Budget Jermyn Street Shirt Shootout: CT vs TM Lewin

[Wrenkin]

+1 on the TML collars. A surprising amount of shrinkage for, in my case, some regular poplin. And North Americans should take note that the "slim" bit is accurate.

Still better than anything you'd get in Canada though, for 1/3 the price.

 

[Grigory]

Look at http://www.savilerowco.com/
their casual shirts are hit and miss, but dress shirts are very decent at the same price as TMLewin.

 

[SartorialSheepdog]

Interesting comparison. I used to wear quite a few noniron CT shirts, but do not like their collars as they always curl on me. I thought the fabric was better than TML but the TML noniron fit me better and the collars do not roll on me as much. The noniron TML shirts are fairly thin though.

Quite frankly, I am still trying to find the best noniron shirt without a chest pocket. TML seems to be the best so far for me, but I am going to keep looking.

 

[bjornb17]

Originally Posted by SartorialSheepdog

Interesting comparison. I used to wear quite a few noniron CT shirts, but do not like their collars as they always curl on me. I thought the fabric was better than TML but the TML noniron fit me better and the collars do not roll on me as much. The noniron TML shirts are fairly thin though.

Quite frankly, I am still trying to find the best noniron shirt without a chest pocket. TML seems to be the best so far for me, but I am going to keep looking.

I had that problem at first with the CT shirts, but now i just spray the points with a generous serving of starch right after iron them, and they stay perfect in the closet for weeks and all day when i wear them. I haven't noticed any kind of accelerated wear from doing this, so i think it is a good solution.

 

[SartorialSheepdog]

Originally Posted by bjornb17

I had that problem at first with the CT shirts, but now i just spray the points with a generous serving of starch right after iron them, and they stay perfect in the closet for weeks and all day when i wear them. I haven't noticed any kind of accelerated wear from doing this, so i think it is a good solution.

I would try that, but I typically just hang the noniron shirts and leave the iron packed away.

 

[Von Kaiser]

The TML non-iron shirts have very stiff fused collars and cuffs. I found these uncomfortable. On the other hand, they were truly wrinkle-free.

The CT non-iron shirts have softer collars and cuffs, but the shirts are definitely not non-iron, especially in the elbows and mid-back, where a shirt can be expected to crease the most.

The TML slim fit is also slimmer in the waist and arms than CT slim fit.

 

[inimitable]

I find the button holes on TML shirts to be excessively big to the point that the shirt become unbuttoned on its own. And no its not too tight.

 

[Icehawk]

Why not just go custom for barely more? I've had good luck so far with Modern Tailor and shirts run ~$50-100 depending on fabric & extras - first one is only $20 so worth a shot. Can't compare quality but I'd say the MT shirts are at least as nicely made as most shirts OTR in a similar price range.

 

[Thanks SF (a new me)]

...add on

I am 5-6, 39-40S 15.5/31.5 shirt...Last week, I just received my first TM Lewin fitted shirts and I find the semi-spread collars way too big to my liking but everything else is perfect.

Very seldom I wear a tie to work, and if not wearing a SC, it tends to overpower my face, not a very flattering look...I returned the merchandise.

I am waiting for my CT order and will provide an update..

 

[bjornb17]

Originally Posted by Icehawk

Why not just go custom for barely more? I've had good luck so far with Modern Tailor and shirts run ~$50-100 depending on fabric & extras - first one is only $20 so worth a shot. Can't compare quality but I'd say the MT shirts are at least as nicely made as most shirts OTR in a similar price range.

I may consider that someday, but for now I'm very happy with the CT shirts for $36-50, such that I'm not sure I'll find value in spending $50-$100 on something else. Also, I'm not sure if MT does non-iron fabric. The CT shirts fit me flalessly and I love the designs.

After looking through some threads discussing MT, seems it has been hit and miss for a lot of people and many of the shirts seem to not fit all that perfectly in the pics.

 

[Mark Anthony]

The first major problem here is that the Non Iron was purchased and compared which is never a good thing.

My experience with the Lewin regular shirts has been quite good. None of the cons listed for TM Lewin seem to apply to their regular shirts. Especially the Luxury line. At least in my experience of 8 shirts.

