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Estimated read time: 4 minutes
Nothing says “warm weather” quite like linen, though it’s a fabric that tends to get a bad rap. The pieces can often be oversized and old-fashioned. But one of my biggest gripes, shared by many, is how easily the fabric tends to wrinkle. Admittedly, my experience had only ever been with linen from high street stores, so not the greatest quality going round, and as someone less than enthusiastic about ironing, a lot of those pieces would end up sitting in my wardrobe unworn. That said, this new addition to my wardrobe has debunked my feelings about linen, as it couldn’t be further from my previous experience! It turns out, premium linen is all that it’s cracked up to be.
L: Power Of My People shirt* (sz M – use ‘VIRGINIA10’ for 10% off), lululemon top* (sz S – worn underneath), Henne jeans (sz 26 – featured here), Gucci loafers (watch my styling video here); R: Power Of My People shirt* (sz M – use ‘VIRGINIA10’ for 10% off), lululemon top* (sz S – worn underneath), The Fold trousers* (sz UK 8 – similar here and here), Ally Shoes kitten heels* (use ‘VIRGINIA40’ for $40USD off or ‘VIRGINIA10’ for 10% off your first pair of flats), Bellroy bag* (review here), Status Anxiety sunglasses*
Thanks to the glorious weather we’ve had in Sydney, I’ve been giving my navy linen shirt from Power of My People a decent run. It’s been a few weeks of styling adventures and I’m now ready to report on my experience with the shirt now that we’ve become well acquainted. If you’re a regular reader, you’ll be familiar with the brand and their shirting. I’ve already declared that they make the best tailored shirts going round (see here), so who better to turn to for a casual shirt for the warmer weather? I have to admit that I had extremely high expectations for their linen shirt before it arrived given all the rave reviews.
Spoiler: I was not disappointed!
L: Power Of My People shirt* (sz M – use ‘VIRGINIA10’ for 10% off), lululemon top* (sz S – worn underneath), The Fold trousers* (sz UK 8 – similar here and here), Ally Shoes kitten heels* (use ‘VIRGINIA40’ for $40USD off or ‘VIRGINIA10’ for 10% off your first pair of flats), Bellroy bag* (review here), Status Anxiety sunglasses*; R: Power Of My People shirt* (sz M – use ‘VIRGINIA10’ for 10% off), Henne jeans (sz 27), Henne knit (worn as scarf – sz S), Gucci loafers (watch my styling video here), Gucci bag (review here – AU link, US link, UK link also here), Status Anxiety sunglasses*
Style + quality
The exact shirt I’m reviewing is this one. The style is called “The Friend” and it’s cut to Power Of My People’s “proper fit” silhouette which is a standard fit shirt that looks relaxed yet tailored. As I’ve explained in my previous Power Of My People review, the brand has two signature fits – the proper fit that I’ve just explained, and the wayward fit which is more oversized with added length and drop shoulders. At this stage in my Power Of My People ‘journey’, I’ve only ever tried shirts cut to their “proper fit” silhouette (see my review of The Tailor here), but I’m sure as I build my collection I will have something to say about the “wayward fit” in the future.
The Friend shirt is made of 100% linen in deep navy. The linen is weighty (3.7 oz if you want to get technical) using fibres sourced from France and milled in Portugal. The fabric feels strong but possesses a loosely structured drape quality when worn that is designed to soften over time. Let me be clear – it’s nothing like high street linen. It looks and feels premium and doesn’t easily wrinkle like its poor quality counterpart. In fact, I accidentally tested this by temporarily “storing” my shirt on the chair in my bedroom (read: dumping chair) and it was only days later (after said chairdrobe had accumulated more clothing also being temporarily stored) that I realised I hadn’t hung the shirt up. I pulled it from underneath the pile and there was minimal creasing. MIND. BLOWN. That says a lot considering all you need to do is look at regular linen shirts and they crease.
L: Power Of My People shirt* (sz M – use ‘VIRGINIA10’ for 10% off), lululemon top* (sz S – worn underneath), Country Road skirt (sz AU 8), Bared boots, Bellroy bag* (review here), Francesca earrings*, Status Anxiety sunglasses*; R: Power Of My People shirt* (sz M – use ‘VIRGINIA10’ for 10% off), lululemon top* (sz S – worn underneath), Henne jeans (sz 26 – featured here), Gucci loafers (watch my styling video here), Gucci bag (review here – AU link, US link, UK link also here), Status Anxiety sunglasses*
Sizing notes
I usually size up in my shirts and opted for a size M as I have consistently done with all of my shirts from the brand. It suits my personal style and how I enjoy styling my shirts. While I appreciate that “properly tailored” shirts are designed to fit you properly along the arms, much like the look of stark white sneakers, I’m always suspicious of those with sleeves that fit perfectly. I prefer going down the less pristine route and cuffing my sleeves to my elbows for a more relaxed vibe. I also enjoy styling my shirts as shackets during breezy summer days and the slightly oversized look is perfect for this.
A discount!
If I’ve tempted you, make sure you take advantage of my discount code VIRGINIA10-196 for 10% off. You can’t go wrong with The Friend, or The Tailor (my go-to work shirt), or even something more lightweight like The Architect. I hope you found my review of my linen shirt from Power Of My People to be helpful!
As always, thanks for stopping by!
P.S. You can shop all of my outfits here and read my other comprehensive reviews here.
