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One of the occupational hazards of this job is spending a lot of time in fitting rooms. (I don’t think this makes anyone at OSHA nervous, just the hanging rod in my closet, to be clear.) The time spent is reasonable, though; when you’re shopping online, “Model is 6’3” , weighs 155 pounds, wears a size 3” can only tell you so much. Call it field research or ill-advised compulsion, but I ended up trying on a lot of clothes in real life.
Lately, my fitting room has been filled with oxford shirts, which have been so hot. J.Crew’s Giant-Fit Oxford shirt harkens back to the silhouette in its catalog-era heyday; Gap’s Oxford Big shirt was recently retired; and many smaller brands also offer riffs that rival any mass-market production , including a personal favorite, 3sixteen’s. All of the above are strong, soft, roomy, and fit almost all pants (and shorts).
But for whatever reason, solid light blue oxfords still elude me, and until they came along, it wasn’t a problem. So I decided to outsource my research to an expert on the subject, someone who wears Oxfords every day: my father.
“Have you tried Gitman recently?” he asked. I don’t. “Gitman,” for those who don’t know, is Gitman Vintage, a legendary American shirt manufacturer with roots dating back to 1932. of shoppers recommend this brand and own a few Gitman shirts myself, although I have limited experience with Oxfords. As it happened, my dad had a piece of clothing that he no longer wore – he’d been living in a plus size for five years – and he graciously sent it in the mail so I could see if it worked.
Oh, it worked. I’m 5’9″ and weigh 145 lbs. Normally a medium is worn for a little extra room, but a washed and dried large is instructive. It fit me perfectly, like I had it custom made, except I couldn’t explain what I wanted without holding up the shirt as a reference.
If you’re not familiar with Gitman Vintage outlines, here’s a quick breakdown. As one of the last remaining American-made shirt companies, its products are as classic as the GMC Half-Ton. The collar is large but not overly large, and the oxford has some weight but doesn’t soften too quickly. Shirts tend to be a bit tapered width-wise, so I find them a bit slimmer for my past preferences. But because this size is on the larger side, the taper feels less noticeable and prevents the tail from flaring outward. So I’ve been wearing it at least once a week since it arrived.
I’m not saying that buying a larger version of Gitman will solve all OCBD-related problems. but i yes If you’re curious about the genre, looking for an upgrade, or just want a new shirt, you should definitely try one out. While I’m sure it works extremely well and is true to size, feel free to view it as an absolute menace because You’ve gone up in size with zero worry about it shrinking beyond wearability, which to me is irresistible.
Plus, it’s on sale for $195 at ShopBop, which means Prime members get free shipping — whether your dad helps out or not.
