Charles Tyrwhitt is a relatively small retailer where the central proposition is men’s shirts.

It also has a very sizeable mail order arm, but two weeks ago all attention was focused on the newly opened flagship situated in the home of London shirt-makers: Jermyn Street. There was in fact already a Charles Tyrwhitt store on the street, measuring 1,600 sq ft and trading from a single floor. It had been the flagship for the chain, but has now closed, following the opening of this two-floor 4,200 sq ft store.

Nick Wheeler, founder and owner of the company, said that the reason for the new store was straightforward: “In the old store we never had sufficient room to put the full range out and I want us to be the best shirt-maker in the world, so this is why we had to be here.”

As well as the shirts, the new store sells suits, blazers, ties, hats and almost anything else you might care to mention if you want to look like something of a posh boy. The store interior was created by London-based Ink Associates and as well as a lot of dark wood, the curving staircase - contained by a well with backlit niches that are used for display - forms a focal point.

There are mannequins throughout and there is a sense of the country gent in town, fostered by Wheeler himself, who on the day of opening was inspecting the premises in a pink-and-white-striped shirt whose collar had seen better days, but which he said was a favourite. There are a lot of rivals along Jermyn Street for Wheeler, but with this opening, Thomas Pink, TM Lewin and Hawes & Curtis all have to contend with a major new competitive threat.