At home with Eton Shirts
Thought you were getting away with wearing your pyjamas to WFH? Think again...
We need to talk. Yes, you over there, on your Zoom meeting, silently feeling smug about the ‘professional on the top, pyjamas on the bottom’ approach you took to getting dressed today. You knew this was coming, didn’t you? Deep down, you’ve actually been waiting for this.
We’re not angry. We’re not even disappointed – we’ve been there. There’s a worldwide pandemic and everything is upside down. It’s impossibly tempting to surrender to the few comforts we have left, and even more tempting to adopt the mindset that what we wear is the last thing that matters right now.
But we at The Rake are here to tell you: we don’t buy it. We don’t just know the power of clothes, we’ve quite literally written the book on how great suits, shoes and accessories can transform you from boy to man; they can top up your confidence, your joy, your quality of life. We’ve not just built a business around it, we’ve built our lifestyles around it too – and those of the craftspeople, designers, tailors and textiles specialists for whom clothes are their lifeblood.
And don’t get us wrong – we’re all for relaxing the dress codes. We understand that formalwear doesn’t feel right at this precise moment in time, and we’re not here to judge you for hanging up your three-piece until the time is right. But all we hear when you tell us that clothes don’t matter and you’re “not seeing anyone anyway” are excuses, and they’re poor ones at that.
Dressing up – or, merely, getting dressed – isn’t something you only do for other people. It’s not just a requirement for the outside world, or a necessity to look presentable. It’s an opportunity to have fun (and God knows we all need a bit of that right now) – plus it’s a privilege, and one that we should make the most of every single day. That’s why Eton Shirts have challenged themselves to come up with seven shirts for seven days of the week, with a new collection that proves that the ‘everyday’ doesn’t have to mean the ‘mundane’.
Having started out a century ago during the Depression, the family-founded Swedish company is an inspiration to small businesses today, too. Eton has spent decades sharpening its cutting scissors and its skills, honing in on one of the most important things in a man’s wardrobe: the shirt. And in a year when the business suit has, well, temporarily gone out of business, an expertly-made shirt bridges the gap between outfits that feel too formal or too casual.
And Eton’s products are as expertly made as it gets: constructed with 45 different parts, using over 12,000 stitches, their approach to creativity and style is undeniably Scandinavian, with minimalism and quality at its core. As the first shirtmakers to debut a crease-resistant offering in the Nineties, they’ve become masters in innovation, too. As a result, their shirts don’t just fit beautifully and last a long time, they’re also designed to work in harmony with other essential wardrobe staples and look beautiful in their own right. Their cutaway collars, for example, perfectly accommodate a Windsor knot tie, and the clean lines of their Oxford shirt are uninterrupted by any obtrusive branding.
Eton understands that looking great when it’s not required of you earns respect, inspires others, and can be downright sexy, and it's this sense of playfulness that makes men fall in love with their shirts season after season. Why should workwear be simply ‘appropriate’ when it can be sharp, cool and striking, as well? Why should an off-duty uniform be just ‘practical’ when it can be sexy, grown-up and fun, too?
So, you in the pyjamas. We know you’re better than this. You know you’re better than this. So let’s call this a temporary slip, and we’ll trust that the next time you’re here you’ll have upped your game enough to make us forget the whole thing. Deal?
Dressing up – or, merely, getting dressed – isn’t something you only do for other people. It’s not just a requirement for the outside world, or a necessity to look presentable. It’s an opportunity to have fun (and we all need a bit of that right now) – plus it’s a privilege, and one that we should make the most of every single day. That’s why Eton Shirts challenged us to come up with seven looks for seven days of the week, with a new shirt collection that proves that the ‘everyday’ doesn’t have to mean the ‘mundane’.Please view in the video below.
We'll be sharing a new Look Of The Day everyday this week on our Instagram Stories, and we want you to share your favourite looks, too - simply tag @therake and @etonshirts when you post.⠀ ⠀
Photography by Kim Lang
Photography Assistant Derrick Kakembo
Videography by Marcus Ebanks⠀
Fashion Direction by Veronica Perez
Grooming by Luka Watabe⠀ ⠀
Shot at Regents Crescent, interior decoration by Millier London.
