Shirts, shirts and more shirts! Part 2

Ok gentlemen and ladies.  The recent heat wave nearly zapped me of all of my creative energy but I’m back.  As promised, I’m following up to my last post on shirts.  There are more weaves and patterns in men’s shirts than you’d think and deciphering them all is probably not the best use of your time.  So I’m going to mention the three most common weaves for everyday work wear and save the others for a future moment of sartorial inspiration.  But first, a couple of shirting definitions.

Thread Count – We all know that the higher the thread count, the more luxurious and expensive the item.  But thread count really indicates how much yarn per pound is used for the item.  This is not to say that an 80 thread count shirt isn’t a good shirt but a 100 will do you better.

Ply – This refers to the number of yarns twisted together in a single thread.  I’ll keep it simple.  Two-ply is better than one-ply.

And now the weaves.

Oxford –The most casual of men’s shirting.  It’s coarse but still soft.  It can be worn pressed or slightly wrinkled.  It can be worn with a tie or without.  It’s a very versatile shirt because it can be worn with khaki pants or a suit.  The weave is a symmetrical basket weave with one yarn crossing two.  If the oxford shirt is not white, only the threads running in one direction are dyed.

Broadcloth – This is my preferred men’s shirting.  It has a finer yarn that is woven tightly so that there is a slight gleam.  It displays patterns well and is thinner and lighter than an oxford.  Broadcloth and poplin shirts are very similar and look better with a suit, particularly after six when you want a polished look.

Twill – This is a diagonal weave and often has a very high thread count.  The weave can be so tight that the shirt will feel silky.  A twill weave won’t give you the highly starched look of a broadcloth shirt but will be comfortable, drape nicely and perhaps most importantly, it is wrinkle resistant.

These weaves will come in different colors and patterns such as herringbone and gingham.  However, if you’re armed with this information you’ll be able to decipher most of your shirting options.