Shirt with Kelly collar in merino-cotton oxford in navy-grey

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Buying

£180.00

Shirt, made in London, with cloth from County Donegal which blends merino wool and cotton, and dark horn buttons from the West Midlands.

Sizing

The shirt fits true to size. The body is slim, and the sleeves taper to a very tight cuff. The mannequin is a 38 — the most standard 38 in the whole world — and is thus wearing size S.

XS S M L XL
To fit chest 36 38 40 42 44
Collar 15 15½ 16 16½ 17
Pit-to-pit 19 20 21 22 23
Shoulder 17½ 18 18½ 19 19½
Sleeve from side-neck 31½ 32 32½ 33 33½
Back length 29½ 30 30½ 31 31½

Caring

Since the shirt contains merino wool, it should be washed only cold in the machine — and never, ever tumble-dried — or in lukewarm water by hand, or with the aid of a dry-cleaner with whom you have mutual trust and respect.

The shirt has a Kelly collar, which is the name given here to a collar with curved points which fasten with a button and loop. Like a tie-pin, this pulls together the collar points, creating a neat collar roll. It may be worn fully done-up, or undone, or even with the collar fastened but the top button left undone.
The shirt is intended to be worn tucked or untucked. Either. That's the whole idea. It has a fitted shape, so tucked in, it rolls tidily into trousers — but it is also casual, so when untucked it won't look like you're wearing an office shirt. Length is standard: falling a few inches below the belt-line on most people.
The shirt has a front of six horn buttons — each of them, in their own natural way, different from one to the next. Meanwhile, every significant seam on the shirt is what's known as a single-needle, lock-stitch, French seam. They take twice as long as standard seams, but look nicer, wear better, and last longer.
The shirt has a chest pocket, with a slim pencil compartment, established with a long bar-tack. Such bar-tacks also appear at the top corners of the pocket, making it reassuringly strong.
The cuffs of the shirt are very tight, and they fasten with a single button. The corner of them is gently curved, echoing the collar.
The cloth is half merino — the grey — and half cotton — the navy. The weft of the former and the warp of the latter are woven into an oxford weave. The merino makes it, predictably, woolly and warm; the latter smoother than a full-on woollen material, and surprisingly breathable for a material so thick.

As worn

The gent here is 6'1", more or less 12 stone, and is as standard a 38 chest as you could hope to meet. The shirt he's wearing here, then, is a size S.
Same shirt, same size, but a different colour.

Makers of

The shirt is made by a shirt-maker in north London. They make shirts and only shirts all day, every day, and so have developed something of a knack for it. They make with time-consuming but strong single-needle lock-stitch seams, and with an out-of-vogue dedication to older "how shirts used to be made" contraptions.
The cloth is woven by a sixth-generation mill in County Donegal in Ireland. Every inch of the cloth, every step of the way — from the designing to the warping to the weaving — is overseen by two people: a father and son, who continue the flecked tweed traditions of this part of Ireland.
The horn buttons were cut, shaped, and polished by the last such factory in Britain (now defunct). It was part of a tradition in the Midlands first linked to the meat industry of the 18th century. "It is no easy task," said William Hutton in 1780, "to enumerate the infinite diversity of buttons here in Birmingham."

So they say

Some words to tell you about the shirts I just received. They are simply beautiful and amazing with a great manufacturing quality. And very comfortable to wear.

This chap, in France, purchased a shirt in merino wool and a shirt in cotton in March 2019.

Just a quick message to say I picked up the shirt from the post office today and all I can say is: wow. The material is unlike any I have felt before: you have surpassed yourselves with this one! An incredible shirt. I'm extremely pleased with it. Thanks for the recommendation. I think it may well be the most comfortable piece of clothing I've ever worn.

This gentleman, living in Finland, picked up the shirt in superfine merino in March 2019.

I have spent the day speculating on which descriptive superlative to apply to the shirt that has arrived safely here — and I think delightful is the best word. But wonderful and beautiful apply as well. And the cloth itself is amazing.

Kind words from a kind lady in Denmark, who purchased a shirt in superfine merino hopsack in March 2019.

I’ve been using this shirt a lot, and I must say it’s outstanding, I really like it. The details in the workmanship are truly amazing, from the stitching to how well the buttons are sewn on. It makes me value the whole garment.

Spoken by a gent who purchased the shirt in desert cotton in the summer of 2017.

I just received my shirt, and I absolutely love it. It makes me wonder why I waited so long to give your wares a try. I will almost certainly be sending more business your way in the future. Thanks very much for the fast shipping as well.

Kind words from a gentleman who bought the shirt in desert cotton back in March 2017.

I don't know if I just got lucky or if you folks really know how to make your shirts (I'm inclined to believe the latter) but this is the perfect compromise between freedom of movement and a slim fit in the chest and the shoulders.

So emailed a man in response to the oxford shirt he purchased back in October 2014.

I received the shirts and they're all very impressive. Especially the desert cotton was a pleasant surprise, definitely something that has to be seen in person. The fit is spot on as well. Now I know my size I will definitely be ordering again. Thanks for the wonderful transaction.

This chap purchased three shirts, in three cloths, in August 2017.

I just received the shirt this afternoon. Worth waiting for it. The cloth is soft; the cut not too slim: a perfect casual shirt.

As said by a man in France on the second day of the year 2016.

Wow — it's just beautiful. It is so, so lovely. I'm thrilled.

A lady said this on buying a desert cotton shirt for her better half, Christmas 2016.

Just writing to say "thank you" for the delivery of the [trousers and] shirt. I deeply appreciate the thought and effort that goes into creating the garments. I look forward to being a customer of yours for many more years to come.

Nice words by a man back in October 2015.