Book Inspiration: "The Jermyn Street Shirt" by J. Sothcott

I picked up Jonathan Sothcott’s Jermyn Street Shirt recently.

Reading it, you realise Jermyn Street isn’t just a row of shops around the corner from Savile Row, London, it’s a way of thinking. Collars aren’t “styles,” they’re decisions about necks and faces and jackets. Cuffs aren’t decoration, they’re how a sleeve behaves when you reach for a door handle or slide a watch under a cuff. Plackets, seams, yokes - every choice has a job. That gave me permission to care about the small stuff without feeling fussy.

It also sent me back to the table with specific ideas. For cuffs, I’ve been working on a two-button rounded for everyday wear and a cocktail (turn-back) cuff when the outfit needs some charm but without the formality.

There’s also the matter of place. Jermyn Street is firm about provenance and so am I. I’m looking at testing Puglia-grown cotton from (more on that in a later article/video soon).

If you’re learning the trade, Jermyn Street Shirt is a reminder that you’re not reinventing anything - and that’s fine. The craft moves forward by tiny, careful choices. If you’re just here because you like good shirts, I hope you’ll enjoy watching me put those choices to work: the hum of the Juki sewing machine, the edge-stitch down a placket, the moment a collar band sits flush. I’ll keep sharing what I learn, from first draft to final press. And if you’ve got thoughts on collars, cuffs or cloths you’d like to see, tell me. This whole thing works best as a conversation.