The Most Summery of Them All

Such a shirt truly deserves an appreciation post - and a quick report on how it withstood the intense summer heat.

This piece simply had to get its own story. The yellow (sunny!) striped Tencel shirt has already proven it has all the makings of a main character — it made its solo debut, stealing the spotlight around Holidays with Poszetka, and gracefully carrying the weight of fame.

Spotlight, by the way, that suits it perfectly — the pearly snaps and slightly shiny, silky Tencel look great not only in full sunlight but also when struck by a flash or other artificial light, while the decorative pockets and Western-style details are not only practical but also can act like an accessory or a style accent on their own.

  

Alright, but I don’t really want to talk about the shirt’s cut today — you can read all the specifics on the product page anyway — I’d rather share a few stories behind it.

  

For example, here’s a fun fact: it’s probably the first shirt ever for which we witnessed the entire sewing process, every single stage, with our own eyes. And this very piece you see in the photos above went with us to the Vistula Spit straight from the production line!

By the way, our little trip up north wasn’t just about the summer photoshoot in Piaski. You could even say that this stopover in Elbląg was more important — we went to the city where all Poszetka shirts are made on a mission, the results of which you’ll be able to see very soon. The full feature, a Made in Poland-style reportage, will be out this September — in print, nonetheless.

But for now — summer is only just getting started, so let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Let’s get back to the most summery shirt.

I’ll admit this one is personal for me, because as it happens I’m an owner of one of these shirts… well, sort of. The piece I’ve been testing is a prototype made from a fabric exactly like the one in the collection, just with a pink stripe instead of yellow.

I won’t lie — being a tester is hardly a tough gig. Quite the opposite, actually. Turns out it’s a pleasure, even in the (hellish) Florentine heat.

   

I took the shirt with me for the recent Pitti Uomo fair, where it performed brilliantly. Even at 35°C, with a tank top layered underneath — just to play with layers a bit despite the weather, and show something more than a bare chest under a severely unbuttoned shirt — I didn’t feel any worse than I would in linen. Honestly, I’d even say it felt better than in most cotton shirts! Tencel stays slick and flowy like silk, doesn’t soak up sweat, and doesn’t stick to hot skin.

   

Plus, it has that drape I really appreciate. The shirt naturally drapes and flows around the body, doesn’t cling, doesn’t puff up in weird folds, doesn’t rumple.

Not many fabrics can do this, but Tencel is a master of it. I’ve never owned a pure silk shirt, true, but from what silk I have handled, I’d say the similarities are strong.

A quick word on styling — I put together something more “city” than Tomek’s beach look, but still very summery.

Its key element, next to the shirt, is a pair of linen trousers in a pearl white shade. They’re a pair made in our MTM system, very similar to the pair of RTW trousers from this year’s collection — same fabric, only with two inward-facing pleats instead of a single outward one.

If the weather outside was a bit cooler, I’d happily throw on a jacket over it all, without changing a thing. Either the matching one, making it a full suit, or, say, a blazer or another dark summer piece for contrast. The bold stripe in a strong colour and my favourite long-point collar would still hold their own nicely in that combo.

The tests went so well that, come to think of it, I’d happily grab the yellow version too… but you get first dibs.

You can find your perfect summer shirt here.