What Makes a Favourbrook Shirt So Special?

What Makes a Favourbrook Shirt So Special?

Our friends and neighbours over on London's Jermyn Street get all the plaudits for shirtmaking, but we fancy that our shirts are their equal. Shirtmaking hasn't much changed for the best part of two centuries, and for that span of time the UK has been the epicentre for quality and refinement, with Jermyn Street developing a reputation for some of the world's finest shirtmakers. We're just a hop, skip and a jump away on Pall Mall and also consider our shirts some of the best off-the-peg styles that money can buy, even if we don't have the Jermyn Street postcode!


The Dress Shirt

In the late 19th century, a new form of formalwear emerged, gaining prominence in Tuxedo Park, New York, where an American client of the Savile Row tailor Henry Poole had started wearing a new form of formal jacket that didn't have tails. It was here that the tuxedo jacket gained popularity, and naturally, the shirt followed. It was designed to complement the tuxedo, distinguished by its pleated or bib front, as opposed to the plain front of your average white shirt.

 
 
 
 
 
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Full-dress shirts were the early front-runners, coming with a front that was so heavily starched that it looked like a breast plate. These early shirts had detachable collars, too, which is very rare nowadays. The Marcella shirt is one of the more popular modern options, being a double-faced quilted cotton cloth, which gives the front a certain thickness and stiffness. The cloth's origins go back to the quilt makers of Marseilles but it was Lancashire textile mills that industrialised the fabric. It is very similar in structure to a piqué cloth, and these days, the two terms are used interchangeably.


At Favourbrook, we construct dress shirts in a variety of styles to suit individual tastes, preferences, and of course the diversity of formalwear events one can attend. These are most popular dress shirt styles you will come across:

  • Classic Pleated Front: Timeless and traditional, featuring the distinctive pleated bib front.
  • Piqué or Marcella Front: The textured waffle-like pattern adds a touch of sophistication.
  • Plain Front: A modern, clean look with no pleats or texture.
  • Fly-Front: With a concealed placket for a sleek and streamlined appearance.

The Business Shirt

For any smart occasion that doesn't require specific formalwear, a Business shirt is an excellent option, boasting all of the clean sharp lines of the formal shirt only without the bib details and heavyweight cotton. We have created a number of different styles in both cotton and linen fabrics, as well as a multitude of different collar styles to suit your personal style preferences. One of our favourite, and most popular styles, is the Gatsby shirt: F. Scott Fitzgerald described Jay Gatsby as having shirts 'piled like bricks in stacks a dozen high' and wrote that, upon seeing his collection, Daisy Buchanan cried because she had never seen such beautiful shirts before. Our Gatsby shirt is worthy of such admiration with its sharp, slim cut, structured formal collar with double button fastening, and French double cuff. Crafted from two fold fine quality poplin, this lightweight cloth is beautifully finished by a concealed button front and benefits from the added comfort and stretch of a split yolk across the shoulders, making it perfect for wearing with a lounge suit. 

 
 
 
 
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The Smart-Casual Shirt

Our most casual style of shirt still retains an excellent degree of elegance, designed to be worn with relaxed tailored separates on the smart end of the spectrum, or alternatively, with more casual looks such as tailored shorts and loafers. Many of these shirts have been crafted from premium linen fabrics, giving them a soft and relaxed natural drape. Our Helford shirt is a perfect demonstration of this, cut in a beautifully soft linen cloth that drapes naturally and has a subtle slubby finish. With a classic spread collar and rounded one-button cuffs, it's the perfect casual shirt for discerning gents looking for that riviera-ready look.

 
 
 
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