You might have noticed that we have slowly but steadily begun to add new items to our collection beyond knitwear. With the summer months and warmer weather approaching, we’ve introduced some new pieces that promise comfort and airflow even on those stifling hot days. Though these garments aren’t knitwear, the Colhay’s ethos still underpins our every move and we prioritise quality over all, using only the finest raw materials and working with only the world's best craftsmen who are the most experienced and knowledgeable in their field.
Here in this article we’re introducing our new French Linen One Piece Collar Riviera Shirt. Inspired by the styles worn by the Hollywood elite holidaying on the south coast of France back in the 1950s and 60s, this shirt is flowy, casual and, perhaps most importantly, breathable.
As you’ve come to expect from Colhay’s we have sourced the finest French linen to create this piece. The fibres used to create the linen are found in Normandy, where the climate is just perfect for the flax plant (from which the linen fibres are produced) to thrive. The longest fibres are selected, creating a strong and durable fabric that’s also incredibly soft to the touch and luxurious to wear.
The shirt is then expertly crafted by a Japanese shirtmaker, whose known for their precision and expertise in fit, making our riviera shirt really a marriage of the best of both worlds - French elegance with Japanese precision.
Design Features
The one piece collar is one of our favourite design features of the shirt. The one piece collar is characteristic of traditional Italian shirt making craftsmanship and gives a clean look. Free of a collar band, the shirt collar flows seamlessly, creating a wonderful collar roll, especially under tailoring, and further emphasising its free and casual feel.
The Japanese shirtmaker that we worked with have their own interpretation of the one piece collar which is produced with such intricacy and precision that the collar does not flatten, rather it holds its shape and can be worn under jackets without getting squashed down and looking scruffy. This is one aspect of the shirt that we particularly love, being able to wear it in a casual manner, whilst still looking sophisticated and elegant. You can wear it alone in the daytime and throw on a jacket when the cooler evening arrives with no worries about crushing the collar.
Fabric
Linen is widely known to be the superior fabric to wear when the weather is hot. It’s moisture wicking, taking perspiration away from your body and thus preventing you from feeling hot and sticky. Plus, its relatively open weave allows for excellent airflow, again helping to keep you cool.
To produce this particular shirt we worked with a shirtmaker in Japan where their experts are much more used to the hot weather. The heat and humidity of Japan’s summer months is intense, especially when compared to here in Britain where our extremely hot periods are limited to just a few days per year. Their lived experience makes them even more ideally placed to create our spring summer pieces.
As we mentioned above, linen has long been the go-to fabric choice for people in hot climates. Having said this, often the colour choices are pale or bright, perhaps even featuring a striking pattern. At Colhay’s we favour more muted tones with our knitted pieces and this is also the case when it comes to linen.
We know that many prefer a look that’s stylish and distinguished but isn’t eye-catching for the wrong reasons, and doesn’t stand out too much. For this reason, we’ve chosen two shades: olive and navy. These calm colourways also allow you to wear the shirt in the workplace, should you work in a more casual office where corporate wear isn’t required.
The fit of the shirt is roomy, further promoting airflow. Another great advantage to this flowy fit is comfort. Despite being a collared shirt, this is not a restrictive piece and is incredibly comfortable to wear, meaning you can relax and enjoy the sun!
As is characteristic of a lot of Japanese made garments, the linen fabric has some unique qualities that allow it to develop its natural characteristics over time, giving it a patina and “lived in” feel, and making it feel uniquely your own. You can find out more about our French Linen One Piece Collar Riviera Shirt here.
