Over time, fabrics have shifted from just silk, linen and cotton to several blends for both woven and knitted fabrics, specialty fabrics, different weaves and structures like pique and jacquard and even finishes that give them an added quality…
While the oldest linen shirt ever discovered dates back to 3,000 BC and is 5,000 years old from Egypt, shirts as we know them today did not exist until as late as 1871. The norm before that was to wear shirts that did not open all the way down and had to be worn over the head much like a modern-day Polo t-shirt.
The centuries before and after 1871 saw many changes made to the humble shirt. Detachable collars, detachable sleeves, decorative frills and cuffs of many varieties were a few changes that the shirts saw. What remained almost constant was the fabrics that were used to make these shirts. Even with the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the latter half of the 18th Century, the fabrics used remained to be cotton and linen to a large extent. Only the rich and the influential could afford shirts in silk with handmade lace as an added detail to the collars.
Finally, in 1871, Brown, Davis & Co. of Aldermanbury patented the first “coat style” of the shirt. This was the first time when fully front open shirts were made available. Though in the true sense of being a classic wardrobe staple, many elements have been made the signs of a premium quality shirt in the twenty-first century today.
The collars evolved, mother of pearl buttons have become the sign of true luxury and breast pockets were added only after the demise of the waistcoat. The humble shirt is now much more than what it was even a century ago.
Significance of Fabric
While the cuts and details have often changed with day and age, the fabrics didn’t see much of a change until now. In the modern era, the fabric of your shirt matters as much as your status and it tells much more about the wearer than just their aesthetic taste or even social standing.
Fabrics have shifted from just silk, linen and cotton to several blends for both woven and knitted fabrics, specialty fabrics like Supima & Tencel, different weaves and structures like pique and jacquard and even finishes that give them an added quality. Science and design have made several advances that have made many things happen which we wouldn’t have thought possible otherwise.
Supima, for example, is a company that is dealing with a special quality of Pima cotton that is grown specifically in the United States. Over 500,000 bales of premium ELS Pima cotton are produced by over 600 farmer members of Supima which account for less than one per cent of the world’s cotton production. The percentage in itself shows how superior in quality yet rare it is. What started as generations of farmer families growing Pima cotton for over a hundred years, became Supima when they came together to form an association.
Companies today are recognising the value of superior products because so are the consumers. They want the best their money can buy and don’t mind spending a little extra for the same. In Supima’s case, what makes it stand out is the fact the despite being pure cotton, it is brighter in colour, absolutely soft to the touch and much more durable than regular cotton. This level of durability and brightness is usually achieved by blending poly content into the mix with cotton, but Supima manages it just with its carefully cultivated crop and tedious manufacturing process. People who don’t like wearing poly blends or are consciously trying to stick to natural fabrics, Supima makes for a great option. By their 50th anniversary in 2004, 200 companies in over 41 countries were licensed to sell Supima across the globe.
The collars evolved, mother of pearl buttons have become the sign of true luxury and breast pockets were added only after the demise of the waistcoat.
Many top international brands like Macy’s, Levi’s, Banana Republic, Brooks Brothers, Everlane, etc. use Supima as a primary fabric. Closer home, PostFold, Raymond & Uniqlo are using it for their premium quality products. It’s now a point of value to the customers. Supima has been used by the brands to create not only woven shirts but also Supima Knit Shirts which are now a popular favourite with PostFold’s customers. It might still be cotton at the end of the day, but customers are recognising and appreciating the option made available to them with such superior quality and variety.
The Linen Club
Linen is one of the oldest fabrics to be used by humans and the oldest fabric ever discovered was dated around 8,000 BC. Even the oldest fibres, which are about 34,000 years old were flax fibres. Flax is what is used to make linen. It is a fabric that involves labour- intensive manufacturing and is stronger, naturally moth resistant, and made from flax plant fibres which makes it fully biodegradable if it isn’t dyed. Due to these properties, fine linen is now seen as a premium and luxurious fabric. Even in Ancient Egypt, where linen was the fabric almost everyone wore and used, white linen was seen as a sign of purity. It was due to this reason that priests wore white linen garments and even the mummies were wrapped in it. Its natural colours include ivory, ecru, tan and grey and a well cared for piece can last up to three decades. This is the reason that linen articles were part of heirlooms that were passed on in European families.
Linen can absorb up to twenty per cent of its weight in moisture and still feel dry to the touch which is why it always feels fresh and cool even in humid weather. Flax, the crop, can be grown only in low temperatures and Canada leads the world in flax production with 872,000 tonnes produced annually. While linen shirts have been around for at least 5,000 years, the idea of it being premium and a staple fabric hasn’t changed over the last few centuries. While only about five per cent linen was used for apparels in the 1970s, the figure had reached a major seventy per cent by the 1990s within two decades. Almost every article or video that talks about wardrobe staples mention a white linen shirt as a must-have making it a classic over the years and that is an attribute of linen that is here to stay.
