Style – the white shirt

Let’s not mess around. There are things that every man wants in his wardrobe. A snappy, tailored suit. A shiny pair of brogues. A fantastic silk tie. But all of this would be as to nothing – nothing, I tell you – if that man hadn’t got the one thing that holds it all together. The magic ingredient that will save any and every situation from sartorial disaster and turn it into a triumph of impeccable style and good taste.

We are talking, of course, about the White Shirt. This item is often overlooked as a basic necessity; sure, you need one. You might even have hundreds of them kicking around. But until you have bought a really great white shirt, your life is not complete.

Just think. Where would James Bond be if it wasn’t for his immaculate white shirt? Would we still remember Cary Grant running across the hay field, chased by a plane, in North by Northwest, if it wasn’t for the crisp white cotton over his shoulders? Obama wore a white shirt when he made his ‘Yes We Can’ speech. That tells you all you need to know.

So, if you haven’t got one already, go and buy a white shirt right now. Yes, put down your sandwich and log off from facebook and go and get one. Your wardrobe, and your reputation, can’t survive without it for much longer.

The best white shirt on the market is this one from Turnbull and Asser. It’s made of the finest sea island cotton and is soft, smart and generally everything that this item could be. So go forth and purchase. And you’ll thank us for the rest of your days.

White sea island cotton shirt, £205, from turnbullandasser.co.uk