freedom wrote:Some time ago I found a box of clothes that I tried on. Some of which I like allot for the way they fit is a button front shirt. Seeing the buttons in the same way most men shirts are I figured this IS the shirt for me. There were three kinds, one was 100% rayon, another in gold 100% silk and the other was a blend of rayon & acetate. But having family issues about the shirts I was wearing, being told those are women shirts. How can that be? They button exactly like a man's shirt does. Because of the fabrics? Why can't men wear silk or rayon shirts? The pastor at the church I was going to wore many silk men shirts.
Shirts such as the ones you mention were enjoyed a fair amount of popularity in the US during the "disco era" in the late 1970s and very early 1980s, so the shirts you've discovered
may be from that time-frame. That was the last time that there was any creativity in men's fashion -- at least in this author's opinion -- and as a sex we're much poorer that the creativity, both in styles and fabrics, has gone.
The primary criterion as to whether a shirt is a "men's" or a "women's" shirt is the direction in which it fastens; you state that the ones you have fasten left-over-right which indicates that they are men's shirts, although possibly from a different era. The fancy shirts I had back in the '70s and '80s fasten left-over-right and were constructed with nice cuts and very luxurious fabrics compared to what's on offer today. Now, beyond that, the ultimate arbiter is whether the garment fits you (shoulders being the biggest problem, followed immediately by neckline and chest area) and whether it looks good. I have a few shirts/blouses that came from the women's side of the aisle, including a silk one, that work quite well, and only the sharpest of eyes -- mostly belonging to women -- can see the difference.
Again, I like the very relaxed fit of the shirt and the very billowy long sleeves. I seen Travis Tritt - country music singer in one of he's remake videos of an Eagles song Take It Easy wearing a similar shirt with very billowy long sleeves. I think something like this would look great with a vest and some kind of western or outback style hat.
If you like the billowy-sleeve look, there's what's frequently known as a "poet's shirt" or "swashbuckler's shirt" that has that sort of tailoring. These are usually pull-over garments with lace-up necklines so can be worn in a multitude of configurations. Fancier ones may have ruffles around the cuffs or collar, and this can create a very romantic look if that's what you're after. My wife made me a couple over the years, but they are available from some on-line places. The look enjoyed a brief vogue in the mid '70s where standard dress shirts with billowy sleeves were commercially available from general retailers instead of boutiques.
