The Two Most Crucial Spring Shirt Fabrics
Once spring has sprung and the weather starts to warm, you’ll likely find that your flannels and heavier weight cotton shirts are moved to the back of the closet. Color, weight and comfort are the keys to the perfect spring shirt wardrobe, and there are two unique fabrics that check all the boxes.
Chambray
Chambray fabrics are created by interweaving colored thread with white thread, giving a characteristic mottled appearance.
Indigo blue chambray; note the mottled coloring created by the weaving of blue threads with white threads
Blue and indigo chambrays are often mistaken for denim, though the feel of chambray is substantially lighter and softer than most denim fabric. Higher thread counts give chambray fabrics a lightness and breathability that make them perfect for keeping cool in warm weather.
Stylistically, chambrays are perfect spring/summer wear. An indigo blue chambray matches perfectly with any light-colored short or chino. Red chambray is a bit bolder albeit incredibly easy to pair with jeans or tan chinos.
Oxford
Oxford fabric is constructed with a basketweave that gives it its signature thickness and unique dotted texture.
Shirts that are constructed in a style typically used with the Oxford cloth - button-down collar, standard placket and pocket - are often referred to as “Oxford shirts.” The term has come to denote an incredibly versatile preppy-casual shirt that works as well with jeans and shorts as it does dressed up underneath a blazer or more casual suit.
Blue Oxford pulls together an excellent spring/summer casual wedding or cocktail look
The textured weave of the Oxford cloth gives their colors a softer, more muted appearance than other dress shirts. This usually accounts for the wide variety of brighter spring colors available in Oxford cloth - yellow, pink, lavender and sky blue (along with the ubiquitous white Oxford) are all staple colors for a casual spring/summer wardrobe.
Oxfords in a soft spring color palette
