The shirt undeniably constituted and continues to constitute the most important piece of clothing for a man. It presents intense semiotic interest, not only because it is identified with the personality of the man who wears it, by revealing his choices, but also because it diachronically expresses culture and aesthetics
Its roots touch upon the kalaziri of Assyrians and Babylonians, the kandy of Persians, the hitona of Greeks, and finally, the tunica of Etruscans and Romans, all of whom were the ushers of today’s shirt.
The term camisas, dating back to the 17th century, signals the beginning of the newer history of the shirt. Throughout the years, high quality fabrics, collars and cuffs have portrayed the professional identity of the economic workforce.
Today, more than ever, shirts are manufactured in a greater variety of colours and designs.
However, for Oxford Company, the shirt is not simply a dress element, but a raison d'être and vision.
Design - Pattern
One-Ply Fabric It is the fabric that is woven with one thread in warp and one in abb.
Two-Ply Fabric It is made with dual warps (double thread) and dual abbs. It is particularly durable over time and maintains the quality and brightness of its colours. Particularly easy to iron and suitable for daily use.Cotton remains the most widely used raw material in the buckrams distinguished for their quality and toughness. Specially designed fabrication processes and various techniques of weaving cotton have been developed, resulting in improved buckram quality.
Cotton Discovered as a raw material during the expedition of Alexander the Great in India, cotton is a paraphrase of the ancient Arabic word Qutun that means "conquer". It constitutes spinning the fibrous material that is extracted from the cotton plant.
Linen Soft, transparent, with a very thin warp - abb. Historically it was first introduced in ancient Egypt, where it was considered as a gift from the Gods to humans.
Flama Fabric that resembles linen but is in actuality cotton.
Oxford A kind of particularly durable, sturdy cotton fabric. Its main characteristic is its peculiar weave. The warp is thinner than the abb. It was manufactured for the first time around 1870, in the city of Oxford, from where it took its name.
Super Oxford Known otherwise as Pin Point Oxford, it constitutes the refined version of Oxford that was created with the advancements in the development of textile machines.
Poplin Cotton fabric, soft and diachronic.
Twill Monochrome, Cotton fabric, made from worsted yarns with a special weave in which the filling yarns pass over one and under two or more warp yarns, to give an appearance of diagonal lines.
Fil a Fil Cotton fabric with a distinct appearance accomplished when a light coloured yarn is being woven with a dark coloured one in succession.
Pique Double faced firmly woven fabric with ribbed,corded or ridged wales.
Zephyr Fine and lightweight cotton fabric with a basket-like weave. It is named after Zefyros, the Greek mythological God of the western wind.
Jean Durable, cottoned material, the very well-known denim.
Gabardine A tightly woven diagonal twill.This cotton fabric is also called gaberdine.
SHIRT CUT The classic line, harmonious with the body, neither too full nor too narrow. The sport line, that is longer, fuller, and defined by taking into consideration one’s personal comfort. The slim line, skin-tight, with two pleats in the back.
Monograms
The monogram is like the signature of a man…choosing to add it, distinguishes you and displays your own unique “brand” …
Even if in the past a monogram had intensely utilitarian character, today it is an element of style and a "jewel" for the shirt. The time when it was necessary to monogram clothes for their owner, so as to distinguish them in the common washing and drying and in order to diminish the danger of theft or confusion, has long since passed.
Today, the in-wrought initials are something close to a personal “brand”, a statement of diversity and a demand for more. More from what limited time allows us, more from what a prêt-a-porter has to offer, more than everybody wishes…..
In Oxford Company you can add your own personal monogram on your shirts – whether new or purchased in the past, and is available in a wide selection of fonts and colours.
The choice is always yours, and obviously in accordance to your personality. However, it is common to use a simple and clean font in order to accent the initials, while calligraphy font is used to give a particular style to the monogram. A monogram’s most common placement is at the left breast, roughly between the third and the fourth buttonhole.
