Shirt in wool cord in cadet blue

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£180.00 — ex VAT

Shirt, made in London, with heavy (14oz) wool cloth from Somerset — known as Bedford cord on account of its corduroy-like grooved structure — and horn buttons from the West Midlands.

Sizing

The shirt is a little snug on account of the thickness of the cloth, so it's a good idea to size up if between sizes. The body is slim, and the sleeves taper to a very tight cuff. The mannequin is a 40 — the most standard 40 in all the world — and is thus wearing size M.

XS S M L XL
To fit chest 36 38 40 42 44
Pit-to-pit 18½ 19½ 20½ 21½ 22½
Collar 15 15½ 16 16½ 17
Shoulder 17¾ 18¼ 18¾ 19¼ 19¾
Back length 30 30¼ 30½ 30¾ 31
Sleeve from centre-back 34 34½ 35 35½ 36
The shirt has a Kelly collar, which is the name given here to a collar with curved points which fasten with a button and loop. Like a tie-pin, this pulls together the collar points, creating a neat collar roll. It may be worn fully done-up, or undone, or even with the collar fastened but the top button left undone.
The shirt is intended to be worn tucked or untucked. Either. That's the whole idea. It has a fitted shape, so tucked in, it rolls tidily into trousers — but it is also casual, so when untucked it won't look like you're wearing an office shirt. Length is standard: falling a few inches below the belt-line on most people.
The shirt has a front of six horn buttons — each of them, in their own natural way, different from one to the next. Meanwhile, every significant seam on the shirt is what's known as a single-needle, lock-stitch, French seam. They take twice as long as standard seams, but look nicer, wear better, and last longer.
The shirt has a chest pocket, with a narrow section on the inside-edge — for a pen, pencil, or chip fork, say — which is established with a long bar-tack. Bar-tacks also appear at the top corners of the pocket, for great strength, as well as several other parts of the shirt subject to the most wear and tear.
The cuffs of the shirt are unapologetically tight, so the sleeve can't step over the line that is the start of the hand, and they fasten with a single button. The corner of the cuffs is gently curved, echoing the collar.
Bedford cord, as this is known, is a type of cloth that bears the grooved appearance and texture of corduroy, but is woven in an entirely different way. This is a worsted example of the genre, and is made with thick worsted-spun yarn, giving it a a crisp look and handle and a smart, structured handle.

As worn

The gentleman is as standard a 38 chest as you could ever wish to meet, so the shirt he's wearing here is an S.
This is the same shirt, in the same size, on the very same body.

Makers of

The shirt is made by a shirt-maker in north London. They make shirts and only shirts all day, every day, and so have developed something of a knack for it. They make with time-consuming but strong single-needle lock-stitch seams, and with an out-of-vogue dedication to older "how shirts used to be made" contraptions.
The cloth is woven in Somerset by one of the most illustrious names in British textiles. It is a mill which has woven for the great and good for two centuries and, in particular, has long had a thumb in the pie of military cloth — putting in the largest order for textiles, no less, during the Second World War.
The horn buttons were cut, shaped, and polished by the last such factory in Britain (now defunct). It was part of a tradition in the Midlands first linked to the meat industry of the 18th century. "It is no easy task," said William Hutton in 1780, "to enumerate the infinite diversity of buttons made in Birmingham."

So they say

Some words to tell you about the shirts I just received. They are simply beautiful and amazing with a great manufacturing quality. And very comfortable to wear.

This chap, in France, purchased a shirt in merino wool and a shirt in cotton in March 2019.

Just a quick message to say I picked up the shirt from the post office today and all I can say is: wow. The material is unlike any I have felt before: you have surpassed yourselves with this one! An incredible shirt. I'm extremely pleased with it. Thanks for the recommendation. I think it may well be the most comfortable piece of clothing I've ever worn.

This gentleman, living in Finland, picked up the shirt in superfine merino in March 2019.

I have spent the day speculating on which descriptive superlative to apply to the shirt that has arrived safely here — and I think delightful is the best word. But wonderful and beautiful apply as well. And the cloth itself is amazing.

Kind words from a kind lady in Denmark, who purchased a shirt in superfine merino hopsack in March 2019.

I’ve been using this shirt a lot, and I must say it’s outstanding, I really like it. The details in the workmanship are truly amazing, from the stitching to how well the buttons are sewn on. It makes me value the whole garment.

Spoken by a gent who purchased the shirt in desert cotton in the summer of 2017.

I just received my shirt, and I absolutely love it. It makes me wonder why I waited so long to give your wares a try. I will almost certainly be sending more business your way in the future. Thanks very much for the fast shipping as well.

Kind words from a gentleman who bought the shirt in desert cotton back in March 2017.

I don't know if I just got lucky or if you folks really know how to make your shirts (I'm inclined to believe the latter) but this is the perfect compromise between freedom of movement and a slim fit in the chest and the shoulders.

So emailed a man in response to the oxford shirt he purchased back in October 2014.

I received the shirts and they're all very impressive. Especially the desert cotton was a pleasant surprise, definitely something that has to be seen in person. The fit is spot on as well. Now I know my size I will definitely be ordering again. Thanks for the wonderful transaction.

This chap purchased three shirts, in three cloths, in August 2017.

I just received the shirt this afternoon. Worth waiting for it. The cloth is soft; the cut not too slim: a perfect casual shirt.

As said by a man in France on the second day of the year 2016.

Wow — it's just beautiful. It is so, so lovely. I'm thrilled.

A lady said this on buying a desert cotton shirt for her better half, Christmas 2016.

Just writing to say "thank you" for the delivery of the [trousers and] shirt. I deeply appreciate the thought and effort that goes into creating the garments. I look forward to being a customer of yours for many more years to come.

Nice words by a man back in October 2015.