It’s safe to say we know a thing or two about mens shirts here at Lands’ End, having sold our first-ever Oxford as long ago as 1977. At the time it was surprisingly difficult to find well-made shirts for men in natural fabrics; polyester was having its shiny, multi coloured moment in the sun, and oversized collars were a far bigger deal than any kind of finesse in the tailoring department. We might have been new on the scene, but we wanted to bring quality back to mens shirts.
The Oxford seemed like a good place to begin this mission. It was already one of the most legendary shirts for men, famously embraced by Ivy League prepsters in the 1920s and 30s on its way to becoming a sartorial legend via Hollywood’s most stylish leading men. Who wouldn’t want to dress like Steve McQueen or Paul Newman? Its appeal was (and still is) plain to see. A shirt for all seasons, and for all occasions – the buttondown collar structured enough for a tie, soft enough to go without. The eponymous cloth with its characteristic basketweave and – when coloured yarns are mixed with white – slightly flecked texture. Bring it all together and few other mens shirts could aspire to such versatility.
Having identified it as our signature style, we set about making it worthy of the Lands’ End label. For us, that entailed building it to the highest possible standard, not to the lowest possible price. We’d leave cutting corners to everyone else, and instead concentrate on cutting an understated, classic shirt in pure cotton Oxford cloth, with a quality of construction any Jermyn Street tailor would have approved of. The result was everything its polyester brethren couldn’t match: breathable, durable and superbly comfortable. From the moment it made its debut in our US catalogue, the Lands’ End Oxford was an instant hit, and has gone down in history as one of our all time best selling shirts for men.
As our shirt making expertise grew, so did our collections. These days we’ve got the lot, from casual to smart, plain to patterned. Take flannel. Nobody does it like Lands’ End, with our always evolving range of indomitable, brushed cotton plaids; we’ve heard from guys who own seven or eight and counting, who live in them all winter long. Then when the sun breaks through and holidays are on the horizon, we’re all set with short sleeves and natural fabrics born to keep you cool – seersucker, Madras and linen. Our 40 plus years of experience mean we have mens shirts that cater for every body too, with sizes up to XXL and selected styles available in a Tall fitting.
