, which sounds quite smart to me, especially on holiday, but how would you wear one?

I have not had a silk shirt for a long time. I used to wear them regularly both with jacket and tie and as sport shirts.
I guess my shirts were not of any superior quality and when I started buying linen sportshirts I prefered them to silk.
It might be interesting to try a bespoke silk shirt to find out how it feels.

Personally no. They are too clinging and warm and I prefer a pure cotton shirt. Others will disagree, but each to his own in individual circumstances.

I had few Cotton/Silk blends (I believe around 70/30), where the silk contributed to the feel and look but the cotton kept it wearable. They did worn out pretty fast compared to cotton only, maybe due to the occasional normal wash (forgetting to use Silk/wool only laundry liquids).

I have seen few shirting from Sic Tess in similar blends that I am considering for future commissions.

DFR wrote:They are too clinging and warm

They are...
Linen rules!

Dear Manself,

just had some shirts made with Bonfanti linen. They are very, very nice
http://www.bonfantitessuti.it/page_9.html

cheers, david

davidhuh wrote:Dear Manself,

just had some shirts made with Bonfanti linen. They are very, very nice
http://www.bonfantitessuti.it/page_9.html

cheers, david

Which patterns did you opt for? And, if I may ask, which tailor made the shirts?

Costi wrote:

DFR wrote:They are too clinging and warm

They are...
Linen rules!

Linen shirts, the new LL fashion?

My only small issue with linen shirts, which indeed are comfortable, is the "gravity", its falling to the ground. Silk shirts have the same tendency. Cotton is more airy in my experience.

kamil wrote:
Which patterns did you opt for? And, if I may ask, which tailor made the shirts?

Dear Kamil,

1623001 and a cornflower blue cotton/linen poplin which is no longer on stock. The shirtmake is my dirty little secret, but my usual one (Budd) will get some additional Bonfanti linen to make up next month.

Gruto wrote: Cotton is more airy in my experience.

Dear Gruto,

I don't know what kind of cotton you are using. The only airy cotton weave I know of is the Oxford weave. Generally considered winter shirts, I wear them all year round because this is the airiest cotton weave. Voile and batiste weaves can be quite airy, too, but linen is better. Your issue about linen weight cannot be generalised. Some italian mills have very light linen. But in the end, weight does not matter so much with linen. The more you use and wash it, the smoother and softer it is getting.

cheers, david

davidhuh wrote:

Gruto wrote: Cotton is more airy in my experience.

Dear Gruto,

I don't know what kind of cotton you are using. The only airy cotton weave I know of is the Oxford weave. Generally considered winter shirts, I wear them all year round because this is the airiest cotton weave. Voile and batiste weaves can be quite airy, too, but linen is better. Your issue about linen weight cannot be generalised. Some italian mills have very light linen. But in the end, weight does not matter so much with linen. The more you use and wash it, the smoother and softer it is getting.

cheers, david

David, airy might be a wrong word. What I mean, basically, is that linen and silk shirts will drape, cotton shirts not. Of course, weight and weave are of importance, but all other things equal, there is a difference in regard to drape. Better?

Most linens drape, true - that's another thing I love about them
David is right, too, some very fine linens don't have this gravitational behaviour, they are more like cotton in this respect, but with the improved comfort of linen.

To me - a realization, more than a fashion...

Manself wrote: Has anyone experience of wearing silk shirts that they'd like to share? but how would you wear one?

Going back to the original topic of this thread.
I experimented with bespoke silk shirts in the 70s and 80s They were fashionable then but too shiny for my current taste, and they never felt quite right on the skin ("clinging and warm" as it was said).
I have concluded that the only silk shirt that was worth while keeping is a plain white one that I seldom wear, and only as part of a costume (don´t ask).

Regarding the discussion on linen shirts.
I have several informal shirts and guayaberas in that cloth. Yes, they are very comfortable indeed but I find the fabric too diaphanous (and fibrous at the same time) for a more formal elegant shirt. Maybe I´m not focusing in the right type of linen.

Postscript: I'm too thin to pull off wearing silk shirts. I need a fabric that is kinder to my physique, with more body.