Chris Olberding’s Pennsylvania-based label Gitman Vintage have dropped their Summer 2012 range of shirting, and as usual it doesn’t disappoint, featuring Gitman’s ever-popular mix of bold prints, premium materials and considered silhouettes. Like previous collections, Olberding revisits the rich company archives, blowing the dust off old line-books to revitalise designs and prints that add a touch of authenticity, as well as a unique vantage point, to each piece.

This Summer-inspired drop is comprised of pieces from several of Gitman Vintage’s most celebrated collections from the SS12 season. The stand-out pieces are the prints, with both the Bandana Print and Floral Print shirts utilising an unashamedly bold use of pattern, which although eye-catching, is well suited to the slim silhouette and work well as a layer piece or as a stand-alone item. Another shirt with a bold print is the Tennis Print Shirt. The highlight of Gitman’s Tennis Collection, the shirt is constructed from premium cotton and bears all the hallmarks of a classic Olberding design with its box pleat, chalk buttons, locker loop and of course a simple, yet strong pattern.

Gitman also leant heavily upon archive line drawings from 1985 for this season, with two seperate ranges developing from them; the Stripe 1985 and the Madras 1985. Constructed from a lightweight Madras Check cotton, the Madras 1985 shirt is available in a subtle White & Blue as well as the more adventurous Navy & Orange, with both colours working effortlessly as a layer piece and on their own. As you would expect from a manufacturer founded in 1948, traditional shirting provides the backbone to this otherwise contemporary collection with a range of simple cotton and Overdyed Oxford shirts landing in a range of tasteful hues. The highlight of which are two bona-fide classics; the Poplin Gingham and Seersucker Stripe shirts; both of which are a staple in any man’s wardrobe.

For a closer look at the drop, please visit our Gitman Vintage section of the website…