Shirts measured for pleasure

YOU can order bespoke shirts without leaving the office. How? It's easy...

Blue herringbone check shirt, wide-stripe tie and gold cufflinks from Edward Stripe.

BUSINESS shirts are the last thing many men think about when shopping for a work wardrobe. The suit maketh the man, or so they say, and thus a suit is considered worth spending more on. And the more a suit costs, the better the fit will be and, if well cared for, the longer it will last.

Shirts, on the other hand, are hidden by a suit jacket for most of the day and after parting with all that money most men want a quick and inexpensive solution. But just as a suit needs to fit in several different places, so does a shirt. And, if fitted correctly, a custom-made shirt can hide a multitude of sins.

If you have very long arms, or are unusually tall or broad-shouldered, then you probably already know the joys of a made-to-measure shirt. There’s not an acre of fabric at the bottom to tuck in, it’s not too tight across your back and there’s enough room under the arms for you to move in it.

Walk into a department store to buy a business shirt and if the shop assistant measures you at all, they will probably only take two measurements - one around the neck and one around the chest - and then find you a shirt that best meets those two measurements. That’s fine if you are in perfect proportion.

A bespoke shirt, on the other hand, requires patience. A tailor might take more than a dozen measurements. Then you may have to attend two or three fittings and wait several weeks for your shirts.

As well as compensating for physical shortcomings, or hiding the results of too much food and not enough exercise, a tailor can make subtle changes to the design.

If, for example, your wristwatch is bulky, a tailor will allow for this and make the left cuff slightly bigger. As you would expect, a bespoke shirt costs a little more; depending on fabric, it can run to $500.

J.H. Cutler has served Sydney since 1884 and can usually turn around a bespoke shirt order in four weeks. For something a little less conservative, Patrick Johnson is based in Sydney but regularly visits Adelaide and Melbourne to meet clients and take measurements.

Some shirtmakers and tailors have set up online businesses to make the tailoring experience less time-consuming and to provide for a wider selection of clientele. Below is a rundown of some online shirt companies that offer the nearest thing to a bespoke shirt, often at a cheaper price.

Ganton makes off-the-rack business shirts, which are available at menswear and department stores as well as at their online store. The off-the-rack shirts are available in variable sleeve lengths, but if you require something more specific, there’s the Bespoke by Ganton service. Basically, you make an appointment and someone visits your home or office to take your measurements. The consultation takes 30 minutes, according to the company’s website, and your shirts will be delivered in 15 working days.

Jack Bootle offers the closest thing online to a made-to-measure shirt and without the need for an appointment with an actual tailor. You’ll need a tape measure and someone to help you though. The site’s proprietary software uses the 12 measurements you enter into the order form and makes a pattern based on them and your style choices. The shirt is then made and delivered to you four weeks later. You can save your measurements on the site to make subsequent orders quicker.

Lodge and King works in a similar fashion to Jack Bootle, only it will send you a starter kit of a tape measure and guide to taking your measurements. Once you receive your starter kit, you open an account with Lodge and King to enter your measurements together with your style and fabric choices and place your order. The shirts are made in Singapore from Italian fabrics and are delivered in 14 working days. 

Edward Stripe doesn’t offer quite the level of bespoke as some other online shirt companies, but it does have an enormous range of colours and fabrics. A customisation service is available and basically involves modifications to existing styles to allow for such things as longer or shorter sleeves, as well as side-seam tailoring for a slimmer fit. 

Xenia Hejda, like most tailors these days, will come to your home or office to measure you up. Her website, however, offers a unique service. Visitors to her site can access her online diary to see when she will be in Sydney, Melbourne or Adelaide and book an appointment with her. Alternatively you can book a virtual fitting with Xenia, which she conducts via Skype.