The OneShirt: A Phoenix from the Ashes [4/24/13 UPDATE: A SHIRTMAKER, AN ENGLISHMAN, CHAMBRAY, AND F

[chogall]

As thread god, I'm settling this now: not washing your shirt after each wear is in fact disgusting. Let us not speak of this again.

Different people perspire differently. I, too, would be washing my shirts every wear if I spend time during NYC summer or at the Maldives. Its a different story in dry weather California and sedationary living style...

Why not just get some extra fabrics and change your AM shirts collar and cuffs only?

 

[TheFoo]



Different people perspire differently.  I, too, would be washing my shirts every wear if I spend time during NYC summer or at the Maldives.  Its a different story in dry weather California and sedationary living style...

Why not just get some extra fabrics and change your AM shirts collar and cuffs only?

It's not just a matter of perspiration. Every human being loses skin cells and secretes oils during the day. That stuff gets into your shirt. Even if you cannot see an obvious stain, it is there. And it is disgusting. Also, after a day's wear, your shirt is bound to be somewhat disheveled and in need of an ironing to look fresh again. Do you just iron in all that human grime? That's even more disgusting. Have you ever encountered a person that smells just slightly foul and unwashed? Yeah? Well, that person probably figured he didn't sweat much yesterday and thus reasoned that his clothes must be good for a second wearing.

New fabric would not match the old. Also, I am too frustrated trying to deal with them.

 

[unbelragazzo]



Most of our shirt wardrobes would be drastically improved if half of them were all solid blue spread collars.

I think I'd have to throw out quite a few solid blue spread collars before the remainder were down to half of my shirt wardrobe.

 

[TheFoo]



I think I'd have to throw out quite a few solid blue spread collars before the remainder were down to half of my shirt wardrobe.

Yes, exactly.

Sometimes I say eccentric, crazy crap. Other times, you guys just like to convince yourselves that I am.

 

[RDiaz]

While I believe that every shirt wardrobe should be comprised of mostly solid blue shirts, the spread collar doesn't really work for everybody...

 

[TheFoo]

I think it's a matter of the spread collar's degree of spread and precise shape, but I honestly don't think I've ever seen a person wearing a point collar that I didn't think would look better in some form of spread.

 

[ColdEyedPugilist]



Always machine-washed at home, in lingerie bags, on the gentle cycle. Hung dry and hand ironed.

Early signs of fraying could be seen by the fifth or sixth cycle. By the twentieth wearing, the collars and cuffs were badly enough frayed that most people would have considered the shirts unwearable and in need of repair. I soldiered on in denial. Clearly, Riva shirting is not made to withstand being worn more than once a month.

That said, it's worth noting that the hand-stitching has all held up perfectly. I'm really astonished by the quality of the workmanship. If I could do it all over again, I would just make sure to supply my own non-Italian shirting.

Matt, my latest batch of shirts are a mix of Sic Tess, Thomas Mason and Alumo; 2-fold 100s and 120s.

I have worn each shirt at least once a week since mid 2011, when I had them made up.

They ALL go in the wash after 1 wearing.

The fraying is not that severe.

Might ask Charles Nakhle (my shirtmaker) what he thinks of Riva.

PS: Have you considered the semi-cutaway collar (semi-spread)? Chambray and spread-collars don't seem to gel very well by my thinking.

Of coure, you've probably made up your mind already so...

 

[unbelragazzo]



While I believe that every shirt wardrobe should be comprised of mostly solid blue shirts, the spread collar doesn't really work for everybody...

when you say spread collar, do you mean a traditional spread or one of those aggressive cutaway jobs? Looking at a table like this:

http://www.petchburiave.com/images/colar.jpg

the "classic" collar looks too close to me, for anybody.

 

[RDiaz]

Nah, I don't mean an aggressive cutaway. The "semi-spread" collar in the picture you have linked is fine for most complexions, I thought we were talking about something in the lines of the "spread" or "italian spread" in that pic, which doesn't really suit all frames.

 

[TheFoo]



Matt, my latest batch of shirts are a mix of Sic Tess, Thomas Mason and Alumo; 2-fold 100s and 120s.

I have worn each shirt at least once a week since mid 2011, when I had them made up.

They ALL go in the wash after 1 wearing.

The fraying is not that severe.

But there is fraying? And you keep wearing the same six shirts all year round? That's an awfully tight rotation.

Anyway, I'm not sure why everyone is so skeptical of my experience with Riva. I'm just telling you what I've experienced firsthand. Take it as a word of warning.

PS: Have you considered the semi-cutaway collar (semi-spread)? Chambray and spread-collars don't seem to gel very well by my thinking.

I'm really not concerned on this point. I've seen plenty of spread collared chambray shirts.

when you say spread collar, do you mean a traditional spread or one of those aggressive cutaway jobs? Looking at a table like this:

http://www.petchburiave.com/images/colar.jpg

the "classic" collar looks too close to me, for anybody.

I find these sorts of attempts at fine-tuned categorization moot. One man's "semi-spread" is another's "spread" and another's "classic." The important thing I'm trying to get across is that what is generally considered a "point" collar is too narrow to flatter most faces. Something more spread (with the exact degree to be determined on a case-by-case basis) would typically work better. Why? I think because we'd all rather look thinner than fatter, and that is particularly true when it comes to our faces. Contrary to what I've often heard, a narrow collar angle tends to only make wide faces look wider, as wide things tend to appear even wider when contrasted with things that are narrower.

 

[Manton]

I don't pay a great deal of attention to what cloths I buy, though I never go out of my way to get fancy stuff and often go out of my way to avoid it. But I've got shirts going back to 2005 and beyond that still show zero fraying.

 

[Manton]

Basically, anything spread less than a cutaway is not going to strike most people as weird. It might not work for a particular face, but it won't look strange simply because of what it is.

 

[TheWraith]



I think it's a matter of the spread collar's degree of spread and precise shape, but I honestly don't think I've ever seen a person wearing a point collar that I didn't think would look better in some form of spread.

+1

I've come to the above view myself over the last couple years.

 

[TheFoo]



But I've got shirts going back to 2005 and beyond that still show zero fraying.

This sounds nearly mythical to me. I can only hope this new batch passes muster. Shirts feel like a particularly expensive dalliance.

 

[RDiaz]

Also with most point collars, either you get really long points (which risk looking costumey) or they won't stay under the jacket lapels...