ben sherman | The Style Guide

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It might come as a shock to you that this here blog hasn’t rounded up the best chambray shirts for men — ever, really. Now, we’ve talked about how to wear a chambray shirt for fall, and we’ve even reviewed an American-made chambray shirt from Todd Shelton — but a complete rundown of essential chambray shirts to buy now? Not so much. With its textured cotton fabric and roots in American workwear, it’s a piece that — much like a rugged henley — has been turned into a four-season piece with the versatility to rival a classic blue Oxford. You can thank brands like J. Crew for that, and you can thank Style Guide favorite Todd Snyder, too — his time at J. Crew helped cement, among other things, the popularity of the shirting style. Which brings us to the present day — hopefully in your neck of the woods, it’s truly and properly fall. If that’s the case, there might not be a better time to layer up a new chambray shirt. Hopefully, you’ve knocked a few pieces off your fall style wish list, but if you’re still searching for a few more staple items to fill your closet — *cough, cough* a new chambray shirt — today’s post has you covered. Chime in on the below picks, if you please, in the comments, and follow along on Instagram for more fall styling tips.

#1. Taylor Stitch Everyday Chambray Shirt — $98

It just doesn’t get any better than the Everyday Chambray Shirt from Taylor Stitch.

As much as J. Crew has turned the chambray shirt into an essential casual (or dressy) piece for all guys, Taylor Stitch has done just as much in a short period of time. The Everyday Chambray Shirt is a stone-cold Style Guide favorite for a multitude of reasons. With a slim fit, premium Japanese chambray fabric and double needle construction, it’s a wonder that the fine folks at Huckberry can even keep this thing in stock. Wear it with slim chinos and high-top sneakers on the weekend, then pair it with brown wingtips and a navy blazer during the work week. As with most Taylor Stitch pieces, you won’t be able to stop wearing the Everyday Chambray Shirt — at least, I think so.

#2. J. Crew Slim Indigo Japanese Chambray Shirt — $88

The shirt that (arguably) started it all. Buy it now, wear it a bunch.

Ahh yes, here we are. The shirt that spawned copycats and helped men the world over dress a bit better (if not more so). Just as with Taylor Stitch, J. Crew has perfected casual, easygoing basics that are versatile, well-fitting and reliably able to be dressed up or down in a pinch. Made with premium Japanese chambray, this indigo chambray shirt might just be your new favorite chambray — other than the Everyday Chambray Shirt, that is. If you hang around, you can likely snag it for a steal using a J. Crew sale code. But in the meantime, it’s a nice deal for the price.

#3. Todd Snyder Chambray Patch Pocket Shirt in Light Indigo — $168

A rich indigo color and the sort of details one would expect from a designer that specializes in rugged staples.

It should come as no surprise that the designer who helped put J. Crew back on the map now makes a heck of a chambray shirt in his own right. The Chambray Patch Pocket Shirt is the sort of piece at which Todd Snyder excels — it mixes a dash of heritage style with rugged vibes and easy wearability. It’s the type of chambray shirt that you could reliably pair with everything from dark denim and the designer’s famed Timex x Todd Snyder Mod Watch to a classic fall blazer as you head to the office. For the price, you’ll certainly want to get a lot of wear out of it.

#4. Ben Sherman Chambray Shirt in Navy Blazer — $85 (Available via East Dane)

Simple, stylish and nicely done via Ben Sherman.

From the brand’s classic Harrington jackets to slim chinos, Ben Sherman specializes in classic pieces with a dash of mod, British edge. This slim chambray shirt uses a nice medium blue color that would look right at home with slim, American-made chinos and brown chukka boots at the office, while also blending in nicely with, say, a first date ensemble. It’s fairly priced considering the quality and history of the brand, and it’ll work just as well this coming winter under a slim cardigan as it will come spring time with your favorite pair of shorts.

#5. Gitman Vintage Chambray Oxford Shirt — $124.80 (Available via East Dane)

Inspired by a chambray shirt and featuring classic Oxford detailing.

Are you familiar with Gitman Vintage? Maybe? Maybe not? Either way, this brand does the classics the right way — its premium shirts are infused with a dash of classic prep style and a slightly irreverent modern edge. And as it were, this chambray Oxford shirt gets a lot of things right, from the trim fit to the blue chambray color and the Oxford styling details. It’s a hybrid shirt that you can wear as you would a normal Oxford — say, with a wool tie and a herringbone blazer — or a regular ol’ chambray shirt (perhaps atop your favorite henley this season).