With the classic materials, newer materials like Tencel have also taken over the market. While it has its own advantages for the end user, it also has been created in a manner that it doesn’t harm the environment from its creation to its end. Tencel is a fabric made from Lyocell fibres which are derived from sustainable wood sources. The harvesting process is done from controlled and certified sources and it’s ensured that none of them are harmed. The fabrics made with Lyocell absorb moisture more efficiently than cotton. They support the body’s natural thermal regulating mechanism, keeping your skin feeling pleasantly cool and dry throughout the day and night even in hot weather. The reason that Tencel has picked up as an option in the market is because it offers customers a chance to be environmentally conscious without having to lose out on the kind of clothes they like to wear. It offers options in even denim making it versatile and super easy to create a simple formal shirt to a more edgy denim one. A beautiful drape, less static, better colour retention and a stronger fabric make it a good choice for those who are looking for shirts that are made to last seeing that most of them are in silhouettes that don’t change much through the seasons.
Taking The Silk Route
Silk, for three millennia, was China’s well-guarded secret since they realized the value of it and decided to monopolise it. Gradually, with the spread of trade and culture, silk made its way to Italy, France and eventually other parts of the world, including India. Silk shirts have always been a sign of luxury and only the nobility were allowed to wear such items of clothing in earlier times. After the Chinese, the Byzantine – who had managed to steal the secret of sericulture from China – started creating their own silk but kept it a secret meant for the nobility only.
Even today, the process of rearing and crafting silk garments is tedious and long making it an expensive affair. Around 125,000 metric tons of silk is produced in the world out of which almost two-thirds of it is produced in China.
The other major producers are India, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, and Brazil. United States is by far the largest importer of silk products today. In recent times silk shirts were largely a trend in the 80s when patterned shirts were a major must have among the masses. Still associated with luxury and premium taste, silks of various qualities are now available in the market for all price brackets.
‘One more thing that has changed with the times is the fact that we now have specialised finishes available to make a garment even better’.
The Finishing Touch
One more thing that has changed with the times is the fact that we now have specialised finishes available to make a garment even better. While the base fabric could be any feasible variety like cotton or linen, the finish on top makes it a speciality fabric on its own. Like in the case of Hydrophobic fabrics that are gradually upcoming in the market, 3XDRY is a technology that is the most popular and relied upon. It ensures that the outer layer of the garment repels water while the inner layer is quick to absorb and evaporate it. It makes wearing such a shirt super comfortable and easy to maintain at the same time. This innovative finish ensures that these shirts remain dirt free and mostly avoid stains too. The maintenance is like that of any other shirt making it super easy to use. More finishes will eventually hit the market and will cater to the masses as time goes. The Hydrophbic shirt at PostFold was an instant hit with our consumers who loved the idea of having a classic black shirt with premium wooden buttons- the 3XDRY finish was an added bonus to a shirt they already loved.
Blends are what gives a fabric its differentiation factor at the core level. The most popular blends, when it comes to shirts is poly viscose and poly cotton. Last 2-3 years has seen an increase in the usage of poly cotton against poly viscose which was the only blend available in synthetics before. There is rise in use of polyester/cotton blends and CVC and silks, mock linen, linen look in polyester cotton fabrics, instead of linen or linen blends by various brands of formal popular shirts.
Linen is one of the oldest fabrics to be used by humans & the oldest fabric ever discovered was dated around 8,000 BC. Even the oldest fibres, which are about 34,000 years old were flax fibres.
Checks or Stripes?
Checks over stripes are seen in trend in the synthetics segment particularly in PV or PC ranges. Blended fabrics in structured fabrics or dobbies are popular for solid shirts. Poplin has also emerged as a popular choice. However, these blends and synthetics are mostly used in the mid to lower range segment and pure cottons, linens, silks, and speciality fabrics remain the contenders in the premium range for shirts.
Shirts in general are becoming younger and more experimental in nature. They are now strongly affected by fashion and its trends that change multiple times through a year. Colours are becoming brighter and more varied. The colour palette has a wide choice with chrome, blue, fuchsia, brown, yellow, scarlet and so on apart from the usual pastel & neutral tones. The designs include checks, micro checks, plains and stripes.
When it comes to the design used, eighty per cent of share in design fabrics is taken up by stripes with checks balancing it out when it comes to cottons in different structures like dobby. There is a negligible share of prints in premium formal shirts. The trend in pure cotton design fabrics in India and abroad is more towards stripes whether it is casual or formal. The formal range in cotton also carries micro checks and structures.
Conclusion
Shirts today aren’t just about what they look or feel like and soon their functionality will be a major driving force behind why or who buys them. As things seem to be rolling, more functional and conscious clothing seems to be the way forward with more and more companies either investing in fabric R&D or investing in these innovative fabrics.
While the colours, stripes, checks and even other patterns and motifs on shirts will keep on changing as will collar, cuff and elbow details with changing trends. Fabric, however, is something that will evolve and expand. Linen, cotton and even silk will always be wardrobe staples but added functional fabrics & finishes will only add to the choices made available to us. The fabrics we decide to wear thus, not only tell a lot about our buying capacity as a consumer but also about the choices we are willing to make, whether about the smart finishes available or the eco-conscious ones that can help reduce our carbon footprint.
Synopsis: Your wardrobe staple has evolved over the years. Linen and cotton are not the only choices. See how and what changed over the years for the SHIRT.
