Custom shirts

Custom Shirts, Chiang Mai: why shirts are the honest test of a tailor

A shirt has nowhere to hide.

A jacket carries internal structure that can disguise a mediocre pattern. A shirt is two layers of cloth against your body, so if the shoulder seam sits in the wrong place or the armhole is cut too low, you will feel it the first time you reach for something.

That is why a shirt is a good first order. It is inexpensive relative to a suit, it is quick, and it tells you within a week whether the shop knows what it is doing.

Where off-the-rack shirts fail

Ready-made shirts are sized on the neck and, if you are lucky, the sleeve. Everything else is an average.

The predictable failures: a body cut for someone with a wider waist so the shirt balloons when tucked in, a shoulder seam that sits halfway down the upper arm, an armhole cut low for ease of manufacture so the whole shirt lifts when you raise your arm, and sleeves that are correct in length only if your arms match the size chart.

A drafted shirt fixes all of these because none of them are compromises, they are just measurements.

The choices worth making

Collar. The most visible decision. Semi-spread is the default for good reason. Point collars suit rounder faces; cutaway collars need a substantial tie knot.

Cuff. Single button for daily wear, two-button for a slightly dressier line, French cuffs if you own cufflinks and occasions that warrant them.

Placket. A standard front placket is the classic. A concealed placket is dressier and suits evening shirts.

Fit. Be honest about how you actually want to feel. “Slim” is often chosen for the label and regretted at a desk. A shirt should be close without pulling at the buttons when you sit.

Cloth for the climate

For Chiang Mai and anywhere similar, look at poplin and lighter oxford weights in cotton, or a cotton-linen blend if you want more air movement and do not mind creasing.

Heavier oxfords and twills are excellent shirts and better suited to cooler places. Linen is the most comfortable thing you can wear in heat and it will crease within minutes of putting it on, which is either the charm or the problem depending on your view.

More detail on fibres and weights is in the fabric guide.

Ordering more than one

Once a shirt has been made and worn, the pattern is on file with any corrections applied. Repeat orders become a matter of choosing cloth, which is why most customers order one, then order several.