Ah, Brooks Brothers.
An Ivy mainstay. Arguably, the inventor of the Oxford shirt. Fabled to be the first off-the-rack shirtmaker in the USA.
I’ve never owned a Brooks Brothers shirt, so I was excited to purchase one new for the first time. This is just the third new shirt I purchased this year. I’ve developed a pretty high bar for new clothing, given how much high-quality clothing I’ve managed to thrift. Even when something is 40% off for the holidays.
I’ll get this out of the way early: I’m returning the shirt. But read on for my in-depth review and explanation as to why.
Brooks Brothers Background
There’s no denying that Brooks Brothers is a storied shirtmaker.
H. & D. H. Brooks & Co. was founded in 1818 by Henry Sands Brooks and passed on to his sons Elisha, Daniel, Edward, and John, who renamed the company Brooks Brothers in 1850. Brooks Brothers earned its early fame by selling ready-to-wear suits and earned its spot in the center of American fashion. Men, working professionals, and presidents have donned Brooks Brothers shirts over the years.
Initial Impressions of the Shirt
I’ll admit, I had high hopes for this shirt.
I’d read on Reddit that Brooks Brothers' quality was on the up-and-up and even usurping JPress as the best made-in-USA Oxford shirt under $200. When I saw the shirt was on sale for $118, I thought it’d be an absolute steal.
The shirt shipped fast and fit true to size, so I’ll give them that. But beyond that, the first impression is that the shirt felt extremely thin. Compared to a Banana Republic white Oxford shirt, the Brooks Brothers shirt seemed flimsy. Upon trying the shirt on, it’s pretty much see-through, which might be nice for a hot summer day, but it’s a far cry from the burly Oxford shirts I reach for from my closet.
Brooks Brothers Oxford Shirt Review
Enough with surface-level impressions! You’re here for the nitty-gritty. I’m going to review this shirt from top to bottom, leaving no button or stitch unturned.
I’ll break down my review into the following sections:
- Labels
- Fabric
- Buttons
- Details and extras
- Construction
- Stitching
- Weight
- Fit
Labels
No woolly sheep logo for this shirt! Instead, there’s a nice and neat Brooks Brothers wordmark with the “Made in USA” tag.
Fabric
This is where my disappointment began with the shirt. The fabric is thin and sheer, allowing you to easily see whether you’re wearing an undershirt. I get that a white shirt makes that difficult in the best circumstances, but my white Banana Republic Oxford shirt beats this shirt, and it’s less than half the retail price. The thinner fabric gives the shirt a dressier feel, but that's not necessarily something I want in an Oxford shirt. Oxford shirts are supposed to be burly and break in with wear. The Oxfords of the old days would be scuffed in student dorm rooms to get the right amount of wear and tear to fit in. It's hard to imagine even wanting to scuff this shirt.
While the site doesn’t mention it, it feels like the fabric was treated with something. It’s almost slick and feels like it’s been coated in some material, which adds to the flimsy and cheap feeling I got when handling the shirt. Since the shirt hardly wrinkles when worn, I imagine it's some sort of anti-wrinkle treatment on the cotton as you’d see in a “traveler” dress shirt. Take that with a grain of salt, though, because I do not know for sure.
Buttons
Here’s where the Brooks Brothers Oxfords stand out among the others in my closet: authentic Mother of Pearl buttons. It’s a special detail that you’d expect from a $200 shirt, and it’s a nice surprise when you get the shirt 40% off. I like that the buttons feel nice and firmly sewn on, too. Though the stitching leaves quite a bit to be desired, which I’ll get to later.
Details and Extras
Construction
The construction of this shirt is overall solid. While the fabric was disappointing (and the reason I’m returning the shirt), I have a few complaints about the construction. Still, there are a few quirks that also gave me pause.
Let’s start with the collar. This is one of the defining parts of the Brooks Brothers “look.” Of the shirts I have in my closet, this shirt has the most prominent collar and collar roll. The collar points are just 3”, but the collar tapers in quite a bit, giving a nice roll outward.
The shirt is 17” across the shoulders between the seams.
And it’s a generous 21” from pit to pit. You’ll see in the fit section later that this fits me pretty much perfectly. It drapes well on my shoulders and gives ample room in the chest without being baggy.
It’s a straight fit all the way down at 21” across at the bottom. Personally, I wish it had a little taper as I often size up in the chest to accommodate my shoulders, but my narrower waist leads to a baggy fit above my pants.
This shirt is about 31.5” from top to bottom, so it definitely needs to be tucked in. Oddly enough, the shirt is longer in the front than the back – something I’ve not seen before.
At 1.5”, the yoke is the shortest, by far, of any shirt in my closet. I imagine that the purpose of this is to give a dressier silhouette that slopes on the shoulders, but it stands out.
Across the back, the shirt is 18” from seam to seam, giving ample room for movement.
The cuffs measure 4.5" across (9" around), giving ample room to slide my hands in.
Stitching
This is where I am disappointed again. Loose threads galore. Inside the shirt. In the collar. Everywhere. I counted at least half a dozen loose threads, which is unacceptable for a shirt that retails for nearly $200. While the seams are more or less nicely done, the loose threads killed it for me.
It's a bit faint, but there were loose stitches in many button holes. Again, somewhat forgivable at the sale price but given the shirt retails for nearly $200 it's absolutely inexcusable.
Weight
This shirt is the lightest so far in this review series at a mere 294 grams. No surprises, the fabric is featherweight and downright delicate, making this quite a light shirt. Also, excuse the poor photo. My iPhone had trouble capturing the digital scale and I didn't realize until I had already returned the shirt.
Fit
Fit is going to be subjective, so bear the following in mind: I am 5’10” and about 175lbs on a good day. I like to lift weights, and would say I have fairly broad shoulders with a comparatively narrow waist. Typically, my jacket size is a 40, and my collar size is 15.5.
I found the fit of this shirt to be quite nice. It’s perfect in the chest and shoulders, and the fabric drapes nicely. I do wish the shirt tapered in a bit at the waist, but it’s not as egregious as some of my vintage shirts with baggier fits.
Brooks Brothers Oxford Pros and Cons
We've covered a lot! I'll wrap things up here with a quick pros/cons list.
Pros
- For the most part, good-quality stitching and construction
- Fits true to size and is tailored well
- Real Mother of Pearl buttons
- Classic fit in the shoulders and body
- A generous amount of extra buttons
Cons
- Straight fit is boxy in the waist and leads to lots of bunching when tucked in
- Numerous loose threads, which is inexcusable in a shirt this price
- Fabric is thin and sheer
Are Brooks Brothers Oxford Shirts Good?
They’re certainly good, but are they worth the $200 retail?
I bought the shirt at a discount, and I’m returning it, so I’ll let that speak for itself.
Of my shirts, I think I like the fit of this one the most. But the sheer, thin fabric and loose threads kill it for me, and when I can thrift a vintage Brooks Brothers for $10, why would I pay the $118 sale price for an inferior shirt?
I’m glad that Brooks Brothers is making these shirts in the USA. Not to get too patriotic about it, but it’s important to invest in and maintain manufacturing in this country. But that alone is not enough a reason to sacrifice my desire for a quality garment.
