Gonna order a shirt from jantzen

[d.h.]

After reading all the good things said about Jantzen, I want a "piece of the pie."

But I need some help on fabrics/weaves, as I'm kind of new to this shirt thing and feel a little overwhelmed. I know what twill and herringbone are, for instance, but what's French oxford (as opposed to just oxford)? What does Jantzen mean by just "plain cotton"?

Further, which weaves are appropriate for which occasions? Some must be seasonal, while others year-around; some must be more formal, while others more casual. If somebody can break this down, that would be great.

 

[johnnynorman3]

I just got a 10 shirt order delivered the other day, so I have some pretty good info on some of your points. First off, I'll note that the thin (ie. not thick) mother of pearl buttons currently being used are very different than normal buttons. Instead of having holes to attach the thread to, they have a little "head" on the back of the button that is used to attach the thread. Thus, you don't see ANY thread when you look at the front of the shirt -- all you see is button. To give the appearance of holes, the buttons have a four point shape carved into them. I'm not sure what I think of them, but it doesn't ruin the shirt for me. Part of me likes them, but wonders what the deal is. Also, the thick mother of pearl are of better quality now than they were four months ago. So, the thick MOPs are probably the way to go.

For fabrics, I don't know what frech oxford is either, but I did get a pinpoint oxford that is sort of like an end on end fabric -- broadcloth for sure but with just a bit of visual texture (your eye can see it, but your hand can't feel it). It was the light lilac pinpoint oxford or something like that.

Virtually all the fabrics are seasonless, save for some of the twills that have a heavier twill (usually described as "very soft cotton" or something like that, or "rug twill&quot. And, aside from regular oxford and the poly/cotton, all the fabrics are appropriate for business wear and casual wear alike -- it all depends on the patterns and details you use. Plain cotton just means the normal broadcloth that you see on most "department store" shirts (but don't worry, the Jantzen broadcloth is SO MUCH better than say a DKNY cloth).

To start, I might go with a twill since IMO they look more expensive, are softer, less likely to wrinkle, etc. Broadcloths are great -- a true staple -- but something just really makes me want to touch and wear my twill shirts. My current Jantzen collection is about 50/50 twill/broadcloth. What type of pattern are you looking for? Conservative pinstripe, gingham, windows?

 

[water]

There is a certain amount of trial and error with Jantzen, part of the proceess really. Unfortunately, their communication is horrid which does not help. However, after a first order of a single shirt it should be fairly easy to make necessary adjustments.

I like the twills I have ordered. They have a nice sheen and weight. Definitely thicker than the plain cotton.

johnnynorman, how long did it take to get your 10 shirts? I ordered a couple quite a while ago and have heard nothing. I e-mailed a bunch of changes so I guess that affected the wait time, but it has still been a long wait. Of course, I have e-mailed probably twenty times (literally) with various questions without response. I even called once but Ricky was not there at the time (it is hard to call as my time zone is almost 11 hours different than Hong Kong's).

 

[johnnynorman3]

Well, my 10 shirt order took 3 months to get. There were some screw ups with my new measurements though, which delayed the process (Ricky wasn't sure whether I had gotten my measuremets wrong on my order form or whether I was updating my old measurements). My brother got a one shirt order filled in about 5 weeks though, so my large order either wasn't typical, or it takes longer to get multiple shirts.

 

[d.h.]

To start, I might go with a twill since IMO they look more expensive, are softer, less likely to wrinkle, etc. Broadcloths are great -- a true staple -- but something just really makes me want to touch and wear my twill shirts. My current Jantzen collection is about 50/50 twill/broadcloth. What type of pattern are you looking for? Conservative pinstripe, gingham, windows?

Yeah, I like twill too, and that's what I'm going to get first. I really like checks, and stripes are good too. My favorites are the more blended-in patterns, as opposed to very contrasting/bold designs.

My first few shirts will be more fashion-/casual-oriented, things to wear while going out in the evenings.

With my first shirt, I probably won't trouble myself too much in selecting a fabric. If other posters are to be believed, my first order most likely won't come out right anyway. I just need something decent-looking, so just in case my first shirt comes out OK, I can still wear it.

