‘Our white shirt is like the little black dress for women: an iconic must have’
Charting the evolution of the humble white shirt from the 15th to the 20th century, Bourrienne Paris X is a distinctly unique outfitter for the 21st century. The label is based in the street-front space of Paris’ Hôtel Bourrienne in the 10th arrondissement – a building of the Directory period constructed in the late 1790s – and sells only one thing: shirts. And only eight different kinds.
The brainchild of hotel owner Charles Beigbeder and designer Cecile Faucheur, Bourrienne Paris X is a paean to the Incroyables; the pioneering thinkers and writers who frequented the hotel; the likes of Victor Hugo and Bonaparte who mused in the drawing rooms, clad in their white cottons.
These eight shirts are crafted with exactitude. The designs are woven in organic Californian and Egyptian cottons (two-ply poplin) and linens from Normandy (heavy and opaque), and span modern to classical shape and detail. Think officer or French collars, minimalist or pleated bibs, and hand-prepared gathered sleeves. Essential classics are available too, with each style approached with a clean, contemporary cut.
‘Our white shirt is like the little black dress for women: an iconic must have,’ Faucheur explains. As with the LBD, the key is in the fit. Whether you choose the I or II shirt – ‘the basics’, or the period-inspired VI with its spotted jacquard bib – you can choose between two fits. The ‘adjusted’ fit, as Faucheur explains is neither ‘straight, nor extra fitted, but somewhere in the middle’, while the ‘larger’ has a softer, longer shoulder line and length. The roman numeral you choose will largely depend on your capacity for romanticism – and there’s a shirt for every man on the scale.
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox
-
For spring, designers reimagine the classic trench coat
Uniquely chic interpretations of the classic trench coat from the S/S 2024 collections, primed for both bright spring days and inevitable April showers
By Jack Moss Published
-
Sir Kenneth Grange’s influential industrial designs are chronicled in a new book
‘Kenneth Grange: Designing the Modern World’ explores the life and work of the pioneering British industrial designer
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Chin, chin! Asprey’s new Peninsula London boutique raises the bar
Asprey barware designs from the house’s joyful, jazz-era back catalogue are available at its new boutique in The Peninsula, London
By Caragh McKay Published
-
Dior Spa at Hôtel Plaza Athénée is a Parisian haven for the sleep-deprived
On World Sleep Day, head to the Dior Spa at Hôtel Plaza Athénée to experience its Light Suite, the first of its kind in Paris
By Melina Keays Published
-
Artist Villu Jaanisoo’s rubber armchairs backdrop a full-throttle Acne Studios A/W 2024 collection
Acne Studios’ creative director Jonny Johansson tells the story behind his A/W 2024 show set, revealed in Paris this evening, which reflected the collection’s full-throttle, biker-inspired mood
By Orla Brennan Published
-
Paris Fashion Week A/W 2024: Chanel to Louis Vuitton
The best of Paris Fashion Week A/W 2024, from Chanel’s trip back to its beginnings in Deauville to a thrilling ten-year anniversary collection from Nicolas Ghesquière at Louis Vuitton
By Jack Moss Last updated
-
Dior celebrates its women collaborators in new exhibition at the house’s Paris gallery
The exhibition at La Galerie Dior charts the house’s ongoing collaboration with women artists, particularly under current womenswear creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri
By Jack Moss Published
-
Saint Laurent unites with Juergen Teller on career-spanning exhibition (and it comes with merch)
Saint Laurent is the official sponsor of Juergen Teller’s upcoming ‘i need to live’ Paris exhibition, and has also created an exclusive lifestyle collection adorned with the photographer’s works
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Air France celebrates 90 years of ‘je-ne-sais-quoi’ with Galeries Lafayette takeover
Air France marks 90 years with window displays at the Paris department store, featuring works by costume designer Xavier Ronze, alongside special products and experiences
By Jack Moss Published
-
Artist Sophia Al-Maria on her fairytale video installation for Miu Miu’s Paris show
Qatari-American artist Sophia Al-Maria tells Wallpaper* the story behind her new video work, which backdropped Miu Miu’s S/S 2024 collection shown in Paris
By Jack Moss Published
-
Inside the gleaming new Comme des Garçons store in Paris
Comme des Garçons reveals a four-storey new retail space in Paris, housing lines previously only available in Japan, as well as exclusive reissues of Rei Kawakubo’s collectible furniture
By Jack Moss Published