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

[alliswell]



140/2-200/2 end on ends feel great but will show wear much faster.
I had to replace collars and cuffs for a customer after a year on a shirt made from 200/2.

Interesting. I will bring the Acorn Imperial end on end (170/2) I have in and we'll see how it makes up and lasts.

Edit: there's a vote of confidence - Acorn doesn't make it anymore.

 

[A Y]

So it just burns dirty. i guess that's a relief. Now, I think Carl needs to dunk the SG chambray until it confesses.

 

[TheFoo]



I am a little late to the party.
but instead of the rough un businesslike SG chambray go with a mid blue end on end.

. . .

and i never said anything about sleeve placket buttons except. if you don't remember to button them, Just leave them off

I understand that the Simonnot Godard chambray and its like are technically less "businesslike." But it is part of a calculated decision. I don't think this sort of chambray reads anything like the rough-and-ready lightweight denim that is worn around a ranch. The texture and coloring are what I'm after and think they work quite well with a suit. Others have done it and it looks good to me. That said, I've read your thoughts on the fabric and am somewhat dismayed. My comfort is that it's too late! Ha. We'll see how everything comes out.

The fundamental point about gauntlet buttons is that you don't actually need them.

As I understand the OneShirt, the idea is to minimize the amount of thought that goes into dressing for the day and to simplify one's wardrobe.

Not quite. I've thought about the OneShirt with significant consideration. It is not a shortcut. It is just more strategized. The problem with the way so many forum members dress is that they start each day as if being introduced to their wardrobe for the first time. This is the consequence of a consumption and trend oriented mentality. You wind up with so much random stuff you bought on impulse and whim that you barely remember why you have anything in your closet and can't figure out what you ever intended to wear it with. Don't fool yourself into believing that is "style" or "creativity." No, it's being random, haphazard, and indecisive. Think of the great style icons. You can usually describe their style with enough coherence that another person could get a vivid picture of them. In contrast, exceedingly few people here have a discernible, coherent style. There is no taste, because one only develops taste with cultivation and concerted effort. That's why it looks like Nordstrom Rack threw up over everyone.

My advice: you don't have to call it a "OneShirt" or "OneShoe" or whatever, but slow down and think a lot harder about what things you truly like and are able to make use of. Put a hiatus on all purchases. Wear the clothes you already have and wear them enough until you understand what is right and wrong, good and bad. Stop perusing Tumblr and WAYWRN. Ignore Pitti. If you've got any style, it will start coming out.

I believe it was in the whnay.'s good taste thread that :foo: said it should only take five minutes to get dressed in the morning. And in this thread he seems to want to distill his wardrobe to a point where that would be possible; to obtain his optimal look every day.

It already takes me less than thirty seconds to pick out an outfit, often even twenty, fifteen seconds. Those outfits I used for Esquire, including the one that won unbelragazzo's recent anonymous contest? Each one was something I wore to work. It took seconds to think up each one. As discussed above, I would not mistake my speed in the morning with a lack of thought or skill. If your aesthetic and stylistic sense are growing in strength, you should be able to dress faster each morning. If it's not getting easier for you, you must not be improving.

The OneShirt has nothing to do with speeding things up. It has everything to do with distilling what I like in a shirt after years of experience and thought.

For what it's worth, I kinda dig the single cuffs on clapeyron's shirts. The point about spread collar is good -- the idea of OneDressShirt and OneCasualShirt (the OCBDs) makes a lot of sense to me. In fact, heck, the only reason to object to that would be if you were genuinely going to make them the only shirts you owned -- and that's not the case.

If I do a spread collar, I am now 99% sure the cuffs will be single, not double.

foo the only wear issue you will have is on the square link cuff. the tips will rub against your desk as you type. so you will see wear marks faster then if you used
a round convertible cuff.

top fabric SG work shirt chambray
middle fabric japanese 60/1 chambray
bottom fabric light blue end on end 100/2

Excellent advice, Carl. That's why I was leaning toward rounded corners, though I don't want the cuffs to be convertible. As for the shirtings: the Simonnot Godard looks best to me. End-on-end is generally great, but it is a much finer effect than I'm looking for.

