NEWS STORY
Shirt crazy
Style-conscious North American executives are
rediscovering the classic, tailored look provided by Britain's finest
shirtmakers
Toronto executive Peter Drummond is passionate about shirts,
and when he talks about his collection of Thomas Pinks, he gushes with the
enthusiasm a wine enthusiast might reserve for a fine Bordeaux.
"Why do I like these shirts?" says Mr. Drummond,
vice-president of Cossette Communications Group and the owner of some six
dress shirts, designed by high-end British shirtmakers such as Thomas Pink and
Turnbull & Asser. "The twill, the knit, the cotton base. They are
incredibly soft but at the same time they have a certain rigidness. Wearing
one of these shirts is like wearing silk."
Like many North American executives, Mr. Drummond has
discovered the finely tailored English shirt, and the trend seems to be part
of a mini-revolution in corporate attire. The new popularity of English
shirts, by London's fabled Jermyn Street retailers such as Pink's, Turnbull
& Asser and Hilditch and Key, has signalled a bold move away from the
casual dress codes that dominated corporate attire in the 1990s.
In boardrooms throughout North America, well-dressed
executives are now sporting finely tailored shirts -- some of them custom made
-- that feature French cuffs and the spread collars that accommodate the
fashionable fatter ties. Although some executives, such as Mr. Drummond,
prefer to wear their cuffed shirts with blue jeans and blazers, others are
adopting a more traditional look by pairing the shirts -- for which you could
pay upwards of $400 -- with formal suitings.
"When George Bush came into power, one of the first
things he did was abolish corporate casual," says Dave Lackie, events and
public-relations manager for Harry Rosen, the upscale men's wear retailer.
"You couldn't get into the White House any more unless you wore a suit
and tie. That's now spilled over into the workplace. Whoever is in control of
the economy, controls menswear trends."
The demise of dot-com companies has also contributed to the
new formality, says Mr. Lackie. Internet companies, most of them dominated by
young executives, took a relaxed approach to business attire. Today that has
mostly changed, and many clients of Harry Rosen stores across Canada today
think nothing of spending $195 for a Hilditch and Key shirt. It can be
custom-made for about double the price.
"When dot-coms went downhill so did corporate
casual," says Mr. Lackie.
Bill Heron, general manager of Harry Rosen's Scotia Plaza
store, in the heart of Toronto's business district, agrees, adding that the
Sept. 11 terrorist strikes also contributed to traditional corporate attire.
"After Sept. 11 you could see the pendulum swing,"
says Mr. Heron, who sells to both high-powered executives and more junior
corporate clients. "Last fall, our custom-tailored shirts went through
the roof in terms of sales, and it was really interesting because you could
sense a relief on the part of many executives who just could never get used to
the idea of business casual."
For many, the collapse of the markets after the terrorist
strikes was a jolt of reality, and this was reflected in the way they dressed.
"Now we want to communicate to our clients that we mean business,"
says one banking executive, who did not want to be identified. "The way
we dress now says, 'I am not going to be casual with your money. Trust me,
because I mean serious business.'"
Mr. Lackie echoes this: "People are looking for
reassurance. They want to feel secure again, and go back to a classic mode of
dressing which stands for authority."
Harry Rosen carries its own line of custom shirts, in
addition to its line of Hilditch and Key, which offers their Canadian clients
regular "trunk shows" to show off new patterns and colours. You can
also order from their Web site at www.hilditch.co.uk for a £20 delivery fee.
Thomas Pink has no stores in Canada, but delivers from
www.thomaspink.co.uk for a £17 fee. The company, founded in 1984 by three
Irish brothers, is now 75% owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, the
luxury goods conglomerate. It sells its shirts through its stores in London,
New York and Chicago as well as the Internet.
Turnbull and Asser shirts are sold at company stores in
London and New York as well as Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and Harrods.
But just how did the English shirt craze catch on here?
According to Mr. Heron, men started coming into the store
last fall, saying, "I saw this great shirt on a guy in the office"
and want- ing something similar, usually with formal French cuffs. In addition
to shirt sales, cufflink sales have boomed in recent months, says Mr. Heron.
But for Mr. Drummond and many others -- call them fashion
visionaries -- the trend began a few years ago when they started buying Thomas
Pink shirts at the company's boutique at London's Heathrow Airport while
awaiting transAtlantic flights.
There, the shirts, characterized by their bold colours and
patterns, are cheaper than at the store's Jermyn Street location. A
French-cuffed Thomas Pink shirt retails for about £58 at the Heathrow store,
which is well below the regular prices, which begin at £70.
On a recent visit to the store in Heathrow's Terminal 3, a
small crowd of somberly dressed North American businessmen could be seen
scanning racks of dress shirts. One man, who seemed to be conducting a
business meeting on his sleek mobile phone, was in the midst of purchasing two
French-cuffed shirts -- one in shocking pink, the other in a vibrant orange.
"Our clients are very global, so the Pink store in
Heathrow is very important," says Mr. Heron, adding that today
increasingly younger men are demanding the French-cuffed shirts.
For Mr. Drummond, who has an eclectic collection of
cufflinks -- "everything from wooden boats to double-decker buses"
-- to match his shirts, the English shirt symbolizes style. At a recent dinner
party, he wore "a really intense bright pink" Thomas Pink shirt with
cufflinks, and was the "most European and stylish man" in the room,
says Alexander Josipovicz, who hosted the party. "I love those
shirts," says Mr. Drummond. "They've become my trademark."
By Isabel Vincent National
Post 11 May 2002
