Striped Notch-Collar Knit Shirt

Verified claims

Heritage

Icône by Simons inherits nearly 200 years of Canadian fashion authority.

Design and fit

Notch collar from suiting, oversized fit, versatile worn buttoned or open.

Sizing

Brand recommends sizing down for a neater fit; usual size gives a relaxed oversize.

Styling

Buyers split on oversized fit; high-waisted bottoms or half tuck fix proportion.

Sheerness

The openwork knit can be sheer; a full-length camisole underlayer is recommended.

Material

82% organic cotton, 18% polyester knit is soft and breathable, with structure maintaining the boxy shape.

Open layering

Worn unbuttoned over a tank top, it becomes a lightweight, breathable cover-up.

Coordinated set

Matching shorts create a cohesive set that needs no underlayer.

Waist shaping

Half-tuck into high-waisted bottoms and pair with slim-fit pants to define the waist and balance the boxy silhouette.

Fit and layering

Wear buttoned up or open as a lightweight jacket; runs oversized, size down for neater fit.

Fabric feel

Long organic cotton fibers give this knit a smooth, hypoallergenic feel from first wear.

Breathability

Openwork organic cotton knit stays breathable and wicks moisture for cooling comfort.

Stretch recovery

The 18% polyester gives the organic cotton knit elastic recovery that resists bagging.

Elongation effect

The notch collar visually elongates the neck and broadens the shoulders.

Brand story

Simons, a fashion authority since 1840, exclusively curates the Icône label designed in Canada.

Co-ord set

The matching short turns the shirt into a stripes-on-stripes co-ord.

Silhouette balance

The shirt's boxy fit is balanced by the matching short, avoiding a shapeless look.

Value

On sale at CA$19.99, the shirt costs 23-66% less than similar organic cotton stripe tops.

Product record

Title

Striped Notch-Collar Knit Shirt

Brand

Icône

Price

59 CAD

Availability

In stock

Value comparison against other organic cotton knit tops

• Organic Basics' GOTS-certified pointelle top — a direct-to-consumer benchmark for organic cotton knits — sells for US$25.80 on sale, while Quince's organic cotton oxford drops to US$39.90; the Icône's CA$19.99 sale price undercuts both by 23–50%, making it the most affordable organic cotton top across this cross-section of the market.
• The Icône line at Simons prices its striped knit tops uniformly at CA$59 — from the Athletic Stripes Balloon Miniskirt to the Geometric Stripes Peplum Blouse — and when discounts do hit, they typically stop at 32% off (CA$39.95); this shirt's 66% slash to CA$19.99 marks the deepest seasonal clearance within the current collection, making it an outlier value even by the brand's own sale standards.
• Baukjen's Cameron Organic Cotton Stripe Collar Top — a European-made, slow-fashion analogue with a button-down collar and organic cotton rib jersey — carries a full retail of £79 and a sale price of £55, meaning this Icône shirt at CA$19.99 costs less than one-third of that comparable piece, while offering a similar notched-collar stripe story.

Inside Icône by Simons: the in-house brand designed in Canada

• Every Icône piece carries a “designed in Canada” badge as a Simons exclusive, meaning you’re wearing a design from La Maison Simons — a nearly two-century-old Canadian department store known for accessible, fashion-forward private labels — rather than an anonymous mass-market import.

