The bespoke
tailoring house A. Besnard Tailleur was established in 1876 by Albert Besnard.
In 2018, his great-great-grandson Victor Besnard revived the label with a new
focus on ready-to-wear clothing.
The Story of the OCBD Shirt
Words by Victor Besnard
https://besnard.co/blogs/journal/the-oxford-cloth-button-down-shirt
From a polo
match in England in the 19th century to the wardrobe of Ivy League students in
the 50s; A little history of the oxford cloth button down shirt.
It has been
said that the oxford cloth button down shirt (or the O.C.B.D., as connoisseurs
like to call it) is the most essential garment in a man’s wardrobe. Its
understated elegance has been elevating the way men dress for over a century.
Embraced by Ivy League students in the 1950s as their uniform and adored by
style icons such as Steve McQueen, Paul Newman and Gianni Agnelli; the
button-down shirt is without a doubt an iconic piece of menswear.
The history
of the OCBD
The story
goes that an American named John E Brooks (of Brooks Brothers) attended a polo
match during one of his visits to England. While watching the match, he noticed
something peculiar about the polo players outfits. Their collars were fastened
to their shirts with buttons, apparently to avoid distraction from the collar
points flapping around during the match.
A team of
polo players
Intrigued
with his discovery John E Brooks brought one of the polo players’ shirts back
to America to have it replicated. It wasn’t much later when in 1896 the first
“polo collar” shirt was introduced to the American market.
From Ivy
League to Hollywood
Fast
forward a couple decades to the 1950s, when the Ivy League students adopted the
OCBD and made it part of their uniform. The college campuses were full of
students wearing tweed jackets, oxford cloth button-down shirts, regimental
ties, flannel trousers and penny loafers.
This casual
but decadent style worn by the east coast elite did not remain unnoticed by the
west coast. Famous actors such as Steve McQueen, Paul Newman and Robert Redford
embraced this new way of dressing on and off screen and elevated it to the height
of cool. It became the style of the new American generation and the popularity
of the button-shirt really took off.
Steve
McQueen
John F.
Kennedy continued wearing the shirt in the oval office long after finishing his
studies at Harvard. Miles Davis sported a green OCBD on the cover of his album
Milestones. And the admiration of the shirt also stretched overseas. Alain
Delon wore the shirt in 1960 as his portrayal of Tom Ripley in Purple Noon. And
it was the favourite shirt of head of Italian car giant Fiat Gianni Agnelli,
who is widely regarded as one of the best dressed men of the 20th century.
The collar
roll
There is
something fascinating about the roll of a (proper) button-down collar. This
elegant arch is probably the most sought-after detail by menswear enthusiasts.
Over the years, trends and shirt making techniques changed and this crucial
little detail became harder to find (almost disappeared).
Alain Delon
So what
makes the collar roll? It’s a combination of several things. First, the length
of the collar points is crucial since it should be long enough to form an arch.
Around 3½ inch (or 9cm) is enough to achieve a proper roll. Secondly, the
collar buttons should be positioned slightly higher than usual, so that the
long collar points are forced to form an arch. Finally, the collar shouldn’t be
too stiff, so the interlining should be soft. As a matter of fact, the first
oxford cloth button down shirts had no interlining at all.
The oxford
cloth
The history
of the oxford cloth can be traced back to the beginning of the 19th century in
Scotland. Scotland was an important player in the textile industry and local
mills were experimenting with new types of weaves. One mill launched four types
of cloths named after prestigious universities; Yale, Harvard, Cambridge and
Oxford. The latter became one of the most popular fabrics for casual shirts.
The
revolutionising aspect of the oxford cloth was its specific basket-weave
pattern. You may have read about weaves in our introduction to shirt fabric,
but it is essentially the way in which the threads of cotton (called warp and
weft) are put together to make a fabric. Oxford cloth is made up of multiple
weft threads crossing over an equal number of warp threads. The threads are
usually of a single colour crossed with a white to give oxford its unique,
checkerboard appearance.
The details
The style
of a shirt is determined by more than just the collar and the cloth.
Many
characteristics such as cuffs, front and back shape its appearance. As a casual
shirt, the OCBD has single cuffs, often a one button barrel or mitered cuff. The
traditional version has a placket front and a box pleat in the middle of the
back for extra movement. And finally, a chest pocket is an integral part of the
OCBD shirt. It fits the casual nature of the shirt perfectly and comes in handy
during the summer for sunglasses.
Miles Davis
Oxford
cloth comes in many colours but if you’re starting to build your shirt
wardrobe, we recommend starting with white, light blue and a university stripe.
These are solid options to wear on a pair of jeans but also work well with
tailoring.
About
The bespoke
tailoring house A. Besnard Tailleur was established in 1876 by Albert Besnard.
In 2018, his great-great-grandson Victor Besnard revived the label with a new
focus on ready-to-wear clothing.
Our aim is
to bring the elegance and quality found in tailoring to ready-to-wear. We
aspire to create menswear that is worn with pleasure and will be passed down
from generation to generation.
With our
collection of versatile and complementary pieces, we search for the right
balance between traditional style and modern wearability. We believe that
menswear should be classic, understated and timeless.
A passion
for design, materials and craftsmanship is what drives us here at Besnard.
Together with a small number of partners, we develop products that are
beautifully designed and made to last.
We work
with small family-run workshops, most of which are located in Italy. With
decades of experience, they are true specialists in their craft.
We believe
in building sustainable and equal relationships with our suppliers. We admire
their work, regularly visit them and we consider them our true partners.
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