Haughey's shirt of choice: Charvet pair at knockdown charity prices

CHARLIE HAUGHEY used to have his Charvet shirts delivered via diplomatic bag from Paris at great expense, but a second-hand pair were donated to a charity shop yesterday and are selling for a tenth of their normal retail price this morning.

The pink and blue shirts with a 16½in neck – one of which has a double cuff – were left into the Simon Community charity shop on Camden Street yesterday by a “smartly dressed” man. As he was leaving, he mentioned that the freshly pressed shirts, in immaculate condition, were favoured by the late taoiseach.

“He just said it in passing that they were the shirts Charlie used to wear,” said shop manager Terry McGrath. “I said they must be expensive so. The name rang a bell when he said it.”

However she had no idea just how expensive a shirt which carries the Charvet name can be. They can fetch €500 and beyond depending on style – a lot more if they come via diplomatic channels.

“If it was ladies clothes we would have recognised the value straight away, but I’d not know much about men’s shirts,” said Ms McGrath. “Sure we have Marks & Spencer shirts selling outside that are going for €6 and they look pretty good to me too.”

She had a brief conference with her staff members before deciding on a price. “We were thinking of selling them for €25 each, but should we increase that price a little?” she wondered.

Eventually, they decided to sell them for €50 and to put them on display in the window in the hope of attracting passing trade. Ms McGrath has been the manager of the shop “for many, many years” and said the charity depended on donations such as this.