You probably don’t need it pointing out that we live in strange and confusing times. At the exact same moment the remains of the knuckle-dragging, sex-pest attitudes of the seventies are (thankfully) public enemy number one, in the menswear world if it’s got a whiff of decade, it’s hot property.

For most, there is nothing more pure, unadulterated seventies than corduroy, which has edged its compulsively strokable surface back into men’s wardrobes. Thanks in no small part to a reputation for killing your sex appeal faster than back hair, it’s not been an easy comeback.

“The problem with corduroy’s outing in the seventies is that it was dyed almost exclusively brown or green, which meant it was purely fodder for librarians and geography teachers, but now it comes in such a variety of weights and colours,” says Chris Gove, the creative director of Percival, a British menswear brand that knows its cord inside out.

In truth, the fabric is a lot more versatile than most people imagine. If you’re one of the naysayers who thinks that corduroy’s all big, baggy and dishwater brown, then we’re calling fake news. These days, it’s well-cut and appears in unexpected ways. If you don’t fancy channelling the seventies look then there are plenty of darker shades on offer, and cord is no longer going to drown your frame in puddles of fabric. Even better, corduroy is tough AF, which means anything you buy in the fabric should go the distance.

Broken down piece by piece, here’s everything you need to know about wearing cord in a way that won’t leave you instantly undateable.

How To Wear A Corduroy Shirt

On hearing ‘corduroy’, it’s unlikely that a fine (needle if you want to get technical) corduroy shirt is the first thing that pops into your head. It’s vomit-worthy purple cord flares or something similar, right? If you’re a mild to severe corduroy-phobe, though, it’s the perfect place to begin your rehabilitation.