ShirtbyHand Blog 4: Fashion and controversy at the Commonwealth Games

What topic better to feature in this edition of the ShirtbyHand Scotland blog than the Commonwealth Games currently taking part in (sometimes) sunny Glasgow?
Already having handled it’s fair share of controversy the 20th edition of the festival previously known as the British Empire Games is now well underway.

And of course it all started with Team Scotland’s uniform unveiling on the 6th of July.

The parade uniforms designed by Glasgow School of Art graduate Jilli Blackwood attracted criticism from the word go. People took to Twitter instantly asking for a re-design and expressing feelings of embarrassment. A petition was set up with almost 28000 people signing to prevent the use of the uniform at the games. Personally I do think the Kilts are nice and would look better with a different shirt to complement them. I even had a go at creating something I thought would work well.

The white fabric of this design contrasts nicely with the colorful kilt, and the detailing on the inside works well with the tartan too.

The ladies uniform is a whole other story. Why not keep it more in line with the male outfit by doing cute little tartan skirts with the same shirt above it?The embarrassing thing is that I thought both the English and the Welsh looked better than us.

Then on to the next controversy: John Barrowman’s gay kiss at the opening ceremony. Scottish brand strategist and fashion publicist Tessa Hartmann branded it as ‘inappropriate for children’. That didn’t go down well on Twitter at all, with people calling her a homophobic and saying that BBC Breakfast is not the place to push your ‘political message’. I’m afraid I have to agree on that one. In this day and age a man kissing a man is not any more harmful to a child than a man kissing a woman on TV. It’s 2014 and all of these children are going to grow up with both heterosexuality and homosexuality around them. But if we have a look at the current Commonwealth as a whole, homosexuality is currently punishable with prison sentences in 42 out of 54 Commonwealth nations.

As ridiculous as that sounds, same-sex marriage only came one step closer to becoming a reality in Scotland last March, as the bill to legalize it received Royal Assent. Marriages between gay and lesbian couples are expected to begin in Scotland in 2015, and human rights campaigners have called on Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond to speak out against countries with anti-gay laws. That’s a good start as far as I’m concerned. Perhaps my view is skewed growing up in Holland where same-sex marriage has been legal since 2001. After all, Holland was the first country in the world to legalize it.

However, let’s not let all this get in the way of the joyous occasion that the Commonwealth Games represent. I think the opening ceremony was great as it was. It was never going to be as spectacular as the 2012 Olympics in London, which is still fresh in everyone’s mind. David Beckham racing down the Thames in a speedboat. The Spice Girls on top of taxi’s zooming through the stadium. Come one, what more do you want?

The opening ceremony really represented Scotland well with all the subjects depicted you’d expect. Rod Stewarts voice is getting more hoarse with age but again, also something you’d expect.

Now let’s talk fashion. And more specific: shirts. What would I wear to the Games? With the weather being the way it is in Scotland you have to be prepared for everything. Therefore I would go something like trousers or shorts (think red) with loafers. I still think linen is perfect for this time of year, so I would design a nice blue or white linen shirt on our website and bring a jacket along just in case. A light tweed would work. If it does start raining you can chuck it on, but in any case it’ll look great draped over your arm.

To finish this blog I have to mention young Erraid Davies becoming the youngest ever Commonwealth Games medal winner as she achieved a bronze medal in the 100m swim aged 13.
What a fantastic achievement for someone so young. She looked completely amazed by her own achievement and perhaps even slightly shy on the podium receiving her medal. But who can blame her? Beating grown woman at an event like that I guess is slightly awkward! No wonder Rebecca Adlington announced her retirement Twelve days shy of her 24th birthday!

Wimbledon and summer wear

With Wimbledon in full swing this seemed the ideal opportunity to talk about summer wear and specifically linen.

‘’Linen is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant and is valued for exceptional coolness and freshness in hot weather’’

Linen textiles appear to be some of the oldest in the world as their history goes back many thousands of years. Fragments of straw, seeds, fibers, yarns, and various types of fabrics dating to about 8000 BC have been found in Swiss lake dwellings. Linen was even sometimes used as currency in ancient Egypt.Egyptian mummies were wrapped in linen as a symbol of light and purity, and as a display of wealth.

More importantly, linen is considered to be able to regulate body temperature by regulating skin-air heat exchange. It absorbs moisture well and at the same time releases it quickly by drying out quickly, so air can pass through the fabric called “breathing”.

When looking to mix linen in with your current wardrobe options the most obvious would be to go for a white crisp linen shirt combined with colourful options, such as a bright blue or red blazer and/or chinos. The contrasts make for stunning ensembles paired with some boat shoes or even some colourful loafers. But be careful here. Less is more in this instance. Bringing in another colour can work against you.

 

Alexa Chung and Jack Guinness 

For the ladies, blue or white linen looks great with skinny jeans and some sandals or high heels. Combined with elegant neck jewellery or even some oversized pieces can really bring out the optional inside collar designs you can add to your shirt on our website.

Linen really is the perfect option for the summer, home or abroad. It can very easily be worn under a summer suit to combat the heat at the office. Abroad a linen shirt is the ideal companion to shorts and flip-flops. White and blue are my preferred colours as it makes for easy combining with red and blue shorts. But most importantly it makes for an easy transition from shopping or a day at the beach, to dinner and then where the night may take you.

