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Of all of the fabrics that men's dress shirts are made from, oxford cloth perhaps attracts the strongest emotions of them all. I can think of no other shirt that moves so easily from suits and sport coats to sweaters and sweatshirts as the humble oxford cloth shirt. I've worn mine until they are frayed around the collar and only good for yard work, and I'm sure that I'm probably not alone. There are many other more refined and elegant fabrics for shirts, but oxford cloth seems to have the ability to foster something close to an emotional bond with its wearer over time. It becomes an "old friend." Many men perhaps began wearing oxford cloth shirts when they were boys, so it is probably only natural that the attachment formed to shirts made from this fabric becomes a special one. So much so that some people develop very clear views on which shirts and their makers are the best. When the manufacture of one's preferred oxford cloth shirt is altered or its manufacturer goes out of business, it can be a heart rending event.
Much of what has been written about oxford cloth shirts generally has focused on the roll of the collar; collar size, length and fit; as well as even pockets (to pocket or not, and to flap or not to flap). However, little attention ever seems to be given to the fabric itself. The blue oxford cloth button-down (OCBD) is arguably the most well-loved oxford cloth shirt, yet in addition to blue what other oxford cloth patterns have been available as shirts? Further, how has oxford cloth developed over time from all-cotton cloth, to cotton & polyester blends, and finally to wrinkle free versions? This post will attempt to address some of this by taking a look back in time at several major clothiers and their use of oxford cloth in shirts. The time period to be looked at will be the postwar period of the late 1940s through the early 1990 - a roughly 50 year period. In addition to being the period when the OCBD really came into being as an everyday shirt for for all ages, this is also the period when the modern shirt with an attached collar was developed, as well as the period when the "coat style" shirt gained preference over the pullover style shirt. As the OCBD became more popular during the postwar period, clothiers began to offer it in a wide variety of colours and patterns. It is to the exploration of these colours and patterns that this post is devoted.
Definitions
Though I know oxford cloth when we see it, I would be hard pressed to define it. So in the search for a more accurate historical definition I turned to that definitive authority, Fairchild's Dictionary of Textiles (7th Edition (1996) 2005 printing). Fairchild's defines oxford as follows:
A cotton or manufactured fiber fabric made with a modified plain or basket weave. In most oxfords, a coarse count, soft spun filling is used with twice as many warp ends to achieve a basket effect. Other variations are employed, e.g., weaving four ends and two picks, or two ends and two picks. Combed cotton yarns generally are used, and the fabric is soft and porous. Given a lustrous finish, it is sold most often in white, but is made also with a yarn dyed warp and white filling, and called oxford chambray. Also may be piece dyed or checked or striped by using occasional groups of colored yarns. Main uses: pajamas, shirting, sportswear, suiting. It is the one remaining important commercial shirting fabric of four originally made by a Scottish mill during the 19th century. The shirtings bore the names of four universities: Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard and Yale (Fairchild's, p. 400-401).
This definition helps understand the variation in shades of color for solid oxford cloth shirts. For example in blue OCBDs, the thickness of the course count white filling and the particular shade of blue warp yarn will determine the eventual shade of blue for the fabric. This balance of white and colored warp yarns is crucial for the eventual shade of color that is being sought by the manufacturer. There is a story about former Brooks Brothers president, John C. Wood, who, as Brooks Brothers resumed production of fabric after the Second World War, had the manufacturer of Brooks Brothers famous pink oxford cloth remake batches until it was the proper shade that it had been before the war. Perhaps it was this balance of the white filling yarns and the hue of the pink warp yarns that was at issue. The definition in Fairchild's also mentions striped and checked oxford cloth, and though striped versions of oxford cloth are well known, there have also been checked versions, as well. Tattersalls and mini-checks are perhaps the more well known examples. Significantly, the definition also states uses of the cloth have not changed very much over time. It is still used for sleepwear, casual trousers and shorts, as well as for sport coats.
