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.