"Which shirt fabric is better" doesn't have one right answer — cotton, linen and Sanganeri hand block-print aren't ranked best-to-worst, they're suited to different parts of your week. Here's how we'd actually choose between the Cotton Casual, Linen, Sanganeri Block Print and Printed shirts in our men's range, sizes M-38 through 5XL-50 across all four.

Cotton: The Everyday Default

Breathable, easy to wash and iron, and forgiving of the odd missed ironing session — cotton is the shirt you reach for without thinking, and that's exactly its strength. It handles a full working day, a commute and a casual evening equally well, holds colour and print well, and machine-washes without the special handling linen needs. If you only own a couple of shirt fabrics, cotton is the one that covers the most days.

Linen: Built For Real Heat

Linen's open weave moves air and wicks moisture noticeably better than cotton, which is the whole reason it exists as a warm-weather fabric — in sustained heat and humidity, it's the more comfortable fabric to actually wear, not just look at. The trade-off is upkeep: linen creases more visibly than cotton (that's a texture of the fibre, not a flaw) and rewards being ironed or steamed before wearing rather than straight out of the wardrobe. Choose linen for peak-summer days, travel in hot climates, and any evening or weekend where a slightly more textured, relaxed look works in your favour rather than against it.

Sanganeri Block Print: Craft, Not Just Colour

Our block-print shirts are hand block-printed using the traditional Sanganeri technique from Jaipur — each pattern is stamped by hand with a carved wooden block, not machine-printed, which is why two pieces in the same design will never be pixel-identical the way a digital print is. On fabric, that means the same breathable pure cotton base as our other cotton shirts, with a print that carries real craft behind it. These work well anywhere you'd wear a plain cotton shirt, with the added benefit of a design that reads as distinctive rather than generic — a strong pick for a festive occasion, a day out, or simply if you want a shirt with a story behind the pattern.

Printed Shirts: Pattern Without The Premium

Our machine-printed shirts (florals, botanicals and graphic patterns) give you pattern and colour at a more accessible price than hand block-print, on the same breathable cotton base. If you want variety in your wardrobe — several patterns rather than one or two — printed shirts are the practical way to build that out without the higher cost of hand-block work on every piece.

Choosing By Occasion, Not Just Weather

For an office or client-facing day: a solid or subtly printed cotton shirt reads the most polished and needs the least fuss to keep looking sharp through a long day. For a hot-weather weekend or travel day: linen, accepting the slightly more relaxed, creased-by-design look as a fair trade for genuinely staying cooler. For a festive function or an occasion where you want the shirt itself to be a talking point: block print, for the craft and the story. For everyday variety on a budget: printed cotton, mixing patterns without the block-print premium on every shirt.

Care Differences Worth Knowing

Cotton and printed-cotton shirts machine-wash easily on a normal cycle. Linen prefers a gentler cycle or hand-wash in cool water, and holds its shape best air-dried rather than tumble-dried. Block-print shirts should be washed inside-out in cold water to protect the printed surface over repeated washes — this matters more for a hand-printed design than a machine print, since hand-block colour can be slightly less wash-fast. All four fabrics should be kept out of direct, prolonged sun while drying, which fades colour and print alike over time.

Common Questions

Does hand block-print fade faster than a machine print? It can fade slightly more over many washes if not cared for, which is exactly why washing inside-out in cold water matters more for block-print than for our other shirt fabrics — with that one habit, it holds up well. Is linen too casual for office wear? A well-ironed linen shirt in a solid, neutral tone works fine for a lot of business-casual offices; where it gets genuinely too relaxed is in very formal, suit-and-tie environments, where cotton is the safer everyday choice. What size should I start with if I'm between two sizes? Check the exact chest/size chart on the individual product page for that style, since fit can vary slightly by cut — if you're between two sizes, we'd generally suggest sizing up for a relaxed fit or down for a slightly more fitted look, and you're welcome to ask us on WhatsApp with your chest measurement for a specific style.

Browse the full range in Cotton Casual Shirts, Linen Shirts, Sanganeri Block Print Shirts or Printed Shirts, or message us on WhatsApp if you'd like help picking a fabric for a specific occasion.