Everybody’s wearing Oxford shirts

Like striped blazers, straw boating hats and penny loafers, the Oxford shirt belongs to that classic, collegiate school of dressing. Tasteful, timeless and wearable, it’s a worthy wardrobe staple – but hardly the sort to excite a fashion frenzy. And yet this season has seen the most discerning street-style stars don the same seersucker button-downs that one might expect to find at a rowing regatta or in the hallowed halls of an Ivy. The difference, however, is in the details; soft pastel shades and pinstripes still abound, but the overall result is more slouchy than stuffy.

Subvert the strait-laced connotations of an Oxford shirt by exploiting the myriad ways it can be worn: collars laid flat or popped; cuffs unbuttoned or rolled to the elbow; hems ‘French-tucked’, left loose or tied at the waist. Wear it barely buttoned and pair with low-slung jeans and sneakers for an off-duty outfit that’s casual yet considered. Or fasten to the collar and team with a deconstructed suit (à la Julie Pelipas) for a modern, masculine finish.

True to its varsity roots, an Oxford is ever the hard worker.