"The Statement Shirt" by Xenia Joost
Exhibition 20.09—24.09.2021

Design Festival
Põhjala big hangar


Xenia Joost's Statement Shirt is based on the classic white shirt design, but with a modern twist that makes it unique. In her story, the white shirt represents our individual narratives and experiences.

She believes that the clothes we wear express our inner thoughts, communicating who we are and what we believe, to the world. Our clothing is a part of the visual language we use to communicate our internal and external worlds. Each day, through the clothes we wear, we share our personal stories with the world.


"The Statement Shirt" by Xenia Joost
Exhibition 20.09—24.09.2021

Design Festival
Põhjala big hangar


WHITE SHIRT


The formal white shirt has been a strong representation of societal changes for over 200 years - from signifying the wealthy aristocracy to becoming the standard employee's uniform to becoming a men's classic attire and eventually evolving into the feminist manifesto, it has long been associated with status, wealth, and social norms.

During the Victorian period, wearing a white shirt was considered a sign of wealth and upper-class status. This was because only those who could afford to replace and professionally launder their shirts regularly would be able to maintain that crisp, white appearance.

The white dress shirt, while still a staple in the wardrobe of any self-respecting gentleman, lost its stiff and starched appearance for a softer look after World War I. The white shirt also became an employee's standard uniform – the once-classic look becoming necessary in city office environments.

Diane Keaton in "Annie Hall," Uma Thurman in "Pulp Fiction," and Julia Roberts in "Pretty Woman" made the white shirt a fashion staple and an icon of the new independent woman.

Emotional and spiritual links with white color which symbolize equality and new beginnings have made it the choice of color for many female political icons past and present.


The Statement Shirt
Photo by Kertin Vasser

What is your story to tell? What is your statement?