Though we all recognize oxford cloth, I doubt that many would be able to identify the other three fabrics (Cambridge, Harvard and Yale) named in the definition. Perhaps one day the name of the Scottish mill and examples of these three fabrics will surface. Though Fairchild's doesn't mention it, older advertising also referred to oxford cloth as "cheviot oxford" suggesting a cotton basket or plain weave fabric much like a wool cheviot weave fabric. It would also appear that over time, the usage of the word "cheviot" disappeared for this type of cotton cloth leaving only the name "oxford cloth."
Shirts
Oxford Cloth in Solid Colors
This post is less concerned with the construction of shirts, than with the colors and patterns that oxford cloth has been offered in. Though the HTJ Archives are by no means anywhere near complete, I've included some photos of oxford cloth shirts grouped by color and pattern. From this we'll turn to advertising and various clothiers below.
This is a group of Brooks Brothers 'Makers' OCBD shirts in blue, white, pink, helio, yellow, peach, and stone. The only color that Brooks Brothers used to offer that is missing here is green. To be honest, I probably wouldn't wear solid green oxford very much, though I find that I often wear a green candy striped oxford with certain tweeds and sweaters.
Fairchild's definition draws attention to the close relationship of oxford cloth and chambray, so for the sake of interest I've included a blue oxford cloth shirt (above) and a blue chambray shirt (below).
Oxford Cloth Candy StripesAfter solids colours, perhaps the most commonly seen pattern for shirts made from oxford cloth is a striped pattern called "Candy Stripes" or "University Stripes" (for more on stripes go here). Brooks Brothers consistently referred to its striped oxford cloth shirts (above) as "Candy Stripes," though in recent years the term "University Stripes" has also come into use (see the link above for more on stripes). This group of shirts contains candy stripes in red, blue, green (three shades), yellow and pink. Brooks brothers also offered brown, burgundy, and I believe, gold.
To illustrate the subtle difference in shades of color (like the green above), this group has three different shades of blue. From top to bottom: Brooks Brothers (NOS late-1980s), Brooks Brothers (contemporary), Mercer & Sons (contemporary).
Oxford Cloth Blazer Stripes
"Blazer Stripes" are another striped pattern of oxford cloth. The most common version in blue will always have a blue ground with white stripes.
A long-time favorite, "Blazer Stripes" are shown here in hello & white, pink & blue, and blue & white (2 shades). Brooks Brothers also offered this in yellow with blue stripes. They used this fabric for pajamas as well. I had a pair many years ago in blue.
Pinpoint Oxford Cloth
Pinpoint oxford cloth is a smaller and more tightly woven plain or basket weave fabric. It has a lustrous finish and looks great with suits and jackets. Because of the tightness of the weave, it is not as cool as regular oxford cloth and can seem a bit stuffy in warm weather. Strangely, Brooks Brothers never marketed their pinpoints with a "Brooks" name like Brooksweave, Brookscloth, Brooksflannel, etc., though the pinpoint blends did carry the Brooksweave label.
The above image shows all cotton pinpoint oxfords in solids (blue, white, ecru, yellow, and pink), and various thin stripes (red and blues).
Brooksweave & Blends
In 1953, Brooks Brothers introduced a blended cloth containing the DuPont pioneered "Dacron" and cotton named, "Brooksweave." Initially, Brooksweave included both oxford cloth and broadcloth fabrics. However, within a year, a broadcloth blend named "Brookscloth" was introduced and from that time onward the two names Brooksweave and Brookscloth were sold along side one another.
The above image show a number of Brooksweave oxfords in various colours, patterns and blends. From top to bottom: Blue 65/35 Dacron & cotton blend; Blue 60/40 cotton & polyester blend; Pink 60/40 cotton & polyester blend; Yellow 65/35 Dacron & cotton blend; Yellow 60/40 cotton & polyester blend; 2 shades of Blue 60/40 cotton & polyester blend; and a Burgundy 60/40 cotton & polyester blend. These blends have some of the best and most idiosyncratic collar roll of any, including all cotton. Go figure.
