In 1900, Brooks Brothers changed the course of fashion history by inventing the button-down collar. John Brooks, the grandson of our founder, Henry S. Brooks, observed a polo match in England in 1896, where players pinned down their collars to prevent flapping during play. He was inspired, and a few years later an American fashion innovation was officially born.
The Brooks Brothers button-down collar shirt would forever change menswear and redefine American style. The iconic shirt has been worn by numerous United States presidents and famous figures such as F. Scott Fitzgerald and Paul Newman.
This vintage advertisement is from the Brooks Brothers archives (1979), one year before the publication of The Official Preppy Handbook (1980).
THE WORLD’S MOST IMITATED SHIRT
The famous Brooks Brothers button-down cotton oxford was introduced by Mr. John Brooks in 1900. It has become the classic; it is the most popular shirt in our history, and with cause. Made in our own workrooms, and of generous cut, in Pima cotton oxford woven only for us. Blue, white, pink, yellow, ecru, stone, peach. Collar sizes 14 ½ to 17 ½. Sleeves 32 to 36.
According to The Official Preppy Handbook (page 141):
The classic shirt is the Brooks Brothers button-down all cotton oxford cloth shirt. Pink is the most famous color, and it is widely supposed that no one except Brooks has ever been able to achieve that perfect pink or that perfect roll to the collar. One should have the shirt also in yellow, blue, and white – several in white.
The oxford cloth shirt is also available in a candy stripe on a white background in blue, a pinky brick-red shade, yellow gray, and brown. The candy stripe is especially favored at Prep school. These shirts are a bargain in the boy’s department of Brooks Brothers, but the ultimate is the basic, first-floor men’s shirt, which is cut fuller than almost any other shirt on earth. Voluminous luxury is the hallmark of the Brooks Brothers shirt.
Ivy Style offers a rich repository of historical information and has been compared to a virtual museum of apparel history. Over the past decade, the Brooks Brothers button-down collar shirt has been featured extensively. In May of 2016, Ivy Style founder Christian Chensvold wrote an article on what he called the new/old Brooks Brothers oxford-cloth buttondown. The article states:
Back in January, when I learned about what we now call the new/old Brooks Brothers oxford-cloth buttondown, Ivy Style did something unprecedented: we ran two posts in one day. And the next day we did it again. These four posts — the news announcement, followed by analysis pieces by myself, Bruce Boyer, and Dan Greenwood — were picked up by various menswear blogs and forums around the web, and after eight years we broke all previous traffic records.
Today that little fact is recounted in the New York Times in a piece that quotes myself, along with Lisa Birnbach, author of “The Official Preppy Handbook.” Entitled “Brooks Brothers Revives The Preppiest Shirt Collar,” the piece is authored by Troy Patterson, a Princeton alum (for those keeping track of that sort of thing) who writes on men’s fashion for the paper, plus the “On Clothing” column in the NY Times Magazine.
Here is a selection of the Top 20 articles which discuss the Brooks Brothers oxford-cloth button down from the past decade:
I’ve worn the world’s most imitated shirt (and real Brooks shirts) for most of that 125 years (OK, it’s only been since about 1961, but that IS more than half of 125). All but maybe 4 or 5 of my OCBDs are Brooks. I’ll wear them for the rest of my life and will be buried in a blue one. But I won’t be buying any more; they no longer make my size. Thanks for the ride BB. See ya!
My problem with Brooks is they don’t make size 18X36, Trad fit anymore. Nobody does; Gant, Press, nobody. In fact, even the pre-owned shirts my size on Ebay are harder to find. You can just keep checking Ebay until your size comes up; or you can bite the bullet and have shirts made. Mercers are very good.
I suggest that you look again. I’m 18 neck and 34, and I often find that longer sleeve lengths are more available than my 18/34. It’s true that larger sizes go out of stock more quickly, I guess they are conservative in their sales estimates, but you can find them. I checked just before I posted and I could have ordered a blue OCBD at 18/36.
When the “Ivy Style” had it’s shot across the horizon in the 50s and 60s all the shirt makers who were making shirts for the “Ivy” shops tried to duplicate the Brooks BD.
No one could do it. They could make BD shirts. No one could match the “roll”.
Gant made all the Chipp shirts.
Marty and Elliot Gant and my father were close friends.
I spoke about it with Marty one day.
He told me they had bought Brooks oxford BD shirts and taken them apart and copied each part.
