Engineered Garments Square Neck Shirt

A square neckline is the only common neckline made entirely of straight lines. That is why it behaves differently from a round or a v: a curve follows the body and softens it, and a set of right angles does not. It frames the collarbones squarely and holds that frame whether the garment underneath is loose or close. On a relaxed sleeveless shirt in a horizontal stripe, the neckline and the stripe are running in the same direction, which is what makes the whole thing read as drawn rather than defaulted.

Why we selected it

A plain striped sleeveless shirt is a summer staple, and the neckline is the only decision in it. This one was decided.

Materials and construction

Fifty percent cotton, fifty percent polyester, made in the USA. Relaxed, sleeveless, with a square neckline. Colour: Navy and white stripe.

Fit notes

Relaxed through the body and hanging from the shoulder rather than following the waist. An even split with polyester has good recovery, so it holds its shape across a day and does not relax the way a pure cotton would. Sleeveless, so the armhole depth sets most of the fit.

Styling

With the STK Pant in navy corduroy, tonally. With the Sailor Pant in olive. Under the Cutaway Jacket Crochet, where the openwork and the flat stripe are doing opposite jobs.

Care

Wash cool and hang to dry. Polyester glazes under an iron, so press low and through a cloth if at all, and keep it out of a hot dryer. Our care guidance for mixed cloths covers the rest.

Related pieces

The Gather Skirt in white and blue is cut from a cloth of the same construction. The STK Pant in navy corduroy and the Sailor Pant in olive are the trousers, and the Cutaway Jacket Crochet is the layer over a sleeveless shirt. There is more on the house on the Engineered Garments designer page. Everything we carry from Engineered Garments is listed together.