Why I exploit Wil Whiting for bespoke shirts

June 8, 2025

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By Aleks Cvetkovic.

As I develop a little bit bit older, and maybe a little bit fussier (or grumpier?), I discover myself returning most frequently to these craftspeople who’re constant in what they ship. This is among the causes that I’ve been a return buyer of Wil Whiting’s, alongside how properly the shirts work on me.

After I first determined to position an order, two issues drew me to him. Firstly, I’d coated Wil for a few tales previously and I favored his perspective, and his whole dedication to his craft, which Simon outlined on this story just a few years in the past.

Furthermore, I’d struggled to discover a shirtmaker who I discovered may take an English aesthetic and contemporise it. For a very long time, I wore made-to-order Drake’s shirts with lengthy level collars (I favor pointed collars to spreads and cutaways), however all the time discovered the collars too delicate for a wise look.

I additionally had a handful of bespoke shirts from Turnbull & Asser, which didn’t work for me. The collars had been like cardboard, with no softness or roll, and different Jermyn Avenue shirtmakers I’ve tried appeared to make them the identical manner. I attempted Luca Avitabile too, whose shirts are beautiful, however I used to be searching for one thing sharp and architectural, somewhat than delicate and straightforward going.

So Wil’s transient was easy: a clean-looking shirt, fitted by means of the waist, with a pointed (however not exaggerated) collar that may work each with and and not using a tie. I additionally needed single cuffs with gauntlet buttons so I may fold the cuffs again – I not often put on double cuffs lately, aside from black tie or morning put on.

Wil requires 4 shirts for an preliminary order, and I’ve realized through the years to not go loopy with materials. We selected basic poplins in cream, mid-blue, a sky blue Bengal stripe, and a chocolate and white butcher’s stripe.

By the way, I’d suggest anybody beginning to form a capsule wardrobe of shirts to go along with the primary three – cream is simply as helpful as white, however softer and hotter, whereas basic mid-blues and blue stripes will take you wherever. The chocolate butcher’s stripe was my concept of a little bit of enjoyable, however I put on a variety of brown tones so it’s been very helpful.

The collar, as you’ll be able to most likely inform, was an important marker of success. So we spent a variety of time speaking in regards to the look I used to be making an attempt to realize, and the way I needed my collars to work. The aim was one thing that may look razor sharp with a tie, but additionally roll and stand proud beneath a jacket’s collar when worn open, with out collapsing.

To get this proper, Wil was meticulous. He drafted the collar sample and fitted it on me twice, earlier than we proceeded to create a trial shirt (the one different shirtmaker I do know who cuts down collars like this on the shopper is Charvet in Paris, after which solely as soon as). He suggested a selected form of light-weight fusing for the collar’s building (and that of the cuffs to match). This, mixed with a comparatively tall collar stand, creates a collar that holds stress superbly – and due to this fact stands proud.

The collars are all the identical, and I discover it significantly pleasing the best way the factors sit simply on the physique, whether or not I’m sporting them with a tie or not.

After Wil formed the collar on the becoming levels, it was utilized to my wearable trial shirt, which Wil requested me to scrub and put on over just a few weeks. He considers this a essential stage to evaluate cloth shrinkage, exact becoming (and particularly the collar), earlier than continuing with an order.

At this level Wil made the factors a contact longer and nearer, and nudged the collar get up only a contact to higher body my face. It was a prolonged course of however in getting this proper, first time, he created a blueprint for my shirts that simply works. For each order since, we’ve used the identical collar and cuffs.

The vast majority of my shirts are partially handmade (the place hand stitching is utilized in key areas just like the armholes and yoke, in addition to buttonholes), however I’ve additionally had a heavy oxford shirt with pleated-patch chest pockets machine-stitched (pictured above).

There’s no tangible distinction in how the shirt has carried out – it’s extra an aesthetic selection, Wil feeling that informal types can generally profit from machine stitching. Actually, I’d say the cleanness of Wil’s look, and the sharpness of line that he’s in a position to work into his shirts is considered one of his best strengths.

We’ve constructed on that preliminary batch of ‘wise’ shirts, with a choice of materials that – to me at the least – really feel quietly luxurious. Highlights embody a shirt in cream-coloured Cashmerello Lite, Alumo’s ultra-lightweight cotton and cashmere combine, which seems like silk subsequent to the pores and skin. And three shirts in Caccioppoli’s breezy cotton-linen Zephyr (see the brown stripe, pictured), which seems to be like slubbed silk.

These have turn into absolute favourites. The Zephyr feels cooler to put on than pure linen, and it creases much less. I’d by no means have tried these materials independently, if it weren’t for Wil steering me in the direction of them.

After two years of investing a major sum of cash in a group of shirts, I really feel I’ve chosen properly. We’ve by no means had a misfire, and I’ve not felt the necessity to micromanage the choices Wil makes. He went to nice lengths to get the sample and building of my shirts proper, and that’s made the re-ordering course of very easy – “identical once more please, however change the material”.

That stated, we’ve got simply launched into my first overshirt challenge, a chunk for summer time in chocolate Solbiati Artwork du Lin. This shall be roomy (as you’d count on) with two pleated patch-and-flap chest pockets, a delicate S-shaped hem with small darts at both sides seam, and a collar with barely shorter factors, designed to be popped.

When somebody asks for a unique kind of blouse on this manner, Wil begins the method from scratch. A brand new sample is required, so the identical duties of drafting the sample and making a wearable trial shirt to street take a look at after which tweak the sample applies. It’s a considerable period of time and work once more.

When it comes to price, these shirts are on the prime of the spectrum, beginning at £900 per shirt. However this displays the actual stage of craft and care, the advantageous make Simon coated in addition to the perfecting of the collar and match.

A single shirt takes a mean of 20 hours to stitch earlier than allocating time to chopping, becoming, re-cutting, becoming once more (as many occasions as Wil sees match) and ending. Wil additionally cuts all the things himself and all the time sees shoppers himself. His small workshop produces round 300 shirts per 12 months, and he’s intimately concerned within the strategy of crafting each.

With all this in thoughts, I see working with Wil as an funding in each money and time, to safe the very best stage of high quality. If that’s vital to different readers, then in my expertise, working with Wil Whiting gained’t disappoint.