Personalize your shirts by adding your monogram or choose monogrammed shirts as an exceptionally original gift.
Collars
The collar constitutes the precious detail of your shirt that determines your personal style. The Oxford Company offers, to everyone, the option of selecting from a great variety of collars that can accentuate or blunt the lines of your face.
Classic Ambassador of diachronic values and the classic style of life. It lends refined detail to suits. Ideal for a tie.
Bologna The most recognized classic collar.
Club Open, semi-classic, slightly tall collar, with rounded edges and buttonholes in the edges. It can be worn with or without a tie.
Rex At the same height, but slightly more open than the Club.
Button Down The only from the aforementioned collars that has no baleen. The small button on its edge characterizes it as the most juvenile collar, which can be worn in the office or for leisure.
Cuffs and cuff links
Cuffs
Cuffs should exactly hug the wrist while simultaneously allowing freedom of movement.When they are combined with a suit, they should jut out at least 1cm under the sleeves of the jacket. Traditionally there are two types of cuffs:Single with button and french (double) which fastens with cuff links.
Cuff links Two buttons linked with a common axis that is used for the fastening of french (double) cuffs. The cuff link is considered to be the jewel of the shirt. It lends style, status and taste and at the same time accentuates the cloth's uniqueness. An integral piece of sophisticated attire and an essential accessory for important moments of our life, it is also a very special gift for a man.
The Tie
The tie is one of the most essential accessories of a smart man applicable in any of his , either sport either classy. It is regarded as a synonym of “refined taste” ,«resembling» the personality of a man and is regarded as a "pole of attraction" for the women.
The history of the tie counts roughly 3,5 centuries but truthfully, how many really know what should be the length and the width of the tie or still, how many ways exist in order to be tied up? For this reason, certain necessary guidelines follow but also some useful advices to the…. tied-up ones!
How you untie rightly your tie
Basic rule for a tie is that it should be maintained in perfect condition in order to reflect the taste and elegance of the one who wears it. Consequently, this separate accessory requires to be handled with extra care.
A usual error that the “beginners” mainly make is that when they learn how to tie up their tie and achieve a right knot, they do not even think that they have to untie their tie in the end of day. On the contrary, they prefer to make a loop so big in order to put it off ,up their head and then just simply hang it out in a hanger of clothes or even leave it in the back of a chair.
Unfortunately this is the worst treatment towards your tie. Do not leave it with the knot tied up! On the contrary, untie it and store it with attention in order to be maintained as brand new.Even the untie -up, should be made in a proper way. Most men commit one big mistake: they untie the tie by pulling it with an abrupt movement. The right way is the following: Instead of pulling it abruptly, you repeat the steps that you made in order to tie it up but in reverse order. After you untie it , if for instance your tie is silk ,hang it up, and if it is knitted leave it wrapped in the drawer because usually the wool ties get stretched when they are hanged.This takes more of your time, but simultaneously, when you follow the steps in reverse order the fabric is not creased and you ensure that your precious tie will be maintained in a good condition for more.
How to give a "lifting" to your ties
Τhe only thing needed to be made in order for your tie to maintain its right form, is to wrap it around your hand and place it on a table or in a drawer in order to "rest".
More precisely, the steps that should be followed are the following: 1) You keep the narrow end of your tie with your thumb, while at the same time you leave the wide end of the tie hanging 2) You wrap the wide end round your finger enough times, as if it was a belt. 3) After you remove it from your finger, without been unfolded, just place it in the surface.
You will observe that after a few hours, all wrinkles will disappear and your tie will be as brand new! Certainly, the round wrapping of the tie round your finger is a useful advice even as a way of storage when you travel, in order for you to avoid it’s maltreatment in your suitcase.
How to handle your stained tie
The tie as a rule should not be washed by hand or by using the washing-machine and it should not be ironed commonly. For this reason, you owe to be careful , for your tie not to come in contact with any form of liquid because it can have it’s colours degraded.We consult you to protect it while having your dinner either by covering it with a towel, or even removing it if it is allowed. If you are not very careful and your tie acquires some stain, the more suitable way to face it is to send it in an experienced dry-cleaner.
