What Fabric Books - Trust Proper Brands

There are loads of cotton shirting brands out there that make beautiful shirting. It doesn't have to come from Italy as most people think - there are countries such as Turkey that make cotton equal to that of many Italian brands. But, when you want the finer stuff and when you want the newer ranges you have to trust that the Italian brands will have what you want. Below are two such examples, the Monti 200 book and the Canclini bunch for 2014. Trust in brands - they know that they can't let you down more than once - that's why they're a branded cloth and not a generic.

The Oldest School Of Collars

Kids these days often use the expression 'Old School ', even my own kids use the expression. But when it comes to old school for shirts nothing beats the oldest school of them all - detachable collars.

Detachable collars come from a time when collars were very expensive to produce. In fact, fellas use to keep their collars in a separate box. These days with the way we consume things and then throw them away, you won't find many detachable collars around. But we still make them for things like theatre, film and television for historic re-enactments and of course for barristers who have the occasional use for them. 

If you want to create something really old school - come see us at www.studioshirts.com.au

Our Work Making Shirts For Hugh Jackman In Wolverine And The Set Of The Great Gatsby 2013

Apart from doing work regularly for television stations like Channel 9 we occasionally get to work on some fabulous items for film, theatre, music and television. In the motion picture arena in the last three years we have made shirt for High Jackman for the set of Wolverine and we also made the shirt below for the set of The Great Gatsby as worn by Leonardo Di Caprio. We also make shirts for orchestras, plays, opera and much much more. If you are in media or the arts and need something knocked up, something Australian made and with a pair of dedicated shirt specialist looking over the project, look no further than Studio Shirts - www.studioshirts.com.au 

The shirt we made for Bazmark for the set of The Great Gatsby

A replica shirt of the shirt we made for the set of Wolverine for Hugh Jackman 

The Difference Between Printed And Jacquard Woven Shirting Cottons Explained

Below are two examples of shirts, one in printed denim and one in woven jacquard shirting which show the differences between these two styles of casual shirts. The top is perfect for a grungy Darlinghurst look whilst the bottom image has more of an Italian flair about it which perhaps needs more of a European look to pull it off. Both cottons come from Canlini in Italy, a company famed for design and ingenuity in shirting. Order your own - www.studioshirts.com.au 

Magnificent 2 Tones By J FitzPatrick Perfect For A Viyella Shirt

One thing that is very hard to come by in Australia is good quality viyella. Viyella used to be much more popular, especially when Australia was building itself off the sheeps back. The shirting cloth of viyella is of course cotton mixed with wool. It is well loved in regional Australia amongst the farmers etc for not only warmth but also coolling properties related to wool plus it has that soft muted country styled look which really gels with earthy farming types. I have chosen to put it here with a pair of J Fitzpatrick shoes that I found on the web which are a beautiful mix of deep burgundy, ruby suede and orange laces. I reckon some rural farmer would look terrific at a B & S ball wearing this combination. The shirt below is from Aidan Sweeney in the UK. 

An Aidan Sweeney viyella shirt

My Next Purchase - Maybe

Some things you just can't get in Australia and this is one such thing - Rubinacci Marfy loafers in velvet with black piping. I am not someone who gets off on loafers, I personally prefer desert boots, but these are nice. You can see them here: 

http://www.marianorubinacci.net/shop/product.php?lang=1&linea=1&id_cat=24&id_product=995&ccc=129&action=reminder#

The Hottest Look For Shirts This Summer Will Be.....

The Polka Dot!

The polka dot is having a massive come back because of new technology in laser printing. Some polka dots are known as coupes in which they are woven into the fabric and then spliced off (coupe is the french word for cut) but then there is the new technology of laser printing which allows you to print anything you like into shirts. It's not woven so you don't get the texture but you do get the benefits of it looking like a print. We now have polka dots that have just landed and keep checking our website www.studioshirts.com.au as we prepare to start cutting them for the new website. 

The polka dot - a hot look for Australian Summer 14/15 in shirts
Image Source: http://www.getkempt.com/about/the-kempt-five-55.php

Shantung Ties Are All The Rage

I am seeing more and more shantung silk ties popping up on the gents these days, especially the more conservative types. I would recommend for the shantung silk tie, which here is being worn by Simon Crompton at Pitti, to pair it with a blue twill shirt in a soft fabric, preferably greater than a 120's 2 ply cotton shirting. It would make a great tie for the remaining part of the winter as the colours lend themselves to darker winter tones. See our fabrics to match this tie at www.studioshirts.com.au 

Loving The New Direction Of Zink & Sons

Wow, look at Zink & Sons - for a while there they seemed to be in a cultural backwater but their new marketing campaign looks fantastic and very forward and directional in thinking.

I love the use of the grey window pane check but the stand out piece is most definitely the double breasted mid blue peaked lapel linen style suit being worn by the elder gentlemen centre right.

Bravo Zink & Sons! Let's hope we see more of the same. http://www.zinkandsons.com.au/

A Place For Shoes In Australia

Without being boastful I would say we make the best shirts in Australia. I say this because I want you to know that we know quality. So when I say to you that there's a new home for shoes in Australia, I'm talking about qualiteeeee shoes. The real deal.

Double Monk in Melbourne is considered the best of the best offering Edward Green, Crocket and Jones, Carmina and John Lobb in Australia. It's a shame I'm in Sydney because otherwise I would be there every other day.

See their blog: http://doublemonk.tumblr.com/

And when you have got your new shoes in hand give us a tinkle and we will cut you a shirt to match.

XX
Roger
www.studioshirts.com.au 

To Make A Big Tie Knot You Need A Spread Collar

I just love reading Guerreisms blog - he's such a great street photographer and he really knows menswear. If you don't know the blog, it's here www.guerreisms.com  .

Okay, so a lot of guys ask me how to make a big knot like the one above. Well, to be fair, I just use the diagrams on Le Noeud Papillon's blog in Sydney although I don't think all of the diagrams are correct.

The most important thing about a big knot is the precursor of needing a wide cutaway collar. If you don't have the collar right then it will look ridiculous when you try to slide a huge knot between it. It's kind of like a woman having oversize boltons when she's got a narrow chest. So to give yourself some room for your fancy knot, try getting yourself a wide spread collar or what we call a 'super cutaway' .

XX
Roger
www.studioshirts.com.au 

I Told You Club Collars Were Back

Photo source: Guerreisms

I told you they were back. I love club collars. There is something so nostalgic about them. A few years ago I had stockpiled about a thousand tie pins for the club collars about the time Boardwalk Empire started airing on HBO but most guys didn't take the trend up because it needs full commitment. We have the machinery to make the eyelets so give us a holler!

www.studioshirts.com.au 

XX
Roger

Relaxed Italian Style

Photo Source: Guerreisms 

Some of my customers ask me how to get their collars to flare out like the collar above. This is a very Italian look. The truth is that we don't push this style of collar because it's only through deconstruction of the collar that you can get this look - which means to say - you need to have no collar stays or else to pull them out. This is a curved cutaway collar that's had the stays removed and through the course of a hot day the collars will wing. Don't get me wrong, I like what the Italian's call 'Sprezzaturra' but this overused term usually goes hand in hand with the very rich that don't need to work or the very idle that have nothing to do. If you work professionally and want to get taken seriously, maybe choose to keep the stays in.

XX
Roger.
www.studioshirts.com.au