A Love Affair With Denim Shirts

I have had a love affair with denim shirts for as long as I can remember.

The inspiration started with a memory. My father’s brother died at the age of 23, the Seventies were his formative years and he listened to Neil Young, had long hair and was the “cool uncle” I didn't know I had. When he passed away his possessions were distributed to a fairly large contingent of siblings and cousins, but I recall my father getting a box that included, in hindsight, some precious vinyl (including a Live Rust first pressing) and a very worn Wrangler denim shirt. At 14 years old, that hand-me-down shirt was one of the first pieces of clothing I truly cherished and denim shirts have been a cornerstone of my designs for as long as I can remember.

This season we’ve introduced this style into our permanent and made to measure collections and I see them working perfectly with tailoring as well as being worn casually - you really can wear them any way you like. For over a decade we have worked exclusively with cloth merchant Thomas Mason who, in my opinion, makes the best denim shirtings.

There are two qualities that stood out to me for this style of shirt - Victoria and Brisbane. Both have an incredible handle and durability and, like most quality denim, they get better with age. The western shirt is nothing new and there are numerous derivations of it in menswear collections and aficionados' wardrobes - but it remains one of those true classics that absolutely deserves its place.