Introducing: Striped PS Oxford cloth
The traditional, nubby oxford fabric we developed last year has proved so popular that we’ve decided to introduce another option.
It’s a little unusual in another way though, beyond the robust, textured yarn. It’s an off-white and blue stripe, rather than blue and white.
The difference is very subtle. Few people would notice without it being pointed out. But using this warm, creamy colour rather than a cold white does have a real effect.
A shirt made up in the fabric looks more casual, perhaps a little vintage: rather like using yellowed mother-of-pearl for the buttons on the ready-made shirts.
Most brands offer blue/white stripes because they are smarter and more corporate. Nothing wrong with that.
But this PS Oxford shirting is not meant to be formal or corporate. It’s supposed to be more traditional, rugged and robust - a better match for jeans and tweed than a sharp suit.
And as ever with the products on Permanent Style, it’s nice to do something a little different. Something that you can’t find from a dozen other brands, and fills a gap in the bespoke market.
This blue/cream stripe uses the same yarn as the popular PS Oxford cloth introduced last year.
So it has a relatively thick yarn in the weft (1/10) but a finer one in the warp (2/90).
The thicker weft makes it tougher, and wear in beautifully - like the vintage oxfords that inspired it - but the finer warp retains a touch of luxury.
Oxfords with anything near that thickness aren’t available as cut lengths for bespoke customers, which sets the cloth clearly apart. But even RTW shirts rarely use single-ply yarn in the weft.
The result is a shirting that reproduces the look and feel of oxford shirts sold by Brooks Brothers and others in the 1950s and 1960s, including the nubby surface that comes from the varied thickness of the short-staple cotton.
You can read more about the development of the fabric, and the research with Italian mill Canclini, in the first post on the plain-blue oxford cloth here.
Since I’ve had this blue/cream stripe, I’ve found that it also works with a serge trouser and structured donegal, as pictured.
This is very useful. It means I can chuck on the shirt with jeans at the weekend, but also wear it with sports jackets. And given I rarely wear worsted suits these days, it also makes it perfect for travel.
When I went to Milano Unica this week, I travelled in this striped-oxford shirt and had a plain blue in my bag. I wore jeans and a sweater on the plane, changed into flannels and a tie for dinner, and wore the plain blue the next day open-necked with a jacket.
There will be ready-made shirts in this cloth available later in the year, made up by Luca Avitabile.
For now, the cloth is available in the normal 2m lengths, to have made up by a shirtmaker.
If you want it sent directly to a maker, please put them down as the delivery address, including your own name as a reference. Then drop them a note so they know to expect it.
Other details:
- Yarn: 1/10 x 2/90
- Composition: 100% cotton
- Weight: 250g/metre
- Cut length: 2m x 1.5m
- Fabric pre-washed and should not shrink
- Price £55 plus VAT
- Available now on the shop site, here
Full information on the PS Oxford cloth and its journey here.
Below, a comparison of the cloth (top) to a normal blue/white stripe (below).
Other items shown:
- Jacket in W Bill donegal tweed made by Steven Hitchcock
- Trousers in Fox Brothers serge made by Whitcomb & Shaftesbury
- Kimono-cloth handkerchief from Shibumi Firenze
- Glasses from Maison Bonnet
Photography: Jamie Ferguson @jkf_man
V Smart. How much will the shirts be once Luca has made up?
Same as the plain Oxfords (a few left in small…) – £180 plus VAT
Hi Simon,
This may be a rather ignorant question, but when this is listed as 250g/metre, is that the same unit as one would find on suiting (usually written as g/m2 or gsm, eg. 330g/m2)?
Not at all – and yes it is
Is not too heavy? 250 is nearly 10oz. It is nearly suit material.
I had an overshirt made on 8oz denim as it was too thick for a shirt.
No, it feels like a regular shirt. Certainly heavier than a fine dress shirt, but no different in weight to other oxfords you see from ready-to-wear brands.
Are you able to say if there are any plans for a more summer weight PS cloth this year? Either a linen/linen mix or a lightweight cotton? I feel the PS Oxford/Everyday Denim may be a little much for July/August on the continent (or perhaps even in the UK at times).
There are no plans for a cloth of that type, no, though we will be doing a lightweight Friday Polo again.
As with all our collaborations, the aim is to fill gaps I see in the market, rather than offer a full range. And I like the linens and cotton/linens already out there!
I believe this weight might be per linear metre, which would make the per square metre weight less. Otherwise, it does seem like it would be fairly heavy for shirting.
Good point, I’ll check.
It doesn’t necessarily make a difference though, as it will be the same as other shirts (which are often around 200); and whether it’s the same area comparison as a suit will depend on which mill it’s comparing to.
My guess is the grams per square metre weight is probably around 165g.
This can be compared, for example, to the 145-150g per square metre of Thomas Mason Oxford 75.
http://www.thomasmason.co.uk/en/brands/thomas-mason/product-families/oxford-75
Very nice,
I will probably order one.