And, well … that’s it for the first-ever Style Guide rundown of the best men’s chambray shirts. It was admittedly pretty tough to narrow it down to just five — heck, in addition to the crisp blue Everyday Chambray Shirt, even Taylor Stitch makes a terrific grey chambray shirt. But the above picks represent quality, versatile style potential and the type of easygoing wearability that’ll work just as well this coming winter as it will when the weather warms up. There aren’t that many shirts you can layer under a slim cardigan in one season, and wear with your favorite swimsuit in the spring, but the chambray shirt is certainly one of’ ’em. Get to shopping for your new favorite chambray shirt and let me know how it goes, will ya?

Stay stylish — and thanks for reading!

-Beau

Just a few weeks ago on this very site, I wrote about great boots to get you through what was looking to be a long winter slog. Since then, things have taken a turn for the better weather-wise. But we’re not out of the woods yet — there’s a good chance rain and blustery winds are still on the way. And that’s where the below jackets should come in mighty handy. Although this is by no means a definitive list, the following picks feature lightweight materials and sharp, streamlined silhouettes for layering over casual or dressy outfits. Have a look and let me know your thoughts below!

#1. Grayers Russel Baseball Jacket — $155

The blue herringbone blends a cold-weather pattern with warm-weather construction.

Grayers is in a somewhat enviable spot as far as menswear brands go — they’ve gotten some great early press coverage and exposure, they’re sold in a major retailer nationwide (Nordstrom) and to boot, they make awesome staple pieces that blend the prep appeal of the Northeast with the continental vibe of England. This cotton knit bomber jacket features sporty striped cuffs and comes in an eyecatching blue herringbone pattern. It would be ideal for wearing over a white henley and lightwash jeans on the weekend.

#2. Wallace & Barnes A-2 Bomber Jacket — $198

Colorblocked and in a trimmer fit than Top Gun.

The second pick on this list is yet another bomber jacket, but for valid reasons. The silhouette is a classic one that’s been slimmed-down and given a slightly more fashion-forward slant thanks to the colorblocking. It’s also in a not-too-dark, not-too-light shade of medium blue (or abyss blue, as they call it) that’ll wear well even with dark denim and other shades of blue. It’s on the pricier side from J. Crew’s workwear-inspired Wallace & Barnes line, so the quality’s there, too. Note that GAP also has a dark navy bomber jacket for $100 less.

#3. Bonobos Crosstown Trench in Grey — $328

A belted trench coat that manages to be understated at the same time.

Before the bomber jacket became a ubiquitous style piece, there was the trench coat. The style never really left the scene and perhaps became even more iconic thanks to brands like Burberry, but this Bonobos trench coat has a more minimalist vibe in charcoal. It’s got a belted back and a no-frills front with a covered button placket and a collar that can be popped up for maximum rain protection. The price is a bit high, but if you throw it on every day in the rain, it should hopefully begin to pay for itself. And it should fit on the trimmer side knowing Bonobos. Finally, the neutral dark grey color gives off a city-ready, noir-ish vibe …. right?

#4. Ben Sherman Harrington Cotton Jacket — $27.99

A stunningly low price for an iconic style.

Yes, you read the above price right — Saks Off Fifth has this Harrington cotton jacket available in sizes running from small to 2XL (as of post time) for less than $30. While the light beige color isn’t for everyone, the price is probably favorable enough to make a few of us change our minds. And when you consider that these same jackets are going for more than $100 more over on the … well, this is one of those things you almost have to buy. It would work best with neutral colors in terms of pants and shirts — think black, navy and white — as opposed to earthy tones like olive.

#5. Forever21 Quilted Bomber Jacket — $24.90

Moody stare not included with jacket purchase.

While Forever21 isn’t known for the highest-quality pieces, let’s say you’ve already got one or two styles mentioned above and want something even more casual and easy-wearing. This would be that coat — the colorblocking and quilted details keep it on-trend without looking gaudy. It’s not water-resistant or waterproof so it loses some points there, but over a short-sleeve henley and some colorful shorts, it should work well enough. It’s also available in an olive-and-black color.

Honorable Mention:

Sometimes round-ups aren’t big enough to include every possible style of jacket — you’ll notice military jackets weren’t featured heavily, for example. Consider these listings below a best-of-the-rest.

Frank & Oak Kingston Bomber in Charcoal, $125 — A new addition to the site courtesy of this month’s Hunt Club that gets a lot of things right — including the price, the color and the lightweight nylon-poly blend.

Ben Sherman Harrington Jacket, $140 — The original and best. Also linked to above. A simple, go-anywhere silhouette, the iconic blue-and-red mini-check pattern lining, and plenty of colors.

Old Navy Lightweight Anorak, $40 — Perhaps the biggest combination of functionality and affordability on this list, it lost out on a spot because the best color option was blue — and sometimes, there is such a thing as too much blue.

What’s your take on the picks above? What jackets are in your arsenal for spring and any that were missed above?

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