10 Of The Best Oxford Shirts For Men. Here’s Your Complete 2022 Guide
The term ‘essential’ is thrown around more than dice on the Las Vegas strip. You only have to look at the fact that there’s an album called Bon Jovi: The Essentials for evidence of that. However, one piece to which the term has been correctly applied for more than 120 years is the best Oxford shirts for men.
Sitting alongside a well-fitting navy suit, a selection of white T-shirts and selvedge denim in the menswear hall of fame, the OCBD (that’s ‘Oxford cloth button-down’ to the uninitiated) is one of the few key sartorial building blocks guaranteed never to fall from favour.
Bought in classic shades of sky blue, pink and white, an Oxford shirt has the ability to add a casual lean to an otherwise formal outfit or dress up a relaxed chinos and sneakers combination.
“It’s truly one of the most versatile and timeless pieces a man can have in his wardrobe,” says Chris Gove, creative director of British menswear brand Percival. “An Oxford shirt can slot easily under a summer suit, or over a plain T-shirt; be fitted or slightly oversized; worn with the sleeves down to the wrists or rolled up, and in every case, it never looks out of place.”
It’s no overstatement to say that the OCBD is as near as you’ll get to the ultimate wardrobe cornerstone. But in case you needed further convincing, here’s everything you need to know about this menswear essential.
What Is An Oxford Shirt?
Softer in its construction than a stiff dress shirt, and a tad more formal than your weekend flannel, the Oxford shirt is a solid, fail-safe option when you’re attempting to bridge the treacherous gap dividing smart and casual.
While the merits of owning an OCBD (or five) may come as no surprise, what might is that this staple has little to do with the English city with which it shares its name. In fact, the moniker is taken from the fact that it’s made exclusively from a thick, woven fabric known as Oxford cloth.
