Shərt\ a : a cloth garment usually having a collar, sleeves, a front opening, and a tail long enough to be tucked inside trousers or a skirt

On my very first visit to Delhi I remember sitting in the back of the taxi trying to take it all in and what I remembered the most was that all the men rushing around the crowded streets were wearing dress shirts. All of them, not a polo or a tee shirt, no tunics or tanks, just collard, long sleeved button front shirts. I was amazed at how easily this article of clothing could be a uniform for an entire city.

During another taxi ride here in New York I remember asking my then boss to look out the window and see how many women were wearing a woven shirt. The answer was none after a 10 minute ride from Gramercy Park to the Garment District she had not spotted a single woman in a woven shirt. The fantasy of this girl in her boyfriend’s shirt did not exist. Even with iconic moments like Sharon Stone at the 1998 oscars in a Gap shirt or Lauren Hutton elegantly placed inside the ease of loose fitting dress shirt in the 70’s it never could compete with the popularity of the tee shirt.

I’ve always had an affinity for the dress shirt and certainly am not one to wear a tee shirt. Maybe it was 12 years of private school that did it or the fact that no matter what else you were wearing it added a bit of “finish” to the look. So naturally after launching my then dress collection the first shirt I made was a dress shirt called Xavier (after the school). Over the seasons we have made the Xavier in everything from cotton doby to denim and most recently leather. I love how this classic basic shirt with a few details can represent such style. A rolled up sleeve and unbuttoned collar versus the buttoned to the top cuffed sleeve are worlds apart in terms of style but both come from the same shirt.

The dress shirt, blue – collar or white collar is probably my single most favorite article of clothing. Play with one this spring, see how it takes on your personality and your style. Tied at the waist in denim like Jennifer Lawrence in the May issue of Teen Vogue or all buttoned up like Rashida Jones in Lucky, ultimately the right one for you is out there.

bright turquoise blue on the streets of Delhi

Delhi

printed & layered in Delhi

Sharon Stone in Gap shirt & Vera Wang skirt

Lauren Hutton

Diane Keaton

Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly

Ricky Lauren

Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy

Diana Vreeland

Mary Kate Steinmiller

Madeline Andrews Escudero

Dallin Chase spring 2009

Dallin Chase fall 2010

Rashida Jones Lucky Magazine

Jennifer Lawrence Teen Vogue