Do you have any plan for a “hard Brexit” Simon. I guess that most of your collaborations are made in Italy and it would be easier for people living in the EU to have them sent directly. And cheaper if it would be some kind of tariffs.
It would also be interesting to have an article about how UK based stores with a lot of EU customers will handle a hard Brexit.
Ordered mine !
Didn’t need much convincing one I saw the pictures .
On a more general point around shirts , being someone whose budget normally only extends to RTW , what in RTW would you recommend for ply , warp , weft ? For business and casual shirts .
I’d focus more on the weave than the ply, to be honest. Maybe have a look at the shirt guide pieces for guidance there?
You can see them all here.
Finally! 🙂 I’ve been waiting for this to come, I really enjoy the feel of the first PS Oxford cloth a lot and this looks great as well.
Oh good, thanks Johannes.
If you have any particular feedback on what you liked, do share it with everyone. People can only take so much of me talking about it I’m sure!
I’ve long admired JLC.
Shirt and coat look good, really good, but thought you were not a fan of blue odd trousers?
Aha! Very good spot. Yes, I still am not in general, but there are a few small ways in which I do wear them, and only when the trousers are in particular cloths. I’m going to do a post on that soon.
What I really like with the shirt I had made in the first PS Oxford cloth is the wonderful coarse texture, you can really see the white and blue threads in there but it’s still really soft and comfortable. The weight of the fabric is also very nice, definitely more substantial than my “normal” shirts which makes it drape really well (if you can say that about a shirt) but it’s still not too thick so it gets warm or anything like that. And it’s really easy to iron.
Since I hardly ever wear a suit in my work the casual OCBD I had made in this cloth by LA gets used a lot with chinos and jeans (to the point where I was thinking about ordering a second identical shirt, but now I got the striped version instead!).
Wonderful, nice to hear Johannes, particularly from one who has washed and worn the original Oxford so much
Now I’m looking forward to a pink version of the original Oxford cloth, I think that would be great as well!
Simon, the jacket in the pictures looks beautiful. I’m surprised at just how soft the shoulders look. I just ordered an oatmeal linen jacket from Steven as well and I have a couple of suits on the way. Looking forward to receiving them and hoping for a similar result! (I also ordered a length of the new oxford shirting to be made up by Luca).
I bought the first shirt in the first version of the cloth as RTW (the shirtings were out of stock) and has since then made a bespoke version of it and ordered this cloth as a second bespoke shirt.
I think it is lovely. Works perfect with jeans and flannel trousers. I often uses it with a halflined harris tweed sport coat. The tweed is too stingy for delicate shirts so this is perfect.
Wonderful. Thanks Carl
Is it just me or does this have a distinctly pink “sheen” in the pictures? Presumably just a trick of the light, just wondering if anyone else is getting this?
O
Perhaps edited a little red rather than green. Certainly no pink cast in the cloth, don’t worry.
I love my mercer button down shirts but would like bespoke, spread collar shirts in similar fabric… would you recommend the PS oxford to that end?
Yes. I have them as button downs, but it can work as a non-button down if you prefer. Not far off just leaving the buttons undone, which I do sometimes. (Though of course that’s more pointed collar than spread)
Congratulations on another development! The cut looks very fine though in future offerings could we see an image sans jacket – especially to get an idea of the well designed collar shape?
Sure, will do (though this is the cloth itself, of course, not the shirt with that collar)
For a white casual shirt, what fabric would you recommend? Oxford is certainly an option, but I feel the really beauty of oxfords are the interweaving different colours and the resulting mixed white and coloured effect.
An oxford or a chambray. You won’t get such visible slubbiness with either if it’s just white, no, but they’re still the nicest
White end on end is a great fabric for a casual shirt.
It doesn’t of course look like a coloured one, but it has a degree of texture which is nice.
Any idea when ready to wear shirts in this fabric will be available. I love my Oxford and am kkicking myself for not buying a few when I had the opportunity. Also any plans for a plain white Oxford?
Hi George,
It will be a few months I’m afraid – generally we release the cloth first, then weave some more to do both cloth and shirts.
However, we did release new denim shirts in both shades today, and plain oxford shirts should only be another month or so.
No immediate plans for white, no…
Hi Simon, what do you think of a hidden button down collar for more casual fabrics such as this (particularly if worn without a tie)? Does it make sense or is a visible button preferable because it’s more casual?
Personally I don’t like hidden buttons, they look a little artificial. Normal buttons look more practical and yes, casual
Hi Simon,
Just received my everyday denim shirt and am simply blown away by the fit and quality. So much so that I’m now keen on purchasing one of your Oxfords. Any idea on when you will be restocking in sizes? I’m looking for a large. Also the blue/white stripe Oxford. Will and if so, when will you selling these?
Thanks Richard, that’s so nice to hear.
Blue oxford shirts will be here in about three weeks. Striped oxfords will be the summer
This cloth is brilliant. Any chance of a restock eventually?
