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A history of popover shirts

February 26, 2016 by Ville Raivio

In historical light, we are living an age of a young shirt type. The current one has buttons from the neck down to the hem, but for centuries before this, men’s shirts were simply dragged on. Closure was handled with cords, strings or with the help of a few buttons – in any case, the shirt could not be opened fully. This shirt cut has later on taken the name of popover. It was originally used for formal shirts and humble work garments, but as stiff detachable collars were left out and buttoning moved lower during the early 1900s, popovers became rarer. Thanks to their peculiar shape, they were worn for leisure almost without excetions.

During the 1960s, the American company GANT became known for shirts whose buttons ran out at the middle of the torso. To dress into them, the shirts had to be popped over the head — and this act gave its name to the shirts. Since then, the company has manufactured or has had made popovers from one year to another, but in random amounts and as part of varying lineups. Ralph Lauren’s company has done likewise, but theirs have popped up so randomly that fans of these shirts have been forced to hunt things down or have them made. Italy’s greatest style icon Gianni Agnelli was a fan of the popover in his off-time and style mavens followed suit, but for some peculiar reason the masses have not taken to popovers. Whatever was left of the shirt’s popularity after the Victorian times was cut off by World War part I and Redux. Afterwards the shirt was most popular in America as part of the Ivy League uniform, in Europe it has mostly died off.

The popover’s buttoning is shorter, so these models must be cut looser to allow ease of dressing and stripping. If they’re worn loose and over the trousers, however, the hem should be fairly form-fitting, and this adds difficulty for the maker. The length of the placket has been a matter of taste, but most companies have favoured 2-4 buttons. While regular shirts allow buttons to be moved a few cms to make room for changing guts, popovers are intolerant for such manoeuvres. Despite a few limitations, the popover offers any man an eccentric look that has been able to appeal for a few centuries now. Few garments achieve the same.

Category American style, Shirts, Vintage

Einstein in quote

February 24, 2016 by Ville Raivio

“If most of us are ashamed of shabby clothes and shoddy furniture, let us be more ashamed of shabby ideas and shoddy philosophies.”

— Albert Einstein

Category Aphorisms

Savile Row and Jermyn Street in pictures

February 23, 2016 by Ville Raivio

Alamy’s large stock photo collection holds over a thousand more-or-less candid shots of Savile Row, reaching from the 1940s to this, our 2010s. Several famed cutters are shown doing their thing, crafting two-dimensional cloth into 3D-garments that hide the weak points and boost the strong ones. Highly recommended for all tailoring nerds.

Oh, and while you’re at it, do have a look at Alamy’s selection of more than 700 shots from Jermyn Street.

With my thanks to Voxsartoria for the tip.

Savile Row on Alamy

Jermyn Street on Alamy

Category British Style, Jermyn Street, Links, Savile Row

Why do the Japanese spend so much on clothing?

February 19, 2016 by Ville Raivio

“For example, why have the Japanese been so interested in fashion — arguably far beyond other cultural fields? As Japanese teens built up their own youth cultures, they always prioritized fashion over music, automobiles, furniture, and cuisine… As a start, urban consumers did not need nice interior goods because no one entertained in their cramped apartments. And between a lack of facilities and little free time from work, sports have not been a major part of adult life. By contrast, fashion worked well with the busy, crowded Tokyo lifestyle… Osamu Shigewatsu explains, ‘Clothes have always had the highest return on investment because, unlike other kinds of culture, they’re seen by others, and the Japanese care a lot about that. Clothes can express personal identity and also act as a communication tool.’

— W. David Marx in his fascinating social history book Ametora

Category Japanese Style, Quotations, Reading

Interview with gusvs

February 18, 2016 by Ville Raivio

VR: Your age and occupation?

gusvs: I’m 41 and work as Business Unit Director at a large industrial company.

VR: Your educational background?

gusvs: Master of Science in Business Administration, as well as a couple of years at university in Japan.

VR: Have you any children or spouse (and how do they relate to your tailoring enthusiasm)?

gusvs: Wife and two kids, 6 and 4 years old. Well, they’re all used to it by now. They usually join to visit Liverano & Corcos when we’re in Florence.

VR: …and your parents and siblings’ reactions back when you were younger?

gusvs: My father has always been dressing in classic menswear, so no big reactions really. I think they all enjoy it, rather.

VR: What other hobbies or passions do you have besides classic apparel?

gusvs: Except spending time with my family and friends, I enjoy golf, fishing and music (classical & jazz).

VR: How did you first become interested in style, and when did you turn your eyes towards the classics? Why these instead of fashion?

gusvs: Well, first of all, my father has always dressed in classic style, so I guess it was sort of natural to me. Then my first job required a suit and tie, so the need was there. I have worked and lived in Japan, and that is where my interest really got more serious. In Japan, classic menswear is all around and anything you like is available. So that’s where it started really.

VR: How have you gathered your knowledge of the tailored look — from books, talks with salesmen or somewhere else?

gusvs: From books and magazines (especially Men’s Ex which was a great magazine 10 years ago), and from the Internet. I was pretty early on Styleforum back in the days when there were more knowledgeable discussions around tailored clothing.

VR: Have you any particular style or cut philosophy behind your own clothing?

gusvs: My style has definitely changed over the years, but the last years I’ve gone for a less is more-philosophy. I keep it simple and classic.

VR: I see you are a devoted follower of the eccentric Liverano&Liverano cut. Why does his art of the cloth appeal to you over others?

gusvs: There is something about the overall balance in the Liverano cut which is unique and I find it perfect for my body type. The dartless front combined with rounded quarters and fairly generous lapels create a shape which is soft yet formal enough for a business suit.

VR: Who or what inspires you?

gusvs: I travel a lot and get inspiration from meeting different people all over the world. In style, I’m greatly inspired by Antonio Liverano and Takahiro Osaki. I also find Kotaro Miyahira to have a great sense of style. This is really key to me: I choose my tailor based on his own style.

VR: What’s your definition of style?

gusvs: Style is about expressing yourself through what you wear. It is about showing respect towards people around you. And, of course, style has nothing to do with fashion.

Vr: Finally, Sweden seems to have the most active, largest and varied men’s style scene in Northern Europe. Could you perhaps explain why classic clothing interests so many Swedes?

gusvs: Not sure, but I guess in Scandinavia we have a long history of design – in clothing as well as furniture. There is a lot of textile industry in Sweden still, which I guess is a big reason behind the interest. Also, not unimportant, Swedes are active on internet forums which I think has partly helped spread the iGent bug here.