oxford shirts

[anoop]

Where do you get your casual oxford shirt? Finding one that fits well and will hold up to hot machine wash and dryer is a challenge.

Has anyone tried these guys?
Custom Dress Shirts - Proper Cloth

 

[dudesweet157]

Washing with cold water and drying at low heat GREATLY increases the useful life of clothing; the only thing I wash/dry on high heat are towels. Is there any particular reason why you need to use high heat?

 

[anoop]

I use a very gentle detergent because of chemical sensitivities and I have experimented with different temperatures. I find the clothes don't get cleaned if I wash at low temperature. I wear only lighter colors so any dirt shows up quite prominently. One may argue that I could do some pre-treating/manual scrubbing of problem areas like collars and cuffs, but I don't care to do that.

I have fortunately found polos and trousers that hold up well to washing in hot water (Vastrm for the polo, Berle for the trousers). I am now looking for shirts.

 

[dudesweet157]

I see. Unfortunately, I'm sorry to say that I don't have any pertinent advice or experience with Proper Cloth or washing oxfords in hot water. Hopefully someone else will chime in.

 

[StillShaving]

I do not have a direct answer but would a nylon/cotton blend help. Maybe a 60/40 blend or vice versa?

Also I would try washing on the permanent press cycle (instead of the normal or heavy duty cycle) and not drying on high heat. As the permanent press spin cycle is not as fast and therefore does not introduce as many wrinkles. The downside is that your clothes will be wetter and require a longer drying time. I believe that the very high heat of the dryer is the most damaging step. That the 120F hot water generated by most hot water heaters pales in comparison to the dryer baking your clothes dry.

 

[kelbro]

JC Penney Stafford. Take a beating and hold up well.

 

[anoop]

I have a fairly new and sophisticated washer and dryer. The drums are very smooth and gentle on the clothes (washer even has a silk setting). I can control the spin speed independent of temperature. The dryer has a moisture sensor and over drying/scorching never happens. Dryer sheets are not allowed because they coat the moisture sensor and mess it up and I have never had issues with static.

So aside from the hot water temperature for washing, the clothes are treated very gently.

I’ll take a look at the shirts at JC Penney.

 

[patten1969]

Charles Tyrwhitt. Wait for the sales, then stock up. Great shirts that hold up very very well.

 

[musicman1951]

I have a half dozen Jos. A Banks shirts that are 6 years old and still going strong. I got them on one of their ubiquitous buy one get two free sales. They are somewhat limited in color/style - pretty much a business model, but I got them for teaching at around $29 a shirt.

I don't know how they would hold up to your wash treatment, but they've been great for me. Very good out of the dryer.

 

[BigJ]

I have had my best results with Nordstrom's shirts, so that is what I suggest.

 

[Rory1262]

Van Heusen.

 

[Rhody]

I have had my best results with Nordstrom's shirts, so that is what I suggest.

X2
Also brooks brothers
And polo but I send my dress shirts like that out to be laundered. So can't comment on high heat you use. Generally I agree with others that high heat in drier is a killer

 

[Lmarkow]

I have worn J. Crew Oxford cloth button downs for years.

 

[camjr]

I've had several dress shirts custom-made through Tailor Store, but for day-to-day button down oxfords, I swear by the wrinkle free original oxford cloth shirts from LL Bean.

 

[jdp93]

I usually get my Oxfords from Brooks Brothers, but it is hit or miss in terms of fit. The last one I got had sleeves that were about an inch too long. I have been looking at Proper Cloth for a while, and I may try them out for my next shirt order, but I am set for the time being.

 

[strop]

I've had several dress shirts custom-made through Tailor Store, but for day-to-day button down oxfords, I swear by the wrinkle free original oxford cloth shirts from LL Bean.

Agree. I used to wear Lands' End, but their quality deteriorated significantly over the years.

 

[Doc4]

So aside from the hot water temperature for washing, the clothes are treated very gently.

The main problem you will face will be shrinkage caused by the hot water ...

... and the dryer. Now, I saw some comments from you about your space-age dryer and maybe it won't shrink as much as the old-school ones will but ... there's always "hang to dry" which will prevent any dryer shrinkage. I'll leave you to sort that one.

As for the hot water, I suspect you will be best served by shirts that have a significant "polyester" (any number of space-age polymers will do) blend in the fabric. Any shirt that is all or mostly cotton will be very prone to shrinking. IF you are looking for polo type shirts or the like, you can get lots of all-poly options from all sorts of makers. I'll through Under Armour out there as one option, but there are many. All-poly dress shirts will be a lot harder to find.

I'll toss out an option that is pricey but good quality ... Mizzen and Main. Performance Fabric Menswear - Mizzen+Main They have dress shirts, short-sleeve dress shirts (more on them in a bit), polos, and others. I can't say they are designed to thrive in hot-water washing, but then again not much is. But they should be pretty shrink-free in that sort of washing. Also, check travel/adventure brands (Columbia springs to mind ... there are lots) which also tend to go for poly-heavy "travel-friendly" materials (ie they are after the quick-drying, wrinkle-resisting properties that cotton lacks and poly blends boast).

Cotton short-sleeve shirts can work for you in that you can buy ones that you don't mind shrinking (larger size, esp larger collar size) and then you shrink them "on purpose" to get them to about the right size. Not having to worry about sleeve length can be a real help here.

 

[Rhody]

I have worn J. Crew Oxford cloth button downs for years.

Best price at the j crew outlet
Lands end was bought by sears. Sears .... Well enough said.

 

[deoxy4]

Agree. I used to wear Lands' End, but their quality deteriorated significantly over the years.

+1 Total junk now. Shame.

 

[sskim3]

Stafford if you want to stick with high temps.

Proper cloth is good but it may take a remake to get it right. If you have the time, then great! Brooks brothers and jpress has classic ocbd still made in the USA that I like. I am a fan of kamakura ocbd and the price point is nice for what you get.

Another brand that is more affordable and I like is Spier and mackay. It's a Canadian company with very reasonable prices and great fabric.

Also if the clothes aren't getting clean, use some baking soda and some vinegar. Even in low heat weeks great and cleans very well.

Good luck!