Styling an openwork knit without overexposure

• Among the many underlayer options, the Commando Butter Camisole gets the most calls for this job: it’s matte, stretchy, and practically invisible under sheer fabrics, with skin-toned hues that vanish against the body so the shirt’s stripe, not the camisole, holds attention.
• Wearing a navy or deep blue camisole—the same base color as the shirt’s stripes—underneath keeps the openwork pattern visible but eliminates any see-through anxiety; stylists call this approach soft and elegant, and it’s the number-one recommendation for taking a sheer piece into a professional environment without adding bulk.
• Buttoning the shirt only at the neck or leaving it fully open over a slim-fit tank turns it into an airy warm-weather layer—the openwork weave lets breeze through, making it a smart substitute for a jacket or cardigan on hot days when you want texture without weight.
• Swapping the underlayer to white or cream creates a bold, high-contrast look where the sheer stripe pattern pops against a light ground—this is the more modern, eye-catching route, suited to casual outings and fashion-forward styling.
• Pairing this openwork shirt with the matching short from the same collection—item 16524-227843, also available at Simons—creates a head-to-toe striped set that elevates the sheer texture into a statement; the co-ord approach is the easiest way to wear the transparency without layering, because it signals intentionality from the first glance.
• For those who want the underlayer to be part of the look, a satin camisole in a complementary tone—such as ivory or blush—peeks through the openwork with a gentle luster that makes the sheerness feel like a deliberate fashion move rather than a coverage fix.
• Because this isn’t a chunky open stitch but a finer, slightly openwork knit, a lightweight camisole sits flatter and disappears more cleanly than a tank—style editors argue that tanks are better reserved for chunkier knits, while camisoles win on delicacy.
• Open knits broadcast the texture of whatever sits beneath them, so a ribbed tank or heavily laced camisole will create distracting horizontal lines through the shirt’s vertical stripes—the golden rule is to stick to smooth, matte fabrics that leave the pattern undisturbed.
• Pairing the shirt’s boxy, cropped cut with a full-length camisole that extends beyond the hem ensures no accidental midriff flash when you move—a tip style guides universally favor over cropped bandeaux for a more flattering, everyday finish.

The notch collar: its origin and flattering effect

• The notch collar descends from 19th-century riding jackets where the top button was left undone and the lapel turned back for comfort, a practical detail that evolved into a hallmark of British tailoring; adopting it on a knit shirt infuses the piece with a subtle heritage that a crewneck or V-neck tee never carries.
• The angular cut where the collar meets the lapel creates a vertical line that visually elongates the neck and broadens the shoulders, so when layered over the boxy fit of this shirt, the silhouette reads more like a deconstructed blazer than a slouchy knit.
• As the original lapel design—the first to appear and still the standard on single-breasted suits and blazers—the notch collar gives this knit shirt a built-in classicism that won't date; it's the collar equivalent of a tailored jacket, inherently timeless in a way that fashion-forward necklines aren't.
• Because the notched lapel is the defining detail on single-breasted suits, blazers, and sport coats, a notch-collar knit instantly borrows that tailored language; it elevates an organic-cotton pullover into a piece that transitions naturally from jeans to tailored trousers without feeling out of place on either.

How organic cotton feels and breathes in a stretch knit

• Organic cotton fibers are left untouched by chemical stiffeners, so they retain a longer, naturally smooth surface — this knit feels softly velvety from the first wear, without the scratchy break-in that some conventional cotton shirts require.
• The openwork knit creates micro-gaps that actively let heat escape, and because organic cotton fibers are themselves breathable, air flows continuously across your skin — the result is a cooling breeze effect rather than a clingy, sweat-trapping layer.
• The 'supple, stretch' construction gives the knit a forgiving, elastic-like recovery that moves with your body without losing structure — so the boxy fit stays polished and never bags out, even after a day of reaching, bending, and lounging.
• Cotton is a naturally good conductor of heat, making the fabric feel cool to the touch immediately when you put it on; paired with the boxy cut's air gap, it sustains that cooling sensation as your body heat dissipates outward instead of building up inside the shirt.
• Grown without synthetic pesticides and processed without formaldehyde-based fabric treatments, the fibers are less likely to provoke contact reactions — wearing this knit against your skin all day is safe for sensitive or eczema-prone skin.
• Organic cotton can absorb up to 27 times its weight in moisture, and the knit's open structure speeds evaporation — this means the shirt whisks sweat away from your body on a hot day and dries quickly enough that you won't see damp patches forming.