This article is a basic breakdown of what makes a well made shirt. It is a compilation of my knowledge of construction methods, and what I have found to be the best.
This is the first element. Removable collar stays. This allows you to have crisp looking collars, without worrying about the plastic inserts breaking in the wash. Also, metal stays (sometimes called collar bones) are relatively cheap and will last forever. Most custom shirt makers will even give you a set that is right for your collar.
The part of the shirt just below the collar, running lengthwise along your shoulder is called the yolk. There are differing schools of thought on construction, my best recommendation is to have it mitered (two pieces sewn together at an angle). The argument for it is your shoulders slope from your neck downwards. Accordingly, the piece of fabric covering your shoulders should be sewn the same way, for a better "drape". The argument against it is that it is unnecessary. I prefer to air on the side of caution. Typically the English prefer a mitered yolk (Turnbull & Asser, Kilgour, etc) and the Italians don't bother (Luigi Borelli, Kiton, etc).
Almost every good shirt I have seen has the bottom buttonhole sewn vertically. Put simply, this makes it harder for the button to come undone whilst the shirt moves around your hips inside your pants.
This picture serves two purposes. It is the inside of the shirt, at the bottom of the side seam. It shows a "butterfly gusset", or a small piece of fabric used to re-enforce the bottom of the seam. This is a small detail that makes the shirt less likely to rip when stressed. I also took this photo to show that a good shirt is sewn entirely with a single line stitch. Notice that you can see every stitch in a straight simple line, not crisscrossed. This is a more expensive type of stitching, and in my opinion, the strongest/most reliable. I will talk later about the pros & cons of machine vs. hand stitching.
This is a personal preference of mine, but I always get my shirts made with back "darts". A dart is where the excess fabric is "sewn out", a process of pinching the excess material, cutting it out, and sewing a taper. Alternatively a tailor might choose to take a shirt in on the sides. The perk to darts is that your back naturally arches inward in the center then back out over your arse. Darts force the fabric to mimic that natural line, taking in a garment on the sides only pulls a flat piece of fabric closer to the side seam.
Pictured is commonly referred to as shoulder pleats. This is where the fabric is pleated on the left and right shoulder, just below the yolk. Typically it is a 1/2" pleat. The practicality of this feature is when you move your arms in a hugging motion, you gain an extra 1" of leeway without putting stress on the seams. When combined with darts, it gives an exceptionally well tailored look and drape.
This is a picture of a Kiton shirt via
Esquire.com. It is an example of a construction method not used on any of my shirts. The different piece of fabric under the collar is called "panama weave". It gives the shirt more structure in the collar, especially with finer shirt fabrics. It is an excellent construction method, and one I hope my tailor will adopt.
Lastly, buttons. Genuine mother of pearl buttons have been used forever. Honestly, they do make a difference. Not only in looks, but also in durability. They show you that your shirtmaker doesn't sacrifice quality for cheap plastic knockhoffs just to save a couple of cents.
This is the first element. Removable collar stays. This allows you to have crisp looking collars, without worrying about the plastic inserts breaking in the wash. Also, metal stays (sometimes called collar bones) are relatively cheap and will last forever. Most custom shirt makers will even give you a set that is right for your collar.
The part of the shirt just below the collar, running lengthwise along your shoulder is called the yolk. There are differing schools of thought on construction, my best recommendation is to have it mitered (two pieces sewn together at an angle). The argument for it is your shoulders slope from your neck downwards. Accordingly, the piece of fabric covering your shoulders should be sewn the same way, for a better "drape". The argument against it is that it is unnecessary. I prefer to air on the side of caution. Typically the English prefer a mitered yolk (Turnbull & Asser, Kilgour, etc) and the Italians don't bother (Luigi Borelli, Kiton, etc).
Almost every good shirt I have seen has the bottom buttonhole sewn vertically. Put simply, this makes it harder for the button to come undone whilst the shirt moves around your hips inside your pants.
This picture serves two purposes. It is the inside of the shirt, at the bottom of the side seam. It shows a "butterfly gusset", or a small piece of fabric used to re-enforce the bottom of the seam. This is a small detail that makes the shirt less likely to rip when stressed. I also took this photo to show that a good shirt is sewn entirely with a single line stitch. Notice that you can see every stitch in a straight simple line, not crisscrossed. This is a more expensive type of stitching, and in my opinion, the strongest/most reliable. I will talk later about the pros & cons of machine vs. hand stitching.
This is a personal preference of mine, but I always get my shirts made with back "darts". A dart is where the excess fabric is "sewn out", a process of pinching the excess material, cutting it out, and sewing a taper. Alternatively a tailor might choose to take a shirt in on the sides. The perk to darts is that your back naturally arches inward in the center then back out over your arse. Darts force the fabric to mimic that natural line, taking in a garment on the sides only pulls a flat piece of fabric closer to the side seam.
Pictured is commonly referred to as shoulder pleats. This is where the fabric is pleated on the left and right shoulder, just below the yolk. Typically it is a 1/2" pleat. The practicality of this feature is when you move your arms in a hugging motion, you gain an extra 1" of leeway without putting stress on the seams. When combined with darts, it gives an exceptionally well tailored look and drape.
Lastly, buttons. Genuine mother of pearl buttons have been used forever. Honestly, they do make a difference. Not only in looks, but also in durability. They show you that your shirtmaker doesn't sacrifice quality for cheap plastic knockhoffs just to save a couple of cents.
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