When they put them back together they were never quite the same.
They did it a number of times.
Gant came closer than the others who were trying.
Marty said he did not know why they could not do it.
BB OCBDs were my favorite. A few years ago I noticed all of the original OCBDs were on sale so I snagged about four of them. Shortly after that I noticed that they completely disappeared from their website and were replaced by their Friday Oxford shirts. They then came out with their American-Made OCBDs which were twice the cost. I inquired about where their originals went and if they were going to be coming back and they said “no but please check out our Friday shirts.” Well, I did and I wasn’t fan. I also don’t like the non-iron kind. Why change a classic and why discontinue it? Since then I’ve mainly purchased RL OCBDs. They fit me well off the rack and last forever.
My closet is still full of the old BB shirts, and like Mr. Powell, they will probably last me for many years to come. The one I am wearing today must be 25 years old, and is surprisingly unfrayed. As mentioned by Heinz-Ulrich above, J. Press is a good source for ready-made OCBDs today.
I’ve worn the world’s most imitated shirt (and real Brooks shirts) for most of that 125 years (OK, it’s only been since about 1961, but that IS more than half of 125). All but maybe 4 or 5 of my OCBDs are Brooks. I’ll wear them for the rest of my life and will be buried in a blue one. But I won’t be buying any more; they no longer make my size. Thanks for the ride BB. See ya!
Where have you gone instead? I’ve been looking for a suitable alternative.
My problem with Brooks is they don’t make size 18X36, Trad fit anymore. Nobody does; Gant, Press, nobody. In fact, even the pre-owned shirts my size on Ebay are harder to find. You can just keep checking Ebay until your size comes up; or you can bite the bullet and have shirts made. Mercers are very good.
I suggest that you look again. I’m 18 neck and 34, and I often find that longer sleeve lengths are more available than my 18/34. It’s true that larger sizes go out of stock more quickly, I guess they are conservative in their sales estimates, but you can find them. I checked just before I posted and I could have ordered a blue OCBD at 18/36.
I’ll wear my Covid era (no pocket) BB tomorrow morning. I would sure like to get the “Liberty Bell” roll.
The source of my “Liberty Bell” reference:
http://oxfordclothbuttondown.com/2013/07/collar-roll/
It’s in the comments on the Esquire article.
Somewhere here SE refers to 4 in. collar points. That’s the biggest I’ve ever heard of. I’d be willing to give it a try.
Off topic, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s shoulder looks terrific. Nice, heavy cloth.
Oh, this morning I wore the BB WOCBD with a beautiful, vintage BB “Merchants and Makers” wool challis tie under a navy flannel sports jacket.
C’mon BB. Make Menswear Great Again. Your conscience will thank you.
When the “Ivy Style” had it’s shot across the horizon in the 50s and 60s all the shirt makers who were making shirts for the “Ivy” shops tried to duplicate the Brooks BD.
No one could do it. They could make BD shirts. No one could match the “roll”.
Gant made all the Chipp shirts.
Marty and Elliot Gant and my father were close friends.
I spoke about it with Marty one day.
He told me they had bought Brooks oxford BD shirts and taken them apart and copied each part.
When they put them back together they were never quite the same.
They did it a number of times.
Gant came closer than the others who were trying.
Marty said he did not know why they could not do it.
BB OCBDs were my favorite. A few years ago I noticed all of the original OCBDs were on sale so I snagged about four of them. Shortly after that I noticed that they completely disappeared from their website and were replaced by their Friday Oxford shirts. They then came out with their American-Made OCBDs which were twice the cost. I inquired about where their originals went and if they were going to be coming back and they said “no but please check out our Friday shirts.” Well, I did and I wasn’t fan. I also don’t like the non-iron kind. Why change a classic and why discontinue it? Since then I’ve mainly purchased RL OCBDs. They fit me well off the rack and last forever.
@ Commonwealth Colonel, try Mercer & Sons and J. Press for starters.
Kind Regards,
H-U
https://oconnellsclothing.com/shirts/dress-shirts.html?product_list_order=price&sizeaux1=29857&product_list_dir=desc
Give O’Connell’s a try.
My closet is still full of the old BB shirts, and like Mr. Powell, they will probably last me for many years to come. The one I am wearing today must be 25 years old, and is surprisingly unfrayed. As mentioned by Heinz-Ulrich above, J. Press is a good source for ready-made OCBDs today.