2.24.2012

foundations: the everyday button-down shirt

 my collection of  reverse seam shirts 
"He took out a pile of shirts and began throwing them, one by one before us, shirts of sheer linen and thick silk and fine flannel which lost their folds as they fell and covered the table in many-colored disarray. While we admired he brought more and the soft rich heap mounted higher--shirts with stripes and scrolls and plaids in coral and apple-green and lavender and faint orange with monograms of Indian blue. Suddenly with a strained sound, Daisy bent her head into the shirts and began to cry stormily.
"'They're such beautiful shirts,' she sobbed, her voice muffled in the thick folds. 'It makes me sad because I've never seen such--such beautiful shirts before.'"
--The Great Gatsby

that famous scene from F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel is laden with meaning and a tragic sense of loss, but there's something comical about the whole thing too. it's also one of the great literary passages describing what sounds like a magnificent wardrobe. a great button-down is so important, and my everyday favorites are my steven alan reverse seam shirts.

minus the heavy undertones of unrequited love, all that shirt-throwing looks kinda fun.

(on a tangent: Robert Redford will always be the only Gatsby for me. eat your heart out, Leo!)

but back to the shirts. i first discovered steven alan's reverse seam shirts a few years ago, around the same time that i started writing this blog. since then, i've collected a small stash, and they've become a constant staple in my closet. steven alan shirts are cut with just enough room for that perfectly tomboyish, garconne fit. i think there's nothing worse than a too-tight button-down shirt on a woman. i love the signature quirky details like the reverse french seams, the twisted placket, and inside pocket...all of which allows the wearer to enjoy the spirit of the button-down without feeling constrained by it. 

my reverse seam shirts across all seasons over the years...
l: with current/elliott jeans, vintage belt, longchamp bag, philip lim x tatami sandals
r: the same jeans, vintage pumps, vintage belt

l: umm, i look like a 70s folk singer on the left, but whatever. wearing madewell jeans, steven alan vest, and loeffler randall boots 
r: one of my favorite lavender check SA shirts, with j brand jeans, hope pumps, and louis vuitton SC bag

the cotton woven shirting materials are also low-maintenance (read: machine wash and tumble dry, no shrinkage), which means you could (and probably should) totally throw a shirting party à la Gatsby and Daisy and then pick one up the next day and wear it out the door. the natural, slightly rumpled texture of the cotton reminds you not to take life too seriously, that there are better things to do than ironing shirts. it's also nice that they're all still made in the US, and made well. many of mine are 3-4 years old at this point, and they all look great.

i'm about to pack for a work trip, and given that it will be in the 60s and 70s where i'm going, i'll be packing a week's worth of SA reverse seam shirts as the base of my wardrobe. might do another post on that this weekend.

do you have any button-down shirts by SA or others? how do you like to wear yours?

edit: many of you have asked about sizing on the steven alan shirts. see my responses below in the comments, and in my FAQ.

27 comments:

  1. Well I know where to go if I need another shirt, which I don't (which is both a happy and sad thought). I wish Steven Alan was more easily available where I am, but it's probably just as well it isn't, for the sake of my wallet. Love this tribute to your shirts!

    I've been curious, what does "reverse seam" mean? Can't wait to see your next post, and have a good trip!

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    1. thanks Lin! several curated online boutiques in Japan and S. Korea carry SA shirts, so that's one option...

      i don't think i 'need' a lot of the items i really love. a perfect button-down is like a breton shirt for me; i don't mind multiples!

      'reverse seam' means that there are subtle french seams along the side, sleeves and collar...so that if you look closely, it looks like you're wearing your shirt inside out. :)

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  2. I've never seen Steven Alan shirts in person, but they look really nice. I wear shirts all the time, but most of mine aren't button down, they're just buttoned half way. I usually wear them with jeans, half tucked if I can get it right:)!

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    1. half my wardrobe here in SH is steven alan shirts. i remember your post on your Emmanuelle Alt inspiration! :)

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  3. I've heard so many great things about these shirts, especially with how well they hold up. I think I'll get one soon to try it out. But can you tell me how the sizing runs on these shirts? Most of my clothes are xs, but lately I've preferred a looser fit and have bought new things in s. In APC shirts, I'd wear an S. thanks in advance!

