Tag / le alfre

by Beau H.

The Thursday Buy: This Le Alfre Shirt is a Refined Seasonal Buttondown for Any Occasion

It’s always helpful to have a rotation of style essentials you can reach for at any given moment, almost with your eyes closed. I’m talking about the sort of picks, like one of the best men’s buttondown shirts, that take an outfit from good to great.

I’ve found this to be true whether pairing said shirt with expertly faded jeans and leather chukka boots or dark tan stretch chinos and black Chelsea boots. The right buttondown shirt, like the Le Alfre Tartan Shirt shown above, certainly qualifies, particularly in business casual style situations — or for holiday occasions on the horizon.

Learn more now at Le Alfre

The brand specializes in elevated yet accessible buttondown shirts, mostly of the classic Oxford shirt variety and this time done up in a fall-friendly hue. Yes indeed, the Le Alfre Tartan Shirt is an autumnal take on the upstart NYC brand’s roster of crisply cut, well-made men’s shirts.

You might even go so far as to call it a new secret weapon in your wardrobe of men’s fall style essentials.

Perhaps you’re familiar with Le Alfre flannel shirts from my Le Alfre men’s shirting review earlier this year, but the new Le Alfre Tartan Shirt takes a slightly similar and yet different approach to the tried-and-true men’s buttondown shirt.

An English Tartan pattern in a suitably autumnal shade shines through when worn the right way (with blue jeans and burnished brown leather lace-up boots, for instance).

And it’s the lightweight custom fabric that gives the Le Alfre Tartan Shirt even more versatility — it can be worn on its own untucked or tucked in beneath a wool blazer without causing you to overheat, for example. And that same lightweight fabric gives the Le Alfre Tartan Shirt the ability to pair up with a thick-knit fisherman sweater or shawl cardigan, another ultra-classic seasonal move.

Shop men’s shirts now at Le Alfre

100 percent Portuguese cotton and best-in-class construction make the handsome, slightly rugged-yet-refined Le Alfre Tartan Shirt worth its $175 price tag, especially with plenty of seasonal fun on the way. Let me know in the comments below how you’d wear yours.

by Beau H.

The Thursday Buy: This Le Alfre Flannel Shirt is a Refined Take on a Classic

Best flannel shirt for men.

At least in my neck of the woods (the frigid winter confines of Brooklyn, that is), I value reliability, warmth, comfort and style — especially when it comes to the best flannel shirts on the market. But in the doldrums of winter, it can prove tricky, at times, mix up your style rotation consistently.

And yet all the while, you still want to retain that critical balance of warmth, style, comfort… you name it. And that’s where Le Alfre arrives to save the day in matters of menswear.

Shop men’s shirts now at Le Alfre

The young New York City brand already makes one of the best Oxford shirts on the market, using high-quality fabric and production via a family-owned factory in Portugal, one that makes some of the finest shirts on the planet. And the Le Alfre Blackwatch Flannel builds on that pedigree in a distinct way, one that’s a nice change of pace from other classic flannel shirts on the market.

Le Alfre men's shirts.

Le Alfre took the classic “banker’s shirt,” with a contrasting collar and cuffs, and put a fun, fresh spin on the look — turning it from a dress shirt into one you can even rock untucked with chinos or perhaps with a rugged shawl cardigan. And the Le Alfre Blackwatch Flannel fits the bill nicely in terms of eye-catching style. It comes from the company’s partners at Portugal’s oldest shirting mill, and it’s handmade by the country’s oldest shirtmaker, and things only get better from there.

Learn more now at Le Alfre

The Le Alfre Blackwatch Flannel boasts a lightweight, super-soft handfeel that should prove comfortable on its own, yet well-suited to layering over one of the best men’s henleys, for instance. And because the style is modeled after timeless Oxford shirts, it’s got a more refined look and feel than flannel workshirts, for instance.

Taken altogether, it’s an updated take on the flannel shirt that works as well with dark blue jeans as with your favorite chinos. And for winter style with variety in mind, you can’t quite top the Le Alfre Blackwatch Flannel, my friends.

by Beau H.

Style Pick of the Week: Le Alfre Classic White Oxford Shirt – A New Wardrobe Staple

In my experience, you’d be surprised how often a menswear selection that seems suited simply for one situation is actually well-suited for, well, several. Take one of the best men’s Oxford shirts, for instance. This classic shirt has preppy roots in more modern times, and was even named for the Oxford cloth used to make the original shirts Scotland years ago.

Combined with its buttondown collar and crisp color options — often in white or light blue — the Oxford shirt was a tried-and-true style staple for plenty of business casual and dressed-up situations (aside from black tie affairs). Here’s where today’s Style Pick of the Week swerves ever so slightly.

Satchel and Page

You see, the best Oxford shirt for men these days has a touch more flash in terms of style potential: It can be dressed up with a classic navy blazer like days gone by, but the right shirt can also be worn in ways that are casually cool, and that’s what leads me to the Le Alfre Le Blanc White Oxford Shirt.

It all starts with the vision of the brand and founder Brandon Snower, who wanted to revamp the traditional buttondown shirt for the modern man.

Consider that aim achieved, as I’ve found that NYC-based Le Alfre makes some of the best Oxford shirts under $100. And while its classic shirts have a contrasting white “banker” collar, the Le Alfre Le Blanc White Oxford Shirt goes all in on a more monochromatic take.

This style, made in Portugal from 100 percent soft Portuguese Oxford cotton, boasts timeless details like a buttondown collar, plus premium touches like Mother of Pearl buttons. Double-button rounded cuffs are also a more casual touch (unlike square cuffs found on some traditional dress shirts), and the Le Alfre Le Blanc White Oxford Shirt is made by Portugal’s oldest shirtmaker, to boot.

