Shirt history

Shirts have been part of fine menswear for centuries. Originally, it was a form of vest where only the collar was visible. The shirt had not buttons in front; you simply pulled it over your head.

However, in 1871, Brown, Davis & Co of Aldermanbury registered the shirt which we know today with buttons on the shirt’s body. Since then, the basic cut of men’s shirts has not changed much.




The breast pocket was added when men began wearing a shirt without a jacket and missed a pocket. Loose collars which could be unbuttoned from the shirt were popular for a long time so that the shirt could be used for several days and only the collar had to be changed.

During the rebellion of the 60s against conformity, shirts emerged in multiple patterns and hip colours which in the 70s were joined by the characteristic long, wide collars. In the 80s, the shirts got back to the classic styles, helped by the yuppies who also revived the tie.




In the new millennium, the fashionable men’s wardrobe includes both casual denim jeans and a perfect knife-edge crease. All trends and tendencies have a wish for authenticity and excellent tailoring in common.