Kamakura recently unveiled a new unlined OCBD called the Sport model. Here’s the description:
The traditional button-down shirts of America from the 1960s captured the hearts of so many in the past. Now, those button-downs have been reproduced using all the techniques available to Kamakura Shirts.
It is said that the button-down shirt was born because polo players attached buttons to their collars in an attempt to prevent the collars from flapping while playing the sport. As this new line of button-down shirts are casual in nature, the new collection is called “SPORT”.
While recreating the fine details from the past, the fit and body are identical to the current “Manhattan Model” available at Kamakura Shirts. The SPORT line is a hybrid of nostalgia and modernity.
SPORT, a new collection of button-down shirts from Kamakura, is finally here after a year of careful research and painstaking corrections. We believe that this is what button-down enthusiasts around the world has been waiting for.
Is this what you’ve been waiting for? Only you can answer that question. I’m wearing one right now, and I can say it’s exceptionally comfortable. I don’t normally think of comfort and really only notice if a shirt feels uncomfortable for some reason. But I’m sitting here typing away and can barely feel the shirt on me. The sleeves are the right length (despite conversion from the metric system) and aren’t riding up. The fabric is a very lightweight oxford, so good for those in warmer climes or who enjoy wearing oxfords year-round.
The collar is a bit shorter, so may hold appeal to guys who like to channel the heyday and who like their lapels and ties in the three-inch range.
Now don’t ask me about collar roll, as I’ve learned that it’s a very much your-mileage-may-vary issue. I’ve been informed by octogenarian shirt expert Tom Davis that my neck is long and slender and that shirts tend to ride low, which makes them not roll particularly well. However, my other Kamakura shirts with the engineered roll flare out just fine, more so than this shirt. But that may change with some washings and wearings.
Head over to this page at Kamakura’s website to learn more. — CC
I ordered a couple of these. A more refined oxford cloth and it’s more fitted than Mercer, Gambert (special order), and Individualized (special order).
If you prefer a roomy fit bordering on billowy and thick, hefty, beefy cloth, it may fall short of expectations.
CC,
Did you opt for the traditional or slim fit?
I tried a Kamakura shirt a few years back and was not all that impressed. Description of new Sport model sounds promising but think I am good with Mercer and Ratio for now.
Given that I’m down to fighting weight I definitely went with the slim cut.
It is proving surprisingly difficult to order American cut “New York Classic” Kamakura shirts here in Japan. I hope I can give them a try.
In that price range, Ratio is the way to go. $98 for a fully custom oxford. No contest, really.
Update: I contacted Kamakura and one of their customer service reps helped me out. Very helpful folks. Assuming the shirt is up to snuff, they have earned my custom.
Speaking as someone with the ridiculous measurements of a 15 1/2 neck with a 36 sleeve, it feels particularly cruel that they offer a 15 1/2 neck with a 35 1/2 sleeve…. so close!
Their Japanese site seems to offer adjustments to their standard measurements, so you can order your neck size then adjust the sleeve. This feature doesn’t seem to be present on the US or global sites.
Where does the ‘sport’ aspect come into play? I am wearing an RL ‘knit oxford’ at this very moment, and should I wish to play a couple of sets of tennis wearing it – I could do just that. From my point of view, that is ‘sport’……I don‘t quite get Kamakura’s take on this.
Is it me, or do these shirts need a slight collar band gap to properly fit a tie knot when buttoned?
Benjamin,
I am not totally sure what you mean, but I think you are right. The tie space is a little cramped.
I just got a Sport OCBD and a Pinpoint BD and the collar point lengths are both 3.5 inches.
I have had quite a few Kamakura OCBDs over the years and I have been very happy with them. However I was always a little disappointed that they didn’t offer any with an unlined collar. I am okay with not much collar roll if it is unlined, as you still achieve that relaxed, rumpled look. Do these new, old style shirts contain an unlined collar/cuffs/etc???
Cheaper and better to have what you actually want made for you. Maybe I am becoming boring on this point?
All you need is the time – The last true luxury in this world of ours. The time poor are terribly exploited by the clothing industry. Once off the peg was a cheap and easy solution to clothes buying. Those days are now long gone. Today you will pay more for an unsatisfactory off the peg garment than you will to have one made if you have exacting tastes.
@Christopher Kelley
Yes, unlined cuff and collar. They are well made shirts.