Thomas Pink
The Traveller
This shirt comes in both casual button-cuff with button down collar and more formal double cuff with soft collar. Both are pure two-fold cotton and have a special finish to minimise creasing.
The "traveller" features are: a hidden inside breast pocket for keeping your passport safe and a secret pocket tucked inside the cuff to hide your credit card. The latter I can see is useful. If you were mugged and lost your wallet, having a credit card up your sleeve would be a relief. The pocket for the passport was less so, particularly since a passport doesn't fit in it. Nevertheless, an excellent shirt.
Price £65
Contact +44 (0)207 498 3882, thomaspink.co.uk
Eton
Twill fabric
The most expensive brand here, the shirts of Swedish brand Eton, which dates back to 1928, are undoubtedly classy affairs. They have a silky feel due to the long-fibre cotton material. Amazingly, all Eton's shirts are wrinkle-free, with any slight wrinkles (left over from drying on a hanger) soon disappearing as the shirt warms on your body.
So for travellers it's just a matter of finding the right style and colour. Here it's worth doing a little research, as some of the shirts are fashion choices and some are for slim fit, but provided you take time to find the one that suits you (and you have the budget) these shirts qualify in those elusive "best shirt" and "most useful shirt" categories.
Price £95
ontact etonshirts.com
Brooks Brothers
Non-iron dress shirt
The famous American brand, now becoming better known in the UK, calls its formal shirts Dress Shirts. In this range Brooks Brothers has a huge choice of colours and styles including both button down and formal collars, as well as single or double cuff (termed French cuff in the UK).
Prices vary, and while you may want to buy here, with the current pound to dollar exchange rate you could do well to wait until your next US trip (prices can drop to as low as US$69.50). The cotton feels thick and hard-wearing, but it was not the most comfortable of the shirts I tested. That said, in a button down collar model, it more than suffices and kept its shape after several wear and wash cycles.
Price From £59
Contact +44 (0)207 256 6013, brooksbrothers.com
Marks & Spencer
Cotton-rich non-iron
Marks & Spencer has two ranges of shirts of interest to the frequent business traveller: easycare and non-iron. Easycare shirts start at £9.50 (or two for £17) and are excellent value, but the ratio of polyester (65 per cent) to cotton (35 per cent) means they aren't the sort of shirt you'll wear to impress. The non-iron shirts have 65 per cent cotton to 35 per cent polyester, and as a result, feel considerably nicer. A good choice. Both are available in a range of colours.
Price £14
Contact marksandspencer.com
ROCOLA
Rocola Shirt Tec
We first wrote about these stain-resistant shirts last year, but they are still around and as useful as ever for those of us who eat and drink faster than our mouths can handle. They really are stain-resistant. In fact, they are very nearly water-resistant and even after a couple of dozen washes, retain that quality. Comfort-wise, they aren't bad either. Definitely worth trying.
Price £49.50
Contact +44 (0)208 759 5541; oeshirts.co.uk