Tattersalls & Checked Patterns
Brooks Brothers and many other clothiers have long offered oxford cloth shirts in both Tattersall and checked patterns.
The above image is a group of 'Makers' oxford cloth shirts in three different Tattersalls and a rarely seen pattern, the mini-check in blue and green oxford cloth. Brooks Brothers also offered this in a red check, as well.
Advertisements & Catalogs
Brooks Brothers
Brooks Brothers Christmas 1947 Catalog. Collar-attached shirts in plain white or plain blue oxford cheviot were offered with either button-down or plain collars. This shirt became the template for "the most imitated shirt in the world" to which basically all other OCBD shirts owe their design.
Brooks Brothers Christmas 1947 Catalog. Schoolboy's Collar-Attached shirts also offered in both button-down and plain collars in blue or white oxford.
The New Yorker (9/24/1949). In 1949 Brooks Brothers still offered this shirt in a pullover style as well as a newer coat style of shirt. The colors offered here were solids of white, blue, tan or grey, and stripes of blue, tan or grey.
The New Yorker (11/19/1949). During this period, oxford cloth shirts were also offered in three choices of button-down, club (rounded), or plain collars. The customer also had a choice of domestic cotton oxford or imported Egyptian cotton oxford in color choices of white, blue, grey, tan or pink. Interestingly, customers were still given a choice between coat style or the older pullover style shirts, and some colors were available only in one of the two styles.
The New Yorker (12/2/1950). A year later, the same three collar choices were offered, with notably more limited choices for plain collars.
The New Yorker (10/4/1952). However, two years later, in 1952, the choices for colors and styles of oxford cloth had been expanded. Also noteworthy is the expanded choice of fabrics to include Madras (end-on-end) for club collars and broadcloth for button-down and plain collars.
The New Yorker (10/31/1953). In 1953, Brooks Brothers introduced "Brooksweave," a Dacron and cotton blend, and it figures prominently in advertising from 1953 onward. Here, it was only offered in white coat style shirts and was substantially higher-priced than the all cotton shirts. It is also noteworthy that button-down collar shirts were also "now available in four attractive materials." There were three choices of cotton oxford, which included Brooksweave, as well as the choice of a "Brooksweave broadcloth."
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The New Yorker (9/25/1954). Brooks Brothers announced "Brookscloth" in the fall of 1954. From this time onward until the 1990s, Brooks Brothers offered both "Brooksweave" oxfords and "Brookscloth" broadcloths, developing separate lineups of both fabrics.
The New Yorker (11/12/1955). The following year, advertisements such as this offered shirts in domestic and imported cotton, Brooksweave and Brookscloth blends. From here we won't follow the development of Brookscloth, though it certainly warrants fuller examination. For our purposes in following the development of the use of oxford cloth, it is also significant that the colors green and stone began to appear in advertising around this period.
The New Yorker (5/14/1960). In 1960, air conditioning was still not common in most settings, so lighter and cooler fabrics played a more important role at a time when many men wore suits to work every day. Brooks Brothers take on these lightweight oxford fabrics was called "Zephyrweight Oxford Cloth." Other clothiers also marketed thinner more porous fabrics for warmer weather.
Spring & Summer 1962. In this catalog from 1962, oxford cloth was offered in solid colours of white, blue, pink, grey, yellow and stone, as well as stripes in blue, tan, grey on white. The catalog does not, unfortunately, specify the width and name of the stripes. Interestingly, this catalog also only seems to offer oxford cloth in button-down shirts, as opposed to the advertising above from 1952 and earlier that offered plain point collars and button-down collars both in oxford cloth.
Christmas 1971. This remarkable page from the Christmas 1971 catalog shows color swatches for both solids and "new Swiss cotton oxford stripes." Solids were offered in (from the top) green, white, pink maize, peach, blue, stone and ecru. In addition to the "new" stripes shown, bold striped cotton oxford shirts were also offered in blue, yellow or pink on white, along with classic candy stripes in blue or wine on white.
