Graphpaper proposes "an elevated wardrobe for adults."
Since the first collection in 2016,
one item that has continued to be released in a particularly rich variety is the shirt.
Each season, updates are made in subtle fine-tuning -
while preserving silhouette and comfort as much as possible.
This edition of Production Notes looks at the core of the brand:
Graphpaper's signature shirts.

A shirt you can throw on straight from the wash -
That, to Minami, is what a staple men's shirt should be.

―This time we'd like to ask about your standard shirts.

Minami: When I think about "What is a standard men's shirt?" to me, it's something you can throw on casually, washed and wrinkled. I got into this industry because I didn't want to wear a tie, so they're definitely not dress shirts (laughs). They're shirts, yes, but closer in feel to an outer layer. That's the thinking behind how we make them.

―The shirts are known for their relaxed, oversized silhouette. Does that come from this "outerwear-like" approach?

Minami: Partly. I wanted to create space between the body and the clothing so that people of different ages and body types could wear them. The first model we made was the regular fit. At the beginning, people said even that was too big, and smaller sizes were the ones that sold. I expected size 2 or 3 to be the popular ones.

Minami: Back then, size 3 was the largest - but for me it still felt a bit too normal. So we decided to make an even more oversized version based on my own measurements. When friends and people around me tried it, they all said, "This size is perfect." So we decided to present it at the exhibition.
A regular-collar shirt made from a 200/2 Supima cotton broadcloth - the same fabric used for high-end bed sheets. Smooth hand feel with a crisp structure. Regular fit with a straight, box silhouette.

―How did buyers react?

Minami: The reaction was, "It looks great even on slim people." Personally, I like menswear with drape. Graphpaper shirts have a strong shoulder slope and naturally fall into a dropped shoulder, which gives balance even on slimmer frames. After that, we adjusted the pattern more with slim wearers in mind - like the balance when the top button is open so it sits back slightly, or adjusting the neck size so it isn't overtly large just because my own size was the base.

―So instead of adding size variations, you started increasing pattern variations.

Minami: Now, for broadcloth shirts we have regular fit in sizes 1 / 2 / 3, and oversized in 1 and 2 - so 5 total. Oxford shirts have regular in 1 / 2, and an oversized ONE SIZE, making three fits. I think it's more fun when you can choose fit. Originally, it was also about accommodating larger builds, but slim people often want to wear something oversized too, while others prefer just-right sizing, and some want only a slight looseness. I wanted people to pick depending on mood, styling, or occasion. That's why the lineup keeps expanding - and patterns keep multiplying (laughs).

―For customers, that's a welcome direction.
Oversized regular collar shirt, also using 200/2 Supima broadcloth. Generous back yoke structure. Designed so the neck naturally drops slightly back when worn.

Minami: One reason we started making clothes like this is because we wanted items that could sell regardless of season. When I used to buy from collection brands, I'd find something I loved but by the next season, it was gone. So we decided - whether it sells or not, we will keep making it. Because there are people who bought it. If someone bought a shirt, wore it for years, and later wanted to replace it, but it no longer existed - that's not acceptable for a daily-wear brand.

―A philosophy of timeless staples.

Minami: Some people think of us as "an oversized brand," but we're not. We're a brand of essentials. Yes, we have many overseas customers and people with larger builds wearing us, but the goal is a staple line with broad size range. And ideally, we want the shirts to always be in stock - though we still run out sometimes. At our flagship Graphpaper Tokyo, you can even special-order shirts by choosing the fabric. Some people still request the Thomas Mason shirt we made back in 2018.Minami: Even staples are always evolving - we revisit small details every season to make them better. Sometimes they remain unchanged, sometimes just slightly modified - never anything that alters the overall impression. For example, our broadcloth used to be 140/2, but now it's 200/2. The concept was "I want to go outside wearing something that feels like sleeping wrapped in luxury sheets." While chasing softness and smoothness, we ended up at 200 count (laughs). We also avoid stiff collar interlining.

