The Rise of Tablecloth Designed Shirts

Article by guest author Peter Brooker

Today I wanted to show off my latest purchase, this Tablecloth Short Sleeve camp collar shirt I bought at a Strip Mall in Winter Park. I've been fascinated with brands that make shirts either based on tablecloths or designs that look like they'd best be suited covering a dinner table than a man's back.

In all honesty, if there was any way I could get away with wearing these kinds of shirts and nothing else I would. I chanced across this girl Elizabeth who is carving out a niche in this area with her brand A Circular Story. From her site,

In my spare time I carried on doing what I really loved - trawling junk shops, car boot sales etc, hunting down old fabrics, collecting old craft books and making my own clothes, bags and sometimes cushions and things. I did an evening class in fashion styling and another in fashion design at LCF.

Whilst my shirt is not made from up-cycled table cloths, it's safe to say I have a fervent passion for the idea of wearing them. I think you have to be the bohemian type to wear them. Am I too old now in my mid-forties to be wearing bold printed fabrics? Perhaps not if I were a poet or some kind of session musician.

But in truth even when I see a man of advancing years wear table cloth shirts, I have questions. Like, what's your favourite conspiracy theory? Other than the Big Lebowski, what's your favourite film?

It's not a shirt that immediately beautifies, and it's hard to pair it with anything other than neutral coloured chinos. Then there is the fit. An upcycled table cloth shirt will not be tailor made to your shape unless you are having it made bespoke to your silhouette. So there will be some unnatural drape for sure.

The advantages I suppose are that it will be a one off shirt. No one else, unless they're also getting some deadstock shirts made from the same bolt, will be wearing the same shirt as you.

In other opinions, I have been complimented on this shirt by the other halve, who I thought would baulk at the look. Alas, no. She loves it.

This particular shirt is by Hollister, (I know, I don't own any Hollister either other than this). It's a blend of cotton and linen. It's very breathable and light to wear, and the collar falls rather awkwardly so attention was required when getting photos done. A camp collar shirt sometimes needs some arrangement, but this needed a lot of fuss to get right.

The hem is slightly vented for an even more relaxed fit and the short sleeves come quite long on the arm.