When shopping for a shirt, it's essential to pay attention to some details to recognize a high-quality shirt.
Here's what to look for:
Fabric: A quality shirt is made from natural fabrics like linen, silk, cotton, or a combination of these. These materials not only feel better against the skin but also tend to be more durable. Avoid synthetic textiles like bamboo viscose, as their production can involve harmful chemicals.
Thread Count? Not really. While a higher thread count indicates a finer and denser weave, often translating to good fabric quality, in fashion this is not always what you look at, as it all depends on the effect you are after: A semi sheer fabric, is light but it does not mean worse quality. Think of organza for example.
Stitching: Check the stitching density. Tighter and more regular stitches indicate greater care in construction. High-quality shirts usually have about 6-8 stitches per cm. We call it HSPI (high stitch per inch). At CAMIXA we are paranoid about this. Our women’s shirts have indeed a HSPI, ensuring our shirts are made with care.
Finishing: Look for a well-finished hem, preferably with a French hem or double stitching along the side seams. This is particularly important for cotton or linen shirts.
Collar and Cuffs: These should maintain their shape and structure. CAMIXA uses soft reinforcing inserts to prevent collars from becoming floppy or crinkled.
Double Yoke: A double yoke, which means the shirt has an additional layer of fabric across the shoulders, provides extra strength and durability. It ensures better fit and alignment and is a hallmark of superior craftsmanship.
See our Classic shirts for women, our Slim-fit Shirts or our Oversized fit shirts, they are a perfect example.
They should be securely sewn on. We insist on about 6 up& down stitches at least.
Material: While mother of pearl is beautiful, most buttons are acrylic. At Camixa we used to have mother of pearl, however many of our customers were asking to switch to non-animal products.
Buttonholes: The buttonholes should be reinforced and precisely cut.
While a higher price can indicate better materials and craftsmanship, always verify the quality through the factors mentioned above.
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Keep in mind the brand's reputation and where the shirt is made. At CAMIXA, our Italian designer, learnt the Art of Shirting in a bespoke family owned atelier and has passed the knowledge and skills to our “artisans”.
We work with a Shirt-only maker, this means our tailors are shirts experts as that is all they do. Most of companies switch from one garment to the next loosing the artisan aspect and lack in details and craftsmanship.