The Japanese shirt for men: collar, fabric and print – and how to wear one without trying too hard

The collar: why it stands up

The most visible difference is the collar. A classic Western shirt has a collar that folds down over a band. A stand collar is just the band – it stands upright around the neck and doesn't fold.

In English it's called a mandarin collar, after Chinese dress, so it isn't Japanese by origin. In Japan it's familiar from the gakuran, the school uniform with a stand collar introduced in the Meiji era and modelled on European uniforms. That's why the collar feels both formal and relaxed: buttoned to the top it looks finished without a tie; open, it looks easy.

Our Kaze has a stand collar and a short button placket at the neck. The Sora has a mandarin collar too, with an asymmetric button placket – a small detail that makes a plain colour more interesting.

The fabric: linen and cotton-linen

A Japanese-inspired shirt tends to show its fabric. Two options in our range:

• Linen – cool, absorbent, dries fast, creases easily and softens with washing. Our Miyabi and Hoshi are long-sleeve linen shirts.
• Cotton-linen blend – softer than pure linen, with more texture than cotton. The Kaze and Sora are cotton-linen blends. The exact ratio isn't stated on the product pages, so we don't give one.

What we don't claim: no grand words about the fabric, no thread counts, no durability promises. If you want to know how each fabric feels and ages, read our fabric guide.

The print: motifs with meaning

Prints are where a Japanese shirt can tip into costume, so it helps to know what you're wearing.

• Plum blossom (ume) flowers in late winter, before almost anything else – a classic symbol of resilience.
• Cherry blossom (sakura) blooms briefly in spring and stands for the beauty of things that don't last.
• Pine stays green all year and stands for long life.
• Waves are one of the oldest decorative motifs in Japanese textiles and ceramics.

There's a nice twist in the history: according to most accounts, some of the first Hawaiian "aloha" shirts in the 1930s were sewn from Japanese kimono fabric. Printed Japanese shirts have been a casual-wear idea for nearly a century.

The Kaze comes in plum blossom, cherry blossom, pine, wave and landscape prints, among others. If you want the Japanese feel without a print, the Sora and Miyabi in white, grey or navy do it with the collar and the fabric alone.

How to wear it

One statement at a time. A printed Kaze with plain black or navy trousers. Wide red trousers with a plain white Sora or Miyabi. Never print with print.

Buttoned up or open – decide. Buttoned to the top, a stand collar looks finished under a blazer or a wool coat, no tie needed. Open over a white T-shirt, it's a weekend shirt.

Under a sweatshirt in winter. A linen shirt is a great base layer: let the collar sit over the crew neck. More in our layering guide.

With wide trousers. A stand-collar shirt and a wide trouser are the core of the look – see Japanese pants for men.

Sizing: be generous

Shirts are less forgiving than trousers: they sit on the shoulders and chest, and there's no drawstring to help. Verified reviews say it plainly – one buyer found the Kaze "a lot tighter than the sizing stated" even a size up. Our pieces run small; if you're between two sizes, take the larger one, and with shirts consider going one up anyway if you like room across the chest. The label carries an Asian size, one above the shop size.

If it doesn't fit, you have 14 days from delivery to return unworn items with tags; return postage is paid by you.

Build a set around one shirt

A shirt, a pair of trousers and a sweatshirt make three outfits – and three pieces is exactly where Buy 2, get 1 free kicks in: the cheapest item is free, automatically, no code. Shipping is free and tracked, with duties included; our shipping policy states 13 to 21 business days.

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