The Oxford

Not surprisingly, the much more style savvy and focused fellas at Street Etiquette already beat me to a post on this topic. A couple weeks ago, when the heat was not hell, it occurred to me how comfortable I was in an Oxford shirt, and how applicable the comfort was to all seasons, and thus, how it would make a simple, quick, and effective style post. And then it got hot and thoughts of any sleeve longer than 10 centimetres were wholly forgotten.

Well, with the weather in Southern Ontario at last mellowing out, I found myself able to comfortably wear an oxford once again, however, I also found that the well researched Street Etiquette gents had already written an extensive, and generally better article than I would have on the topic.

Suffice it to say that the Oxford (often the name given to dress shirts in general, but actually descriptive of the material that these specific shirts are made from –oxford cloth) is a mainstay, a classic of prep culture and style. Yet its more, the material, generally more rugged than a typical dress shirt, also tends to be more durably comfortable. As well, their appearance translates so well to both dress up and down requirements, easily adapting to either a casual suit or un-tucked on torn jeans. Finally, unlike many dress shirts, the more worn they are, the more character they develop. Proudly exhibiting frays on cuffs, collars and elbows (see photo below of one of mine) shows an entirely authentic lived-in quality, badges of life, unlike, say, store bought “distressed-jeans.”

Check out the Street Etiquette article here.
To find oxford shirts… go anywhere. To find cheap, lived-in ones, go thrift.