From symbolizing the wealthy aristocracy to the employee's uniform, from men's classical attire to the feminist manifesto, the iconic white formal shirt has been a powerful marker of social shifts. For more than 200 years, it has been representing status, wealth, and social norms.
In the Victorian era, wearing a white shirt was seen as upper class, the sign of someone who could afford to change shirts regularly and professionally washed to maintain that bright white look. Still a respectable addition to a gentleman's wardrobe, the white dress shirt lost the stiff and starched appearance for more of a softer look after World War I. The white shirts also became an employee's uniform – the once-classic look becoming mandatory in urban office environments.
Actresses Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, and Katherine Hepburn, made the white shirt an iconic fashion statement, it quickly became a symbol of modernity for women. Diane Keaton in "Annie Hall", Uma Thurman in "Pulp Fiction", and Julia Roberts in "Pretty Woman" immortalized the white shirt became synonymous with fashion trends and an iconic symbol of the new independent woman. Emotional and spiritual links with white colour that symbolize equality and new beginnings have made it the choice of colour for many female political icons past and present.
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The Statement Shirt* by Xenia Joost is born from the idea of an iconic white shirt. The shirt carries within the memory of the past and the attitude of today. It holds countless stories of each of us who has its own personal statement to stand for. She emphasizes that the style and clothes we wear express our inner mind while communicating who we are and what we believe. It is a part of the visual language that we use to build a bridge between our internal and external worlds. Each day we communicate to the world through our clothes and telling our personal stories.
Xenia Joost's story is to bring joy back to fashion through a sustainable approach and a positive attitude towards the process of creation and consumption.
What is your story to tell? What is your statement?
*All the shirts are made ethically in Estonia. The cultivation of this cotton is strictly controlled to ensure full compliance with the law, high-quality standards, and the traceability of the production chain.
Wearing this shirt represents an ethical choice, yet with no compromise on style and quality.
