The Perfect White Shirt

8 hand crafted stages to the perfect white shirt

The classic staple of any man’s wardrobe, the white cotton shirt bridges the gap between formal and casual wear.

The perfect white shirt is crisply sophisticated, and whether worn with a suit or under a smart jacket, teamed with jeans or accessorised with a cashmere sweater, it is the ultimate all-season essential.

We relentlessly pursue the most exclusive handmade garments, conveying luxury through the use of only the highest quality materials and meticulous attention to detail.

The finest shirts available in London are hand crafted by one of our coveted artisans, a family-run Italian firm whose master tailors work with only the finest available Egyptian cotton – the unique Giza 45 fabric, woven to an incredibly fine 300/2 thread – and labour entirely by hand to create our immaculate shirts.

8 phases of construction, painstakingly crafted at every stage to combine style and comfort, distinguish our white shirt from the competition.

Collar
Scrupulous construction, superior materials and true craftsmanship form a collar that frames the face perfectly while being comfortable for the wearer. The collar can denote the character of an outfit, worn buttoned with a tie for a formal occasion or left open to enjoy more relaxed times.

Shoulder
Meticulous hand cutting ensures a perfectly contoured fit and allows ease of movement across the shoulders, an important point of comfort for the modern man.

Placket
The placket, the layers of fabric carrying the buttonholes and buttons, is formed from the body of the shirt material rather than a separate piece of fabric, an attention to detail that ensures a superior, even appearance.

Cuffs
Artfully joined to the sleeves by hand, as with the collar, the different styles of cuff help establish the character of an outfit. Formal French cuffs worn with cufflinks are the preferred choice for semi-formal and evening events, while buttoned styles are more usual for day to day wear.

Gusset
The gusset is the triangular insert of fabric added where the side seams join the shirt tails, increasing the durability of the garment at a particular stress point. This finer detail will not be found on run of the mill shirts, and indicates a greater artistry.

Armhole
The armhole is a determining aspect of any shirt, dictating the fit across the chest, shoulder, and armpits. We pay special attention to this area to create a comfortable wear and maintain ease of movement.

Buttonholes
A small but important detail in achieving the perfect look, a 100% hand crafted buttonhole, fashioned with the finest stitching, denotes a garment of quality and finesse.

Buttons
Created from the finest quality mother of pearl and expertly applied by hand, although once again a small detail, our buttons are carefully chosen, graded and polished to add the final touch to the perfect shirt.

It takes over four hours to complete the 8 entirely hand crafted stages for every single shirt, using three metres of some of the finest fabrics available. The old adage ‘the Devil is in the detail’ was never more true than when it comes to a white shirt of timeless style and wearability.

A simple yet surprisingly sophisticated statement, the perfect white shirt signifies a man who is effortlessly comfortable in his own style. And that, in a nutshell, is the philosophy of OTTO.