Jhane Barnes Shirts: Look Great, Pay Little!

Jhane Barnes mens' shirts are elegant. Each design is woven in a limited edition batch, to add to their uniqueness. With the fabric creation part of the process overseen by Jhane Barnes herself, the looks range from the quite subtle--like the one shown here--to very dramatic.

I had never heard of this American designer until I was visiting friends and the man was wearing the shirt you see in the picture here. I admired it, and my friend said, "It's a Jhane Barnes," his tone implying that of course I knew the name. Now I do!

Photo credit: My husband Kelly Hart took this photo of our friend. He moved his head a little just as the picture was taken so I've zoomed in on the shirt.

The "secret" is to get them, usually pre-owned but lightly worn, on eBay.

My friend has quite a few Jhane Barnes shirts. He told me his secret for getting them for as little as 20% of what they normally sell for. I'm following up on his method and plan to get some for both my husband and myself! Hey, they are called men's shirts but who says only men can wear them?

First, a bit about Jhane Barnes. She has been designing men's clothing for decades and is known for her unusual fabrics. She uses mathematical formulas and computers to design them and often has them woven in Japan. The result is that there is really nothing quite like them anywhere else.

Take a look at some of the designs further down the page and you'll see what I mean. And I've given you some links to her website as well. First, there is one where you can figure out your size and further on are several more, where you can see her newest collection of shirts and read about her unique methods.

My Friend's "Secret" and Some Tips

His secret is to watch eBay for designs he likes, in his size. Usually you will get the best deals on the pre-owned ones, Watch for ones where the sellers indicate that there are no stains, or that the shirt doesn't look worn. If they don't say, you can email them and ask. They typically put the actual measurements of the shirts in inches as well as the sizes on their listings.

There are sometimes very good deals on brand new shirts too.

JB shirts come in a variety of fabrics, so check that; it is normally given on a listing. I am particularly fond of the ways she weaves cotton patterns. There are some gorgeous silk ones, too. Linen shows up sometimes, and interesting blends as well.

Also, glance at the seller reputation information, always a bit down from the upper right corner of an eBay listing. You want to do business with someone who is responsible and preferably experienced. So the more transactions listed, the better. But I have successfully purchased from people with quite low numbers there; usually I email them a reasonable question and see how they answer it, and how quickly. Also look at the percentage of satisfaction given there. Some sellers will accept returns but others will not.

It may take some patience, but it's worth it when you can wear a stunning shirt that you got for a great price!

Once you are on the JB website, click on the menu item "Size Information" to get the measurements that will help you decide your size. As you'll see, you can measure your body or a shirt you already own.

When I got one for my husband for his birthday, a little looking around in his closet showed me that all his shirts were medium. I got him a medium, and it was perfect.

Also, many of the eBay sellers list the dimensions of any shirt they list.

(Because I used "large" in the search term for eBay, some in this group might actually be extra large, so do check.)

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