Whilst I don’t pretend to know all that much about men’s fashion I do know a little about their spending habits. When it comes to retail therapy they can often be categorised as replacement shoppers, meaning they consider shopping to be a mission – they get in, get what’s needed and get out, quickly.
With this knowledge it came as a surprise to me when I discovered recently that despite their “go in for the kill” attitude, men do occasionally have it tough when it comes to finding the ‘perfect fit’. Take for example the humble work shirt – an essential for the modern businessman and apparently something that is none too easy to shop for.
Who would have thought that making a choice between a white shirt or a blue shirt or plain from plaid would be as tough as finding a frock for the race season? And yet I am told it is. Although work shirts usually look the same and there are little conceivable differences to us females, a closer look will tell you that the wrong quality of fabric or fit can make for an uncomfortable mere male.
One male who has been plagued by such issues since entering the workforce four years ago is current owner of online store Workshirty – Dion Robeson. As a young professional, Robeson classified the business shirt to be part of his everyday uniform, something that on average he would spend anywhere between $90-120 on. “I had to wear a shirt everyday and it seemed everyday there was something wrong with it in terms of the fit or the quality of fabric. Work shirts should be comfortable and should allow you to move confidently with a good fit and construction.” Sick of the high prices he and his friends were paying for average business shirts, Robeson decided to create an online store where guys, much like himself, could get a good fitting, good quality shirt without having to pay the high prices that bricks and mortar retail currently charge.
The result was Workshirty. Launched earlier this year, the site is an easy to navigate online store targeted at young professionals in search of quality without having to spend a sizeable chunk of their weekly wage in order to look good in the office. The shirts are slimmer fitting around the waist, with second button height (important, apparently when it comes to wearing a shirt without a tie) and are all made from quality fabric so that they stand up to the daily wear and tear. With minimalism being the key, Workshirty only offers a small range of 6 fabrics and offers a colour palette of whites, blues and stripes avoiding the loud, bright and sometimes a little too bold range sported by some (take note those males still sporting shades of pink circa 2001).
Robeson says, “We only have 3 sizes – small, medium and large – we can’t be the ‘everything to everyone’ so we have tailored the sizes to young professionals and aim to service them well.” And that they do, so much so that within four simple clicks you would have paid for your shirt minus the hassle of a shop assistant.
And as for the ‘replacement shopper’ in all men? Repeat purchasing has never been so easy. “We aim to keep the same cut for all of our fabrics in order to make it easy for customers, once they know their size they can trust that the other shirts will fit the same when they visit us again next time,” says Robeson.
So there you have it, work shirts for the modern man, championing good fit and good quality.



5 comments
Gwynn says:
Oct 28, 2011
I like the concept, but some part of me is sad that we’ve made it so simple. For me I had a sense of pride knowing my sizing and fit (39R, slim fit for the record).
I’m the sort of guy who loves when its time to pick up a couple of new shirt and tie combos, and I’ll happily spend up to $150 for a Rhodes and Beckett shirt, and love browsing through 3wisemen.com.au to see what they’ve got (though I can’t get to their NZ site anymore! That’s where the really good shirts are!)
Ben says:
Oct 28, 2011
My line of work requires me to wear a long sleeve shirt everyday and workshirty has provded the perfect shirts which are a nice fit of the same quality if not better then most work shirts available in your everyday shops. Being able to buy three shirts for the price of one is great all that you miss out on is the name on the tag. I highly recommend workshirty for all young professionals. Great concept.
Rob says:
Oct 31, 2011
As a banker in the Melbourne CBD I have always had the work shirt problem. Yes I can go into a Saba or Calibre in the city, find a nice shirt for work, but I will be expecting to pay upwards of $100.
However after a work colleague told me about workshirty I decided to give it a try. And I was pleasantly surprised. Great fit, excellent material And all round a great quality shirt for an Excellent price.
Like the comment above I’m really getting 3 shirts for the price of 1.
Sure you can buy Rhodes and Beckett work shirt for $150 but why would you?
Gwynn says:
Nov 2, 2011
Why would I spend $150 on a Rhodes and Beckett? I can get their shirts and patterns in more colours than white or blue.
Matt says:
Nov 6, 2011
I used to buy Saba shirts for work, Bought 5 shirts from here now, better quality and less than half price. Colours are good, not everyone needs the salmon option.