The Fabric of Our Lives

While most of my shirts white or blue, and all of them are cotton, I did not choose to get several of the exact same shirt in different colors.  While blue dress shirts might seem all the same to the casual observers, subtle differences have a significant affect on style.  And one of the easiest things to overlook about a shirt is the kind of fabric it was made from.  The fabric will effect the look of the color through its texture and sheen.

There are myriad cotton fabrics, but I've found that knowing just a handful has sufficed for shopping off the rack.  The first, and in my opinion most versatile, is pinpoint oxford:

Pinpoint oxford has a slightly rough texture, so it's not so dressy as smoother weaves, but still appropriate to wear with a tie.  It's light weight and breathes, so it's suitable to wearing under a jacket and in warmer weather, but it's not so light that it wrinkles quickly.  It also tends to have a very slight sheen. Most of my dress shirts are pinpoint.  Oxford cotton fabric is second.

Oxford is courser and denser than pinpoint--so it's more casual and less wearable in the summer months.  But good two-ply oxford cloth holds up extremely well over time, getting softer with wear, and becomes more stylish after its begun to show some age.  Like pinpoint, it does not wrinkle easily and sheds wrinkles quickly, but it is completely matte.  For dressier situations, I'm fond of royal oxford.

 Royal oxford is the largest weave of the three oxfords, and has the most noticeable texture and the highest sheen.  Despite the texture, this weave has a smooth, elegant hand, holds up well after being pressed, and the high seen is appropriate for more formal settings.  For a smooth cotton weave, I prefer end on end.

End on end means that the fabric was woven from two different cloths.  From a distance end on end fabrics look smooth and solid, but up close the weave is visible--a subtle element that adds some interest. It also has a slight sheen.  It does wrinkle more than the oxford weaves, but not as badly as some smooth weaves.  How easily it wrinkles will depend in part on the weight and thread count of the cloth.  It's a great option for occasions that require conservative business formal attire.