From outdated to outstanding, the grandad collar shirt has had a style revolution. It’s partly thanks to the vintage flavour of some popular TV shows. And partly because we’ve all had a wakeup to how comfortable these things are to wear. And how stylish they can look. Worn well, they can look remarkable. Worn poorly, they can look like, well, something your grandad would wear. So, how do tip the balance the right way between fabulous and fusty?
How to Style Grandad Collar Shirts
One of the reasons we love the grandad collar shirt is its versatility. It can be dressed up or down with impunity. Printed grandad shirts, like the Grimwig, have the fresh, sharp style that can lift jeans to another level. Paired with the right suit, plain collarless shirts, like the Gibson black or Canning white will rise to any occasion. Any will work well for relaxed dress down days.
Formal
With a suit like the Shelby & Sons Ambrose, anything but a grandad collar shirt feels wrong. The collarless aesthetic completely offsets the textured puppytooth fabric. Even when worn with just a waistcoat, it’s a look that could carry you through anything other than the most formal black-tie affairs. Add in the jacket and complete the look with black leather Chelsea boots or Chukka boots and you’re ready to rock in the most tastefully laid-back manner.
Smart
Almost any suit can benefit from a break from the buttoned-down shirt. Worn with the Grantham skinny fit or similar, the grandad shirt delivers smart office styling. It can reinvigorate the suits that you’ve worn for years. Or be used as a base for new office apparel. Depending on the environment, you can tuck in your shirt or leave it loose. The former looks smarter, but the latter is more suited to the shirt’s relaxed character. One note of warning however, if you go for the untucked look, make sure that your suit jacket is longer than your shirt.
Casual
When it comes to casualwear, almost anything goes with the collarless shirt. Wear a striped or printed number like the Grimwig with jeans. For warmer weather, a plain white grandad shirt like the Canning looks superb with cropped trousers such as the Morvan – just add in Chelsea boots when the weather turns cool.
Created for the working classes, worn by the masses, then adopted by high couture. The collarless shirt has a chequered history. But whenever it’s dropped out of favour, it has always come back for more. And right now, the grandad shirt is back and better looking than ever before.
