Style Pick of the Week: Zady Men’s Navy Organic Buttondown

Editor’s note: Expect these posts weekly detailing one standout item coveted by yours truly. Sometimes, these fit within budgetary restrictions and other times, they’re expensive splurges worth saving for. For more Wish List items from Beau, head here, and to see other Style Picks, head here.

A simple shirt made in a not-so-simple way, via the new Zady Man collection.

A simple shirt made in a not-so-simple way, via the new Zady Man collection.

First of all, folks: Happy Halloween! What costume do you have picked out? Let me know via Twitter! And with that out of the way, we’ll roll through our regularly scheduled Style Pick of the Week. More below…

If you hadn’t heard of Zady before the start of this week, there’s a good chance you have now. The ethical E-commerce company has slowly turned heads in recent years for its hyper-sustainable approach to the fashion industry. In short, the brand has set about stocking and selling only ethically produced, high-quality clothing — think buttondowns from Apolis and canvas coats from United By Blue. It’s a more sustainable, yet no less premium, version of East Dane. And now, Zady itself is making a small line of essential items for men — hence the resultant mini-media frenzy. If that didn’t catch your eye, the line of intensively-produced basics is sure to grab you away from Twitter for a few seconds (caught ya, yeah?). Of the well-curated colection, which includes a lightweight alpaca sweater and a crisp white Oxford, the simple navy buttondown is certainly one piece that has the potential be both on-trend and highly versatile.

Mother-of-pearl buttons made ethically team up nicely with a slim fit & other typical shirting details.

Mother-of-pearl buttons made ethically team up nicely with a slim fit & other typical shirting details.

It’s crafted from long staple organic cotton sourced from Turkey for a premium feel — and admittedly, a higher price tag than you’d find at a place like J. Crew ($130). But even the mother-of-pearl buttons are made sustainably using waste from the shellfish industry. And the product page itself does more than just toss up a few photos of the shirt. There’s an entire primer on what makes the shirt’s organic cotton — and other components — so special. It’s rather unexpected, but dovetails off nicely from what brands like Everlane are doing in terms of transparency to consumers. Oh yeah, and the styling potential of the shirt is pretty on-point. Toss it on with slim tan chinos and white leather sneakers for a fail-safe everyday look this fall, and wear it with some slate-grey linen shorts (as seen here) as it gets warmer out. It would also look right at home under a brown wool blazer and grey trousers this fall, and if you’re feeling daring, you could pair it with a more faded pair of dark denim and an elbow-patch cardigan for a stab at the monochrome trend that’s picked up so much steam.  The point is this: Zady appears to have hit it out of the park with its first stab at a private collection, and although the initial price tag could sting for those of us a bit strapped for cash, it could  very well be a splurge worth saving for — or putting on your list for Santa?

Have you bought any third-party merchandise from Zady? What do you think of its own collection?

Ernest Alexander