Margaret Howell Short Sleeve Raglan Shirt

Almost no shirts are made this way, and the reason is that a raglan sleeve is harder to cut and does not read as a shirt at a glance. What it does is remove the one seam that decides how a shirt fits most people badly. Without a shoulder join there is nothing sitting on the top of the arm, so the cloth falls from the neck outward and the shirt drapes rather than perching. Cut oversized and given a short sleeve, it becomes something closer to a light summer top with a collar than to a shirt proper, and it behaves accordingly: it moves, it does not pull across the back, and it does not need a shoulder measurement to work. It is made in England, which for a cotton shirt is now unusual enough to be a decision rather than a default.

Why we selected it

The raglan shoulder is the detail we would put on more shirts if we could. It is the difference between a shirt that fits a body and a shirt that fits everybody.

Materials and construction

One hundred percent cotton, made in England. Raglan sleeves, oversized fit, short sleeve. Colors: Ink and Off-White.

Fit notes

Oversized through the body and soft at the shoulder. Because there is no shoulder seam, size on the body rather than on the shoulder; the sleeve will find its own place. Lettered sizing. Off-White in a plain cotton will yellow slightly with sun rather than with age, which is worth knowing if it lives on a line outdoors.

Styling

Off-White untucked over anything dark is the version that does the least and works the most. Ink is the one to put under a jacket, where the collar reads as a plain dark shirt and the raglan shoulder disappears entirely. Either with the pleated crop trouser.

Care

Wash cool and hang to dry. Off-White cotton is better served by drying in shade than in direct sun, which sets a yellow rather than lifting one. Our general care guidance covers the rest.

Related pieces

The MHL by Margaret Howell Cropped Raglan Shirt puts the same raglan shoulder into a cotton canvas rather than a shirting cotton, and cuts the body short where this one runs full. The Raglan Blazer takes the same sleeve into wool, and the Three Button Shirt is a light cotton with most of the placket left off. There is more on the house on the Margaret Howell designer page. Everything we carry from Margaret Howell is listed together.