In the never-ending search for the perfect off-the-rack shirt, I present the Hemingway Oxford button down by Mizzen+Main. The American based brand puts two things above all when creating their products – performance & fit. I took their Hemingway Oxford shirt for a spin and here are my thoughts on what could be the most ideal shirt for every guy.
The Hemingway Yellow Oxford Shirt – Mizzen+Main (available online) | Grey Wash Cutton Suit – Uniqlo | Wickham Striped Knit Tie – Thomas Pink | Sneakers – Adidas | Pocket Square – Blue Bandana | “Bang” Lapel Pin – East Dane
For over a year, I’ve been hearing about Mizzen+Main’s performance based fabrics, which in my mind meant, a dri-fit style dress shirt. The original notion wasn’t something that sounded aesthetic pleasing, however; my tune soon changed. While on Instagram awhile back, my good friend Angel Ramos praised the brand’s grey button down Oxford shirt. Since his style acumen is something that I trust & admire (plus, has his own men’s clothing brand), I decided to finally take the plunge.
Pros
- The moisture-wicking performance fabric is feel like you’re wearing a cloud. When I shot this feature I’d be wearing this shirt for 6 hours and I can say I’ve never felt so comfortable in a shirt..EVER!
- I was extremely surprised that the fabric would look so much like a traditional Oxford. Hearing “performance-fabric” I immediately think of compression gear that I wear to gym, however; this was not the case. The texture of the fabric weave is quite beautiful when you look at it closely
- By far my favorite feature is the high collar. Some many shirt collars are inexplicably short & stingy. The Hemingway shirt collar stands tall with or without a tie. If you’re the casual guy that never dons a tie, this is the perfect shirt for you. When you’re wearing a blazer, this collar is substantial and never slinks down below the neckline
- I love the fit of this shirt. It contours to the body without being restrictive and has “four-way stretch”. The stretch let you be as active as you’d like, without looking like a slub at the end of the day (or jump across newspaper containers)
Cons
- If there was more color variety in this specific style of shirt, the world would be a better place
Final Grade
This shirt is well deserving of an A+ grade. This grade is based on an outstanding fit, technological components, details like collar height & fabric texture and the overall feel of the fabric against the skin — all of which I haven’t found in combination with any other shirting brand. No this is not a paid endorsement of Mizzen+Main. This is a Men’s Style Pro as a consumer believing in a well-made product, produced in America that will revolutionize the way men dress, while enjoying the maximum amount of stylish comfort.
Check out Mizzen+Main.com to see the full collection of shirts.
