Speaking of shirt collars and custom shirting, Spier & Mackay just started a 20% off sale on theirs starting now and running through Feb. 9. Use code CUSTOM20 for the discount.
I ordered two shirts with the promotion and below I spell out my exact specifications for each. I ordered a poplin mid-blue reverse stripe shirt with a “large Italian full spread” cutaway collar (C21), and a plain white lightweight Oxford shirt with the same collar with an unfused lining.
One thing about Spier’s custom shirting is that you can tweak just about anything by simply writing out what you want done in the comments box on the order. That includes things like changing collar measurements, specifying measurements that aren’t listed on the normal menu or asking for a certain weight and type of collar lining.
For my shirt wardrobe, as I wrote recently, I‘ve started to think more critically about it. Besides collar shapes, I’ve noticed the number one shirt style I reach for most days is an Oxford cloth shirt, which usually have button-down collars. I think it’s because it looks fine without being ironed, the fabric is comfortable and it has a relaxed vibe that works perfectly with denim. But I prefer the look of a cutaway collar when I’m not wearing a tie.
The solution is easy enough: Oxford shirts with large Italian cutaway collars. So that’s what I did. Specifically, I ordered a white one in the lightweight Oxford they sell. It’s kind of a test to see whether the collar lining I chose works out well with the “large Italian full spread” (C21) collar and also to lock in my measurements. If it turns out, I’ll order more, probably in the medium blue pictured below (which looks like an outstanding shade of blue and texture; it’s clearly mis-labeled as a twill weave) and possibly a blue university stripe.
As for the second shirt, I’m obsessed with reverse stripes (which describes a striped shirt where the base is the colored part and the stripe is white), and this fabric looks gorgeous. I did the same C21 collar, except I specified it be fused with a medium-lightweight interlining. I picture myself wearing this shirt primarily open collar, which is why I went cut-away instead of medium spread. This is also kind of a test of the fused interlining, to see if it’ll be what I want, and if so, I’ll probably do a plain white poplin shirt with the medium-spread “large Italian spread” (C19) collar.
Collar lining specifications
On the collar interlinings, by the way, I based what I ordered on two off-the-rack shirts I’ve bought and the linings that Rikky Khanna, the owner of Spier & Mackay, had told me they used in them. For the Oxford shirt, I liked the medium-lightweight interlining of the blue reverse stripe Oxford I got last summer. That, he said, is a single layer of unfused interlining that’s one step up from the lightest weight (3630 it’s called, he said. 3620 is the lightest). So that’s what I specified for the collar, placket and cuffs.
On button down collar shirts, I think the totally unlined Oxford cloth collar has history and charm, and I like the ones I own. That said, I think a very lightweight unfused lining does improve how it looks and wears, so even on future button-down collars I might make, I’ll likely specify a single layer of very lightweight unfused lining. But for this shirt, it’s a cutaway collar, and I think it’ll stand up better with a layer of lining inside.
For the reverse stripe poplin, I was inspired by my favorite Eidos dress shirts, which are fused and not too heavy. So I specified the same medium-light 3630 lining as the Oxford shirt, but fused in the collar and cuffs.
As a side note, he told me that the Bengal stripe shirt which I recently got from them (as pictured here) uses two layers of unfused lining sewn in together—3630 and 3640. It’s softened up and looks good after a few washes, but I think I’d like it even better if it were a bit lighter weight (maybe just a single layer of the 3640).
He is constantly experimenting and changing the construction of what he offers each season, so unfortunately if you have a shirt of theirs you like from a specific season, it isn’t necessarily made with the same specs as shirts from other seasons, so don’t assume the specs I spelled out for this shirt are the same as what you might own from them.
Exact shirt designs for my two shirts
White Lightweight Oxford cloth shirt (Fabric SKU DON-2384-MTM)
- C21 Large Italian Spread Collar (I specified increasing the front collar band height to 1-7/16”, plus no tie space)
- Single button conical cuff
- Classic width placket
- Rear box pleat
- Round chest pocket
- Classic 1/4” stitch from edge
- Single layer unfused 3630 interlining in collar, placket and cuffs
Medium blue reverse Bengal stripe (fabric SKU MT-2420-MTM)
- C21 Large Italian Full Spread Collar (increased front collar band height to 1-7/16”, plus no tie space)
- One button mitered cuff
- French turn placket
- No rear back pleats
- No chest pocket
- Classic 1/4” stitch from edge
- Single layer 3630 fused interlining in collar and cuffs
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Thank you for this detailed post. I was considering taking advantage of this sale and I appreciate knowing that you can specify so much in the comments box when you order–particularly the weight of the interlining. Thanks!
No problem. Once they come in and I have a chance to see how they turned out I intend to write a full “tutorial” for how to get the most out of your Spier & Mackay MTM shirt order, including info on interlinings, my best practices, etc.