UNDERSTANDING OUR SHIRTS
Each of our signature shirts is devotedly handmade in our factory just outside of Gloucester, England. Shirtmakers of over 135 years, our talented team of pattern cutters and machinists, with skills passed down through generations, each contribute their honed skills to craft the perfect shirt. Constructed using the finest materials and with our trademark features, a Turnbull shirt is second to no other.
Starting in our extensive archives, the Turnbull design team, headed up by Creative Director, Becky French, pull creative references from throughout history and from every creative discipline. From vintage finds to the British masters, colour and form are bought to life in the finest materials sourced from our longstanding collaborators in Italy, and around the world.
A classic Turnbull shirt is made up of 33 individual hand-cut pieces of the highest quality cloth finished with a secure series of iridescent ethically sourced mother-of-pearl buttons. Our shirts are easily recognised for their non-fused collars, single-piece yokes, and pentagonal reinforced gussets, each detail has been honed to ensure the finished product is best in class.
Framing the face, a collar is undoubtedly one of our shirt’s best features. From the signature, T&A collar to our more contemporary Kent or versatile Derby, each Turnbull collar is non-fused with a woven bias-cut interlining for a more organic structure. Rather than using environmentally damaging chemical glues, we rely on superior materials, construction and craftsmanship to maintain the collar’s shape, obviating the need for a fused construction and thus leaving the finished shirt more comfortable to wear.
Our shirts offer four main cuff choices. Designed to be worn with cufflinks, Double Cuffs are a formal style exclusively sewn with holes 1”/ 2.5cm from the edge. Our signature three-button barrel cuffs are a secret code among our distinguished clientele. In our buttons, we forgo flimsy plastic buttons in favour of deep-shell Australian mother-of-pearl from ecologically sustained sources. Each button is sewn on with strong crossed-lock stitching to prevent it from ever detaching.
Quality fabric, a flawless cut and first-class construction count for nothing if you don’t feel confident in your shirt’s fit. It's the first thing that others notice and the last thing you want to get wrong. Our classic Regular fit is a bit roomer whereas our Tailored fit is recommended if you prefer a slim fit. In casualwear, our Weekend and Holiday fit shirts have straight side seams and are designed to be worn untucked should you so wish.
Bespoke & Made to Measure
A natural step up from ready-to-wear, our Made to Measure shirts are made using a standard-sized base pattern, which you can then alter to your taste and specifications. However, the jewel in our crown is our Bespoke service where each design is a one-of-a-kind treasure created for you, and only you. With a selection of over 1,000 fabrics, 25 collar and cuff options, 20 monogram styles and various collar linings, all you need is a little imagination to build your bespoke shirt. Following this process, your unique pattern will live in the archive alongside our esteemed clients forever.
Sustainability
Sustainability is integral to our ethos at Turnbull & Asser. By focusing on our suppliers’ environmental impact, we are always improving our shirt-making process, up and down the supply chain, to make our shirts as green as possible. Built to last a lifetime, we also offer a re-cuff and re-collaring service to keep our timeless shirts in tip-top shape. And from reducing our fabric shipments and donating fabrics to students, to pledging to remove all unnecessary plastic from the packaging, we are ensuring our shirt’s impact on this planet is purely visual.
