Giordano Shirts: Fit, Fabric and the Cutaway Collar
Giordano shirts sit in an awkward gap that most men only notice once they own one: too relaxed for a boardroom, too well cut for a Sunday. That gap is the whole point of them. They are Dutch designed with an Italian eye, built around a trim body, a soft collar and fabric that behaves better than it looks on a hanger. If you have been circling the brand online, here is what the shirts are actually like on.
At a glance
- The cut is trim through the body, so size for your chest and let the waist follow.
- Linen and cotton mixes give you linen's handle without linen's creasing.
- The cutaway collar holds its shape open, which is why these work without a tie.
- Prints are the brand's signature and read quieter in the flesh than on screen.
- Wash cool, hang immediately, and most of them never see an iron.
- How Giordano shirts fit
- The linen mixes, and why they crease less
- Cutaway, button down and open collar
- Wearing a print without overdoing it
- Washing and keeping them
How Giordano shirts fit
Trim, but not tight. The body is shaped rather than boxy, so the shirt stays close through the chest and does not billow when it is tucked in. Men used to a traditional British cut usually find they need the same collar size and less room everywhere else, which takes some adjusting to at the mirror.
- Size on the chest first, then check the waist has room to sit down in
- Sleeves should end at the wrist bone, not over the hand
- The hem is cut for tucking, though the shorter styles work out
- If it pulls at the button between chest and stomach, go up one
Come and try one. Two minutes in a fitting room answers what twenty minutes of size charts cannot, and the difference between a 41 and a 42 in this cut is more obvious on than in millimetres.
The linen mixes, and why they crease less
Pure linen creases the moment you sit in it. That is its nature and half its charm, but it puts a lot of men off entirely. Giordano leans on linen and cotton blends instead, which keeps the dry handle and the way linen moves air, while the cotton content holds the shape through a long lunch. You get the look without the apology.
The heavier weaves do something similar in a different way. A textured cotton with a bit of slub in it hides the creases it does pick up, which is why a plain white poplin looks tired by four o'clock and a textured shirt does not. None of this is marketing. Hold two shirts side by side in daylight and you can see it.
Cutaway, button down and open collar
A collar has one job when there is no tie holding it together: stand up on its own. The cutaway does that better than anything else, because the points sit wide and short, so they frame the neck instead of collapsing into the chest. It is the reason a Giordano shirt still looks deliberate with the top button undone.
- Cutaway: best open, and takes a tie knot cleanly when you want one
- Button down: more relaxed, better under a knitted jumper
- Soft unlined collars sit closer to the neck and travel better
You will find the full range in our Giordano collection, and the wider long sleeve shirts if you want to compare the cut against Eterna or Olymp.
Wearing a print without overdoing it
Prints are what the brand is known for and where most men hesitate. The rule that works: one loud thing at a time. A patterned shirt goes with plain trousers and plain shoes, and the shirt does the talking. Navy grounds almost anything, so a print on a dark base is the easiest place to start if you have only ever worn plain.
Scale matters more than colour. A small repeated motif reads as texture from across a room and only reveals itself close up, which is usually what people want when they say they like a print but would not wear one. A large motif is a statement and should be treated as such.
Washing and keeping them
Cool wash, gentle spin, straight onto a hanger while damp. Linen mixes dry fast and fall out of most of their creases on the hanger, so the iron only comes out for the collar and cuffs if you are being fussy. Skip the tumble dryer, which is what shrinks the body and stiffens the collar over a season.
Store them hanging with a little air between shirts. Crammed on a rail, any shirt creases across the shoulder, and that crease is the one that shows.
Frequently asked questions
Do Giordano shirts fit slim or regular?
Trim through the body without being a slim fit in the tight sense. The shirt is shaped so it stays close through the chest and does not balloon when tucked in, which is closer to a modern fit than a classic British cut. Most men take their usual collar size and simply notice there is less spare fabric at the waist. If it pulls between the chest and stomach when buttoned, size up. Trying one on settles it in a couple of minutes, and we keep the range on the shop floor in Westbourne.
Do linen mix shirts crease as much as pure linen?
No, and that is the reason the mixes exist. Pure linen creases as soon as you sit down, which is part of its character but puts plenty of men off. Blending linen with cotton keeps the dry handle and the airflow while the cotton holds the shape through a working day. You will still get some creasing, because that is what linen does, but it falls out on a hanger rather than needing an iron. Textured weaves hide creases better than a smooth poplin does.
What is a cutaway collar and when should I wear one?
A cutaway has short points set wide apart, so the collar frames the neck rather than pointing down the chest. Its advantage shows with no tie: the collar stands up on its own instead of collapsing, so an open shirt still looks intentional. It also takes a tie perfectly well when you want one, which makes it the most flexible collar in a wardrobe. A button down is the more relaxed option and sits better under a jumper.
How do I wear a printed shirt without it being too much?
Keep everything else plain. One patterned item at a time, with plain trousers and plain shoes, and let the shirt carry the outfit. If you are new to prints, start with a small motif on a dark ground: navy grounds almost any colour, and a small repeat reads as texture from a distance, only showing itself close up. Large motifs are a statement and should be chosen as one. Scale changes the effect far more than colour does.
How should I wash a Giordano shirt?
Cool wash on a gentle spin, then straight onto a hanger while it is still damp. Linen and cotton mixes dry quickly and drop most of their creases on the hanger, so an iron is usually only needed for the collar and cuffs. Avoid the tumble dryer, which shrinks the body and stiffens collars over a season of washes. Hang shirts with a little space between them, because a crowded rail creases them across the shoulder and that is the crease people notice.
