(“I’m ready for my office photo” was the look I was going for in this piece!)
I wanted to highlight a special new item that has entered my wardrobe recently… GANT’s Oxford pop-over shirt. It’s light, airy, and more comfortable than your average shirt, thanks to its floaty arms and loose neckline.
But that’s not exactly what makes it special…
Informally formal
I used to be a big shirt-wearer when working in my last office, and this would have been my go-to back then.
However, since I started working for myself, I’ve donated a lot of my formal clothing to charity. In most cases, it would be less comfortable to wear than my standard jumper-and-jeans uniform, and many of the collaborators I work with now also dress down.
What really drew me to adding a shirt back into my minimal wardrobe was its balance between formal and informal. I’ve had real trouble with white shirts in the past – they really need to be well-fitted to look any good – and despite the shirt-and-jeans combo being a classic look, it’s actually pretty hard to pull off.
The style of this shirt – the floaty arms, the pop-over style – made it an easy choice, and one I didn’t need to try on to know it would fit well either.
Professional activewear
Now onto what makes it truly special: the material. GANT is a classic shirt business; started in 1949, they’ve dressed Ivy League graduates and business men and women for years. However, they’ve taken a new direction with their latest range of Tech Prep shirts, catering to those with an active lifestyle.
Using a combination of cotton and recycled polyester, it wicks away moisture. As a city cyclist, I love that I can wear it to and from coffee shop meetings, without having to sacrifice on formality or my favourite way to travel.
Cleaning up the ocean
On the ethics side of things, GANT has also taken the initiative to use recycled polyester, spun from reclaimed plastic-waste in the Mediterranean sea. It’s an exciting step: I’ve seen the same materials used in swimwear and jackets*, but never a shirt.
This shirt was one of the first GANT released as part of their Beacons Project, and I’m excited to see they’ve extended it to an oversized shirt and a gorgeous deep blue long shirt too.
From paper bags to plastic shirts… I really have been messing around with fabrics recently!