Fall & Winter 1979. In the late 1970s Brooks Brothers also offered oxford cloth in a mini-check pattern that was usually only seen in lighter weight gingham fabrics. These shirts were offered in blue, green and red checks.
Cotton oxford mini-check detail.
Spring & Summer 1980. Brooksweave in stripes (blue or brown) and solids (pink, blue, white or yellow).
Christmas 1980. All cotton solids in blue, stone, pink, white, yellow, peach and ecru.
Summer 1981. All cotton solids in blue, pink, ecru, peach, white stone or yellow. Candy stripes in yellow, wine, blue or brown.
Fall & Winter 1981. All cotton solids in blue, peach, ecru, stone, yellow, white, and pink. Candy stripes in red, blue, yellow and brown.
Fall & Winter 1981. Brooksweave Tattersall checks of blue-navy, red-navy, gold-navy. Solids were offered in blue, white, yellow or pink.
Brooksweave Tattersall in red-navy.
Christmas 1985. In the mid-80s the blend ratio of Brooksweave shirts was changed to increase cotton to 60% and decrease polyester to 40%. These shirts were offered in blue stripes, and solids of white, blue, pink or yellow.
Fall 1987. 60/40 "Cotton Rich" blend shirts were offered in the classic solids of yellow, pink, white and blue, along with an increasingly diverse selections of stripes and checks in both Brooksweave and Brookscloth fabrics.
Christmas 1987. All cotton oxfords in solids of blue, pink, white, yellow, helio, stone, ecru, peach or green. Candy Stripes of navy or red.
Fall 1988. Blazer Stripes in blue-white and yellow-blue.
Christmas 1988. Candy Stripes in blue, green and red.
1989. Blazer stripes with grounds of blue, white and pink.
J. Press
The New Yorker (5/29/1954). in 1954, J. Press offered oxford cloth shirts in both pullover and coat styles in solids of white, blue, pink and yellow.
J. Press Spring & Summer Brochure 1954. Oxford cloth shirts were offered in button-down and round pin-collar styles in the same colors as above. This page also shows the full lineup of all shirts offered.
The New Yorker (2/7/1959). By the late 1950s, J. Press was advertising oxford cloth shirts in solids (white, blue and lime) and stripes of blue or black on white.
The New Yorker (11/19/1960). In 1960, J. Press offered oxford cloth shirts in solids of white, blue and lime, as well as block stripes of blue, olive or old gold. Tattersalls were offered in navy & marine or black & red.
The New Yorker (4/28/1962). Two years later, J. Press offered more choices with solids in white, blue, lime or maize. Block stripes were offered in blue or olive on white, and pencil striped oxfords in blue or "old gold" on white. Tattersalls were also offered in navy & marine blue or black & red on white.
J. Press Fall & Winter Brochure 1977. By the late 1970s, J. Press offered an extremely wide variety of oxford blend and all cotton shirts. Blended solids were offered in white, blue, maize or ecru, while all cotton solids were offered in white, blue, maize or pink. In addition to all cotton candy stripes in either blue or wine on white. J. Press also offered an incredible selection of colorful striped cotton/poly blends with random and twin striped, and the creatively named "pavilion" and "crayon" stripes. Tattersall oxford blends were also offered in navy & blue and black & red on white.
J. Press Fall & Winter Brochure 1978. J. Press continued to offer a wide range of solids and stripes in both all cotton and cotton/poly blends.
J. Press Fall & Winter Brochure 1981. Year in and year out, J. Press offered a consistent selection of classic solids and stripes.
J. Press Spring & Summer Brochure 1982.
J. Press Spring & Summer Brochure 1982.
J. Press Fall & Winter 1996. By the mid-1990s, J. Press offered only all cotton shirts and this catalog shows oxfords and pinpoint oxford cloth shirts in solids of blue (with white collar), pink, white, yellow, blue and eggshell.
Chipp
The New Yorker (9/27/1952). In 1952, Chipp offered oxford cloth shirts in solids of white or blue, and candy striped oxford of blue, grey or wine on white. Tattersall checks in oxford cloth were also offered in reds and blues.