 

[d.h.]

There is a certain amount of trial and error with Jantzen, part of the proceess really. Unfortunately, their communication is horrid which does not help. However, after a first order of a single shirt it should be fairly easy to make necessary adjustments.

Communication...I've noticed. Not even going to bother with emails/phoning.

I've also noticed that when others post their first Jantzen shirts, the shoulders usually don't fit right and the sleeves are often too short.

Any heads-up you can give in this regard? Like, should I just measure seam-to-seam the shoulder of one of my well-fitting shirts (while I'm wearing it of course)? Should I just use the stated sleeve size from said shirt too?

Oh, and another thing: collars. On each example collar, there are two numbers. These are collar height and point length, right? The same measurments you can choose from the menu boxes just below the examples, correct?

Sorry for all the questions, but I just want to get this right as much as possible, given the wait times between orders.

 

[water]

On my first order, the shoulder width was pretty good (I added 1/2" to my subsequent orders) but the sleeve length was off. I think I added at least 1" to my sleeve measurements on all subsequent orders. I have never used a shirt to take my measurements, just my body.

The numbers accompanying the collars are indeed collar length and height. They are merely defaults as you can change them further down the form.

johnny, I originally placed an order for two shirts in early June and two more in early July. Since that time I have made a number of changes to the measurements I originally provided. In August I sent a pdf file which encompassed all of the changes I had requested since the June order. I can only assume this is the cause for the delay.

 

[johnnynorman3]

My third order (the 10 shirts) are by far the best fitting measurements, though I think I will add another .25" to my wrist measurement (ironically, I reduced my wrist measurement by .25" for my third order because I mistakenly felt the cuffs were just a dab wide on my first two shirts). Not that this is any big deal, but why not shoot for perfection.

My first shirt turned out great, so don't think that it is just going to be crappy. For shoulders, you can measure a well fittig shirt while it is laid flat on the table. For sleeves, I found it helpful to determine your sleeve sizing in RTW and then add about .5" to 1" or so. Do I think Janzten cuts their sleeves short? Well, personally I think that manufacturers actually cut theirs longer than stated usually. Also, when shoulders fit well, this will actually effect how the sleeve sits, in my experience. So, if you wear a 34/35 sleeve length, go with 35.25" or something like that. Remember, because the cuff measurement is going to be perfect for you, a longer shirt won't spill over your hand, so it will look good under a suit even if it is .5" long. That's why I say add .5" to 1" on your first shirts (probably better missing long) and then go from there.

 

[BjornH]

Johnny, I think you hit the nail on the head. A 34 sleeve will fit me well in RTW but that's of course with the shoulders an inch, or sometimes more,wider that they should be. Therefore, it stands to reason that if the shoulders are right, I'm gonna need longer sleeves that usual.

I'm really hoping you'll give us a report on the fabrics or even a a nice post with pictures and details ? I'm drifting into jantzen withdrawal and got to get a fix soon...please

B

 

[justbrowsing]

Bjorn, IIRC you posted awhile back about purchasing a Jantzen shirt with a button-down collar. Any opinion on how the collar turned out now that you've had some time to wear the shirt? I'm thinking about getting a few casual shirts to wear under a sweater this fall/winter.

Thanks

 

[BjornH]

Well - I guess I'm busted. I have so many shirts that there are some that I haven't gotten around to yet and this is one of them. In my defence, it's a plain oxford shirt that looks way too dull as I've been wearing my shirts lately, i.e. with out a tie/jacket or even a sweater. Now, fall is coming and it's sweater time soon so perhaps it will get some more use.

My initial impressions were that the collar is a shade too pointy and perhaps not spread enough but the jury is still out. The material has not helped either, this oxford is very thin and wrinkle-prone so as soon as I've picked up my kid the shirt will look like I've slept in it. As I said at the time, I was aiming for a replacement for my excellent, but way too roomy, RL oxford button down but missed.

Bjorn

 

[johnnynorman3]

I'll post a report tomorrow regarding my fabrics -- virtually all of my choices were excellent, thanks in large part to Bjorn.