‘Shirts have been freed’: this summer’s smart-but-relaxed look

On a recent work trip to Mumbai I was struck by how effortlessly dressed so many of the men were. The look that caught my eye was resplendently simple: tailored trousers with full breaks, smart Peshawari sandals and easy, breezy summer shirts. Milan is known for sprezzatura, or “studied carelessness”, but it seemed to me that the men of Mumbai had their own take on the look, in which the shirt takes centre stage.

Cut from fluid featherweight poplins and stiff cottons in shades of tan, taupe and khaki, their shirts — both collared and collar-free — demonstrated an acute understanding of how best to dress for hot weather, and left me feeling inspired for the summer ahead.

Less “personality shirts”, more shirts with main character energy, the styles I admired in India were bold in colour, simple in pattern and — most importantly — expertly crafted from superlative fabrics that made them interesting enough to be worn without a jacket or other layers. Such shirts have been produced by a new wave of stylish Indian menswear brands, from handwoven, degrade silk faille shirts from Jaipur-based brand Harago, to hand-embellished western shirts by Kartik Research and shirts finished with traditional chikankari embroidery from part-Indian-owned brand SMR Days.

“India has always woven the best fabrics for summer wear and SMR Days takes their craft to a global audience. Not only are the fabrics breathable but also comfortable enough to take you from beach to bar, or to be worn alone [sans jacket] at a summer wedding,” says co-founder of SMR Days Gautam Rajani. “From various weights of cottons and silks, Indian shirts are sure to make you feel sufficiently dressed up whilst also keeping you cool and adding personality.”

At the spring/summer 2024 menswear shows, summer shirts in bold fabrications also took centre stage. A far cry from the aloha patterns and retina-searing personality pieces that have dominated the idea of the statement shirt since Tom Selleck rocked his Hawaiian print look in Magnum PI and Ed Byrne started appearing on panel shows, today’s shirts whisper in terms of pattern and colour, but shout in the realms of quality and silhouette.

At Bottega Veneta, Matthieu Blazy presented roomy pinstriped work shirts that were crafted from knitted, rather than woven, linen. At Prada, Mrs P and her design partner Raf Simons showed stiff denim shirts cut in the form of blazers. Meanwhile at Dior, artistic director Kim Jones offered classic work shirts embroidered with jewelled details. The garments were worn untucked and teamed with boxer-style shorts.

“There are a plethora of amazing shirt options available from luxury fashion houses where the quality or silhouette speaks for itself,” says Olie Arnold, style director of Mr Porter. “These are growing in popularity with our global customer base — from classic shapes in fluid silk and satin blends from designers like Tom Ford and Celine, to shirts in bold fabrications. Bottega Veneta is leading here, with subtle fleck wool-blend and intrecciato leather shirts, while brands like Bode, Corridor and Séfr experiment with delicate crochet styles.”

But why are these new statement shirts rising to sartorial supremacy now? It might have something to do with the fact that they offer a habitable halfway house between the tailoring we’re learning to love again and the schlumpy sportswear we’re weaning ourselves off. It could also be due to the increasing dominance of the preppy, shirt-centric Call Me by Your Name-inspired aesthetic, or the fact that the world is getting warmer. Who needs sweaters and overcoats when it’s balmy enough to wear shirts year-round? Certainly not the stylish men of Mumbai.

“Shirts have been freed,” agrees Luke Walker, founder and creative director of London-based menswear brand L.E.J. “Our most popular shape is the Come-Up-To-The-Studio shirt. It’s boxy, a dream worn untucked. Breezy and light, it has a beautiful volume which makes a statement. In fact, a jacket over the top would ruin that statement.”

Despite doing a wonderful line in form-fitting jeans, animal-print blousons and soft-handle knits, it’s in shirts where L.E.J. excels. From the heavyweight cotton Officer’s Shirt, finished with patch pockets and crafted in statement colours like chocolate brown or haemoglobin red, to the aforementioned boxier pieces, Walker has set a new standard for scene-stealing shirts. It’s a similar story at beloved British brands Drake’s and Studio Nicholson. At the former, preppy denim and corduroy popovers in various shades are front and centre for spring; at the latter, oversized shirts are cut in pastel-hued heavyweight cottons.

When wearing this new breed of statement shirt, the trick is to think of the garment as the protein in the dish of your outfit — the staple element around which all else is built. Take the fluid shirts that Giorgio Armani dressed Richard Gere in for American Gigolo as an example, or the roomy safari shirts a holidaying Alain Delon wore in his floaty ’70s heyday. Said shirts featured ample collars, soft handles and weighty fabrications.

For his recent campaigns with British luxury brand Dunhill, stylist Tom Guinness placed shirts at the fore — highlighting origami-style collars and cuffs that brought definition to the suits and sweaters that were the focus of the brand’s spring offering. “I have championed shirts in my work, and feature them heavily in my wardrobe, because I think they add a timeless classicism, especially in this heavily casualised age,” says Guinness. “They act as a kind of anchor, giving gravity to a look that may otherwise feel too sloppy or too ‘fashion’, especially in summer when it’s easy for men to lose their sense of identity, clothes-wise.”

But which shirts to choose? “Personally I prefer a classic men’s double-cuff shirt — not slim-fit — from a good Jermyn Street shirt maker like Budd London or Turnbull & Asser,” Guinness continues. “I love a good stripe, solid check or tattersall. They are so well made in the best quality fabric that — like all well-made things — they get better with age. They patina beautifully and even fray at the collar, which looks so chic.”

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