Six spring shirts by Mr DRG
Mr DRG* has been getting click-happy on his favourite menswear sites again. While the temperature hovers above 5 degrees, read on for his thoroughly researched picks of the best spring shirts for men…
TOP ROW
Silk palm tree-print shirt, £515, Saint Laurent
Having been a long-time fan of the excellent Japanese Sun Surf 50s rayon repros, I’m not one to be scared of a big-print shirt. This one from Saint Laurent absolutely nails the look, but with a sharper, cleaner cut for today. It’s also available in black and white at Matchesfashion, but this one hits the spot for me – one of these will be coming my way for sure.
Navy knitted polo shirt, £110, Fred Perry
Fred Perry’s Laurel Wreath line has aced it with these tops, which are the perfect soulboy shirt. Fulfilling the role of a slightly snappier John Smedley Isis, and making a far better fist of it than Smedley’s recent efforts with polos (which come across to me as messing with a classic), these come in navy, light blue and light grey, and I think I need all three.
Coral cotton Oxford shirt, £65, J. Crew
It doesn’t get much more summery than this short-sleeved button down from J. Crew, which manages to capture both the spirit of a Rivera holiday and the California cool of Chet Baker. And if you want more of the same, then I recommend the recently opened J. Crew flagship store in Regent Street, or the men’s shop in Lamb’s Conduit Street.
BOTTOM ROW
Blue Oxford button-down shirt, £95, Beams Plus
It’s all too easy to overlook the absolute classics and not be terribly wowed by them, but I know that this Oxford button-down will get a lot of wear. Perfect Ivy League summer style.
Seersucker print shirt, £165, Gitman Vintage
As DRG will confirm, I do like a Gitman shirt, and this one follows on from the Frank Stella inspired late-50s one that I bought last year. Just the sort of thing I could imagine William Claxton photographing Art Pepper in.
Striped fine-twill shirt, £150, Levi’s Vintage Clothing
For my money, this is the pick of the SS14 LVC collection, so I was waiting for these to land and nabbed one as soon as Newburgh Street received stock. My real hope is that this becomes an LVC staple for seasons to come, as I could see this working in so many colourways. 50s pastel pink and yellow, red & white, peppermint and mint, burgundy and white – I’d take them all!
[Note: that’s not Mr DRG up there, it’s Dennis Wilson…]
