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RTW shirts – key aspects to pay attention to

Ever since I can remember, the greatest dilemma has been the choice of an appropriate shirt. This wardrobe element if analysed by a statistical Mr. Smith should fulfil three key requirements, such as comfort, quality, and affordable price. These are rudimentary features, hidden behind the shirt philosophy. The native brands are exceeding one another in producing pieces that are supposed to gain the recognition of the Polish consumer. Unfortunately, in my opinion, they recommend products that don’t fulfil the high hopes of the users. Taking advantage of the obliviousness of the potential customers, they sell products that only resemble a genuine shirt.

Today, I’d like to enrich the above topic by indicating other important factors that are decisive in a successful selection of a shirt.

What’s the secret of the highest class shirts?!

The most important discriminant is the fabric used for the production. Cotton should be characterised by an impeccable grip and finish, which ensures the highest wearing comfort for the user. Each shirt, sewn with great diligence, will be characterised by top-quality execution. The weave density – the enigmatic abbreviation indicates the quality of the product, but the secret is the simplicity of verification. Top-quality shirts have from 6 to 9 stitches in every centimetre of a seam. An analogical product representing mediocre quality has only 4 to 5 stitches. The stitching density in the area of the collar backstitch is a factor to which you should pay particular attention.

A French seam is used when finishing the product with elements that come into the closest contact with the user’s body. It prevents the skin from touching the edges of the fabric which are not that pleasant to the touch. The French seam requires two seams to fully enclose the edges for a neat finish, with the second enclosing the raw edges of the original seam.

The most popular shirt fabrics?!

Poplin is a sturdy and durable fabric with a characteristic linen weave and a composition based on woollen, cotton, silk, viscose, and polyester fibres. Frequently, poplin contains a blend of some of the above-mentioned fibres, which are the foundation for the properties, density, and elasticity of the fabric. Poplin is a fabric ideal for jackets, coats, trousers, dresses, and shirts. The dense weave guarantees high durability and resistance, whereas the universal structure will be perfect for both classic elegant garments and everyday clothes. Poplin shirts have the weight ranging from 100 g/m2 to 135 g/m2.

Twill is a fabric usually based on cotton with a characteristic slanted diagonal weave. The specific arrangement of threads gives it a visible slanted pattern, inclined at an angle of 45 degrees. Otherwise, the diagonal weave requires three or more harnesses, depending on its complexity, and it is the second most basic weave that can be made on a fairly simple loom. Owing to such production technology, the fabric is very durable. It’s great advantage is the resistance to creasing. Twill is a fabric that will be ideal for the production of men’s dress business shirts. The diagonal structure of the weave guarantees durability and resistance to damage, deformation, etc. Twill is a durable fabric, dense, nice to the touch, with a universal casual structure. It fits nicely and is characterised by an exceptional resilience regardless of the frequency of the washing cycles.

Oxford cloth is a fabric made from a slightly thicker yarn used for more casual and sporty shirts, e. g. button down shirts. The thread in the warp is dyed in the yarn and is not of the same thickness that the thread in the weft that always has a natural colour, most often white. As a result, Oxford cloth is soft but heavier. Royal Oxford is an exclusive variety of this fabric. It is characterised by greater softness and has a slight lustre to it. This fabric is used for sewing more elegant shirts.