I have trouble finding shirts. It’s a unique item of clothing; sophisticated and a pain to iron. It’s also an item for which price and quality do not always go hand-in-hand.

Christina Christodoulou helped me look differently at this piece of clothing that is buttoned up over the upper half of your body.

“In our minds a shirt is just two sleeves with buttons and a collar. My quest is to update the shirt. I believe it to be like a white canvas; very adaptable because it’s neutral as a garment, and as a social statement,” says the 28-year-old designer.

Her brand is called “It’s a Shirt”, and the clothes she makes are just how I like them. They have straight lines, no curves, and are loose fitting and a little boyish looking. “They’re unisex. I aim to create a great timeless shirt that looks good on both male and female bodies”, she explains.

For fabric, Christodoulou Goes Greek.

Christina was born in Pireaus. She basically grew up in the small clothing factory owned by her parents. “Back then I resented that kind of work and never planned to follow in their footsteps,” she says.

And at first, she didn’t. In 2008 she was accepted into the Art Theory and History program at the Athens School of Fine Arts. For a while after she graduated, she tried working in the field she had chosen, but felt it lead nowhere. As a result, in 2014, she got her postgraduate degree in Stockholm. This time, her focus was on design and fabric processing.

For now, Christina produces a limited collection of shirts. She’s been given a helping hand by her father, but as he is planning to retire soon, Christina faces a big decision. Should she take over the family business, or should she move to a different country?

She says that she is still not certain, and that it will all depend on the support she’ll find in Greece.