Written by Peter Brooker in New Collections on the 20th March 2017

When most of us think about men in LYCRA, a very specific image may come to mind. Personally, the movie reel in my head plays Linford Christie in slow motion, eating up the track, his 'lunchbox' swinging pendulously, (sorry, I digress) but iconic British business-wear brand T.M.Lewin has collaborated with LYCRA to launch an innovative business shirt which is cut fashionably close, beautifully styled and designed to complement the muscular male physique. Online at tmlewin.co.uk, the shirts are available in a range of colours and sizes and priced at £39.95 each.

The unique collaboration has resulted in the development of the UK’s first Super Fitted Stretch Business Shirt that won’t leave you bursting at the seams! Crafted from an innovative high-performance fabric, made with LYCRA fibre, they deliver the ultimate, contemporary, sleek fit with the full range of motion and maximum comfort. Designed for the man who works as hard at the gym as he does at the office, it moves with the body, not against it. Technically, you could literally go from the office to the rugby field with this shirt. Although, if you do the reverse of that, you'd start to look like Ed Norton from the movie Fight Club. "Is that your blood? .... (looks nonchalantly down at his shirt) Some of it yeah".

Impeccably tailored and made from a blend of fine cotton and 5% LYCRA® fibre (a relatively high percentage), the range is not only perfect for the fashion-conscious man who likes a close fit, but for someone who wants comfort. The shirts are also remarkably resilient, staying in tip-top shape week after week. The short 25 second black and white movie clip below illustrates the shirts stretch capacity as a male and female grapple on the floor. The soundtrack has a raw-edged dirtiness to it, completely juxtaposed to my initial preconceptions of LYCRA.

“The fashion for ultra slim fits presents a problem for the modern man who is keen to look fashionable, but still requires all-day comfort and performance. Consumers are demanding clothing that fits into their lifestyles and this range was designed specifically for the man who expects his clothing to work as hard as he does,” - Helen Latham, UK Denim Consultant at Invista.

With quotes from Helen Latham we take a look at new men's stretch shirts from TM Lewin who have launched an innovative Lycra Formal Shirt collection.