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Oxford shirts are great because they pair well with a summer wardrobe as well as a winter wardrobe. They can be casual, they can be worn with a tie, with a blazer, with a tweed coat, or just on their own without any neckwear. They're also really hard wearing.
First of all, it has a soft button down collar which means there's no interlining, it's just the fabric. The collar forms this beautiful S-curve around your tie knot and that's typical for this collar.
So, what exactly is oxford cloth? Basically, it's a basket weave meaning, you have multiple strands together that are woven like a canvas, like a plain weave. It is simply one warp and one weft thread and it creates a fine, tightly knitted weave.
What other hallmarks does an OCBD have?
First, you want a shirt placket that is separate. Second, you want a chest pocket. A chest pocket is part of the casual heritage of the OCBD and you definitely don't want to skip it. Another feature you want to look for are barrel cuffs.
Other than that, a traditional American oxford cloth button down shirt is cut very wide, lots of room for movement. Now, while that's true on your body,you want to avoid having armhole that are too big. Traditional oxford cloth button down shirts are cut very long in the front and in the back. In the back, you usually have a box pleat which gives you extra space and range of movement.
To understand the background of the OCBD, we have to look at the button down collar. It was originally invented in India and it was meant for polo players to keep their collar down during the exercise. Otherwise, it would flap up in the wind and in player's faces so sometimes, they couldn't see. It was a very practical and functional feature.
From India, it made its way to England where it was seen by a member of the Brooks Brothers family and so in 1896, they brought this collar to the US. It was Brooks Brothers who had the idea to combine this style of collar with an oxford fabric.
Outside of the US, one of the biggest proponents of the oxford cloth button down of Brooks Brothers was Gianni Agnelli. People wanted to emulate his style as an Italian industrialist so it became an iconic garment, even outside the US.
Obviously, the shirt is very versatile.it could be worn casually on its own, could be paired with suits, and sport coats. So for men, who often like simplicity, it was this one garment they could wear with anything.
So what are the OCBD dos and don'ts? First of all, do not wear it with formal wear. If you work in an environment where business casual is a dress code, the oxford shirt is the perfect companion.
In a traditional white collar environment, the oxford cloth button down shirt even in plain white is a bit too casual, too soft, and I would go with poplin.
When it gets warm sometimes, people wear OCBDs with short sleeves however, that's not the proper look.
Do wear oxford cloth button down shirts on the weekend, it underlines the casual character, it's a perfect weekend shirt.
Do not wear oxford cloth button down shirts to interviews.
So what should you look for in the OCBD? As I mentioned, soft-roll collar, oxford fabric that is not too wide with the strands. Also, try to get a 100% cotton because it just feels better in your skin. There are lots of polyblends out there because they last longer but if you can afford it, go with a 100% cotton.
Again, skip the cufflinks on the shirt, go with long sleeves, and no short sleeves. Regarding tie knots, you do not have a huge tie gap which calls for a small knot such as the oriental knot.
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6 авг 2024
