Where Can I Buy A Beautiful Shirt?

This is shopping the way I like it. Nice space to be in, not too cluttered, pleasant welcome … you know what I mean.

I recently bought a white linen shirt from Susan Holmwood - it’s short sleeve, cut on the cross and beautifully made. All of Susan’s shirts are gorgeous to try on and wear. Her store is a delight to be in too - I love her charming, cream terrace on Queen St, Woollahra, Sydney.

With pottery and homewares dotted around, a large mirror over the fireplace and there, hanging discreetly around the walls and in little nooks, are Susan’s beautiful shirts. You may just be looking but you feel so comfortable because you’re in a lovely space.

It’s likely you’ll be served by Kate or Alex, Susan’s daughters who are now in the business with her. They know the shirt styles very well and can guide you to the best designs and sizes to suit you.

It’s obvious that Susan has given much thought and taken great care in presenting her shirts to women who are looking for something special in their wardrobe. After I bought my shirt I started to wonder about the woman behind all this attention to detail so …

I asked Susan who her style icons are?

Most definitely Audrey Hepburn and Princess Grace for their eternal elegance and style.

Have you always worked with clothing?

I’ve always been interested in fashion and design. My best friend and I owned a store in Mosman, Sydney, from the mid-seventies to mid-eighties. It wasn’t until early 1990 that the Susan Holmwood company was established.

Susan, where do you get the inspiration for designing such lovely shirts?

We will always be guided by our initial concept - it’s so important that all our shirt designs remain in the same classical style and be made of superb quality so as to always live on.
Since my daughter Alex joined the company two years ago, we have considered the younger market more when designing each season’s collection.  It’s great fun to be able to work together, with her designing and collaborating ideas to make different styles work for a range of ages.

Why have you concentrated on shirts?

Originally, I saw a lack of quality in the fabric selection and the manufacturing of women’s shirts in Australia and  I found that it was an area of the market for women that needed attention with regard to the actual design as well.
Still today, I find that shirts require much thought and time dedicated to producing a good range each season.
I just love a good shirt, a different one for every occasion and so I like to concentrate mainly on this.

Would you ever consider making other garments?

We do make a travel range that includes more casual pieces that are easy-care, made from viscose. This range has proved to be very popular and we will continue to expand this.

It must be lovely to have your daughters in the business with you -

Since Alex and Kate joined the company, we have considered the younger market more when designing each seasons collection.  It’s great fun to be able to work together with the girls’ designing and collaborating ideas to make different styles work for a range of ages.

Are you planning to open more stores?

To open more stores is definitely in our plans for the future - we would always like to retain our boutique store concept.

I love the idea of the pop-up store. Can you describe how they work?

My ‘pop up’ stores are a temporary exhibition in various towns around Australia where the new seasons stock is available for a few days. It’s open to previous customers, as well as anyone interested in seeing my shirts. I keep a schedule of these ’stores’ on the website so that my customers know where and when they can visit me.
I feel it’s important to make the collection accessible each season to all my important mail order customers across Australia, and whilst there to also build my customer base.

It’s obvious you have your customer in mind with such attention to detail in the shirts, this beautiful terrace and your pop-up stores. How would you describe your customer?

She’s a woman who has an eye for detail and quality and who appreciates the feel of wearing beautiful fabrics in a classical style. Our size range is from 6-20 - we find that different styles suit different sizes and therefore the common size varies. What’s important is meeting my customer’s needs.

What are the main features women look for in a shirt?

Women look for a well cut shirt that suits their shape and enhances their features. A shirt that make a woman feel feminine. Again, the quality of fabric as well as detail in the manufacturing makes all the difference.

What are common frustrations you hear from women about clothes and shopping for clothes? Do you notice a difference between country and city?

There is not a lot of difference in common frustrations between country and city customers. Customers are sometimes disappointed when they find that we do not bespoke tailor shirts even though we are called ‘shirtmakers.’ We did originally offer this service and may I say it got out of control! Women love a change and that’s why we try to address this with a wide range of styles.

Are women happy ordering online?

We have a policy whereby the customer can return their order within 7 days if they are not happy with their purchase. This encourages customers to order online and not be concerned. We usually find an alternative that suits perfectly.

Susan Holmwood’s website is worth checking out. Her pop-up exhibition schedule for 2010 will appear early next year if you’re not able to visit the store in Woollahra.

My thanks to Susan for taking the time to talk to me.

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