Hello everyone – welcome to another of my reviews. In this article, I’ll be reviewing a pair of shirts from local custom shirt label, Edition One.
I was introduced to Edition One during my recent visit to Edit Suits. In essence, Edition One is a brother brand of Edit Suits, and specialises in delivering well-fitting custom shirts via a hassle-free online experience. Measurements are deduced by a “virtual tailor” named Alfred, which is essentially a streamlined version of the Edit Suits’ proprietary QuickMeasure measurement algorithm I reviewed previously. Edition One promises its algorithm would calculate your perfect size within 30 seconds, and even offers a 100% fit guarantee where it will either remake your shirt or refund you your money back (your choice). With the fit guarantee mitigating risks, I decided to do a pair of shirts (one casual and one formal) through the Edition One website. Let’s see how they turned out.
Edition One – Indigo Island Paradise Shirt
The first shirt I made was a floral short-sleeve shirt that exuded Hawaiian vibes.
Right off the bat, the Indigo Island Paradise Shirt fits like a charm. The shoulders lie well without any visible wrinkling or bunching, with the seams ending at my natural shoulder bone. I opted for the sleeves to be of medium length, and they turned out exactly as I wanted by ending near the middle of my biceps. The length of the shirt is great too, ending around my wristbone. What I loved most was the tapering around the waist, which makes me look slimmer than I actually am. I own a ton of casual shirts – admittedly, most of them are off-the-rack – but this shirt from Edition One is definitely one of the best-fitting shirts I currently own.
The shirting fabric is sourced from American fabric purveyor Robert Kaufman, though the specific mill is Sevenberry of Japan. It’s made from 100% cotton, and is “very wrinkle resistant”, according to Edition One. It’s also thin and lightweight (110g/m2), making it perfect for Singapore’s tropical weather. In other words, it’s immensely comfortable to wear.
In terms of stylistic touches, the Indigo Island Paradise Shirt features a soft camp collar, a plain placket, and mother-of-pearl buttons that elevate the garment from run-of-the-mill fast fashion ones. I like the styling – it’s casual chic.
I also like the detailed nature of the floral print. Up close, one can see that each ‘leaf’ consists of a series of brush strokes, with white floral patterns juxtaposing perfectly against more subtle blue ones. Flashes of green are also mixed in to reinforce the floral theme of the print. It’s an aesthetically complex print that you definitely can’t find in H&M. My only knock is the lack of pattern matching between both sides – the shirt would definitely look more impressive with a unified look.
At $139, the Indigo Island Paradise Shirt isn’t cheap, but it isn’t exactly exorbitant either. Due to the great fit, the comfortable fabric, the complex print and the quality of its components and construction, I believe the shirt to be well worth its price. It’s certainly one of my favourite casual shirts to wear currently – it pairs well with almost anything and fits like a charm. What’s not to like?
Edition One – White Twill Shirt
The second shirt I made was a white twill shirt which Edition One describes as “so business it’ll probably be promoted ahead of you”.
Like the Indigo Island Paradise Shirt, the White Twill Shirt fits well. The shoulders once again lie well without any visible wrinkling or bunching, with the seams ending at my natural shoulder bone. The sleeves end slightly past my wristbone, with the left cuff wide enough to accommodate a watch. There’s slight tapering too, although it’s not as obvious as the Indigo Island Paradise Shirt.
The fabric is crafted from 100% cotton, and is sourced from Switzerland-based mill Weba. Weba is a well-regarded European mill that’s known for its sustainability efforts, and has been producing quality fabrics for over 75 years. This particular twill fabric is fairly thin at 121g/m2, and is classified as wrinkle-resistant. I quite like the fabric – it definitely feels more premium than the standard ‘house fabrics’, though not as soft and plush as Egyptian cotton.
More customisation options are available for the White Twill Shirt, with customers being able to choose their desired collar type (between spread, large spread, and cutaway), whether to have collar stays and darts at the back, as well as between a plain or straight placket. I went with a classic spread collar with no collar stays, darts at the back (I find it more comfortable as it allows for more stretch), and a plain placket for a sleeker look.
I also opted for a stiff angled French cuff – buttons would have looked cheap here – and had my initials monogrammed on the left cuff. Despite its online-only platform, Edition One doesn’t skimp on the personalisation options at all, especially on its business shirts.
I’ve done quite a number of business shirts over the years, so it’s safe to say that I’ve developed certain expectations in this regard. Edition One manages to meet those expectations, and even exceed them in certain aspects, such as the inclusion of mother-of-pearl buttons by default (as opposed to a paid add-on). I really liked the White Twill Shirt, and actually paired it with the Loro Piana double-breasted suit that I recently commissioned from Edit Suits. It looks and fits as a tailored dress shirt should, but with more convenience. The quality of the fabric is also pretty good for its $139 price tag. All in all, if you’re a busy professional who doesn’t have time to drop by a tailor, then Edition One presents itself as a competent, fuss-free alternative for your business shirt needs.
Conclusion – so Edition One “shiok” or not?
I enjoyed both the Indigo Island Paradise Shirt and White Twill Shirt from Edition One. Both shirts fit well and looked great – perfect for work and play. Given the quality of the fabric and construction, I would say that both shirts were worth the $139 price tag, especially considering how off-the-rack shirts from Benjamin Barker already cost ~$89-159. I also appreciated the convenience of the Edition One’s online experience, and will definitely consider re-ordering further shirts with the brand.
Shirts from Edition One start from $99. For my readers, Edition One has kindly offered a whopping $60 discount off first purchases with the code “WSS22_01A”. That means the shirts I reviewed can be had for just $79, which makes them steals. For subsequent orders, readers can still use the code “WSS22_02B” for 10% off with a minimum order of $500. I highly suggest taking advantage of the first-time offer to try out more items from Edition One – there’s a fit guarantee anyway.
View the Indigo Island Paradise Shirt here.
View the White Twill Shirt here.
Discover the full range of Edition One’s offerings here.
P.S: Check out The Shiok Store here – it serves as a curation of my favourite products from my favourite brands.
P.P.S: Do check out the new “Discounts!” page for exclusive discounts for Wah so Shiok readers! More brands will be added very soon – stay tuned!
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P.P.P.P.S Shiok is a common word Singaporeans use to express admiration or approval. As of 2016, you can find the definition of the word in the Oxford English Dictionary.
