Fashion Icons: The White Shirt

Historically it has dominated the scene and was initially the only choice for a gentleman. The absence of colour on a collar and cuffs indicated he did not have to do dirty work; coloured shirts were looked upon with suspicion as it was assumed they would hide stains. To this very day, the white coloured shirt still reigns as the most formal and classic if not staple, and its popularity has safely placed it among the iconic garments a man can wear.

It was the mark of money that estimates business, and says I'm "meeting the president". It supports an elegant frame to an overall look and enhances or stands as the main focal piece. Though it may seem rather like a simple item of clothing, the white shirt is not as easy as many make it out to be. People fail when it comes to finding the perfect fit during purchase. Many a time these are always too big -but then again, for the most part because these are mass produced for retail with an idea to fit many as oppose to custom fit or tailored. One should highly consider the texture of the shirt, the contrast it lends, and whether it simply looks too formal, because it can. 

Being an iconoclast has given rise to me interrogating the idea that a white shirt goes with anything; 'blank canvas that one can throw any colour on'. It is not. There are colours that don't fit against a white shirt, for example a yellow or lime green tie. When dressing up a classic white shirt one should learn to keep things in balance, fabric and colour play that role; making things a bit more visually interesting chances there. Take into consideration the intricacy of a classic white shirt and dress it up or down well, reason with the fabric you choose to buy it in,  that which mainly determines if that shirt will be worn casually or formally.  

Clothing is a flamboyant outward expression of who you are, and a uniform should never be uniform so designate mindfully how you go about exhibiting a white shirt.