I know several men who like sartorial clothing but want to bring it down to their more personal (and usually more casual) level. They get bespoke. They understand it. But a suit and tie is rarely needed, perhaps even appropriate.

There are several options I would suggest, including the more casual suit cloths (flannel, cashmere, linen, tweed), perhaps as jackets. But my all-time favourite is the chambray shirt.

Most popularly seen as just a lightweight denim, chambray really only requires a coloured warp and a white weft. It doesn’t even need to be in cotton, let alone indigo; but it is usually both.

More importantly, it adds a casual, even workwear element to an outfit without having to resort to quirky pattern or colour. Although the darker colour doubtless adds to its informal effect, it is the texture that is key. As with the jacket materials mentioned above, it generates its less formal nature by substituting the expected smooth, sharp cloth with something a little fuzzier, nubbier.

Texture is usually a more sophisticated twist than pattern or colour. A failure to understand that has led to men buying shirts with coloured buttonholes, flowery inner collars and cuffs with coloured binding. There is a much more mature way to express yourself.

Picture: Guerreisms.com

If you do want to experiment with colour and pattern, keep it dark and subtle, as in the great example above. This may look like pretty straight, prep-inspired Ralph Lauren, but the effective combination of all those textures is very hard to achieve. Here it is the deep red shirt that makes it for me – if it were a plain, smart blue the effect would be ruined. That and the tie would be too smart together.

The other pictures here are from The Armoury’s tumblr of images, which is simply the greatest source of inspiration I’ve found for years. Ethan, pictured top, is particularly good on texture combinations. And the picture below illustrates that other cotton textures can also work well – linen, or even a linen mix.

(NB, pink and grey work beautifully together, and it is that pairing that makes this outfit)  


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Anonymous

I love the chambray in the top photo. Do you have any suggestions for chambray shirting (other than Simonnot Godard)?
Thanks

Anonymous

Hi Simon,
I find really interesting your way of envisioning how to compose a smart casual outfit.This topic seems to me to be the tricker in the whole menswear. Indeed, a suit is somehow a uniform, even though at this level one can see whether there is style, elegance or “chic”, as the French would say, behind and expressed by a man wearing it. But, and to be up front, I have come to think that the real litmus test for real elegance in menswear is in the area smart casual.
John

John

I love denim and chambray shirts. (Inevitably garners compliments.)
If one is having a shirt made to measure, is chambray too casual for double cuffs? (Worn with very simple non-bling silver links.) Thanks.
–John

Anonymous

Hello Simon. I’ve been following your blog for the last two years and find it helpful and entertaining. About the chambray shirt… would you please suggest me an online store in which I can find nice chambray shirts?
Andrés Silva from Colombia

Anonymous

Photo 1 is reversed – buttons on wrong side – taken in a mirror?

Art

I find my Chambray shirt (Simonnot Godard cloth, bespoke) not very pleasant to wear. It has a dry feel and the fabric is quite stiff. Also, it is more difficult to iron than other fabrics.

Anonymous

Simon,

What’s the difference between chambray and end-on-end broadcloth? They seem very similar, except that chambray seems to have more gloss, and generally seems more casual (I’ve often seen end-on-end dress shirts worn in pretty formal contexts).

Thomas

Hello Simon,

after buying light blue shirts and white shirts (also a few in light grey) for years to wear with suits (and being happy with it), I realised that my wardrobe has become a little bit uniform, not to say boring – especially because I avoided patterns and stripes für so long. Despite having realised this months ago, I cannot bring myself to buy a striped shirt or one with patterns, mostly fearing it would clash with the ties I own.
Could you recommend a certain type of ties (or a few) to go well with striped or (reasonably) patterned shirts?

And two additional but short questions, just from my interest in how you do it:
– There are many types of shirt collars – would you attribute them to typical settings/combinations/situations?
– What about shirts with dark colours (combinations/situation)?

Best regards
and thank you for all the provided knowledge/experience!

Thomas

Martin

After reading PS nearly daily (and skipping over most other menswear sites) for a long time it seems to me there is only one (nearly) blind spot: the shirt collar. There is some information of course, but nothing comparable to the very specific and helpful advice on lapels for example. So I am very much looking forward to anything you plan to write about it.

Thomas

Dear Simon,

thank you very much!
Instantly I found your post “Combining pattern and colour in shirts and ties” which I recommend to other readers and which I was obviously was too lazy to search for.
When I wrote “shirts with dark colours” I thought of really dark colours like navy, charcoal, black. Of course they would not be formal enough to accompany a business suit. But I can’t even remember wearing my only navy shirt at informal occasions more than twice in the last five years, and only once with an odd jacket (and jeans).
No answer needed, just for your information.

Thomas

Shem

Hey simon, i bought a drake’s blue chambray shirt (https://www.drakes.com/shirts/button-down-shirts/blue-denim-cotton-shirt-with-button-down-collar) and didn’t quite expect the shirt to be so dark and would prefer something lighter in shade. Would it fade with washing, and eventually reach a very light blue like denim?

KD

Hi Simon, l think l came across something about needlecord shirts here, not sure where now, can you help, please. Just wondering how they can be worn, on weekends etc

Ayush

This is a midnight navy chambray shirt which I have recently purchased and I am having a hard time finding the right colour trousers for it. I have tried dark grey and it looked a bit off. Would it possible for you to suggest?

Screenshot_2023-04-28-15-58-09-638_com.android.chrome.jpg
ayush

What do you think about dark wash denim with dark chambray shirts?
I have been afraid it could be too close in colour and cause candian tuxedo.

Keshav

Most of the chambray shirts which I have seen at mtm stores have been quite smart but I recently looked up at an mtm site offering a dark chambray shirt weight being 170 gsm and it has been enzyme washed to give it a lived in feel. .
1) Do you think the shirt would be as casual as offered by the rtw because of its weight and enzyme washing facility
2) I am unsure as to what makes chambray shirts being offered by rtw more casual than the other. Is it the garment washing which makes it more casual?
3) Is enzyme wash and garment wash the same?

Keshav

Certainly. Let me just share the link https://monksofmethod.com/.
You have to go the shirt option and search on workwear Reno shirts. They are also offering Oxford shirts taking into consideration a lot of its details.
If possible please advice.