How to Tell If a Shirt Is Good Quality: Seams, Collars and Buttons
A gentle guide to the small details of a well-made shirt, from fabric and seams to collars, buttons and hems, so you can choose a shirt you will love for years.
In this guide
In short: To tell if a shirt is well made, check the fabric label, the seams inside, the collar or neckline, the buttons and buttonholes, and the hem. No single detail proves quality, but together they show how carefully a shirt is made.
A beautiful shirt is one you'll reach for again and again, washing after washing, summer after summer. But how can you tell if a shirt is well made before you buy it? The answer is in the small, quiet details: the fabric, the seams inside, the collar, the buttons and the hem. No single detail tells the whole story, but together they show the care that has gone into a piece. Here's what to look for, explained with our own linen shirts and cotton voile shirts.
1. Start with the fabric
A shirt can only be as lovely as the fabric it's made from. Look at the composition on the care label: natural fibres like linen and cotton breathe beautifully and soften as you wear them. Many of our linen shirts, like KIRRA, PIXIE and QUINN, are made from 100% EUROPEAN FLAX® certified linen, a certification that traces the flax from field to fabric. Our voile shirts, like THALIA, TILLY and EMBER, are 100% cotton voile. Learn more in our guides to linen and cotton voile.
Hold the fabric up to the light, too. An even weave without thin patches is a good sign, though natural slubs in linen are part of its character, not a flaw.
2. Look inside at the seams
Turn a shirt inside out and you'll learn a lot. Neat seams, with no loose threads or fraying raw edges, show care in the making.
French seams are one of the loveliest finishes. The fabric is sewn twice, so the raw edge is enclosed neatly inside the seam itself. It looks clean on the inside, feels smooth against the skin and helps prevent fraying through many washes, which matters for a fabric like linen. Our ROWAN, KIRRA, PIXIE and voile THALIA shirts are French seamed, and QUINN is French seamed throughout.
Look at the stitching, too: straight, even stitches that lie flat are a sign of careful sewing. Some shirts make a feature of it, like the contrast stitching on our NIKA short sleeve shirt.
3. Check the collar and neckline
A well-made collar sits flat and even, with both sides matching and the points lying neatly. Gently fold the collar and see that it returns to shape. Beyond classic collars, softer necklines can be beautifully finished too: our TILLY voile shirt has a mini frill at the neckline, and QUINN has a cotton lace insert on the collar, front pocket and cuffs.
4. Notice the buttons
Buttons are small, but they say a lot. Check that each is sewn on firmly, that the buttonholes are neatly and densely stitched, and that the shirt buttons smoothly without pulling.
The material matters too. Many of our shirts use corozo buttons, a natural material from the nut of the tagua palm, sometimes called "vegetable ivory" for its smooth, creamy finish. You'll find corozo buttons on KIRRA, ROWAN, NIKA, THALIA, TILLY and EMBER, whose placket details are finished with them. KIRRA's natural buttons are made from corozo, coconut or shell, and KIRRA and PIXIE both have a twin-button design.
5. Sleeves, shoulders and pockets
Look at how the sleeve meets the body. On a set-in sleeve, the seam should sit smoothly without puckering. Some shirts have grown-on sleeves, cut in one piece with the body for a soft, relaxed shoulder, like KIRRA and PIXIE. If a shirt has a pocket, check that it's sewn straight and sits flat, like the front pockets on KIRRA, PIXIE and NIKA.
6. Finish with the hem
A neat, even hem finishes a shirt beautifully. A curved or high-low hem, like on KIRRA and NIKA, should curve smoothly on both sides and sit gracefully whether you wear the shirt tucked, half-tucked or loose.
A well-made shirt checklist
- Natural fibres, clearly labelled
- An even weave, with natural slubs in linen
- Neat seams inside, ideally French seams
- Straight, even stitching
- A collar or neckline that sits flat and even
- Firmly sewn buttons and neat buttonholes
- Smooth sleeve seams and straight pockets
- An even, smoothly finished hem
Caring for your shirt so it lasts
Even the best-made shirt loves a little care. Follow its label: our linen shirts are machine wash cold, separately, on a gentle cycle, and our voile shirts are cold hand wash or gentle machine wash. Dry them in the shade, turn coloured shirts inside out to dry and iron, and button them onto a hanger so the collar keeps its shape. See our guide to how to wash linen clothes.
Discover all our shirts, linen shirts for women and women's cotton tops, or read our guide to types of women's tops.
Shirt quality FAQs
How can you tell if a shirt is good quality?
Look at the fabric, the seams inside, the collar, the buttons and the hem. No single detail proves quality, but together they show how carefully a shirt is made.
What are French seams?
Seams sewn twice so the raw edge is enclosed inside, giving a clean finish that resists fraying.
What are corozo buttons?
Natural buttons made from the nut of the tagua palm, known as "vegetable ivory" for their smooth finish.
What are grown-on sleeves?
Sleeves cut in one piece with the body of the shirt, for a soft, relaxed shoulder line.
Is linen a good fabric for a shirt?
Yes. Linen is natural and breathable, and grows softer with every wash, which makes it lovely for shirts worn all year round.
