Three Oxfords you Need to Own

Three Oxfords you Need to Own

Button downs.  The “shirt” in “shirt & tie.”  Oxfords.  We all own them, and probably wear one almost every day.  But while some oxfords are great for work, they don’t work well on the weekend.  Maybe one oxford goes great with a blazer, but looks terrible on its own over a t-shirt.  Here’s the three oxfords you should line the walls of your closet with, ranked on a scale of 1-10 of formality.  1 being dirt casual, 10 being your wedding day.  And note that there’s a range for each shirt, since one shirt can be used for many occasions.

Gap New Solid Oxford – $44.50

Range of Formality: 1-5
Gap has finally updated their classic button down solid oxford with a more tapered fit.  Still single button cuffs, still looks good rumpled or pressed, still almost impossible to pair with a tie.  No collar stays in this sucker, so if you’re looking to throw a jacket on over it, expect the collar to pancake.  Great for under sweaters, over t-shirts, and all types of laid back get togethers.

Express 1MX Modern fit or Fitted Oxford – $34.65 – $49.50

Range of Formality: 3 – 8
The Express slogan for this extremely popular model of oxford is: “There’s no wrong way to wear it.”  And believe it or not, they’re kinda right.  No pocket in the front, collar is trim but still substantial, and they’re perfect for wearing untucked out to a bar.  You can wear them with a suit and tie, but be warned that they don’t come in precise measurement fits.  Just the standard Small, Medium, Large, etc.  And their sleeve length runs on the quite unfortunate short side.  So don’t expect that nice 1/4″ of cuff to show if you’ve got a jacket on with it.
Modern Fit is for Fit guys, Fitted is for really fit guys.  Comes in a variety of colors.  Black/Gray/Blue for untucked, White/Blue for tucked in.  An amazingly versatile shirt.

Alfani-Red Fitted Tonal Textured Stripe – $24.99 – $45.00

Range of Formality: 8 – 10
You will not wear this shirt untucked.  Nor will you wear it with jeans.  But you also won’t necessarily have to take it to your tailor.  The sides a brought in, way in, so they don’t balloon out over your pants.  The tonal stripes are raised just enough to give some good depth under a plain suit jacket and simple tie.  It’s one of our favorite dress shirts.  It’s not wrinkle free by any stretch, but, they go on sale all the time and are widely available and pretty affordable.