Start with the shirt you already reach for. If you like the dry texture and loose fit of linen, keep it for warm days. If you want a collar that sits neatly under a jacket, or a softer shirt for dinner after the temperature drops, change the fabric as well as the cut.
A cotton shirt for a jacket and tie
Our Elegance in White cotton shirt has a point collar, adjustable cuffs and a slim fit. Choose it when you want to tuck the shirt into tailored trousers and have less fabric gathering at the waist. For an open-collar look, leave the top button undone and turn the cuffs back once.
A softer short sleeve for dinner
The Ecru cotton-cashmere shirt has short sleeves and a classic cut. Its fabric is 80% cotton, 10% cashmere and 10% PBT. Wear it with navy trousers when you want the contrast of a pale shirt without the crisp white of a dress shirt. The care instructions call for drying it flat, so allow for that if you’re packing it for a trip.
Three more fabrics to look for
For a textured long sleeve, try cotton seersucker. Its puckered surface leaves small spaces between cloth and skin. For a shirt you can leave open over a T-shirt, try lightweight cotton chambray. For a fine layer under a sport coat, try a lightweight merino polo. With all three, handle the garment if you can. Cloth weight, sleeve length and room through the body matter as much as the fibre name.
When to stay with linen
If you want sleeves you can turn back and a shirt that sits away from the body, our Linen Milky White Shirt has a regular fit, long sleeves and a 100% flax fabric. Its size table puts a 40–41 cm neck in EU M, with a 55 cm flat chest width. To check the chest, lay a shirt you like buttoned on a table and measure across it just below the armholes. Use the size table on each product page when switching styles.
