Nigel Cabourn British Officer’s Shirt

Oxford cloth is a basket weave, which means the yarns run in pairs rather than singly, and that is why an oxford has a visible texture where a poplin has none and why it softens over years instead of wearing thin. It is also why an oxford shirt usually reads casual: the texture is informal. This one is cut against that. Back darts take the fullness out of the lower back so the shirt follows the body instead of blousing over a waistband, and a slightly longer body keeps it tucked when you move. Those two changes are what give an oxford a formal line, and they are the difference between a shirt you wear open on a Saturday and one you can put a jacket over. One hundred percent cotton, made in Japan, and offered in white and in dark green.

Why we selected it

The oxford shirt is the most owned garment in menswear and most of them are cut straight and boxy because that is cheaper to grade. A darted oxford is a small amount of extra work that changes what the shirt can do.

Cabourn draws heavily on British military dress, and this shirt is that source at its most wearable.

Materials and construction

One hundred percent cotton in an oxford weave. Back darts, slightly longer body length. Made in Japan. Offered in White and in Dark Green.

Fit notes

Slimmer than a standard oxford through the lower back because of the darts, and longer through the body, so it is cut to be tucked. Sizing runs 48 through 56 on the house’s shirt scale, and the two colors do not run the same sizes as each other. Oxford cloth shrinks on its first hot wash and then holds, so wash it cool from the start if you have chosen close.

Styling

Under the 50’s Cardigan or the Jeep Coat. The dark green with the Farmer Pant in charcoal is the version we would argue for; the white does the work the white oxford has always done.

Care

Cool wash, gentle cycle, and dry flat or on a hanger rather than in a hot dryer. An oxford presses best slightly damp, and it will look better after fifty washes than after five. Our care guidance covers cotton in more detail.

Related pieces

The Open Collar Shirt is linen and cotton, and the Fishermans Shirt is cotton in a stripe. Everything we carry from Nigel Cabourn is listed together.