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Sewing pattern designed by Alice and Co Patterns for the V&A. Fabric generously provided by Storrs London. Photographs © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
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A huge thank you to all of our pattern testers: Alison, Anna, Aska, Audrey, Ayuta, Barbara, Ceraleigh, Carol, Charlie, Chloe, Chris, Christine, Dan, Debbie, Elizabeth, Emilia, Eva, Galia, Gavin, Heather, Helen, Izzy, Jacqueline, James, Joanna, Johanna, Judith, Julian, Justin, Karen D, Karen G, Katherine, Katie, Kim, Kristina, Lisa, Louise, Martin, Nisan, Olivia, Rob, Roselina, Rosy, Ruth, Sally C, Sally G, Sarah, Suzanne, St.John, Vanessa,YenNee.
From jabots to plackets – a brief history of the shirt
For centuries, shirts served as undergarments in the wardrobes of European, North and Latin American men: the layer between skin and outer clothing, and markers of cleanliness, wealth and social status. Made of expensive white linen, they were regularly laundered and starched, but remained invisible except for the fine ruffles at the wrists and neck – known as 'bosom ruffles'.
Before the 1800s, shirts didn't open all the way down the front, they had a simple T-shaped slit in the middle of the fabric to put your head through. The centre front placket , where the button-holes are placed, was a 19th-century innovation. Historically, ruffles on the cuffs and front of the shirt – known as a jabot – were detachable and worn only on formal occasions. They were often made from a finer grade linen or lace to show off the wealth and cleanliness of the wearer.
Shirt, 1846, Great Britain. Museum no. T.104-1934. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Left to right: Shirt with jabot, 1830, England. Museum no. T.97-1963 © Victoria and Albert Museum, London; Shirt, 1846, England. Museum no.  T.104-1934 © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Men's shirts subtly changed in shape throughout the 1800s. A typical 1840s shirt had a high colour, pleated sleeves and a shirt front with starched pleats fastened with gold studs, revealed by a wide waistcoat neckline. When working women adopted a jacket-and-skirt version of the masculine suit in the late 1800s, the formal front-buttoning shirt with starched collar and cuffs also became part of women's wardrobes. By the 1950s, the shirt had graduated from underwear to visible outerwear, while 1960s 'flower-power' introduced a multitude of colours, patterns and fabrics.
Dress, manufactured by Prada, 2004, Italy. Museum no. T.221:1 to 3-2004. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
(Left to Right:) Shirt, designed by Liberty & Co., late 1960s –  early 1970s, United Kingdom. Museum no. T.196-1979. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London; Dress, made by Prada, 2004, Italy. Museum no. T.221:1 to 3-2004. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Today contemporary designers from Prada, to Orange Culture to Harris Reed continue to explore the endless creative potential of the shirt.
