Making The Case For Corduroy Shirts

When the word “corduroy” comes up, the first thing you likely think about are pants. Think a little harder, and perhaps you imagine a full corduroy suit, the kind that might be worn by an absent-minded literature professor or a Wes Anderson character. So, we don’t blame you for not thinking of a corduroy shirt—they tend to be a rarer sight. But there are many reasons why a corduroy shirt deserves a place in your regular rotation, right up there with the OCBDs and the spread collar twills.

Firstly, corduroy shirts are warm, due to their weight and the raised ridges—called “wales”—that give them their signature texture but also trap heat. But they’re not as warm as a sweater, meaning they can be worn below knitwear in the winter or on their own in early spring or fall as a light sweater alternative. 

In fact, a corduroy shirt works excellently as a “shacket,” a sort of shirt/jacket in-between that can be worn over another shirt (so long as the corduroy shirt is made a little oversized).

Corduroy shirts are most definitely casual, but their texture makes them a bit more interesting and unexpected than your typical flannel or oxford cloth shirts. Traditionally, corduroy was a fabric associated with workwear—you can tap into that legacy by adding two chest pockets to your corduroy shirt for a more rugged work (even if the pockets are only used to hold airpods or phone chargers).

How To Wear A Corduroy Shirt 
It’a a casual fabric, so it works best with other casual clothing. A corduroy shirt with denim is a classic workwear look fit for any weekend. You can also dress it up with a pair of chinos, or even wool flannel trousers. 

The casual nature of corduroy shirts makes them a hard sell for office-wear, but if you choose to wear a corduroy shirt with a suit for a more inventive off-duty look, we recommend pairing it to a solid suit with a flatter weave that won’t compete with the corduroy shirt for attention. For instance, a navy oxford or a grey twill.