―Even 140 count is often described as "silky smooth," so that's pretty relentless (laughs).A broadcloth band-collar shirt. Apart from the collar shape, the specs follow the oversized regular-collar shirt: French front placket, side pleats at the back, single cuffs, and a rounded hem.

Minami: The Oxford too is something we reached after a lot of trial and error. The blue and navy are a bit special - we took extra time developing them. At first we tried using the same dyed yarn for warp and weft, but the result wasn't what we wanted. On this one, the warp yarn is darker than the weft, which gives more dimension when the fabric is woven. For the navy, the warp is almost a deep black, and the weft is navy. Again, that's to bring out depth in the color.

―So the fabrics themselves have evolved quite a bit.

Minami: We really do change things just a little at a time. Like how Apple updates its products and OS (laughs). But I think customers who want "the same shirt as before" can still wear the new ones without feeling any disconnect. If anyone feels the old version was better, I'm sorry - but from our side, everything we do is a forward-looking upgrade.
Above: Oxford band-collar shirt. Compared to the broadcloth version, it has less sheen and reads a bit more casual. Available in both regular and oversized fits; pictured is the oversized.

Below: B.D shirt in Oxford, regular fit only. The navy shade, achieved with a black warp, has a distinctive depth.Ever-expanding standards: quality and variation
in the core shirt lineup.

―According to the linesheet, the standard broadcloth shirts are: regular-fit regular collar shirt; oversized regular-collar shirt and band-collar shirt; and oversized short-sleeve regular-collar and band-collar shirts — five items in total. All share a French front and rounded hem. For the back pleats, only the regular fit uses a center box pleat; the others use side pleats.

Minami: The regular collar and band collar are basically the same shirt except for the collar shape. As for the short sleeve, the sleeves are longer than on a typical short-sleeve shirt — about half-sleeve length. I think part of why short-sleeve shirts can feel awkward is that the upper arm is exposed and it looks a bit boyish. So, from an "adult" perspective — or really just my taste — I made the sleeves longer.
The short-sleeve shirts are defined by their longer sleeve length. Both regular-collar and band-collar versions are available.

―The Oxford shirts also total five: regular-fit B.D and band-collar; oversized B.D; pullover B.D; and oversized band-collar. On these, the button-downs use a placket front, while the band-collars use a French front. Same fabric, but the details differ. With or without a front placket really changes the impression.

Minami: Those actually started out as separate items. The B.D. shirt and the band-collar shirt each came into being at different times, became staples, and as we kept updating the details they gradually "met in the middle" and ended up quite similar. Looking again now, maybe the Oxford band-collar could have a front placket… then again, it might feel a bit heavy visually.
The pullover B.D is also in Oxford, in an oversized fit.

―I've heard the Oxford band-collar shirt is one of your personal favorites.

Minami: There's this vintage Ralph Lauren piece — an Oxford band-collar shirt. I can't remember if it was called "BIG SHIRT" or "POST BOY," but when I saw it I thought it was great and wanted to make something like it. And I realized you don't actually see many Oxford band-collar shirts around. I like it so much that I pretty much wear only this one… In hindsight, maybe a front placket would have been good. For broadcloth I think no placket is better, but with Oxford, having one might have worked too.

―Sounds like we might see a new shirt in the future (laughs). I don't think there are many brands offering this many shirt styles as "standards."

Minami: Maybe not. And if you add color variations and seasonal pieces on top of the core lineup, it becomes a pretty serious number of models. As I get bigger, the size range keeps growing with me too (laughs). On top of that, as a staple line we also have a high-count broad series - broadcloth woven from Supima cotton at nearly maximum density. It's a shirt with a square hem and French-style detailing, but that's a story for another time. At this point I'm half-serious about opening a "Graphpaper Shirt" store. Right now we only do fabric and size orders, but one day I'd like to offer full made-to-measure; body length, sleeve length, neck size, every detail. I'd love to open a shop like that someday.


Graphpaper Basic Shirt – product list