Not perfect shirts but punch way above their weight for price paid.

The collar shrinking issue of TM Lewin has also been perplexing to me as it has not happened. Possibly a non iron fabric issue or people are breaking the cardinal rule of laundering by washing their shirts in warm or hot water and then putting them in a dryer.

I made the error of sizing up half a neck size (listening to SF group think) and have not been able to shrink them down despite heroic rule breaking efforts.

My only beef is that Lewin does not make double cuff in the Buckingham collar. Their double cuff slim fit only come in cut away (Windsor) or quasi point (York) and also an "extreme" cut away in St. James. The Buckinham collar is just right, a classic spread.

 

[bjornb17]

Originally Posted by Mark Anthony

The first major problem here is that the Non Iron was purchased and compared which is never a good thing.

My experience with the Lewin regular shirts has been quite good. None of the cons listed for TM Lewin seem to apply to their regular shirts. Especially the Luxury line. At least in my experience of 8 shirts.

Not perfect shirts but punch way above their weight for price paid.

The collar shrinking issue of TM Lewin has also been perplexing to me as it has not happened. Possibly a non iron fabric issue or people are breaking the cardinal rule of laundering by washing their shirts in warm or hot water and then putting them in a dryer.

I made the error of sizing up half a neck size (listening to SF group think) and have not been able to shrink them down despite heroic rule breaking efforts.

My only beef is that Lewin does not make double cuff in the Buckingham collar. Their double cuff slim fit only come in cut away (Windsor) or quasi point (York) and also an "extreme" cut away in St. James. The Buckinham collar is just right, a classic spread.

Perhaps I should have clarified in the title to say "Budget Non-Iron Jermyn Street Shootout". I tried one CT must-iron shirt, and although it was nice, it wrinkled beyoud belief. I've heard the same for TML shirts, but I can't comment as I haven't tried.

 

[Gibonius]

Originally Posted by Mark Anthony

The collar shrinking issue of TM Lewin has also been perplexing to me as it has not happened. Possibly a non iron fabric issue or people are breaking the cardinal rule of laundering by washing their shirts in warm or hot water and then putting them in a dryer.

I own quite a number of TML shirts (the iron-required variety) and my experience mostly mirrors yours. I really think they're a great value.

On the shrinking though, some shrink terribly while most are bulletproof. Most of mine resist shrinking extremely well, despite occasionally getting run through the drier and such laundry accidents. Others have shrunken to the point where they're unwearable. I think the fabric matters, but even that's not consistent. The worst was a blue gingham, sleeves shrank at least an inch and the collar by at least a half inch.

They don't wrinkle outrageously. I take them off, iron them, put them away. They never look awful at the end of a day.

 

[bnussbaum12]

Originally Posted by Thanks SF (a new me)

...add on

I am 5-6, 39-40S 15.5/31.5 shirt...Last week, I just received my first TM Lewin fitted shirts and I find the semi-spread collars way too big to my liking but everything else is perfect.

Very seldom I wear a tie to work, and if not wearing a SC, it tends to overpower my face, not a very flattering look...I returned the merchandise.

I am waiting for my CT order and will provide an update..

Are the John Francomb Classics fitted shirts also non-iron? If they are, those are the ones I want.

PS--good post. I think there are more of us here that lurk that don't have the money to buy all the expensive stuff and could hardly tell the difference with dress shirts. I know the style forum mantra is quality over quantity but buying 2 $100 MTM dress shirts aint going to cut it when we need at least 10 shirts in our rotation. I am about to try some TM and CT but want to know if those John Francomb classics are non-iron.

Thanks!

 

[clip]

London UK experience:

I have been buying TML lately as they are the only RTW I have found that fit me. The online sale recently was unmissable for me (at one stage £18 for most of the line that I would have bought), and if you have a branch nearby, you can opt to have it delivered to the branch so there's no carriage.

Almost all of Jermyn Street was on sale at the back end of last year (I don't think Emma Willis ever goes on sale), and I tried dozens of shirts from TML, CT, Pink and H&C. Pink only do two sleeve lengths, but I honestly couldn't choose much between the other three - except that TML were the least expensive, also had a branch near where I live and most importantly fit the best.