Off to my sisters wedding in a couple of weeks, it’s a formal do so I need to have a suit and tie outfit (I don’t where one normally, so have had to go out and buy one.)

For the suit, I had one made up for me by these guys. Decided to go down the tailored route as I have quite broad shoulders and am relatively short, so off the rack suits tend to look a bit weird and boxy on me!

Now I need to get a shirt. My wife reckons I should go for one from Thomas Pink, but I’m wondering if £99 for a shirt is a tad excessive? Is it really worth it over a £40 M & S shirt? What am I getting for my money?

Also, what tailors have you folk used (in London) for shirts? Not looking for made to measure as I don’t have time (I fly out next Wednesday), so just looking for a nice off the rack option.

cheers chaps, appreciate your advice 😀

the best place in london for off the peg or bespoke shirts is emma willis on jermyn street. she has a website as well, lovely stuff.

http://www.emmawillis.com/

I like TM Lewin – decent quality for the price and their slim fit is good on me (but I’m tall and lanky so the opposite of you). A lot cheaper than Pink.

There is definityely a difference between a £99 Pink and a £40 M&S, yes.

However, T M Lewin are doing 3 for £75 at present, and they are generally passable for a fair few washes anyway and definitely a bit nicer than M & S.

The key point is whether it fits you. Are you sure you couldn’t get something cut? I have found Ede & Ravenscroft very good for my suits. I think they offered me 3 semi-bespoke shirts for £250 last time I asked.

Pinks are utter pish, avoid.

Emma Willis are decent, but at the moment, I am rather liking my Roderick Charles shirts (Also Jermyn St).

Of the “chains”, Lewins are the best bet for overall quality, but M&S are surprisingly good, actually!

go to emma willis. explain what you’re after and for what. they’ll sort you right out, you’ll be the talk of the town. 🙂

Ive found that TMLewin dont iron very well post-first wash.

Reiss formal (not their casual trout!) shirts are spot on. They are fitted at the rear and very flattering.

hora, have you explained to your gentleman’s gentleman that they should be ironed while slightly damp?

Second TM Lewin. Better quality and cheaper than Thomas Pink. I’ve had some Thomas Pink shirts and all the buttons came off!

+1 on TM Lewins and you can get 3 shirts for £50 from one of the shops near lime street – Pink shirts done seem to last me much more than 6 months before they start fraying or elbow splitting…

I tend to go for CT Shirts as they seem well priced, fit me and have a collar shape that I like (unlike Lewin). Jermyn Street is worth a vist if you are in London as there are several different shirtmakers along there and IIRC there was a thread on here sometime ago which went well over 100 posts on people’s favourite shirts. Each to their own and all that

New I could rely upon the sartorial style of STW for some advice 😀

Emma Willis stuff looks nice, but even more expensive…

It does vary enormously doesn’t it?

Roderick Charles (Chancery Lane) were responsible for the single most appalling piece of tailoring I have ever had the misfortune to be caught up in. A suit that, after their delicate ministrations just screams “out on licence”. 🙂

well they’ve got off the peg shirts on their site that are less than the £85 you mentioned.

They must have seen you coming, BD! My latest (non-bespoke) suit was from Roderick Charles on Jermyn St. Very impressed, they even got my raffish turnups the right length!

Recession, what recession?

Should I take my suit in with me when I buy a shirt? Will they turn up their nose at my ‘cheap’ bespoke tailoring (ie will I insult them by turning up with a suit from another tailor?)

if you’re talking about emma willis then they’ll be as nice to you with whatever suit you take in as they would to the nearest oil rich arab who’s gone in for a diamond stitched shirt to match his monday ferrari.

Another vote for TM Lewins, had about a dozen over the last few years.

im all for men looking good but this is turning into metrosexualtrackworld

there was me thinking that the mtb world was all cool and alternative, turns out its just full of middle class suits

now this is a cool (t)shirt im wearing mine today, so far only 2 people actually know what it means 🙂

i’ve seen alien as well, don’t worry 🙂

edit – but you’re right, that is a cool t-shirt!

take a look at new and lingwood if you are on Jermyn street although a lot depends on how you like your collar and cuffs.

