Sweden’s tailors and craftspeople are finally gaining the attention they deserve in
the realm of fine shirting. British and Italian brands have long since dominated the market with premium offerings
from Turnbull & Asser and G.Inglese and more, but the Nordic country is gaining an edge.
Heritage brand Stenströms is one such business taking up the mantle. Founded in 1899 by
tailor August Stenström, the name caught on among the social elite – anyone who was anyone was in possession of a
Stenströms shirt. Happy customers spread the word, and over a century later the name is still a byword for quality
and craftsmanship – even now, every Stenströms shirt undergoes more than 60 separate production stages with 25 on
the collar alone, with many of the most complicated elements still carried out by hand.
Their reputation also earned them a Royal Warrant in Sweden, but whilst Stenströms
undoubtedly deserve the honour of supplying shirts to the king and queen, they’ve not allowed their royal
associations to limit their spectrum of design. Some of their shirts are more rock and roll than orb and scepter,
and we wouldn’t be surprised to find them in the cache of a naughty prince or scandalous sovereign.
Nowadays, Stenströms’ are shirts that multitask – if you were smart enough to invest
in one last year, it will have seen you through dinner, drinks, office hours, after hours, date night, guy’s night.
This year, you’ll have thrown it on in the morning and not thought about changing out of it after work. It’ll have
become a part of your wardrobe that fits seamlessly into your life, and you’d miss it if it were gone. And next
year, you’ll keep returning to it again and again, for its reliable style, comfortable construction and beautiful
fit. If you’re smart enough to consider buying one now, The Rake has curated a capsule collection of great designs
that we’ll be putting on heavy rotation this season and beyond.
From punchy poplin stripes to micro-patterns, Stenströms doesn’t shy away from
prints, graphics and colour, but they’re more witty than whimsical, with patterns that dodge novelty and nostalgia
with pin-sharp design that proves Scandi style can be maximalist, too. Cut in the finest fabrics – denim, flannel,
cotton, linen – the shirts are lightweight, easy to wear and breathable. The brand has also introduced knitwear into
their AW20 offering, with cashmere crew necks, merino half-zip jumpers and cable-knit styles that are designed to
frame their shirts’ classic cutaway collars and fit comfortably over the top. Shop the full Stenströms collection
here.
