French Shirts: These Aren’t Your Grandfather’s Dress Shirts

Exclusive Reverse collar shirt - Spring 2013

In an industry dominated by conservative stodgy offerings that are indistinguishable from those worn by your grandfather, Americans are becoming increasingly aware of imported offerings, largely coming from Europe.  These European luxury shirts are often at a price point that may shock some consumers but appeal to those who are accustomed to paying high prices for shirts that look very similar to those you can pick up at your local department store.  However, these European offering are nothing like the plain starched white shirts your ancestors wore.

First off, these European dress shirts fit differently than a traditional American dress shirt.  While a traditional American dress shirt comes in sizes that reflect the neck size and arm length of the consumer (e.g. 16-32/33), European dress shirts for men come in general sizes (e.g. Small, Medium, Large) that are meant to fit off the rack but can also be tailored to provide a more bespoke fit.  Importantly, European dress shirts also fit vastly different.  European dress shirts are much slimmer around the torso than American dress shirts, and while this may rule out some more indulgent Americans, it provides a chic slimming effect on the wearer by eliminating the baggy bulges of fabric that are commonplace on American dress shirts.  Additionally, this slim fit makes European dress shirts much more versatile than traditional dress shirts, in that they look great either tucked in or untucked, perfect for a seamless transition from the boardroom to a night out.

Secondly, these European dress shirts, and especially French shirts offered by designers like Franck Michel, contain stylish details that would shock your grandfather.  Franck Michel, for instance, has patented design details like French cuffs that are held together by leather bands that resemble a leather watchband.  Franck Michel also has introduced details such as the reverse collar, a collar that takes an extra turn, folding over twice and adding an unmistakable flourish to many of their shirts.  Additionally, many European dress shirts employ a double collar, another unique look that you won’t see from traditional offerings at the department store.

Lastly, these European dress shirts use the highest quality raw materials.  Because of the proximity of the designers to fabric markets in places like Italy, designers have strong relations to the world of high quality European textile manufacturing.  This leads to constantly refreshing collections with cotton of unmatched quality with unique patterns that are hard to find anywhere else.

These European dress shirts are increasingly becoming available stateside.  Franck Michel, for instance, now provides their shirts through menfashion.com.  Their collection refreshes constantly and prices range from $99 to almost $200 depending on the details incorporated in the shirt, and its relative novelty.

A New Source for Men’s Fashion Dress Shirts: Franck Michel

Double collar shirt by Franck Michel Paris

There’s a new name creating a buzz in the world of Men's Fashion, and that name is Franck Michel. While the name is new in America, Franck Michel has been on the cutting edge of French fashion since the company was founded in 1969. Since then, they have been producing high fashion cotton dress shirts. All of their shirts have always been designed in Paris and constructed using the highest quality Italian cotton. For this reason, their cotton shirts stand out in the world of French dress shirts, as they not only set the bar for high fashion trend-setting design, but also for the quality of material and construction that goes into the dress shirts. Franck Michel is known in Europe for pushing the boundaries of fashion dress shirts, always coming up with a new detail or pattern in order to grab the public’s attention. When it comes to French fashion dress shirts, there is a clear leader and it’s Franck Michel. They have pioneered and popularized two variations on the traditional dress shirt collar that have now become commonplace in their unique collections: the double collar and the reverse collar. Both are designed to give the wearer a shirt that retains all the elegance that you expect from a French dress shirt made with luxury cotton, but add a twist that will certainly set the shirts (and those who wear them) apart from the competition. In order to get your hands on a Franck Michel dress shirt you’ll have to look online at menfashion. This relatively new company is the first to bring the Franck Michel name to the United States, so you know you’ll be getting a product that your friends won’t have. MenFashion.com offers Franck Michel’s French shirts in sizes XS through 3XL. Models update frequently as Franck Michel is constantly updating their collection, and these new updates are reflected in the options offered by Men Fashion. For instance, right now you can purchase last season’s offerings in the sale section of the site for as low as $79 for the model they call Alexis Satin White. This is a steal considering the high quality cotton shirt you’ll get! Expect to shell out a bit more dough for the MenFashion’s offerings that have recently arrived from Paris, however. These can easily run up to $150 or more. For instance, the Reverso Lavender, with a unique reverse collar and shiny satin finish is currently priced at $149. Many of the models come in various colors as well as it’s clear Franck Michel and Men Fashion are marketing to the discerning gentleman who knows what he wants in a fashion dress shirt.

Designer Shirts for men from Luxury French Designer Franck Michel

Square silver buttons and contrasting collar.

Looking for a new designer shirt for men that will set you apart from the rest of the crowd?  Interested in European or French shirts that your friends will envy?  Check out Parisien designer Franck Michel’s new collection of men’s luxury shirts at urunique.com.  Menfashion.com is a new entry into the European luxury dress shirt market and is the exclusive North American retailer of Franck Michel’s diverse lineup of stylish dress shirts.

Franck Michel is a well-known designer in France and indeed throughout Europe.  The designs of Franck Michel often novel features that are meant to differentiate their shirts from those of the competition.  These features often include double collars and unique button patterns, as well as colorful fabric choices.  In fact, Franck Michel have patented some of their unique high end features such as the “watchband French cuff”, a Franck Michel original design that uses a loop of luxury leather, resembling a watch band, in place of a traditional French cuff.   In the world of men’s designer shirts you won’t find a more innovative designer than Franck Michel.  Each season they strive to improve their line and provide their customers with new concepts and styles that capture the imagination.
Urunique.com have entered a partnership to be the sole distributor of Franck Michel merchandise in the United States.  However, if you live elsewhere in the world, MenFashion can serve your needs, as they deliver to locations across the globe.  The shirts start at $99 and range up to $179 depending on the amount of details in the design.   For instance, the Alexis Blue Stripes is on sale for $99 while the recently released luxury shirt Reverso Lavender retails for $159.  These relatively high prices reflect both the originality and stylish nature of the design as well as the high end cotton used in each and every one of the shirts.  When you buy a Franck Michel shirt you are paying not only for a fashion shirt but also a luxury piece of European clothing that will wear differently than dress shirts you may be used to.
Urunique.com refreshes their offerings with the seasonal releases from Franck Michel so there are often new men’s luxury shirts available to their discerning customers.  Additionally, they carry many of the deisgns in multiple colors, so whether you are looking for a shirt that’s white, black, blue or even pink you’ll be able to find just what you desire in many styles that will intrigue you, and capture the attention of those around you.

The ultimate french shirts for men by Franck Michel

Franck Michel fashion house in Paris

Founded in 1969, the fashion house Frank Michel is located in le Marais in the heart of Paris. Over time, the brand has proven itself to be a forerunner in the fashion shirt industry. Represented in the biggest city in France, the biggest countries in Europe and on the American continent, the spirit of Franck Michel is all about innovation and originality, bringing to the men's fashion shirts what no one had previously dared. Stitching that adorns the shirt’s contours, buttons of opposite colors, refined lining, and modern design inside the collar and cuffs have set an example for creativity. Offering exclusively the finest materials and finishes, Franck Michel is known for the strong character and personality expressed in the luxury shirts and thus the wearer. Today, the brand has a wide range of designer shirts shaped to meet the demands of all its customers. A range entitled “For Her” has been recently created to interest women in the brand. A continuing innovation…