Getting Shirty... Hawes and Curtis vs TM Lewin

Most chaps, when asked for a good shirtmaker on the High Street will say Hawes & Curtis or T.M. Lewin.

They tend to be at the upper end of most peopls's price range, but good when there is a sale on or if you want to treat yourself.

Most of my favourite shirts are T.M Lewin. For a start, they don't have breast pockets (as a rule) with I like. I really have never the utility in a breast pocket; no sod ever uses it and it disrupts the symmetry of the garment.

Most T.M. Lewin shirts tend to be double cuffed too, which is always welcome as it afford the wearer the chance to wear a pair of cufflinks.

Below are two very similar shirts. The first is from Hawes & Curtis and can be found here

It's slim fit (good) and is currently going for £34.50, which isn't too bad. The website says it's reduced from £79.00, though I think that may just be a marketing ploy.
It's also part of the 4-for-£100 range, which is rather good if you have £100 to spend on shirts at the moment and want some nice items.

This would go well with everything from a simple light grey, two-button single breasted suit, right up to a three-piece navy blue suit. It's available in sizes between 14.5 and 18 inch collars and would compliment the wardrobe of most men.

This little doozey is from T.M Lewin. I was lucky enough to be able to go to the original T.M Lewin store in central London last year. If you ever get the chance, do pay a visit, it's a kind of pilgrames for chaps like us.

.....Before I start, I must apologize for the tie knot. I don't know what happened to the derranged monkey they got to do the tie, but I'm sure he's sorry for what he's done.

This is also a slim fit shirt, but you will notice the different collar style.
I'm not a fan of cut away collars, especially one as extreme as this. No tie will ever look quite right, and if you chose to wear the shirt open collared it just wouldn't sit right.

Oddly, the cuffs seem to 'too' square. I know that's an odd thing to say, but they seem clunky compared to the Hawes & Curtis shirt. It could just be the photo angle though.

This shirt is currently going for £29.50. The website also claims its down from £75.00 but I'll take that with a pinch of salt. For that price it's probably worth a look. If you like that style of collar on a slim fit shirt you probably won't find another one for under £40, in which case grab yourself a treat.


I have a feeling the H&C vs TML  rivalry will carry on a for a while.........if for no other reason that I will always be able to fall back on it for blogging material!

Happy shopping chumrades!