weird arrow shirt

fridaybutnotmonday

fridaybutnotmonday

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Recently got the chance to browse my city's historical clothing archives, and found this weird Arrow-label shirt with only one button. The single button and buttonhole are located halfway down the front of the shirt, and there is no other closure. There is also a place to attach a collar. I was not able to get a photo of the full shirt and can't find any other shirt like this online, but I do have a photo of the tag if that helps with dating/identification. Please let me know if there are any other questions I can answer about this shirt! Really intrigued with its purpose and time period.
 

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anothertimevintageapparel said:
It sounds like a men's Edwardian 1920s formal shirt. They would normally be starched and stiff.
The button would be in the back and hidden under a vest.
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That makes sense but sanfordized shirts, particularly by Arrow, weren't sold to mass markets until at least the late 30s. The other clues that lead me to post-30s are the design of the tag (with the arrow going through "Made in U.S.A." rather than "Arrow," which was typical of early 50s Arrow tags) and the other donated clothes from this donor, which were around the mid-century. I am really stuck on the removable collar detail as well, though, since I didn't think removable collars were as popular by then. I have another photo of a detail I noticed on the non-split side of the shirt (the front, if it is supposed to button in the back), which I have attached here. I can't find any info about this and have a hunch that it's something the wearer added to the shirt, but I really have no idea.
 

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. detail I noticed on the non-split side of the shirt (the front, if it is supposed to button in the back), which I have attached here. I can't find any info about this and have a hunch that it's something the wearer added to the shirt, but I really have no idea.
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That’s from the manufacturer - a lot of vintage dress shirts have those - for yours, the numbers indicate size - a 15/33.

An internet search for Mitoga turns up a variety of Arrow Mitoga shirts over decades - looks like it was one of Arrow’s lines, and there were sub-lines, like Lane and Glen.

This 2011 post from the Fedora Lounge says the Mitoga line came out in 1933, and includes an ad that shows a Kirk Mitoga, described as “full dress”.
 
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