Matters of Shirting

Shirts are easy to make but difficult to make well.  In terms of cut, fabric and stitching, it’s easy to get wrong.  The devil is in the details, because to the untrained eye a $79 shirt from J. Crew or Club Monaco looks upscale - at least for the first five or six wears.  One could accuse me of snobbery here but since the shirt is the garment closest to your body, its fit and comfort is of utmost importance.  I’m not suggesting to throw all your J. Crew shirts out or that they’re all bad - I have several I love and still wear a couple times each month, and their Wallace and Barnes line is several steps up in quality from the house merchandise - rather when building a wardrobe, it’s wise to add several nice shirts in the rotation.

For oxfords - both dress and casual - Schnayderman’s is my current favorite.  Founded in 2012, the Stockholm-based shirtmaker knows how to push the envelope without disregarding tradition.  Their shirts are cut with more room than Gitman Vintage while maintaining a slim silhouette and a semi-formal appearance.  There’s nothing showy about their basic line (they also have a few overshirts and patterned designs with more panache), which makes them great vehicles to wear with a gray suit, suede shoes and a statement tie.  I picked up two at Askov Finlayson during the holiday season, one which - unfortunately - I can’t wear with a tie because of the back collar button.  I’m satisfied with the shirt, however, because there are few pieces more versatile than a well-made blue-and-white striped oxford.  

Schnayderman’s classic blue oxford is easier to dress up and pair with a tie.  Since its mid-blue hue and my gray Eidos Napoli suit create a neutral background, I found it the perfect occasion to wear it with my Grandpa’s vintage Claiborne tie.  The beauty of the classic blue oxford is that there are limitless ways to wear it.  Wear it with a tie, or with an air tie if you’re an adherent to trends.  Wear the collar buttons done, undone or Ezra Pound-style, with one side buttoned and the other free to blow in the wind.  Dress it up, dress it down or do both depending on the order of the day’s business (or lack thereof).

Aside from Schnayderman’s, Drake’s also makes a line of shirting worth looking at.  I have no direct experience with their products, but their shirts toe the line between dressed-up and dressed-down.  Their fabrics are tops in the industry so it’s conceivable to wear one of their flannels with a tweed jacket, or one of their denim shirts with full suit.  Sid Mashburn also has a wide range of classic designs with contemporary cuts that will look good five and ten years down the road.  I’ve had luck with Eidos’ shirting for formal occasions and Gitman Vintage for casualwear (though their lightweight shirting dishevels faster than their sturdy oxfords).  

Good shirting, however, functions beyond brand and construction - it needs to fit and flatter the wearer.  With the fundamentals of quality in mind, find which brand works for you.  There are now ready-to-wear shirtmakers online (Proper Cloth comes to mind) that offer quality construction with prices that reflect the lack of middlemen.  Or perhaps you want to go full bespoke to ensure the shirt fits for years to come.  If you’re on a budget or frugal, thrift and vintage stores are great places (given one has a trained eye) to find shirts that have already stood the test of time and will continue to do so.  Wherever you find it - and as long as the quality is there - if the shirt fits, wear it.  

Shirt: Schnayderman's, Suit: Eidos Napoli, Tie: Claiborne (Vintage), Pocket Square: Nordstrom Men's Shop