StyleCarl ThompsonMarch 17, 2017Grandad Shirt, Double Breasted Blazers, DB Suit, Double Breasted Suits, Suit up, Reiss, boohooMAN, Nisolo Shoes, Navy, Pinstripe Suits, Menswear, Mens Style & FashionComment

How to Style a Grandad Collar Shirt

Grandad shirts have been making a come back for a couple of seasons now in menswear and especially for your favourite menswear brands collections for Spring/Summer 2017. But what is a Grandad shirt and how to wear one? Firstly styling a Grandad shirt is pretty simple. As shirt collars go, this one can be worn both formally, casually and as I have down, formal yet casual, so how on earth can you get this wrong?

Most fashion aficionados would say that the Grandad shirt should always be buttoned-up to the top, as it has it's history back in the 1920's formal attire - so who are we to restyle such a classic. Well times have changed and our dress sense is moving more casual than formal.

The Grandad shirt's origin is just over the Atlantic Ocean at New York in 1927. When a lady named Hannah Montague cut the collar off her husband’s shirt to wash it separately and so was born the detachable collar. As I mentioned previously, the Grandad shirt is historically very formal. Lots of different detachable collar styles were available including the 1920's classics of the Pin Collar or the Tab collar, no pioneered by the menswear brand Hawkins & Shepherd. Without the detachable collar buttoned in, the shirt has a plain banded type of collar, which gave birth to the grandad collar you'll find today.

I do feel that the best look for a grandad shirt is buttoned up to the top, either underneath a suit, simply with a pair of trousers or unbuttoned with jeans. Although the shirt is formal, you'll have to double-check your companies dress-for-work policy to see if they are allowed, as you can clearly not wear a tie with this shirt.

In this look, I have brought a navy grandad shirt from Reiss and paired it with another classic tailoring piece...the navy pinstripe suit. Two very formal pieces of tailoring, but with a couple of buttons undone on the grandad shirt, whilst roaming London between meetings gives this look a distinct laid-back feel to it.

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