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    1. the steven alan website has a fit chart for their different shirting styles. i wear usually an S in the SA reverse seam, though i always get an XS in their oversized boyfriend shirts and heddy styles.

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  4. I love shirts too, but it's so hard to the loose fitting type (like yours). I found a white one last year and I love it, so I'm constantly in the look out for similar styles. Will definitely try Steve Alan's when I have the funds! Great post-thanks for the heads up.

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    1. thanks! :) slightly slouchy is the way to go IMO.

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  5. These look great. I haven't found the perfectly tailored shirt yet - I also can't stand the too-tight look - so I'll definitely be checking these out.

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    1. thanks! hope you find your perfect shirt soon. i love that every season SA comes out with a bunch of different colors and patterns.

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  6. I live in button fronts right now. Here's my post showing how I wear them, patterned, with v-neck cashmere sweaters. http://amidprivilege.com/?p=10129

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    1. i love your paisley and Liberty print shirts! i don't think jcrew's buttondowns are very well made, alas.

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  7. I love your button down shirts. The light blue is probably my favorite, i wear it with black slim pant, perfect for work.

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    1. agreed! i like to have some neutral basic colors as well as a fun, colorful selection in my SA shirts. :)

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  8. Lovely collection you’ve got! I didn't know SA shirts, but they look really nice.

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    1. yeah steven alan has been making shirts since the mid 90s, in NYC his line is a perennial downtown favorite.

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  9. miss sophie, i discovered your blog in january while doing a search for the dicker boots - it is a great resource! i enjoy your logical thought processes, your reviews on quality and sizing, and your approach to building your closet.

    i was wondering, how do the reverse seam shirts compare with the boyfriend shirts at steven alan?

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    1. thanks LN! i try to be logical when it comes to my love of fashion, don't always succeed :P

      the reverse seam shirts tend to run a bit small as they are cut like a shrunken boy's shirt. the boyfriend shirts are basically the SA men's shirts sized down one size for women. there's more measurement info on the SA site.

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  10. I was wondering what size in SL do you wear? I found their sizing tends to fit a smaller frame.

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    1. hey Yan - i've updated the post with a link to my FAQ which discusses this :)

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  11. yeah there's nothing worse than a starchy, itchy shirt :P

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  12. i'm so confused about why they are called reverse seam! I read that they have a twisted placket and the french cuffs are turned in?

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    1. lin (first comment) asked about this too. see my response :) it's meant to be a witty design detail!

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  13. I love how the shirts look on you, unfortunately (or fortunately - depends how you look at it and who you are ie my boyfriend) because I have a bigger chest I can never get this loose look with my shirts. If I go up a size the shirt is too big in the shoulders... Worse still if I do get the correct size I sometimes get a gaping placket if the buttons are at the incorrect intervals for where my boobs are positioned on my chest *sigh*
    I will look out for the SA when I'm in the States - I might have some luck :)

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    1. yes i urge you to try them on - there's also the single needle and boyfriend slouchy styles :)

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  14. the shirts are really nice on you, but i'd like to correct you on a very common misunderstanding in blog-land (and elsewhere..). A button-down refers the shirts that has little buttons to button-down the collar. these are also called oxford shirts. originally they were put there so polo players shirt collars would stay in place whilst playing. a button down isn't simply a shirt with buttons... see here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dress_shirt

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  15. Thanks for this post- I found it searching for fit info for the SA reverse seam and just wanted to leave a note for potential future googlers. I am usually a 4/small in buttondowns, an XS if vanity sizing is really bad, and I went with a medium to get that slouchy fit. My first instinct was to get a small but I think it definitely would've gapped at the bust. I'm a 34B, for reference. Also, for the long-torsoed, the shirt is just the right length; any longer and it would be too cropped for my liking, so if you like extra length maybe best to err on the side of the boyfriend fit (and avoid the shrunken fit reverse seam altogether).

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