Short-sleeve cardigans aren't in the catalog right now. It looks like just the cardigans have gone out for a stroll. Instead, I've picked three short-sleeve T-shirts that are great to wear on their own when the daily temperature swings, or lightly layered under an outer layer. There's MARGESHERWOOD's BASIC SHEER T-SHIRT_black, the RIBBED RAGLAN T-SHIRT_charcoal with its comfortable curved shoulder line, and the CAMISOLE LAYERED T-SHIRT_sky blue, which looks like two layered pieces even when worn alone. All three have light and flexible fabrics, making them perfect to wear simply on their own during the day, and easy to drape a light jacket over once the sun goes down.
The raglan sleeves used on the ribbed T-shirt were designed by Britain's Lord Raglan, who lost his right arm at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, so he could easily put on and take off his clothes by himself. He created diagonal cut lines from the neckline to the underarms so shoulder seams wouldn't get caught. Spreading into everyday wear for officers through the Crimean War, this diagonal seam preserves the ease of movement in the casual tops we wear today.
Even a single sleeve seam carries its own story. The current list is centered mainly on sheer T-shirts, so shall we widen the options slightly to fit the use you originally had in mind? We could look at long-sleeve cardigans, explore wool-blend tops, or browse through shirts to lightly throw on.
↳ View as long-sleeve cardigans
Long-sleeve cardigans aren't in the catalog right now. It seems all the buttons have gone into hiding. Instead, I've picked two long-sleeve tops that are just as stylish as a cardigan with button fastenings or drape details. There's MARGESHERWOOD's HENLEY NECK LONG SLEEVE T-SHIRT_melange grey and THREE TO EIGHTY's RIBBON DRAPE LONG SLEEVE TEE BLACK. With MARGESHERWOOD, you can unbutton the henley neck to create an open neckline like a cardigan, while THREE TO EIGHTY features ribbons and soft draping folds, giving it dimension as if you're wearing an outer layer even with just one piece on.
In the 1930s, designer Madame Grès mastered the drape technique by placing fabric directly onto mannequins and the human body instead of cutting beforehand from patterns. Minimizing stitching and seams, and sometimes using more than 20m of continuous fabric, she captured fluid folds stitch by stitch, resembling the draped robes carved into ancient Greek statues. Thanks to silhouettes sculpted and crafted as if carving fabric, she was praised as an artist who sculpted through fashion.
Just the folds on a fabric or a line of buttons give a simple long-sleeve T-shirt a completely different mood. Would you like to check out these two first, or shall we narrow down the list again by knit materials, under KRW 100,000, or neutral shades according to what you prefer?
↳ View by knit material
I've picked three knit tops from RECTO. There's the CREASE POLO KNIT TOP (COOL GREY) with accentuated crease details, the navy-toned MARINA SUMMER POLO KNIT TOP (NAVY) that's easy to wear in summer, and the soft-feeling, cream-colored SILK-CASHMERE KNIT TOP (CREAM). Today's knit catalog doesn't stop at chunky winter sweaters; it leans toward looking neat across all four seasons by using loosely woven summer yarns or lightweight blends.
In the 19th century, British polo players suffered from shirt collars flapping in the headwind while riding, hitting their faces and blocking their vision. The players found their own solution by sewing small buttons on collar tips to fasten them to the shirt body. In 1896, Brooks Brothers noticed this and commercialized shirts fastened with collar buttons, establishing today's button-down and polo collars. An athlete's practical trick to tame collars on horseback became a classic of modern apparel.
I've put together two polo designs with neat collars along with one lightweight silk-cashmere pullover. Shall we narrow down the conditions a bit more from here? We could narrow it to short-sleeve knits, prices of KRW 100,000 or less, loose fits, or 100% wool materials.
Final Selected Products