 

[Shirtmaven]

I don't have an issue with the one shirt concept..
I have a customer who have bought the same blue end on end shirt for 15 years.

I do have issue with the SG chambray. I do not think it looks good with a suit.

I would have suggested trying out one shirt first prior too buying enough fabric to last you a lifetime.

I am not sure how many washes it will take to soften that stuff up.

 

[TheFoo]

Like I said, I'm familiar with how the stuff looks and like it.

What is your thought on washing and drying it before having it made up? I figure, with hot water and high heat, I can stabilize shrinkage. However, I'm concerned the dryer will put a lot of wear on the fabric. Please advise!

 

[Eustace Tilley]

Like I said, I'm familiar with how the stuff looks and like it.

What is your thought on washing and drying it before having it made up? I figure, with hot water and high heat, I can stabilize shrinkage. However, I'm concerned the dryer will put a lot of wear on the fabric. Please advise!

Pretty sure Geneva pre-washes all fabrics supplied by customers.

 

[TheFoo]



Pretty sure Geneva pre-washes all fabrics supplied by customers.

Eugene said they don't. He's the one who suggested washing and drying before handing it to them. But he is not familiar with this chambray, so I'm wondering what Carl thinks about putting it through the dryer.

 

[Eustace Tilley]

Huh, weird. I asked him the same Q about an year ago, and he said they always wash CMT orders to ensure the fabric was suitable. Sounds like they've changed their policy.

 

[Shirtmaven]



Eugene said they don't. He's the one who suggested washing and drying before handing it to them. But he is not familiar with this chambray, so I'm wondering what Carl thinks about putting it through the dryer.

warm wash and dryer for 20-30 minutes
should do the trick.
we prewash and dry our lining as well.
i do not know if Geneva does that

I only pre wash fabric that we do not trust for shrinkage

 

[TheFoo]



Huh, weird. I asked him the same Q about an year ago, and he said they always wash CMT orders to ensure the fabric was suitable. Sounds like they've changed their policy.

He said that they "sponge" and fit shirts with shrinkage in mind.

warm wash and dryer for 20-30 minutes
should do the trick.
we prewash and dry our lining as well.
i do not know if Geneva does that

I only pre wash fabric that we do not trust for shrinkage

Thanks, Carl. You don't think the dryer will harm the fabric? I've heard this stuff can shrink a lot, so I'm thinking of doing two or three wash/dry cycles.

 

[hws]

You must not to put in asciugatrice! Wash the tissu in machine with normal hot, no with big hot, and make stiratura same Technic you make for shirt, before is complete dry! You must to iron in direction of chaîne!

 

[Shirtmaven]



He said that they "sponge" and fit shirts with shrinkage in mind.
Thanks, Carl. You don't think the dryer will harm the fabric? I've heard this stuff can shrink a lot, so I'm thinking of doing two or three wash/dry cycles.

tailors sponge wool... I have no idea what he means...
I know some shirtmakers who will just soak and hang fabric but you need a lot of space for that.

nothing will harm that fabric!

 

[TheFoo]



nothing will harm that fabric!

Ha--because you think it is so ****** to begin with?

 

[Manton]

I would definitely pre-wash, I have one such shirt and I gave it to them without doing that and the collar is a wee bit tight.

 

[hangthree]



My advice: you don't have to call it a "OneShirt" or "OneShoe" or whatever, but slow down and think a lot harder about what things you truly like and are able to make use of. Put a hiatus on all purchases. Wear the clothes you already have and wear them enough until you understand what is right and wrong, good and bad.

This is great advice - I've taken this approach over the past year. Warren Buffett said something to the effect of "Imagine how good an investor you would become if you could only make 10 investments over a lifetime." I think the same mantra can be applied to dressing (obviously not limiting oneself to only 10 garments), it would help most people really focus and do more with less.