Corny? Yes. Puns are the lowest form of wit but please spare a Monsieur his weakness and his penchant for cheap throwaway headlines at 11.15pm after celebrating his boss’s birthday at one of the best restaurants in Melbourne along Burwood Road- The Undertaker (yes, we ate in a converted mortuary. No, it wasn’t thematic and we didn’t eat in coffins).

Ledbury: Why Their Check Shirts are the Best

A collar that won’t collapse: I always find myself tugging at shirt collars or re-ironing them with starch because in some of my other non-tailored shirts, they seem to keep behaving as if I were John Travolta circa Saturday Night Fever (they flap out). Ledbury makes their check shirt collars (which are sewn on separately) fused from the outside in, this helps them remain standing and looking great under a blazer or sweater.

The V neckline: There’s a reason why V-neck shirts are popular among men. It simply is the better neckline, it re-affirms and accentuates that masculine torso and with Ledbury, their check shirts come with a lowered second button that creates the perfect V at the neckline; Preventing the shirt from being buttoned too high or too low in a smart casual setting.

Fine Italian weave: When you’re wearing a shirt in all sorts of settings for hours on end, Ledbury dress shirts are made of fine Italian woven two-fold cotton and you won’t feel like you’re chaffing at every crease of your shirt during a long night out. 

The tailored fit: Less fabric at the waist and torso so it doesn’t seem like your shirt is ballooning everywhere. They say flattery (and a flattering shape) gets you everywhere.

The Ledbury collar: The Anglo-American is an ideal spread that lies between the English cut-away and the American mid-point, while the Ledbury offers a wider spread for a more pronounced look.

The Monsieur endorses Ledbury mother of pearl buttons: It’s not snobbery, it’s just that little plastic buttons don’t float my boat, they’re purely functional and I can appreciate a shirtmaker that puts in the extra effort. All Ledbury shirts are finished with natural Mother of Pearl shell buttons.