Tie Knots
Knot "Four in Hand" One of the most famous ways of tying your favorite accessory, as he is very easy and discreet.
Knot "Full Windsor" The knot Full Windsor, that became renowned from the Duke of Windsor of England, is a thick knot of tie that demonstrates self-confidence. It suits more in long necked persons.
Knot "Half Windsor"
It is not as thick as the Full Windsor knot and is considered ideal for slight fabrics and open collars.
The Pratt Knot
It's a very trendy, wide knot, suitable for all occasions.
Bow Tie Knot
The Bow Tie knot is ideal for "black dress" nights, with tuxedos. Although very formal, when applied, it adds a special tone to your appearance.
Taking Care of your shirt
For a man, the shirt constitutes the landmark of his elegance and the characteristic of his personal style. And it is not necessary for us to be millionaires in order to also look smart…
As long as we take care of our clothes and treat them in the way they deserve, we maintain our “heritage” so called shirt…:
In the following sections you can find useful advices on washing and ironing our favorite garments.
Washing Advices
The sooner, we wash a shirt after been worn, the better, so that we prevent the stain to thread. It is good, also, to wash the shirts immediately afterwards our purchase in order to "remove the stores glue". While washing them we separate white from colorful ones and we wash them in the appropriate temperature for each fabric, roughly in 30-50oC.
High temperature is not advisable for any fabric.
We should we avoid chloride.
The whiteners are preferred to chloride detergents which destroy the fibres of clothes.
Use neutral detergents for the frail clothes.
Dissolve well the detergent, for stains not to be created.
Do not make try outs with stains, leave it on experts.
The wring of the washing-machine is allowed in low speed .
It is good to avoid the drying out of the washing-machine.
The drying out in the sun wears out the clothes, so it is preferable to dry your clothes in an internal space.
Washing and hanging out ,should always be done from the reverse side.
Products that have been manufactured by fabrics already been washed or fade progressively, so that they provide an image of long-lived clothes - as jeans and delave clothes - it is essential to be washed separately and have their stains not locally removed.
The dark colours slack as the time passes and the repeated washings
The products that are not already washed, at the duration of washes can mainly present a fluctuation of 2% in their size (mainly in the collar and the sleevelets).
The woollies have to unfold horizontally at the drying out, for avoiding been stretched
The clothes should be hanged out immediately after their washing up.
Ironing Advices
1. We begin by ironing the collar from the edge to the centre, guiding the iron from the reverse side and then from the front. 2. We continue with the sleeves, beginning from the sleevelets, then ironing the shoulders, the back of the shirt and finally the forward points, firstly from the reverse side and then from the front. 3. In the end, we fold the shirt without ironing it or, even better, hang it in a hanger.
ATTENTION: The cotton clothes want relatively high temperature (depending on the appropriate label sign). The clothes that have a print out are supposed to be ironed from the reverse side in area of the print out, and in low temperature. Buttons, buttonholes, labels, zipper and generally the accessories of clothes that are not supposed to come in contact with the iron because they are destroyed.
Α contact line , with no charge, , for the ones ,who take care of their clothes! Aν instant contact lane between Oxford Company and those who seek the best service but also the most up to date facts.
The experience of the Oxford Company staff, derives from many years of continuous involvement with clothing, and is presented in the operating number 800.100 5050. Whether you are seeking advices for cleaning, ironing, storing, and information regarding all types of male shirts, but also some clues regarding Oxford Company. Tell us your own experience from our company, make us suggestions and proposals and share with us your opinion. As through these customers remarks , we intend to get constantly improved so that we remain on the first line of your preference, offering 100% quality and 100% satisfaction.
Contact us at the 800.100 5050 number. Cause we ,at Oxford Company ,love our clothes even when they become yours!
