The OneShirt: A Phoenix from the Ashes [4/24/13 UPDATE: A SHIRTMAKER, AN ENGLISHMAN, CHAMBRAY, AND F

Is royal Oxford considered something of a substitute for poplin?

You ought to try CEGO for BDs, I've been very happy, they look totally "authentic" and the price is fantastic. Looser fit that Geneva but I prefer that for BDs anyway.



unbelragazzo said:

Is royal Oxford considered something of a substitute for poplin?

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I view it is a fancy cloth. So, no.

I don't care enough to give a detailed answer, for the same reason as edmorel, but I applaud your decision to go with link cuffs. All my non-BDs are link cuffs. To echo unbel's point, regular chain cufflinks are not ideal with link cuffs and snap links are a much better alternative. They are not made any longer, but they are available for cheap on ebay.



Manton said:

IThe only one I would question is the single cuff. I would question it on two grounds, first, that all your shirts would take links (bad idea) and second, that you'd want your link shirts to be single rather than double. Also, your objection to loose button cuffs is easily remedied in the bespoke process, I've gotten mine exactly the circumference that I like, trim without being loose or snug.

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Have you seen my watch? When barrel cuffs are cut large enough to accommodate it, they always look ridiculously loose. That's okay on something casual like an OCBD, but I don't like it on dressier shirts. And no, I'm not willing to do the Agnelli.

As for always wearing cufflinks: I already do that. All my non-OCBDs have French cuffs. I can deal.

Manton said:

I think your choice of fabric also unecessarily excludes seasonality and I don't see what benefit you derive from that.

If I were design a minimalist shirt wardrobe, I would suggest one white FC shrit, one blue FC shirt (both broadcloth), a couple of white barrel cuff, then a dozen or so solid blue barell cuff, say six broadcloth, three linen-cotton, three chabray (or 4-4-4), or, if you have the cash, 5-5-5, which could get you through any given week's weather. Plus a few blue OCDBs.

Those above do tend to be the types I wear the most though I enjoy having some stripes, checks, and some other colors.

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Are you saying chambray is more warm or cold weather appropriate? I see it as being workable year-round. Anyway, I've never been very sensitive to shirting type when it comes to temperature. I wear regular cotton poplin in the summer all the time. Linen-cotton would be nice--but not a necessity for me.

Personally, I don't like a gaping gauntlet. I think you can safely skip the guantlet button on BC (I don't have them on my BDs) but not on FC (or LC). The guantlet is simply too long and the gaping too pronounced.

The buttons never catch (absurd) and I've never had one fall off.

Poplin is kind of fancy in that it's very smooth finished. It's pretty much suits and conservative business dress only, no? You don't think royal oxford is good with dark suits for conservative business dress? Too shiny?

Chambray wears warm for me so it's only for fall/winter. I get hot easily so I live in linen-cotton once the weather turns until it starts getting cool again.

Royal is fine with dark suits, in fact that's probably all it's good for.



Manton said:

Personally, I don't like a gaping gauntlet. I think you can safely skip the guantlet button on BC but on FC (or LC). The buttons never catch (absurd) and I've never had one fall off.

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My gauntlets don't gape. At least, not in a way that I'd care. It looks much more relaxed and streamlined without the button. To me, that equates with being more elegant. For what it's worth, Anna Matuozzo refuses to put them on her shirts.

I used to get gauntlet buttons snagged all over the place when I wore shirts with them back in in college and law school. They'd bump up against my desk or laptop whenever I was taking notes. It's nothing catastrophic, but certainly an annoyance I can do without.

All buttons are prone to falling off. I'm not saying it's definite that one will within a given shirt's lifetime, but using one less button is one less button to worry about.

Blazer outfits too?

What else is poplin good for? I guess also summery colored suits...but it doesn't seem that much more versatile that RO to me, and covers basically the same situations. I think you could get by with a bunch of RO and maybe one poplin instead of the entire allotment of poplins if that were your preference.

Poplin goes with almost anything. It's just neutral.

Thinking back, in eight years now I can't recall a single instance of a button falling off a Geneva shirt. That's pretty good!

You'd wear poplin with tweed?



Manton said:

Thinking back, in eight years now I can't recall a single instance of a button falling off a Geneva shirt. That's pretty good!

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That is indeed! Maybe there truly is something to their whole spiel about machine-sewing being stronger in every case.

No buttons have come off my Matuozzo shirts either. It's just that the fabric is disintegrating around them.