The New Yorker (4/24/1954). Chipp also offered a cooler warm weather oxford cloth shirt called the "Oxford Mesh Tropical Weave button-down" in white.
The New Yorker (10/16/1954). In the fall of 1954, Chipp offered a wide variety of oxford cloth shirts, some in either coat or pullover styles. Solid colors offered were white, blue, pink and yellow. Stripes were offered as well. Cable stripes (1/16" stripes on a white ground) in blue, wine or grey; and candy Striped oxfords also in blue, wine and grey. A higher priced Dacron-cotton blend shirt was also available in white. Tattersall checks in cotton oxford also continued to be offered in reds and blues on white.
Fall & Winter 1965. A decade later, in 1965, Chipp offered a wide variety of oxford cloth shirts in several collar models. As the catalog above attests, solids, stripes and Tattersalls were available in colors and styles for all tastes.
Cable Car Clothiers
Cable Car Clothiers Summer 1983. In addition to the other clothiers above, Cable Car Clothiers also offered solids, stripes and Tattersalls in a variety of classic colors. Though not pictured here, Cable Car Clothiers also continued to offer a long sleeved pullover oxford cloth shirt in solids and stripes as above.
L.L. Bean
Outdoors clothier and outfitter L.L. Bean has offered oxford cloth shirts for years. They have been offered in both all cotton and "easy care" blends. L.L. Bean's version of the OCBD also often came with a flap pocket.
L.L. Bean Spring 1982. The oxford cloth shirts shown here came in all cotton solids of blue, white, maize and ecru, and a striped "Business Man's" shirt in blue, red and brown stripes on white.
L.L. Bean Spring 1982. The same catalog offered an oxford cloth "Easy Care" model in solids of oxford blue, maize, white and ecru, and an easy care Business Man's shirt in stripes of blue, red and brown on white.
L.L. Bean Christmas 1985. This catalog also offered solid colors (with a flap pocket) in oxford blue, white, maize, ecru and pink, as well as a 60/40 blend easy care OCBD in the same colors.
L.L. Bean Christmas 1985. The Christmas 1985 catalog also offered solids and stripes for women. Easy care solids in blue, maize, pink, white and wintergreen. Easy care stripes were offered in yellow, red, kelly, and blue stripes on white.
L.L. Bean Fall 1990. Five years later, in 1990, L.L. Bean offered solid all cotton oxford cloth shirts in blue, pink, white and maize. Striped shirts were offered in a variety of stripes and grounds in various combinations of white, blue, burgundy, pink, yellow.
L.L. Bean Fall 1990. The same catalog also offered easy care solids in a 60/40 blend in pink, white, maize and blue. University stripe easy care oxfords were offered in either blue or red on white.
Huntington Clothiers
Before it's demise in the late 1990s, Huntington Clothiers made an affordable oxford cloth shirt that was (in the author's humble opinion) also second only to Brooks Brothers 'Makers' OCBD. These shirts had unlined collars, cuffs and plackets that kept them natural looking and helped them become razor thin when professionally starched. I had many Huntington OCBDs over the years but only have a handful left. Huntington made shirts from both regular weave oxford and pinpoint oxford cloth. A classic example is below.
Huntington Clothiers Candy Stripe OCBD in Blue.
Hathaway
Hathaway made shirts both under its own name and for other clothiers and department stores. The embroidered red "H" at the bottom of the placket was always the sign that Hathaway had made the shirt.
A Hathaway stone OCBD in that 60/40 blend that was so popular some years ago. I probably wore this year ago with navy Levis 5 pocket cords and Wallabees.
Jos. A. Bank
Long before the Jos. A. Bank of today, there was the JAB of yesteryear. American-Made-JAB was a great source for xcellent suits, jackets and shirts. At one time, JAB made an oxford cloth shirt from fabric that was the spitting image of Brooks Brothers oxfords (below).
