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 Shirts
There are many options to consider when buying a new shirt; first will be the purpose of the shirt. There are a number of shirtmakers with websites - to name a few: T.M. Lewin, Hewitt & May, and Van Heusen - these shirtmakers tend to focus on manufacturing formal shirts. Casual shirts tend to be the domain of retailers such as Next, or retailers who stock designer brands like Ralph Lauren and D&G. Ultimately, shirts come in a huge array of styles, materials and uses - provided below is a list of shirt categorisations. Formal shirt - required by most employers, there are also
plenty of social occasions where a formal shirt is required, such as a
wedding, funeral, or fancy dining date. In the past, up until around the
1950's every man in the UK would wear a formal shirt for all social occasions.
This is still the case for many males of a certain generation, but has
become less popular generation by generation. The styles are often categorised
by the collar design, popular collars include the Prince of Wales, Windsor
cutaway and Formal button down collar. Other popular styles are traveller,
half sleeve, plain, cutaway, button down, pinpoint, check and stripe shirts. Casual shirt - can be used for virtually any occasion except formal. The common uses are for manual labour, outdoor pursuits like rambling or simply relaxing at home. Some popular styles include Poplin, Oxford, Denim, Dobby Shirts, Linen, Marylebone and Polynosic Shirts. Designer shirt - a cross between a formal and a casual shirt, or some might declare it a bastardised formal shirt. The cut and style of the shirt is casual, but the materials are formal. They are most commonly worn by clubbers and people going out for a drink or dinner on a Saturday night. T-shirt - the most common type of shirt, the most simple with no buttons, one of the most comfortable and easy to wear because it features no collar. A very popular type of T Shirt now feature funny icons, images and slogans on them. Many also support different political causes, or rock bands, movies and cult movements. A quite few sites also contain personalised design facilities. You can choose your own own text and pictures. They are very popular because they produce a unique product. Polo shirt - it's pretty much used for the same things as a T-shirt, but has a more formal style with a collar and buttons. The polo design is often used by golfers, football teams, tennis players and of course polo players. A Henley polo shirt is a popular variant that comes without a collar. Rugby shirt - this is another variant of the polo shirt, but has become so popular for sporting and casual purposes it's worthy of it's own description. It incorporates thick cotton so that rips and tears are less likely to occur. Paradoxically only the England supporters home rugby shirt 2007/09 has included a collar and is made from cotton. The professional version is 100% polyester with no collar or button and cannot be described as a traditional rugby shirt. Sweatshirt / Sweaters - Made from a heavy material it covers the arms and sometimes head with a hood. They were designed to keep athletes warm whilst waiting between events. They have become somewhat controversial of late, 'Hoodies' have a youth group all of their own, often linked with anti social behaviour, and people wearing 'Hoodies have been banned from shopping centres and shops. Nightshirt - Usually thought of as a ladies garment, it's often oversized, can look like a dress, is made from very loose, light materials which are cheap and of course ideal for sleeping in. Tunic - You'll only see ladies wearing this type of shirt now. Maybe a few males in religious orders or starring in a play of Robin Hood. The tunic had it's swan song during more primitive times. Jacket - Styles on a shirt, they use alot thicker materials
to provide warmth, and an alternative to a coat. They are often more stylish
than many winter coats, due to their casual style. The leather, fleece,
bomber, suede, sports and denim materials make the most popular shirts.
The black leather jacket is usually worn by bikers, and popularised by
the wild ones. While this list is far from comprehensive, it does list the common types
of shirts available. You may wish to research some of the obscure variants
such as: the halter, tube top, jackets, camisole, halfshirt and onesie.
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