There cannot be many brands, however illustrious, that can claim incontrovertibly to have changed the face of fashion. Charvet, however, is one such. Before the French company was established in 1838, men’s shirts were billowing, unstructured garments. Charvet introduced the yoke, seams and collars that transformed what was essentially underwear into the shirt we still recognise today.
The company was founded by Joseph-Christophe Charvet, son of Napoleon’s wardrobe master. It was the first specialist shirtmaker store in Paris and, indeed, the world. A completely new term, chemisier, was invented to describe this innovative new business. Charvet became a French fashion institution, known for setting trends and for the exquisite quality of its shirts, cravats, waistcoats and pocket squares. Its customers included Baudelaire, George Sand and Manet, European royalty, President Kennedy and General de Gaulle.
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