Jos. A. Bank OCBD in White.
Jos. A Bank OCBD in Ecru. The old style tag (above) was on their standard button-down oxfords.
Rogers Peet
Rogers Peet 60/40 blend oxford cloth button-down in blue.
Rogers Peet oxfords cloth shirts were available in Chicago at Whitehouse & Hardy, which was located on Michigan Avenue, if memory serves correctly, where Burberry is located today.
Gant/Yale Co-Op
No discussion of oxford cloth and shirts would be complete without at least a mention of the American shirtmaker, Gant. Like many college students, I remember having Gant OCBD shirts, and those that stand out in my memory in particular are two striped oxfords, one in green and one in gold. Gant, at one time made an affordable OCBD that was available at the Yale Co-Op. The image below shows such a shirt in blue.
Conclusions
Recent developments of "non-iron" or "wrinkle free" allow clothiers to offer shirts made of "all-cotton" fabrics while enjoying the benefits of easy care. It allows clothiers to offer an "all cotton" garment that will look pressed right out of the dryer at home. However, though these shirts launder remarkably easily, requiring little ironing, the way that they are finished in the factory renders them somewhat lifeless. They really don't act like true oxford cloth. For me, wrinkles are just part and parcel of the appeal of oxford cloth. Even the cotton/poly blends of the past still retained the feel and look of all cotton that has eluded these "newer" and "better" non-iron versions. Perhaps one day, someone will invent a truly better easy care OCBD, but until then, I will stay with all cotton and the occasional nostalgic blend.
Gallery
One final section of images containing shirts in all cotton and blended oxford cloth.
Brooksweave oxford cloth in Blue.
Brooksweave oxford cloth Tattersall in Yellow-Navy.
Jos. A. Bank oxford cloth Tattersall in Burgundy, Green & Tan.
Brooksweave oxford cloth Candy Stripe in Burgundy.
Brooksweave Pinpoint oxford cloth in Blue.
'Makers' oxford cloth shirt in Stone.
'Makers' oxford cloth Bold Stripe in Pink.
'Makers' oxford cloth Bold Stripe in Yellow.
'Makers' oxford cloth Candy Stripe in Blue.
New Old Stock (NOS) 'Makers' oxford cloth Candy Stripe in Lime Green.
'Makers' oxford cloth Candy Stripe in Red.
NOS 'Makers' Pinpoint oxford cloth in Blue.
Where can one go today for oxford cloth shirts? Though cotton rich blends seem to be a thing of the past, there are several places today where one can still find all cotton oxford cloth shirts. Mercer & Sons is probably the first choice for the purist, as they offer a wide selection of both solids and stripes. In addition to offering unlined collars that roll marvellously, they will also make oxford cloth shirts with plain point and spread collars, something that is extremely hard to find today. If one is looking for a shirt that is along the lines of Brooks Brothers older 'Makers' shirts, Mercer offers a version that is about as good as it gets. Brooks Brothers, of course, still offers oxford cloth shirts that are well constructed from great fabric, in addition to being made in the USA. However, the caveat is, and it is a big one, the collars and cuffs are heavily lined. Though the label is comfortingly familiar, the construction is not the same as it used to be. J. Press also offers a wide variety of excellent oxford cloth shirts, and still offers their famous flap-pocketed oxford cloth shirts, as well. O'Connell's also offered a very wide variety of oxford cloth shirts, that I keep telling myself that I should try some day. Perhaps for the Christmas "wish list" this year.
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Though oxford cloth is a humble plain or basket weave, it has obviously been much loved since its legendary first manufacture in the 19th century by that unknown Scottish mill. The thought and imagination poured out over this simple fabric in the development of a wide variety of solids, stripes and checks is astonishing. Over a sustained period of the half century that we have briefly looked at, a variety of clothiers have brought copious amounts of ingenuity to this cloth in both its all cotton and cotton blend styles. If nothing else, the above history suggests that there is probably no better cloth to wear everyday, day in and day out over the years, than oxford cloth.