Shop Le Alfre shirts now

As Le Alfre says, “simple is always classy,” and this shirt just works (and works). If I were you, I’d wear it untucked with dark blue jeans and handsome brown leather lace-up boots for high-low, casual style, and I’d team it with tobacco chinos and tan leather loafers (plus a navy blazer) at the office or for evening cocktails. Rethink what you thought you knew about the Oxford shirt, and start dressing accordingly this season.

by Beau H.

The Thursday Buy: Le Alfre Oxford Shirts Are Some of the Best Men’s Shirts Under $100

Best Oxford shirt for men

It always pays off to be able to score a standout deal on a tried-and-true men’s style essential, like one of the best Oxford shirts — right? If you read this blog on the regular, I’d hope you agree with that sentiment, and I’d hope you’ve given some serious thought to upgrading your selection of the best men’s shirts with New York’s own Le Alfre.

Best men's shirt for the holidays.

Perhaps you recognize the brand from the pages of this blog, where I told you all about how to save 20 percent on your new favorite shirt (a contrast collar Oxford shirt, no less). Now, that deal is getting even better: Stylish men’s Oxford shirts at Le Alfre have now been marked down — for good! — to $98 at the upstart new men’s shirting brand. Founder Brandon Snower decided to keep the same quality and attention to detail while cutting the price for stylish consumers such as yourself, and that’s as good a mindset as any to take when it comes to the best men’s style essentials.

It’s a standout deal you’d do well to shop today, especially if you want one of the best men’s shirts for the holidays. Le Alfre’s shirts are made at one of Europe’s longest-running, family-owned factories, the kind of place with a penchant for making classic shirts with handsome details like Mother of Pearl buttons and soft yet durable, heirloom-quality fabric.

Best Oxford shirt for men.

Le Alfre offers a standout variety of the best shirts for men, and they do so using 100 percent Portuguese cotton done up in cool colors like crisp Blue, eye-catching Gray or even a vibrant Pink. The end result is a nice change of pace for your shirting rotation, especially if you need to find new ways to dress business casual.

These shirts can be worn tucked in with navy chinos or else underneath a tan herringbone blazer, and feel free to wear this classic shirt with one of the best men’s cardigans, too. The key thing to keep in mind? You’re getting handcrafted quality and one of the best shirts for men from a revered European factory, and you’re now getting that for under $100. Shop accordingly right now, my friends.

by Beau H.

The Friday Read: Le Alfre Oxford Shirts, The Western Rise Warehouse Sale & Olivers Apparel Shorts

Best new Oxford shirt for men.

Do you ever get the feeling like your menswear wardrobe could use a bit of a shot in the arm (aside from my standout style picks, that is)? If so, the launching point in today’s Friday Read is right up your alley. Back in May, I had the chance to connect with Brandon Snower, founder of upstart, classic-meets-modern New York outfitter Le Alfré.

Man and woman standing in a field looking at the camera wearing white tees and jeans

Over beers at Brooklyn’s Wild East Brewing, we had the chance to chat menswear and to catch up about his one-man operation, a brand shaking up the world of men’s shirting and loafers right here in Manhattan. Perhaps you’ve seen the brand over at Gear Patrol or elsewhere on the World Wide Web — if not, read on, my friends.

Best modern Oxford shirt for men.

The idea behind Le Alfré is simple: Take the classic buttondown shirt and mix it up a bit, using a cool contrasting collar — like an old-school banker’s shirt — but doing it in a fun way with fresh colors and the best material in the business. The result is Le Alfré, making some of the best men’s shirts on the market at a 66-year-old Portuguese shirtmaker meticulously researched by former Wall Street man Snower himself. His operation is also focused on sustainability through ethical production processes and it helps that these modern Oxford shirts are sharp yet easy to dress up or dress down.

I’d urge you to take a look today if you want a stylish men’s shirt that’s as ready for the office as it is for, well, a happy hour brewery hangout. We’ve got plenty more to cover in today’s Friday Read, and this won’t be the last time you hear about Snower’s brand, either. Here’s to the weekend ahead, folks!

Most versatile shorts for men.
  • Looking for a refresh when it comes to both your activewear and loungewear rotation? You’re in luck, because as of yesterday, the fast-selling, highly versatile and extremely well-made Olivers Apparel All Over Shorts — a true fan favorite for guys on the go — are back in stock in a variety of colors and sizes. These durable, moisture-wicking, water-repellent stretch shorts can pull double-duty as some of the best workout shorts or heck, just a pair of the best lounge shorts, if you so choose. Consider them an easygoing alternative to the Olivers Apparel Compass Pants, which you can also wear, well, just about anywhere you please.
  • Speaking of a summer wardrobe refresh, your luck just got even better if you want to stock up on versatile, durable gear that works for hot summer days, weekend getaways and even a work-from-home Zoom call or two. That’s because the Western Rise Warehouse Sale — running through the end of the month is giving you up to 50 percent off select styles. The brand, known for its performance shirting for men and dependable stretch pants, doesn’t often offer its gear on sale, so this is one to shop early and often.
  • In the spirit of getting ready for early fall — as we’ve talked about time and time again here on the blog — you should never be caught off guard when the season hits. That’s where my latest guide for SPY.com comes into play, seeing as I’m talking about the best sweaters for the season ahead. Shop now, my friends.

I’ll leave you with one last early fall style recommendation, my friends: If you want to lace up in style in the weeks to come, you’d do well to check out my post on the best men’s boots from TAFT. The rugged-yet-refined TAFT Rome Boots are dressy and versatile, ready for the office or a visit to your favorite whiskey distillery in equal measure. That’ll do it for me today, folks. As ever, check out my Instagram to stay connected to the latest in my neck of the woods. Cheers!