There's a reason behind a good shirt. An interview with the "ORIAN" brand

A room in a certain vintage apartment building, quietly nestled in the Kita-Sando area of Tokyo. Open the door, and you find yourself in a space lined with shirts of all kinds along the walls—much like a gentleman's closet.

Standing before these elegant dress shirts, you naturally find yourself straightening your back. ORIAN was founded in 1990 in the Veneto region of Italy, home to many dress-wear production factories, and has grown into an Italian-made shirt brand beloved around the world for its fine quality. Rather than letting the shirt itself make a loud statement or relying on excessive ornamentation, ORIAN's ideal is a shirt that brings out the individuality of the person wearing it.

There's surely a reason behind a good shirt. And yet, putting into words exactly why it feels so comfortable to wear is remarkably difficult. Hoping to uncover the "reason for a good shirt," we visited Edit & Co., the company that imports ORIAN. We were warmly welcomed by Mr. Suzuki, who handles the brand. In this feature, we introduce the shirt loved even by this specialist, exploring its construction, the appeal of dress shirts, and how to style them.

Not just classic and orthodox—a playful spirit too

【OVER SIZE PULLOVER Shirt】

— Is the shirt you're wearing today the 【OVER SIZE PULLOVER Shirt】that ZUTTO offers for women?

Yes, that's right. We only offer the women's sizing here, but as a brand, ORIAN actually produces this in a unisex size range. For ORIAN, a dress shirt maker, this oversized silhouette combined with a unisex lineup is something of a "wild card" in their offerings. A few years ago, when the "normcore" (ultimate simplicity) fashion trend became widespread, ORIAN, as a factory brand, embraced that trend and began making unisex pieces like this one. What ZUTTO is offering is the women's sizing selected from that range. Also, the 【S size】 you carry is chosen not only by women but also by smaller-framed men.

△Mr. Suzuki's own styling. Buttoning all the way up and adding a scarf around the neck is an advanced technique.

— It suits you very well. The style of women wearing oversized shirts with the collar pulled back (shifted toward the back) has become quite familiar—is ORIAN conscious of that trend as well?

I think there is some awareness of that trend, yes, but the actual design source for this shirt is the Scandinavian sleeping shirt. A sleeping shirt, in other words, a nightshirt. Since it's meant to be worn comfortably while sleeping, the body isn't tapered at the waist but has a straight, cylindrical cut. I think the appeal of this shirt lies in that relaxed feel—loose and comfortable without constricting the body. I'm tall with a broad frame myself, but it's very comfortable to wear.

△Model height: 166cm (left: size S, right: size XS). The back panel is cut longer, creating an oversized silhouette that doesn't trace the body's shape. It pairs effortlessly with both skirts and pants—a testament to ORIAN's careful attention to silhouette.

Bangle: STERLING SILVER BANGLE SB31, STERLING SILVER BANGLE SB32, Shoes: Deck Shoes LO11 WHITE (Left outfit) Pants: Half Pants (MARINE), Bag: GOAT Mesh Bag L (WHITE) (Right outfit) Skirt: Cordura Mini Fleece-back Skirt (KHAKI), Bag: SMALL MINI BEACH BAG (BANANE×WHITE×GALET)

Drawing inspiration from menswear's formal dress shirt

【LINEN COTTON Skipper Shirt】

△Model height: 157cm, size worn: 38

Shoes: Wingtip Leather Shoes WHITE, Scarf: [Special order] Scarf 65×65 (Orange)

— ORIAN shirts are a bit of an investment, so it can take some courage to reach for one, but once you actually put your arms through the sleeves, the beauty of the silhouette wins you over. Where does this comfortable fit come from?

I think it comes from applying the details that create that unmistakable "dress shirt" quality, honed through menswear dress shirts. For instance, the collar is the face of a shirt. To make the neckline look beautiful, the collar stand is cut somewhat higher. By finishing it with crisp, precise tailoring, the collar naturally gains height, giving the shirt a dressier finish.

△Left: a dress shirt worn by a man; right: the LINEN COTTON Skipper Shirt, made for women

Also, since this is a pullover-style shirt without front buttons, it's no exaggeration to say that the tailoring of the collar determines the shirt's first impression. What's more, this Skipper Shirt uses a slim-fitting pattern designed to flatter a woman's figure, and is engineered so that moderate darts placed in the back allow it to naturally fit the body.

△Darts (portions where fabric is stitched in narrow tucks to give the garment three-dimensional shape) are formed along the blue arrows.

△Model height: 166cm, size worn: 38

Because the waist is tapered, simply slipping it on creates a beautiful waist mark (making the waist a focal point), giving the overall coordination a nice sense of contrast. The "collar" that determines the first impression, the "pattern" that beautifully shapes the silhouette. I think the reason this pullover shirt—one with no buttons on the front—can be styled so dressily comes down to the accumulation of these kinds of details.

— This piece really conveys a high level of craftsmanship. I imagine it's one of those essential items. Since the design is so simple, I'd think this shirt goes with just about any outfit—what kind of styling would you recommend?

It works equally well for "elevating casual looks" and for "achieving that dressy feel," so you can enjoy pairing it with all sorts of bottoms. Paired with loose-fitting denim for a relaxed look, the shirt's inherent elegance still results in a refined casual outfit. Or, paired with, say, a pretty knee-length skirt for a dressier top-to-bottom look, that would be lovely too.