Don’t get me wrong, I much prefer a good T-shirt 😀 Big fan of Ringspun, Replay, Chunk, Goi Goi etc..

But my sister has decreed that I must wear a suit and tie, so I’m buying my first outfit (at 32yrs old 🙂 )

If you’re a funny shape, like specific types of collar/cuffs/pockets etc and don’t want to spend a fortune then I’d recommend this.

And yes, it does work (well, for me anyway).

That would’ve been a good option, but I don’t have the time unfortunately (I fly out next week). Maybe I’ll splash the cash for a Emma Willis, though the good folk of Townsville, North Queensland won’t have a clue that it’s a £100 shirt!! OR care for that matter 😀

Personally I wouldn’t go for Thomas Pink or TM Lewin at their price ranges. As mentioned, for that sort of cash you’re better off going to Jermyn Street and buying off the peg from any of the established shirt-makers. They’ll run a measure over you and get you something better fitting and of decent cotton.

For a little more you could go bespoke but generally you’ll have to fulfill a minimum order (usually 3). I got mine made by Budd Brothers – I think it worked out at around £130 a shirt in the end. The oldest ones are still going strong. Personally I can’t recommend bespoke highly enough – they fit like a glove and my eldest are now coming up for 8 years old and still going strong. SHould they wear out at the collar / cuff then you’ll get replacements easily enough without binning the whole shirt. You don’t get that at T.Pink.

If you want to do the highstreet then the shirtmaker who fitted me out recommended Marks and Spencer and Next (which surprised me no end). The quality of the materials, especially at M&S is very good for money apparently. You just need to find the size that fits you best.

CFH – you seem to be taken with R. Charles right now. I shall investigate (n/w/standing the pauper’s salary they keep us on in the provinces, I am in need of some more decent suits and shirts and I’m not sure I always want to be off-the-peg G&H).

To answer the OP – Pinks I find to be awful, both in terms of cut and quality. I don’t rate Lewins that much higher, but they aren’t as bad as Pinks.

Some good recs on here, and Jermyn Street is the place to shop for shirts. My next shirts, however, will be Frank Rostron in Manchester.

There is nothing cool with that T Shirt apart from having short sleeves will keep you cool in warm weather.
As mentioned above I’d stay away from Thomas Pink, I’ve had a few of their shirts and they have all worn really poorly – One’s now a duster and another I use to decorate in. T M Lewin, Hugo Boss and Paul Smith are all excellent choices for off the peg shirts

Oddly, now is a very good time to look at suits and shirts, what with all this recession kerfuffle a lot of the shops are douing some superb deals to tempt you out of your hard earned!

I totally disagree with Hora re the Lewins ironing. I am the ironer in our house and all the lewins shirts we own are a pleasure to iron.

Although am about to iron my new Hawkes & Curtis shirt so will be interesting to see how it compares.

What a sad cow I am 😯 😀

MrsF, don’t suppose you fancy doing mine as well? 😉

For a fee Captain, I will.

I find Uniqlo ones pretty good…

…but seriously… you don’t wear shirts/suits very much (or at all) and you’re really thinking about spending £100 on shirt! Even if I had to wear them every day I don’t think I could justify more than about £25 each!

*Gives thanks for being able to wear uniform/scrubs to work.

a pleasure to iron

Eh? Germaine Greer to the front desk, please – advice needed. 😉

you’re really thinking about spending £100 on shirt!

well… I’ve spent £350+ (a small fortune for me!) on a suit so may as well get the whole outfit to match 😀

Duchamp have 30% off some of their collection at the moment, get yourself a good tie along with your shirt

mrsflash, I need to be shown the correct way 😀

TM Lewin again here – get the 100 count cotton ones, not the heavier weight stuff, really come into their own after a few washes…mmm. comfy.
4 shirts for 100notes in this neck of the woods…

noteeth, I’m sure if you have read my recent rants on the topic of riding with women you will agree that I don’t really need to chat with the lovely Ms Greer.

However, ironing needs doing and I’d rather iron a shirt that responds well to it.

[thinks this is probably not the place to start talking about the inordinate amount of pleasure hanging washing on the line gives me]

I like the look of the Duchamp stuff… bit of a fan of flash and colour. might pop down there and see what’s what 😀