So, the year is 2010, and bespoke, tailor-made mens shirts can once again be seen donning the backs of fashionable gentlemen across the world. It seems that finally, and not a moment too soon, the traditional art of quality and bespoke shirt making has come back into fashion.
And why ever not? After all, a tailor-made shirt is, by definition, the epitome of individual style and class. Any man who recognises the value of a bespoke shirt, carefully tailored to his individual frame, is bound to turn heads and stand out from the usual off-the-peg crowd.

But its not only the perfect fit that defines a tailor-made shirt, but the fabric its made from. Only the finest of cottons will be used when making a bespoke shirt, and the weave will be carefully chosen to match the individual requirements of the buyer.

For the purposes of this article, its the weave were interested in. Theres a rich history behind weaving that has seen Mankinds first experiments with the creation of cloth develop into the industrial textile industry, which now supplies todays bespoke shirt makers with some of the most beautiful fabrics in the world.

So, lets take a cursory glance at the past so that we can understand why a quality, tailor-made shirt is so special and rich with age-old skills and traditions.
Fabric weaving has its roots in ancient civilization. No one knows exactly when the weaving process begun, but we can take ourselves back to the Stone Age, when Man developed the art of finger weaving to create the essential items needed for everyday life.

Throughout early history, weaving was a staple, necessary skill, and if you were to peer into the home of any family youd have found an expert in the art of weaving.
But as with everything, things moved on quickly. With the invention of the loom, the first being the warp-weighted loom, fabric weaving evolved, becoming quicker and more sophisticated.

Naturally, as civilization evolved and weaving equipment became more advanced, the items that were created developed from the purely functional items used by our ancient ancestors, to accommodate modern Mans hankering for the fashionable and stylish.

During the late 18th Century the Industrial Revolution changed the face of fabric weaving forever. The invention of large-scale machinery, such as the Jacquard Loom, meant the textile industry boomed. Quality fabrics could now be mass-produced, and shipped all over the world. The textile industry naturally fed the fashion industry, and the market for quality gentlemens clothing thrived.

So, weve gone from the simple process of finger weaving, to the large-scale sophisticated machinery introduced during the Industrial Revolution. But its not only the technology that has evolved, but also Mans needs and requirements. Whereas six thousand years ago Man would have only created essential items of clothing, bedding and shelter for everyday survival, we now use the wonderful process of weaving to create a whole range of fabrics for quality bespoke, tailor-made mens shirts.
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