Just a white shirt
I must have been feeling particularly wistful one August as i remember starting this column with the words “as the sun sets on the final bank holiday of the year” but that seems rather am-dram now, if anything the Summer has only just begun, ignore the seasons as pre determined by whom ever has that job, we have to live with what mother nature is dishing out to us, never mind preparing to pack away flip flops, for all we know September could be a scorcher, and its not a late summer, its just what we will come to know as summer, even if the kids have gone back to school.
With that in mind, I am aware that at this point in the year new purchases are made with the limited amount of time left to wear and enjoy them, and rightly so, even if we are blessed with a balmy September that doesn't leave much wiggle room in terms of price per wear right now, of course you can pack away until spring (washed please, stains do get more stubborn over time and your clothes will last longer if you store them well)
My list of things you can buy now and wear throughout the year starts with a white shirt, White not ivory, Cotton, not linen or any textured cottons, I prefer a crisp starched cotton , no stretch as shirts with stretch don’t crease the same way, and contrary to popular belief the creases in an ironed shirt are part of the charm, collar wise I’m a purist nothing too pointed, nothing scalloped or too narrow, a standard Oxford shirt collar, I look for oversized or just buy a size 14 (I wear a UK 10) button wise i prefer them to be small and tonal, but not those funny clear ones that look tea-stained against white. Shape wise I avoid darts, I look for a curved hem front and back, not too short but also not too long or else it morphes into kaftan length, long cuffed sleeves so i can roll up if I want to.
After its been on holiday with me and is the shirt I layer over bikinis with beach trousers and at night time over with silky trousers, I will soak it in Bicarb to freshen it up and wear my white shirt in September with wide & jeans trousers, messy tucked or untucked, maybe with only a smattering of buttons fastening through the middle section, in October I shall throw an oversized knit over the top, maybe fasten a few more buttons, depending on the weather, but it won’t be put away until next year, its an evergreen, but its white.
