What do you think of this swatch for a shirt?

[penguin vic]

Originally Posted by flipster

Should be alright I think, although matching it with a tie will be not very easy.

Pink grenadine - easy!

 

[catman]

Originally Posted by tlmusic

Really?

Front pockets are traditionally informal features. Prior to about 1950, only sport shirts had pockets. All other men's dress shirts never had pockets. Why? Because in those times men wore jackets and vests, which had plenty of pockets to stash things. After WWII, men started wearing single-breasted suits with no vests, and they started taking their jackets off in "polite company". Hence, the need for a shirt pocket (to stash stuff) arose, and shirt manufacturers have added them ever since.

Most RTW shirts marketed to the US have breast pockets. Many Italian made shirts feature breast pockets. However, English made and other European dress shirts usually do not have pockets. In fact, shirt pockets are highly disdained in England.

Personally I like to respect the traditional nature of dress shirts and try to avoid pockets.

If you look, you will find that many high end RTW dress shirts do not have pockets--especially on shirts with french cuffs since they are inherently more formal.

Interesting...

what is the difference between two pockets and one? Is that not a mimicking of military style (or not)?

 

[Spatlese]

Looks fine to me. Actually, I don't mind it at all.

 

[tlmusic]

Originally Posted by catman

Interesting... what is the difference between two pockets and one? Is that not a mimicking of military style (or not)?
Well, as I said, I have never encountered an actual (or a picture of) a pre 1950s dress shirt with any pocket. But regarding sport shirts, I have seen some pretty old actual examples with one or two pockets. Apparel Arts magazines from as far back as the 1930s show various pictures of sport/resort wear shirts with one or two pockets. Western shirts, which were quite popular in the 1940s usually also had pockets. As to the military origin of pockets on shirts, I am not an expert, but I believe you may be on to something. The “Bush Shirt”, and "Beach Suit" were two types of clothing worn by by British army officers in tropical climates in the early 1900s. They featured cotton or linen shirt jackets that were worn untucked and featured two or (more) pockets. Many times the pockets were pleated button flap type. Those may have been the forerunners of the modern sport shirt. Perhaps there are experts on SF that know more about this...

 

[AvariceBespoke]

Originally Posted by tlmusic

Well, as I said, I have never encountered an actual (or a picture of) a pre 1950s dress shirt with any pocket.

But regarding sport shirts, I have seen some pretty old actual examples with one or two pockets.

Apparel Arts magazines from as far back as the 1930s show various pictures of sport/resort wear shirts with one or two pockets. Western shirts, which were quite popular in the 1940s usually also had pockets.

As to the military origin of pockets on shirts, I am not an expert, but I believe you may be on to something. The "Bush Shirt", and "Beach Suit" were two types of clothing worn by by British army officers in tropical climates in the early 1900s. They featured cotton or linen shirt jackets that were worn untucked and featured two or (more) pockets. Many times the pockets were pleated button flap type.

Those may have been the forerunners of the modern sport shirt. Perhaps there are experts on SF that know more about this...


very interesting