Wardrobe Champion

the oxford shirt

How we wear it

Thanks to so-called ‘hybrid’ lifestyles, our style has been reconfigured slightly in the past half decade. Whole chunks of the population have slipped over to the slouchy side – permanently. Elasticated waists have become king. At Aubin, we’ve maintained a balance between the worlds of smart and sloppy. We’re a trusted bridge between the two, with the good ‘ole Oxford Shirt sitting (unflustered) in the middle.

When it comes to clobber, we’ve all got previous with shirts. Memories of school, job interviews and serious formal stuff. Experience has told us that shirts are the ‘needy’ ones that need bloody ironing, so inevitably, the lazier of us tend to leave them ‘for best’. Come on people! This has to stop, especially now that Aubin are sounding a klaxon that screams, “You’ve got it all wrong! Shirts are actually a man’s best friend!”

Like Clint Eastwood squinting into the horizon, we know you’re looking for insider intel. As a bunch of good guys, we’re happy to oblige – so we've pulled together some thoughts on ways to wear our Oxford Shirt. Like your best mate or your best man, it’s one thing you can rely on to make you look better.

Call it a wardrobe stoic, there’s nothing you can do to shake a good shirt’s spirit. The Oxford Shirt is its own sartorial ecosystem. You want versatility? It’s got it – in spades. You want something seasonless? Hello! Those buttons work like a thermostat: all the way up for days with a nip in the air, opened down to the hem with a t-shirt underneath for moments of teenage rebellion reflection.

In isolation, you’d be mistaken for thinking the Oxford Shirt is a one-trick-pony. But that superstar is adaptable in the extreme. Woven from pure cotton in a distinctive basket-weave pattern, the hero elements are breathability and, newsflash! crease-resistancy. One good shake when you haul it out of the washing machine and this baby is good to go.

Its humble origins are celtic – and not related to the hot-shot, world-famous British university. Designed for sport, rather than commerce, the academically named piece is more flexible than you think. Team it with a tie and tuck it into your trousers when you need to look
sharp. With jeans, corduroys or chinos, you’ll always look seriously put-together with an Oxford up top. A natural choice for underneath a suit too,
it’ll keep you feeling cool when looking sophisticated and suave is the order of the day.

Layer lovers can also step forward. Under a jumper, over a t-shirt, tied around your waist a la Kurt Cobain, there’s nothing an Oxford can’t do. Year after year, it’ll never look daft or dated. Your wingman for life’s unpredictability, you’ll find yourself at traffic lights or bus stops, gazing wistfully into the distance, wondering how you ever lived without yours.

When it comes to fabric and colour, Aubin is generous to offer more options than your average tin of Quality Street. Made to skim your frame and enhance whatever nature gave you, there are stripes both thin and wide, carefully chosen plain colour shades and Beach Boys-esque candy stripes, guaranteed to bring you sunshine – even on a Monday.