This lovely striped silk men’s shirt from circa 1918 to the early 1920s has a floral jacquard weave in ivory, with stripes of gold and brown. The shirt was made by Cluett, Peabody & Company for their “Arrow” line of shirts. The company was originally known as makers of detachable shirt collars and cuffs, until after WWI, when stiff, detachable collars began to go out of fashion. (This led to their slightly later line of “Arrow” shirts with collars attached, and their famous “Arrow Collar Man” advertisements illustrated by J. C. Leyendecker). This particular shirt probably dates to such a narrow timeframe, since striped silk shirts like this came into style around 1918. The shirt has an extra long, shirttail hem, designed to be tucked into the high-waisted trousers of the era—you can see that the buttons stop much higher up than on a modern shirt, for this reason. The body of the shirt was intended to be relatively loose, with only the detachable collar having a close fit. The shirt is all lightweight silk, except for the cotton band around the neck, for attaching the collar. It has French cuffs, so cufflinks will be required. Labeled a size 16-35, the shirt is just a bit smaller, measuring more like 15.5-34 (see measurements, below). It is in remarkable condition for its age, near excellent, with its only issue some discoloration to the white cotton band for the detachable collar, which will be hidden when it is worn. This c.1918 to early 1920s men’s shirt is a special find for a collector of vintage menswear!

Size: M (15.5” collar)
Chest: 50” flat
Waist: 49” flat at bottom button
Length: 34” from back of neck to hem
Sleeve length: 24” from shoulder seam to cuff (approx. 34”)
Shoulder to shoulder: 21”
Label: Cluett, Peabody & Co USA Arrow

This item is sold from a vintage boutique in Chicago, IL.