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You may have seen the photographs last week of the Princess of Wales, wearing a plain, crisp blue shirt and – it must be said – breaking her own rule of no longer wearing on-the-fashion-money clothes.
Because this particular shirt, or one very like it (hers is the boyfriend style by With Nothing Underneath, more of which in a bit), is the one all the most discerning women in fashion are wearing now.
It’s a perfectly plain, mannish cut, with a sharp collar, two button cuffs, a man’s shirt tail – simple, classic, no different from any other mannish shirt over the years – but it just happens to have hit the spot in early 2026. Suddenly it’s the most wanted item on the editors’ wish list.
Not to boast, but I am an early adopter of the blue boyfriend shirt, so here’s what I think is driving this mannish moment.
First, the crisp, tailored qualities of an ironed shirt (the one drawback of this is you will have to get out the steamer) make you feel and look sharp when everything around you is a bit soggy and grey.
Next, the spring sky colour is freshening and uplifting – not too bright, great year-round, work-appropriate as well as flattering. A white shirt at this time of year is too cold and stark and a striped shirt – much as I love a striped shirt – is a lot more city style and, therefore, less versatile.
The blue also goes perfectly with all the chocolatey browns that are now in fashion (black kills it) and with denim of all hues.
But the real selling point of a crisp poplin shirt is it’s smart and soft at the same time, so ideal for smart-casual situations. Kate wore hers with the cuffs turned back and sleeves pushed up under a tailored brown blazer – perfect.
The real selling point of a crisp poplin shirt is it’s smart and soft at the same time, so ideal for smart-casual situations
Zara’s oversized shirt, £25.99
From the fashion crowd’s perspective (US Vogue’s head of editorial content was seen in the same shirt last week), it’s got all of the above going for it, and it’s an iconic fashion item with inbuilt class: push up the sleeves, cock the collar a fraction, tuck it in just enough and shazam – instant style that echoes all the way back to Katharine Hepburn, Jane Birkin, Diane Keaton and Princess Di.
At this time of year you’ll be wearing it under a blazer or with a fluffy tank top but come the spring you can pair it with white jeans, or a cropped jacket and knee-covering skirt, and you’ll always look as if you know what you’re doing.
It’s a similar trick to the quality high-neck navy sweater – it somehow bestows chic on the wearer without them having to do anything but stand up straight.
By comparison, a blouse or anything print or silky now looks a bit on the dowdy side.
For the magic to work, this shirt needs mannish details like proper double-button cuffs – don’t be tempted by darts or peter pan collars – and it must be oversize but only slightly – no one wants to be dealing with yards of billowing fabric.
Uniqlo’s just-oversize-enough blue cotton shirt (£19.90, uniqlo.com) is a good bet – wear the tail half out in front and half tucked in, French tuck style, to avoid adding inches. And Other Stories’s style is on the larger size but will look good in warmer weather, worn open with a white vest underneath (£77, stories.com).
Another neat trick for reining in looser-fit shirts is to knot a thin sweater around your waist – and always keep the cuffs undone, the sleeves pushed up and the collar at least two buttons open; bare wrists and some bare neck stops shirts from looking too voluminous.
The alternative is to pay the premium and go for With Nothing Underneath’s boyfriend style (£95, withnothing underneath.com) which has a shortened front tail all the better for tucking in.
Massimo Dutti has a slightly more fitted sky blue poplin shirt (£59.95, massimodutti.com) with covered buttons for an extra-smooth effect, but avoid the many shirts out there in stretch-fit fabrics; it wants to have a slightly roomy, relaxed feel to it or it’ll lose its mannish edge.
If you prefer a slightly stronger blue, Cos does a Pima cotton tailored shirt (£65, cos.com) or there’s Boden’s blue Oxford (£60, boden.com).
Whichever one you choose, make sure it’s pure cotton poplin, not a cotton mix and not linen (as worn on TV by Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex). You won’t get the same sharp effect, and it’s too early in the year for linen.
Isn’t it great that we can all join in and wear a shirt that royalty and fashion’s Front Row are wearing?