The Power of the White Shirt

Have you noticed that today’s fashion is paying more and more attention to iconic classics?

No? Keep reading, and we’ll bring you up to speed.

Yes? Keep reading anyway, because our blog is hilariously fun as usual.

CLASSIC & ICONIC

We at PLEIN PUBLIQUE have always been charmed by iconic classics, but the majority of fashion lovers are still most excited about the latest and greatest.

After all, what you don’t yet have in your closet is what holds the greatest appeal: the newer, the more interesting; the flashier, the better. But that trend is slowly but surely changing. If we’re to believe Google (nothing wrong with a critical mindset, but for the sake of convenience, let’s assume that stats don’t lie), the search terms “classic” and “iconic” are on the rise.

Why is that? Maybe the market is becoming saturated; perhaps not every fashion lover automatically gets excited anymore when the new collections hit the shelves; or maybe we’re simply unable to see the forest for the trees. We can only speculate. Either way: “back to basics” is a trend.  You won’t hear us complaining— we love our classics.i If you’re expecting a top-10 list right now: nope (you can call us anything, but we’re not hthat tpredictable). Today we’ve picked out this classic powerhouse to examine in more detail for you.

Ready?

WHY WHITE?

First, a quick note about the colour white. (Yeah, yeah, we hear you language purists—white isn’t a colour, we know.) What does the theory say? The “colour” WHITE has traditionally symbolized purity and cleanliness.

And when it comes to white, it’s mainly the positivity that takes precedence;

• As a respectable lady, you get married in white. Because you’re a pure, virginal maiden, of course. Even Madonna married wearing white.

• A real Prince Charming rides up on his white horse. Because, after all, the good guys don’t drive a black BMW.

• Babies are baptized in a white dress. Because while the mother may be tainted for life, the lost innocence is passed on to the newborn baby.

But… we also found a few less-than-flattering associations with "WHITE":

• “Een wit voetje halen”, which, for our english audience, translates from Dutch to English roughly as “Getting in someone’s good graces”. It means doing your absolute best to make a positive impression on someone you look up to. In other words, sucking up.

• White-collar criminal. Needs no explanation—it’s common knowledge because they’re everywhere. There’s even one living in the White House.

WELL-KNOWN, BELOVED, DESPISED

The point about white is clear now, isn’t it? Let’s move on to clothing, because that’s what we’re really here to talk about. Enter the white shirt.

The white shirt is a prime example when it comes to fame. Because fame can easily be broken down into three pillars: WELL-KNOWN—that’s obvious. LOVED—we understand that one logically as well—and DESPISED. That’s the one we like best! Let’s expand on that for a moment.

• Well-known: The white shirt is a stereotypical garment, the go-to and foolproof choice if you want to come across as professional and competent. Something we all want from time to time.

• Beloved: Well, of course! We’re all familiar with those portraits from antiquity, depicting gruff-looking figures and not-so-happy children wearing crisp, white, pleated collars. It was a hit back then, and it still is today. Or take, for example, Peter Lindbergh’s famous fashion photos featuring white shirts. That’s surely one of the most beloved images in fashion photography.
• Despised: Yes, that too. The white shirt is often associated with stifling bourgeoisie and/or a lack of imagination. Or, conversely, with fraud, thanks to criminals in white collars. Have you seen the new Netflix movie *Laundromat* yet? The film is entirely based on the fraud surrounding the infamous Panama Papers leak. Could it be a coincidence that there are so many white shirts in it?

So much for the intro: What we’re trying to make clear here is that the white shirt is a phenomenon. Let’s get to the facts—and have a little fun along the way.

UNDERWEAR, OUTER WEAR

The shirt is a true all-rounder; what once started as an undershirt for men has evolved into an iconic garment that’s a must-have in your wardrobe.

Way back when, outerwear wasn’t washed—or hardly ever—so if you were a guy who wanted to stay clean even a little bit, you wore an undershirt. After all, it was easy to wash.

Over time, the nobility naturally wanted to make it clear that they were of noble birth and sought to set themselves apart. Slowly but surely, they began to show off their white undershirts in the form of collars and cuffs. In this way, they displayed their cleanliness—or rather, their status. After all, if you were well-to-do, you didn’t have to work in the fields or at the docks, and clean white collars and cuffs sent a signal that elevated your status. Just as fair skin did: a tan was reserved for farmers and outdoor workers. Ironically, these days a tan indicates that you have enough money to go on vacation.

Gradually, the white cuffs and collars became larger and more prominent, because the larger they were, the wealthier the wearer appeared. They were separated from the undershirt and starched to keep them standing upright.

The most famous white collars and cuffs are the “Medici” collars, named after the Medici family of Italy. They feature a fan-shaped collar with plenty of lace. In the Netherlands, the millstone collar was particularly popular; it can often be seen in the paintings of Rembrandt van Rijn.

By now you realize that the undershirt had become a real undershirt again. Though for the less well-off, the large collars weren’t an option, so they came up with a simple alternative: a “front piece”—a small collar with just a tiny bit of front fabric. Easy to maintain and still white.

But, of course, the nobility didn’t like that development (phew, it never ends): they felt there had to be a distinction. Eventually, these wealthy individuals felt it was necessary to show that their undershirt was indeed a full-fledged garment, so they began wearing it out in the open, causing it to evolve into an outerwear shirt.

The first real shirts were thus primarily intended for men, though you wouldn’t necessarily guess that at first glance in every case. The 19th-century dandy, for example, made quite a show of his undershirt with lots of lace, ruffles, and flamboyant cuffs.

The ladies got wind of this trend and ran with it. Rummaging through your man’s closet is a timeless tradition. Sometime in the 17th century, the unisex nature of the shirt disappeared—not just figuratively but also literally. After all, the lady of the house didn’t dress herself: she had a chambermaid for that. And anyone who’s ever dressed (or undressed) their man knows: that button closure is a pain. That’s why a men’s closure fastens “left over right,” and a women’s closure fastens “right over left.” The more you know…

A little later, detachable cuffs also came onto the market for the same reason. When, in the early 20th century, the washing machine became a viable option for private households as well, these detachable elements disappeared from the scene again.

Incidentally, the detachable collar made a brief comeback in the early 19th century: an American housewife was tired of having to wash her husband’s shirt every time just the collar was a little grimy, so she invented a detachable collar. It was fastened to the collar stand with buttons and came in a variety of styles.

ICONIC STATUS

How does a simple white ‘blouse’ become an icon in the 21st century? Easy! Just make sure you’re worn by the right people. The dress shirt that we so passionately covet today has been spotted over the past few decades on the bodies of the most influential style icons. We’re talking about old-school Hollywood icon Katherine Hepburn, rock icon Patti Smith, and the first generation of supermodels—legendarily photographed by the late Peter Lindbergh.

HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF

That white shirt you’re seeing so much of again is ‘back’ in fashion—even though it never really went away. It’s an indispensable element of layering. And not just paired with a chunky cardigan or classic blazer: We’re also wearing the white blouse under sweaters again! Or we opt for a sweater with a detachable collar and/or cuffs, since those are making a comeback too. In other words: after a huge detour, we’ve actually come full circle. Funny, isn’t it?

P.S.: Don’t wear one while gardening if you care at all about your status ;-).

LAST BUT NOT LEAST

You might be wondering why we at PLEIN PUBLIQUE wrote this blog about the power of white?

• We love iconic classics and classic details, such as white cuffs.

• And of course, we also have some beautiful white blouses in our collection!