How a Paris Couturier Is Making the Perfect White Shirt More Accessible

The staff at Marc-Antoine Barrois’ Paris boutique are some of the best-dressed individuals in the city, each wearing a black version of his scarf-neck, bow-tied La Versailles shirt. It’s a unisex, chic look, channeling something of classic YSL with the intellectual irreverence of Yohji Yamamoto. All très Barrois.

When Barrois, an alumnus of couturier Dominique Sirop as well as Hermès, opened his boutique on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in 2024, it was a space to combine the men’s handmade couture produced under his own name since 2009 with the range of fragrances that launched in 2016 in partnership with Quentin Bisch.

Fragrance Boost

The fragrances have taken off in a major way in the last two years—currently stocked at Bergdorf Goodman in New York and Harrods in London, where his recently launched Tilia was a summertime bestseller.

Photo: Courtesy of Marc-Antoine Barrois

On the racks in the new store: Barrois’ first range of ready-to-wear—12 distinctive white shirts, in cuts that range from avant-garde, reminiscent of his old boss at Hermès, Jean Paul Gaultier, to classic with a twist, in a variety of lengths and pocket and button details.

Details Matter

“A white shirt is an essential part of a man’s wardrobe,” he tells me. “It’s like the little black dress for women. It’s always been part of my uniform, and I had often made bespoke shirts for men to go with the tuxedos they had commissioned, because they wanted something specific for their shape. But because of the way I was working by hand, using cotton glacé thread for precision, each piece took so long it cost over $1,300. I have always wanted to be able to dress a more diverse clientele, which is why my tuxedos are $11,000 compared to $65,000 at Dior. Hence, the move into ready-to-wear, and shirts that are between $400 and $650. But there is no compromise in the quality—I started out as a textile engineer, and I use only the finest white poplin.”

Marc-Antoine Barrois, white shirt / Photo: Courtesy of Marc-Antoine Barrois

Many men obsess over finding the perfect white shirt, from myriad options at Brooks Brothers to the bespoke offerings at Budd in London’s Mayfair and Charvet in Paris. Some men prefer shirts with an element of stretch to the textile—common at fashion-forward brands such as McQueen and Prada—but Barrois is a purist.

“Some of my customers have asked me for things with a touch of Lycra, as they think it gives a better fit, but it’s actually the opposite. A fitted shirt isn’t something that should be tight on your skin. It needs to live ‘around’ your body. And some of my cuts are complicated and can’t be done in anything other than 100-percent cotton.”

La Biarritz, featuring a loose fit and tightened bottom / Photo: Courtesy of Marc-Antoine Barrois

Many of Barrois’ clients for his fragrances and clothing are women, having discovered him through partners or friends who are existing clients. “Most of the ready-to-wear shirts are unisex,” he says. “I do see the white shirt as inherently masculine, but then trousers are historically gendered, too, and you can’t say that about them now.”

Of course, Gaultier, whom Barrois worked with at Hermès, has been immeasurably influential via his gender gaming with garments. Barrois learned a lot from their shared time at the maison. “Dominique Sirop taught me how couture is about humility and adapting to the client,” he says, “then Jean Paul taught me that everything should be fun. He has the approach of a kid, everything is playful. Working at Hermès also exposed me to the finest materials and craftsmanship at a level close to the best haute couture atelier.”

Growing in Popularity

Barrois has been an insider name in Paris circles for some time now, but the word is out and spreading, largely due to the popularity of his fragrances. They are, as is often the way in fashion, an entry level for the rarefied couture that inhabits another world.

Photo: Quentin Bisch and Marc-Antoine Barrois. Courtesy of Marc-Antoine Barrois / jemeriau.com

He is a huge opera fan, and a lot of his networking has been at opening nights at the Palais Garnier, where he socializes with existing clients wearing his work as well as potential new ones. But now with the ready-to-wear shirts, there’s a middle ground where casual browsers can discover and engage. Fundamentally, he wants to remain authentic, independent, with none of the door policies and faux exclusivity that his neighbors enforce.

“I don’t fit a stereotype,” he says. “I’ve never been a hipster brand, or cool. It’s important to me to welcome everyone who comes to the store. You don’t know their story on first sight. We had one guy come in wearing a jogging suit. He spent $11,000 on a suit to wear to the opera, and I see him all the time in it. It’s important for him to dress well for those evenings, and he doesn’t care the rest of the time, even though he is worth millions. If a client asks me for something, I do my best for them.” Which might, in the coming months and years, include ordering the black version of his La Versailles shirt at his store, without having to submit a CV to work there.