There is a great romance out there in the market place about wearing Egyptian cotton dress shirts. Egyptian cotton is synonymous with quality, strength, feel and above all luxury. This is for good reason, Egypt has and continues to produce some of the finest cotton in the world. The reason behind this is the incredibly fertile flood plains of the Nile Delta and the consistently warm, humid temperatures of the region create the perfect environment for cotton growth.

However, this does not mean that all Egyptian cotton is of the same quality. There are grades of cotton in Egypt depending on where it is grown and the type of cotton grown. The different locations and variations are denoted by a number, for example Giza 45 or Giza 87. These two examples are of extremely high quality and are sought after because of the extra long staples produced in the plant. The different types of cotton are suited to producing different thread counts of finished cotton shirting.

There are a lot of dress shirt brands out there claiming that their shirts are made from Egyptian cotton. The problem for the consumer is that there are no regulations in place to verify the authenticity of these claims. On a global scale there is very little cotton produced in Egypt annually and it is highly competitive amongst fabric producers to get hold of it. The fact is, there is simply not enough Egyptian cotton available to make all of these “Genuine Egyptian Cotton Shirts”.

Price is a good indicator of the quality of fabric used in a dress shirt, however one must be careful, as this is not a hard and fast rule and can be abused by the dodgy brand. The simple point is that there is no such thing as a $39.00 Egyptian cotton dress shirt. Fact.

NiAlma chooses to source its Egyptian cotton shirting from Thomas Mason. They have an incredibly long and proven history of producing the world’s finest cotton shirting and I have never been disappointed with anything we have ever stocked of theirs. To see the beautiful range of Thomas Mason Egyptian dress shirt cotton offered by NiAlma click here.

For more detailed information about Thomas Mason and Egyptian cotton click here.

Striped dress shirts in all of the variations offered these days are commonplace in the corporate world. This shirting pattern is a staple of most men’s wardrobes and is a first choice when donning a suit and tie.

Some of the more famous striped dress shirt patterns are the Bengal stripe at one end the hairline stripe at the other. A good example of the Bengal striped dress shirt is this classical blue and white Italian cotton.

Bengal stripe really just means a pattern that has even width alternating stripes. These can be thick and bold or narrow and subtle.
The hairline stripe on the other hand is most commonly found on a white background. The idea is to have a subtle yet stylish detail within the shirt that adds character without being overbearing. An example is this beautiful Thomas Mason hairline blue stripe.

The benefit of a hairline striped dress shirt is the ease with which a tie can be matched. The dress shirt effectively has a solid color appearance from a distance but up close has a classy detail to it.

Striped dress shirts are flattering and thinning when worn in a well fitting shirt. Choosing the right stripe is also important. People with larger builds should avoid very narrow stripes as it can be a bit overbearing. Opt for a medium to wider stripe to better balance your body shape. Conversely, people with slim build should not wear wide striped dress shirts, it gives the appearance of an ill-fitting shirt and a pattern that does not compliment the slim build. Medium to narrow striped patterns are perfect and will look great.

It seems there is a strong design movement this year towards women’s work shirts being decidedly more masculine. This means smaller collars, often buttoned-down, epaulettes, pockets and a less fitted shape.

We have come up with a design we really like. A beautiful white fabric with epaulettes and button-down flap pockets. The shape is designed to still be feminine but with room to move. This business shirt can be worn untucked but just as easily be tucked in and look great.

Let us know what you think…