Yes the striped oxford cloth should be restocked in a month or two. Do email [email protected] if you want to be on the waiting list
Cheers
Hi Simon, I am ordering the regular blu shirt but also like this version of cloth. Are there plans to have this also as a ready to go shirt? Otherwise, do you have any recommendation / options for valid shirt makers in central London? Thanks!
Hi Matteo. Yes, it will be available in the Winter this year. If you wish to be on the waiting list for it, please email [email protected]
If that’s too long to wait, you can buy the cloth and take it to Budd – whom I’d recommend in London – or one of the Neapolitan shirtmakers that visit London, such as Luca Avitabile.
Of course, this oxford cloth is not available from anywhere else, or from a shirt maker unless bought through us.
Grazie mille Simon. I’ve just placed the order for this cloth and the plain blue shirt in two sizes as you have recommended, to find the perfect fit.
Oh good. Do bear in mind with the fit that there will be a small amount of shrinkage over the life of the shirt. Around 2cm in the length, 1cm in the sleeve. Not much on the body.
Simon,
Will the ready-made shirts have the larger shrinkage allowance built in? Could I order the same size as my everyday denim shirting?
Yes they will and yes you should. Thanks Joel, good question. I’ll add that to the product description
Hi Simon,
I have bought the light blue and striped PD Oxford cloths and could not be happier. Great product indeed. You have mentioned in recent comment threads that you are planning to produce new colors. What can we expect and when? White, pink or red stripe perhaps?
Oh good, that’s nice to hear.
White is coming at the end of the year. Then there’ll be one new colour in the first quarter of next year. Currently I’m trialling a pale pink, which is very nice
Are there any plans for a pure white or maybe slight off white/egg-shell version of the PS Oxford cloth? If not could you recommend a white cloth that is most similar to the PS Oxford one in texture, thickness and feel? I’ve had a OCBD shirt made in Thomas Mason White Oxford 75 which is stated to be in 80/2 x 38/3 construction (FM36072-000001). While it turned out fine (in a different way) it did not have the nice weight and texture of the PS Oxford cloth shirts I have.
White is coming very soon actually… should be here in less than a month.
Your Oxford cloths are brilliant. You mention something above about a light pink one that might be in the works. Here’s hoping it will materialize as soon as possible.
Best, Sigurd
Should be Spring…
Dear Simon,
I have recently purchased some shirts from the PS online shop made in collaboration with Luca Avitabile in size large. The quality of the materials and workmanship is exceptional and I very much look forward wearing them. The shoulders and chest fit perfectly, but it is a little too wide around the waist. Do you recommend a specific technique (e.g., darts) to slim the waist area, which best do justice to the work of Luca Avitabile? Thanks. Dave
Hi Dave,
Yes, I certainly recommend getting the shirts darted, or darted more, if you need to. It’s one of the nice things about shirts – how much you can alter them in the body.
Perhaps everything stands still because of the virus, but are there any updates on the availability of the pink oxford?
Cheers
Hi Ola,
Actually I’m pleased to say Italian factories started operation again last week, so it is in the make. More Friday Polos and oxfords are coming first, but we expect the pink oxford cloth very soon, and then shirts later in the summer.
As ever, do email if you want to be on the waiting list (if you aren’t already)
Hi Simon ,
I love your shirts and really would like to buy some. However, I’m 6,6 tall and 93 kg so do you think it will work out for me?
I think you might struggle I’m afraid Sven, but do check the dimensions of the XL, just in case that works. Compare it to a shirt you already own – that’s always the best way to tell.
We deliberately the cloth as well, in order to give it to a shirtmaker if you want to. Have you used a maker before? I can imagine you must find it difficult to find RTW generally.
Thank you for your response Simon. Normally I have my shirts mtm by Kiton, Barba and Finamore so lenght is not a big problem, only for rtw. My neck is 41 and overall I think I wil fit the best in a Large but I think it’s too short on the sleeves and body. If the tailor wants to adjust the lenght of the sleeves and body, then I will order some!
OK, thanks for letting me know Sven
DearSimon; any plans to restock the Oxfords?
I think they’re all in stock?
What do you think about light shirts with darker stripes like navy or charcoal?
An interesting change, but not the easiest to wear. If you don’t have them already, probably best to start with paler stripes
Would keep that in mind.
What about Check Shirts( micro or small not large bold ones)? Do you prefer check shirts?
Can I ask, Joshua, have you seen the article on a capsule wardrobe of shirts, and on check patterns generally? There’s a fair amount in there on these questions.
Hi Simon, would PS blue striped look good with mid-blue jeans and a navy sports jacket?
Many thanks,
Jack
Yes, as long as the jacket was in a casual material and cut
Thanks, Simon
Hi Simon, I was wondering if you have plans to restock PS striped and blue oxford cloths any time soon, by any chance?
Many thanks,
Jack
Yes, we will. Worth emailing the support team to register your interest though. Thanks