Great for both work and weekend, button-up shirts are a versatile wardrobe staple – especially in white.
They can be worn solo, over a tank top or T-shirt, or with a jacket – and styled tucked in or out. With and without details such as chest pockets and buttons on the collar point (button-down shirts have these to keep the collar in place), they can be found in a wide range of fits and price points every season.
If longevity is important to you, look for shirting made with 100-per-cent cotton or linen. It’ll hold up better over time, says Rachel MacHenry, an assistant professor of fashion sustainability, decolonization and design at Toronto Metropolitan University. With a cotton and polyester blend, you “tend to get uneven wear, pulling and sagging over repeated washing and wearing,” says MacHenry.
Victoria-based Ecologyst, for example, only uses “natural fibres like organic cotton and European linen for their inherent properties like natural cooling and comfort,” says Lisa McAnulty, the fashion label’s head of brand and sustainability.
For cotton shirts, the weave of the fabric can make a difference in the look and feel. “An Oxford cloth … has a little more of a textural feeling to it, it’s got more drape, it tends to wrinkle less and it’s a softer kind of fabric,” says MacHenry.
“Poplin is a crisp fabric. … It’s a little cooler because it doesn’t sit right on your body.”
Beyond the fabric, it’s a matter of finding the fit and style that works for you – and fills a gap in your wardrobe. T. Line, a shirting-focused women’s wear label in Toronto, offers a range: cropped silhouette and oversized styles that look best tucked in. “We like to think our shirts style themselves in a sense because of all the little design details that we add in: the pleating, the darts, the drop shoulders, the cuffs,” says co-founder Britt Barkwell.
“It looks styled so you don’t have to do a lot.”
When it comes to price, the quality of production factors in, says MacHenry, noting that a lighter-weight fabric may not last as long. A higher-quality shirt will also have better sewing, better notions such as buttons and the fabric will have been cut more carefully “so that things hang properly on your body,” says MacHenry.
Six buys to try
In the women’s section
Uniqlo : C Cocoon shirt
Part of the Uniqlo : C collection from British designer Clare Waight Keller, this button-up features a cropped and boxy silhouette. It’s made with 100-per-cent cotton and is machine washable.
Buying options
$50, buy at Uniqlo
Ecologyst linen shirt
Designed and made in British Columbia, this button-up features a relaxed fit, dropped shoulder seams and a tulip hem. The 100-per-cent linen fabric is sourced from Europe.
Buying options
$345, buy at Ecologyst
T. Line Isabel shirt
Made in the Greater Toronto Area, this cotton poplin shirt is intended to be a wardrobe hero year-round. The menswear-inspired design includes curved sleeves and an oversized fit.
Buying options
$295, buy at T. Line
In the men’s section
RW&CO. Oxford shirt
This shirt by Montreal-based RW&CO. is made with a 100-per-cent cotton fabric. It has a chest pocket and would look best tucked in.
Buying options
$80, buy at RW&CO.
Muji washed Oxford shirt
Made in India with 100-per-cent organic cotton, Muji’s button-down Oxford shirt is prewashed for a soft hand feel. The care instructions are printed right on the garment, so you won’t have to worry about scratchy labels.
Buying options
$50, buy at Muji
Province of Canada poplin shirt
Available in white and two other colours, this unisex button-down is made in Canada using a Japanese cotton poplin fabric. Details such as a back yoke and branded buttons add a nice touch.
Buying options
From $158, buy at Province of Canada
