The modern shirt that a typical man wears on an almost daily basis is a garment that dates back into the Middle Ages. Exactly when it was invented is unknown. Most shirts were inexpensive and handmade at home out of wool, but by the 1300s, men started looking for people who made shirts for a living. It was at this time that the shirt-maker started to rise in European cities, manufacturing comfortable shirts out of cottons, silks and linens.
In the early days the shirt had neither collar nor cuffs, but a hem that could be tightened and buttoned. And you always put it on by pulling it over your head. In the Middle Ages one could choose between a fixed or detachable collar. The garment was often made out of linen and sometimes silk. In the 18th century the shirt was no longer worn only as underwear, the collar grew into enormous proportions and was decorated with embroidery and lace. Later the collar grew back to smaller sizes again.During this period of time no shirts were mass produced in factories. The well suited man bought his shirt from the tailor, just like many do today again, whilst the common man wore shirts made by his wife. For long the shirt was a garment of simple design, but in the middle of the 19th century the shirt was tailored more to the shape of the body, the fixed collar disappeared and the shirt started to show up in more colorful designs especially as sports shirts and labor shirts. The white shirt was, until the end of the 19th century, considered to be an important attribute of prosperity.
At the end of the first World War, the shirt went through a major transformation. It was only at that time the modern shirt with buttons all along the front became popular. In the 1930’s the shirt with the fixed collar revived and the style has been with us ever since. Fabric is the main contributor to the quality of any dress shirt. Shirt fabrics, or "shirtings" as they are called by tailors, are of various nature and variously appropriate. Cotton is by far the most common fabric for dress shirts, and most fabric names refer to a particular method of weaving it. All fine dress shirts should be made of cotton, and even then, not all cotton is of the same quality. The cotton should feel fine and soft to the touch. Also, colors are more defined and brighter on high quality cotton as compared to synthetics.
In Prato, Cocci Stefano produces dyed cotton thread fabrics for shirts, as well as trousers and jackets. In 1936, Stefano Cocci, an expert craftsman in the field of recycling clothing for the production of regenerated wool, began producing fabrics for menswear. Throughout the years, for the Cocci family, innovation has been a priority in manufacturing exclusive, luxury fabrics for the discerning socially conscious gentleman. Founded in 1935, situated in the Vale do Ave, in the north of Porugal, is Teviz. A family-owned, family-operated mill, Teviz manufactures some of the softest cotton fabrics in the world. In their client portfolio, they have a wide range of international profiles from retailers to the most recognized luxury brands. Their collection clients, mostly reknown shirt makers, are well acquainted with Teviz’s quality of design and trust that season after season they will produce fine shirtings that are on trend as well as innovative. From undergarment to bespoke luxury, the shirt has had it’s own fashion revolution. Check out some shirting from Teviz below:
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