The origin of ORIAN: men's shirts

△Left: Men's MICRO JACQUARD shirt, Right: Men's CHAMBREY SKIPPER shirt

— Using the women's shirts as an entry point, we've been hearing about the "quality of construction" that's unique to ORIAN, but men's shirts are truly the essence of ORIAN. At ZUTTO, we're introducing the indigo-colored series, which is easy to incorporate into everyday wear. What would you say makes this series distinctly "ORIAN"?

ORIAN originally specialized in men's dress shirts, but as a brand, they've also put a lot of effort into designing shirts that are easy to wear casually. There's been a general trend toward "casualization" in dress shirt manufacturing, and out of that trend came the idea of soft shirts meant to be washed before wearing.

— And the indigo shirts are one result of that trend, I take it.

What emerged in the 2010s was this "Denim Division". Denim is, of course, a culture that originated in America. Compared to the fashion scenes of Italy or England, its history is relatively short—but in ORIAN's home country of Italy, there seems to be a real sense of respect for so-called "American vintage." The Denim Division is essentially that respect and empathy for American denim culture as one of those "good old things," translated into the form of an indigo shirt.

△A tag that evokes the atmosphere of American vintage, and a fabric swatch for the Denim Division featuring a charming illustration of a horse, in contrast to the more classic swatch for the standard skipper shirt.

That said, this is still ORIAN we're talking about. Without ever feeling as unrefined as a typical western shirt, they've combined the soft, skin-friendly texture of denim shirting with the design sensibility rooted in the DNA of Italian dress shirts, creating what you might call "refined indigo." One detail I'd love to highlight is that, around the collar, on the inside of the shirt, there's a line designed to mimic denim's "selvedge."

△The selvedge line applied to the inside of the collar. Selvedge refers to the finished edge that forms along the seam of jeans, a characteristic unique to vintage denim fabric woven on old-style shuttle looms.

Another detail is that the button stitching is designed in a style seen on vintage dress shirts. Notice the four-hole buttons stitched with what looks like a bird's footprint pattern? Comparing it to ORIAN's other men's shirts really shows how distinct that detail is.

△The button on the left is from the Denim Division. Even the thread used to sew on the button is a bold, deliberately noticeable color.

— It really is a shirt that conveys respect for "American vintage." And yet, I can see why it never feels old-fashioned or unrefined. I imagine it would only develop more character the longer you wear it.

Yes, I actually have a Denim Division shirt I've been wearing for four or five years myself. When people hear "denim shirt," they tend to assume you can only pair it with denim or chinos, but this one also has that dress-shirt feel to it, so it works just as well layered under a jacket, or buttoned all the way up with a tie for a smarter look. That flexibility is very much in keeping with ORIAN's character.

△The Denim Division shirt Suzuki-san actually wears himself. It's soft against the skin, and you can tell just how much he loves wearing it.

No special care needed. Wash and iron however you like

— It's reassuring to know you can wear it for years to come, and being able to style it in so many ways is appealing too. Men's shirts also make a great gift choice. By the way, is there anything special you do in terms of care?

Precisely because they're so well made, there's really nothing special I do. Let me briefly explain the characteristics of each item.

◇OVER SIZE PULLOVER shirt: Since it's a polyester blend, it dries quickly and resists wrinkling even without ironing.

◇LINEN COTTON skipper shirt: The impression it gives changes depending on how you iron it, so you can adapt it to different occasions.

◇Men's MICRO JACQUARD shirt, Men's CHAMBREY SKIPPER shirtThe more you wash it, the more the color will fade naturally, developing a nice patina you can enjoy as it ages. Since the dye used is indigo, please rinse it in water once before wearing it for the first time.

A well-made shirt has such solid construction that it still looks refined even when worn casually without too much fuss. That's why, rather than suggesting any special care routine, we simply tell customers "feel free to wash and iron it however you like". In fact, I wash my own shirts in the washing machine without any hesitation. The way the color naturally fades is part of the charm, so I don't use any special detergent either, but if you'd like to prevent color fading as much as possible, I'd recommend using a detergent made for dark-colored items.

Speaking of shirts, there's also ironing. This too comes down to personal preference, but as someone who wears these shirts myself, what I'd recommend is adjusting how you iron depending on the occasion. If you're putting on a jacket for a polished look, you'll want to press the whole shirt thoroughly, but if you're simply pairing a shirt with denim, the casual texture of a shirt straight from the wash looks great.

Also, even if you don't press out every wrinkle across the whole shirt, ironing just the collar, cuffs, and front placket keeps the overall look relaxed while still making the shirt's details look crisp. Using this kind of partial ironing depending on the occasion, I think, gives your styling more range and deepens your attachment to the shirt.

△By the way... on this day, Suzuki-san paired the OVER SIZE PULLOVER shirt with a tote bag by CINQUANTA (Cinquanta), for a wonderfully simple coordination. It was a lovely combination that let the quality of the shirt truly shine.

【ORIAN (Orian)】

A shirt brand founded by Gian Gaetano Orian. He was also involved in launching prestigious shirt brands, and in 1990 he acquired a shirt factory in Castelfranco Veneto, in the Veneto region of northern Italy, starting a label under his own name. ORIAN aims to create shirts that avoid excessive self-assertion or ornamentation, instead letting the individuality of the wearer stand out. Today, his son Federico Orian carries on Gian Gaetano's philosophy, and ORIAN quickly became a topic of conversation around the world. Even now, as it's carried by top-tier shops, the brand continues to win over more and more fans.