It’s great seeing so many celebs hanging out on centre court at Wimbledon looking smart and sophisticated. I especially like Vernon Kay looking sharp fully suited and booted. The black Ray-Ban sunglasses really finish the look. When looking like that a selfie is always allowed I think.

Bruce Forsyth taking a selfie with Tess Daly, Vernon Kay and Alistair MacGowan.

The Necktie

In our second ShirtbyHand Scotland blog I bring the necktie into the limelight.

Part of the modern formalwear attire the necktie or tie as it’s referred to in modern times, plays a massive part in the office life of the modern gentleman. It’s history can be traced back all the way to roman soldiers wearing it as part of their uniform or as a symbol of belonging to a particular group.

The modern necktie can be traced back to the time of the Thirty Years’ War in 1618 in Europe, when Croatian mercenaries from the Croatian Military Frontier in French service, wearing their traditional small, knotted neckerchiefs, aroused the interest of the Parisians. Boy-king Louis XIV reportedly started wearing them from age 7 and started a craze spreading from the nobility throughout the masses in Europe.

Various forms of the modern tie can be found throughout history since then, but the most popular ways to wear them now are the Four-in-hand knot, also known as the schoolboy knot for it’s simplicity. And the various Windsor knots, for their thickness of appearance due to having the most steps in tying.

Another craze that has recently re-emerged is the skinny tie. Skinny ties were first popularised in the late 1950s and early 1960s by British bands such as the Beatles and the Kinks. Fashion designers usually portray skinny ties as being ideal for skinny men. Regardless of build, any man can pull off the skinny tie look. For thin and tall men, skinny ties are better than wider ties because they look proportionally correct. Thin men may appear to have a smaller frame with a wider tie, and a skinny tie can help a thin man appear to have a more average build.

Modern fabrics used in ties include cotton, polyester, wool and the top of the range is silk. Cotton can look too casual and wool may look out of place in Summer, but silk is an expensive option and quickly loses it’s shape if not worn regularly. Wear wool ties with tweed or heavyweight jackets, and silk ties with business suits. By the way, be wary of the fact that silk ties never really recover from a stain (think coffee here).

When picking a tie look at the lining of the tie. The purpose of the lining is to make tying the tie easier and to prevent it from wrinkling. The lining should be made from 100 percent wool. The more gold bars on the lining, the heavier the lining.

To match a tie to yourself think of the following. If you have dark hair and a dark complexion, go with a bright tie; if you’re fair, choose a darker tie. If your hair and skin tone contrast, wear a tie that contrasts with your skin tone. Following these simple rules ensure the best appearance for both the wearer and the tie.

Here at ShirtbyHand we love to match ties to our shirts and that’s where the beauty of our detailing really comes out. For instance I personally love matching this blue tie to my white herringbone shirt with blue stripes on the inside of the collar and cuffs. Paired with a blue suit it works for the office but more importantly you can take the tie of and open up the collar for after work drinks. Our favourite!

I firmly believe a tie is a must for any formal occasion, but depending on job role and situation also think it can be done without. As long as the shirt and suit are perfect for the occasion I don’t believe a tie will be missed. On the reverse side I dislike ties being worn at informal occasions, especially a night out. Even though Oscar Wilde said that you can never be overdressed or overeducated, I don’t think he met a teenager on a night out wearing a skinny black tie in his time.

Tim Visser
ShirtbyHand Scotland

 

 

The sad demise of the cufflink and it’s return

First ShirtbyHand blog: Cufflinks

Which subject better to start with than Cufflinks: the ultimate accessory to a shirt.

Originating from across the channel in France the first sign of what the modern cufflink looks like appeared during the early sixteenth century, with an open slit on the shirt being sealed off with a piece of string.

It was Louis XIV who eventually decided enough was enough and updated the string with tiny glass forms, with a chain running between them. It was actually the people who then took this to the next level, replacing the glass ovals with diamonds, pearls or even gold. It provided the people with a way of personalising their appearance, and it wasn’t until the Great depression and World War 2 that things really started to slow down. Fashion became more nonchalant and cufflinks disappeared with it. This eventually led to the modern sewn-on button we still see today on shirts.

With the resurgence of modern men’s fashion the cufflink has made a full comeback, complemented by ties and pocket squares and of course the wristwatch. But we’ll get to those in due course.

The most popular cufflinks of the last 5 years include a Swivel bar type, Double-panel type and pairs of silk knot links. cufflinks seem to fascinate designers due to the challenges they pose in design (There is very little leeway to play with).

We now seem to be copying the 16th century upper class with cufflinks at the top end of the market containing elaborate stones. The most expensive pair of cufflinks is currently coming in at well over 4 million dollars from celebrity jewellers Jacob & Co. They contain 20-carat yellow diamonds surrounded by 18-carat white gold and have reportedly been worn by David Beckham.

Having the cufflink firmly back at the centre of men’s style has made it more acceptable to wear them at various occasions. However some fashion experts warn men against wearing cufflinks with jeans and advise they should always be worn on a double cuff shirt. It has even been suggested that men under the age of 30 should not wear cufflinks. But in modern times wearing cufflinks should all be about creating your own style and not following the masses.

My view is that cufflinks should be worn to complement an outfit with other accessories such as a nice wristwatch because the owner enjoys it, and not because some strict fashion edict has forbidden it.

By Tim Visser