You know that one shirt you reach for when you don’t want to think too much about what to wear?
The one you wear for a quick coffee, a family lunch, or a day with no particular plans. You know how it sits on you. You know which trousers go with it. Somehow, you always end up choosing it again.
That feeling is a big part of why I started Nutmane.
Where “where you belong” began
The name NUTMANÉ carries three generations of my family: my grandmother, my mother, and me.
When I think about what they’ve passed on to me, I think about care. The everyday kind that becomes so familiar, you sometimes forget to notice it. Being looked after. Being comfortable enough to be yourself.
That’s the feeling I want to bring into the clothes I design.
“Where you belong” comes from there, from wanting to make something you can feel at home in, wherever your day takes you.
Of course, a shirt is still a shirt. But the way it feels on your skin, the room it gives you to move, and how comfortable you feel wearing it all matter. Those are the details you live with long after you’ve bought it.
Why I’m drawn to cotton dobby
With cotton dobby, it’s the texture that makes me look a little closer.
The small patterns are woven into the fabric. You might barely notice them from a distance, but up close they give the shirt character. I like that you can keep the rest of your outfit simple and still have something interesting going on.
For Nutmane’s cotton dobby shirts, I’ve worked with lightweight fabric and relaxed shapes. I want them to be easy to reach for on an ordinary day, the kind when getting dressed is only one small part of everything you have to do.
Wear it your way
I can suggest a pair of ivory trousers with a brown shirt, or a blue shirt with your favourite denim. But I also like the thought of someone wearing a piece in a way I hadn’t imagined.
Maybe you roll the sleeves every time. Maybe you always tuck it in. Maybe it becomes the shirt you pack for every trip because you already know you’ll wear it.
That’s when a piece starts to feel like yours.
If you’re choosing a relaxed-fit shirt, check the size guide before automatically going up a size. There’s already room built into the cut. Think about where you like the shoulder to sit and how much space feels comfortable through your chest.
A place in your everyday wardrobe
When I design for Nutmane, I think about the days after the first wear.
Will you want to wear it again? Can you sit comfortably through a long lunch? Does it work with the clothes you already love?
Those questions matter to me. I’d love for something I’ve made to become a familiar part of someone else’s day.
If you’re looking for your next everyday shirt, take a look at our cotton dobby styles at Nutmane. Choose the colour you keep coming back to. Wear it with something you already own. Make it yours.
NUTMANÉ. Where you belong.
Written by Manshi, founder and designer of NUTMANÉ, and a 2023 graduate of NIFT.