Why every man should invest in a wing tip collared shirt
Despite their old-world associations, there's something very modern about the design
I’M CURRENTLY obsessed with wing-tip collar shirts.
Originally designed to be worn with white-tie outfits – ivory tuxedo jacket, white bow tie, black dress trousers and, of course, a white wing-tip collar – they bring to mind the likes of Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly willowing across the silver screen in the first half of the 20th century.
But despite their old-world associations, there’s also something incredibly modern about a wing-tip shirt. The band collar has a certain oriental futurism to it, while the points add angularity to a look, framing the face and defining the neck.
This season, many designers have been using such shirts in more casual outfits, and the effect is surprisingly elegant. At the premiere of Disclosure Day, Josh O’Connor wore a knitted frock coat from Dior with an open-neck wing-tip collar shirt, and looked subversive rather than stuffy.
I followed O’Connor’s lead yesterday, wearing an oversized blazer – quelle surprise – with a wing-tip collar shirt from Swedish brand Toteme’s excellent new menswear collection.
As I appraised myself in the mirror, I felt sharp-yet-soft: ready for my more challenging meetings, approachable for my team one-to-ones, and suitably primed for the snazzy seven-course dinner I tucked into at Alain Ducasse later that evening.
The rise of wing-tip collars has much to do with Jonathan Anderson and his neo-Regency vision for Dior. Indeed, the broader return of subverted period dressing has the British designer to thank – as well as the fact that two major Jane Austen adaptations are arriving later this year.
All this to say, I strongly advise absorbing a good, slightly oversized wing-tip collar shirt into your day-to-day rotation, and not limiting it to black-tie looks alone.
M.J. Bale Termao tuxedo shirt
For a big-budget option, head to Dior and at the lower end , M.J. Bale has you covered. Or you could go super oldschool and get in touch with British shirtmaker Ede & Ravenscroft.
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