My First White Shirt

I’m currently 86 years old, but I still remember my first white shirt and tie. My father gave them to me when I was 15, almost three quarters of a century ago.  My memory of the white shirt is indelible.

The shirt was made from Dacron, a synthetic polyester fiber developed by Dupont in the 1950’s. It was known for being strong and wrinkle resistant.  My father had used this shirt, his only white shirt, for a three- month Xavier Cugat tour of the Philippines and Asia.  You read it right.  A single white shirt, hand washed every night by my dad, for three months.  In the tropics. He packed light (and the fabric was also known for drying very fast).

By the time I inherited the shirt it had several problems, most notably the smell.  Evidently, despite all its other qualities, the fabric wasn’t resistant to odors, and over time it had acquired an indelible stench.  My father must have sweated profusely, and the odor of sweat always clung to the shirt, regardless of who was wearing it or how many times it was washed.

There was also a cigarette burn in the sleeve that scratched my left arm every time I wore the darn shirt, and whenever I wore the shirt, I choked. Literally.  My dad had a 15-1/2 inch neck and I have a 17-1/2 inch neck. Securing the top button was nearly impossible, but I sure tried.  Especially for school dances.

When I was married, my wife suggested that I buy a white shirt that fit me properly. Good advice.  But by then the shirt had served its purpose and had looked good enough, to get me married.

I’m delighted to report that society has finally caught up with me in allowing informality, and my too-tight white shirt has long ago been retired.  But I still have six white shirts hanging in my closet, should either of my sons be attending a dance.  And all of them have a proper 17-1/2-inch neck.

But I still hate wearing ties.

Alan