It’s time to get shirty

Derry shirtmaker Smyth & Gibson provides a bespoke shirtmaking service tailored to the client’s needs, writes Fiona Ness.

Richard Gibson of Smyth & Gibson fits a client for a shirt. Picture: Feargal Ward
Richard Gibson of Smyth & Gibson fits a client for a shirt. Picture: Feargal Ward

There are 14 components in the traditional shirt collar. For Derry shirtmaker Smyth & Gibson, that means hand-cutting 14 pattern pieces to each customer’s individual shape. Yes, bespoke shirt-making is complicated work – and the collar is only the beginning.

Once a shirt pattern is made, it is labelled and hung up in perpetuity (at least until a change of ...