Oxford shirts - recs still relevant?
The Oxford shirt section of #fashion-guides links to a couple of reddit posts from five and six years ago. Are the recs in those threads still relevant?
Or more directly - what Oxford shirts <$150 and <$100 are you buying in 2023? Brands currently in my crosshairs: J. Press, J. Crew, and Spier & Mackay
33 Replies
Kamakura
I'd personally nix J Crew. Their collar stinks
I got one from proper cloth recently that I really like. It's not perfect but it's a better fit than any OTR shirt I own. It was 110 but I got 20 percent off as a welcome deal I think, so it ended up being <100. Kind of a long process if there are remakes involved but if you're a standard size I bet it's easy as.
Also if you're open to secondhand it's definitely worth looking for the brands you listed along with polo ralph lauren, brooks brothers, mercer and sons, drake's
Add Brooks Brothers. Wythe has an interesting cut and fabrics imo but they may not be what you want. Lands End has good trad style ones for cheap if you can get ones that aren't non-iron and are 100% cotton
What’s your budget?
Love my wythe oxfords but they’re kinda pricey and the size range isn’t for everyone. Vintage Brooks/PRL/Lands End are great if you know your measurements
it’s listed in the post
Thanks. I found the Reddit post from 6 years ago. And one of the main differences is that half the brands between the $100 and $150 range are no longer below $150. And that brands in the $50-$100 range are over $100. Assuming no sales.
For example, I see Kamakura mentioned in under $100 and Gitman for under $150
I'm really liking second hand Polo Ralph Lauren. For buying new, Proper Cloth is really good value imo, for about $100 you can get a MTM shirt with a beautiful big collar with great collar roll (haven't found any comparable collar on any currently sold RTW shirt below $150) made from good fabric.
with RTW, you have to carefully study the measurements
especially when it's just "S/M/L"
you might fit the size M of one brand perfectly but then on another brand the collar width or sleeve length will be quite different
Was shocked to see mercer and sons in the under 150 bin lmao
Going to give Proper Cloth a shot as some recent weight changes have left with me a really weird fit
The draw to proper cloth is the mtm, so you can make it not skin and add a pocket if you want.
Proper Cloth seems to be at a similar price compared to 6 years ago, interestingly enough. I think for custom it starts at $95.
Proper Cloth is a MTM brand so they're as slim as you want it
Brooks Brothers or J Press on eBay are good and should be in your price range
proper cloth can be whatever you want it to be
but yeah, $68 is a lot cheaper than $100
I had my OCBD like this
I'm once again recommending that folks avoid MTM unless they know exactly what they want
well yeah, that should be obvious
but can't hurt to reiterate
if you're wearing it under a layer the horse will be hidden anyway
the black/blue horse I can't get into either
but I really like the full color one
idk, it's kinda cute
Honestly the Spier and Mackay offerings look like a pretty good value. Never worn one tho
I think JPress's pennant label has some great quality Oxfords sub-$100.
Pennant Label ocbd's collars looked pretty sad when I checked em out. Ftr I just had a go at removing the full colour guy from an old stained PRL shirt and the result was decent, but you gotta be patient and careful:
MTM is also riskier if you're not being measured in person
I have not had success with the fit on Brooks and J Press (not made to be worn untucked which is what I do). Also Brooks usually has the 6 point fan of pleats at the cuff which I strongly dislike. I got a recent-model NWT Spier off eBay and was very confused by the sharp, squared-off shoulders- is this always present?
Another recommendation for Proper Cloth. I have Big Irish Head Syndrome - I need a 17.5" collar but I have a 36" waist, so it's nice getting that + sleeve lengths correct when you buy it is pretty great. Otherwise I'd be spending the extra time + money on a tailor. If you have normal-ish proportions I'd def try something better value though.
Thrifted Brooks miUSA OCBD checking in
I didn’t like the fan of pleats originally but have grown to really like the detail
My boss was shocked that I knew he was wearing a BB shirt - it was the pleats that gave it away
do you know the history / purpose of the pleats?
It’s called shirring and it’s a decorative way to gather the fabric. I don’t know BB’s history with it, but I did see that when Michael Bastian redesigned their OCBD he considered it one of the essential features.
The reason I normally dislike it is because it looks too fancy for what should be a very simple, unadorned item. But in your example here, it looks like it’s been washed and beaten into a more natural look, which is a better fit.
ah thank you! interesting!
Muji makes a decent budget OCBD, slightly oversized. Regular collar, not too impressive there.