For this week’s blog post, I decided to continue my analysis of my object that I discussed last week; my oxford shirt. To get a better sense of the history and function of my shirt in a broader sense, I did a bit of research regarding the origins of the Oxford. With this information, I hoped to be able to better understand why the Oxford style has been so enduring, and what it means to me now in my own personal life.
According to TM Lewin, a British Dress company based in London, the Oxford was originally just a specific type of textile design, and not necessarily a style of shirt. Ironically, the Oxford shirt isn’t actually from Oxford at all, but rather originally from Scotland. Apparently during the 19th Century, Scotland had a big boom in textile manufacturing, and each different company in the region sought out to have their own signature fabric. With that came much experimenting with different blends and techniques, and consequently the Oxford style was born. The Oxford was recognizable by its unique weave, which is a combination of two different yarns in a basket-woven pattern. The Oxford was actually part of a series of new textiles, each named after four different prestigious universities; Harvard, Yale, Cambridge, and Oxford. Since then, the other three in the series have gone out of production, with the Oxford style being the only textile to persevere.
Back when it was first being produced, the Oxford was seen as a luxury because of its expensive price. Because of this, manufacturers of the shirts tried to make them as functional as possible, with their cuffs and collars detachable. To make the shirts last as long as possible, one could simply replace the collar and cuffs with cheaper fabric, and subsequently get as many years out of the body of the shirt as they could. This functional property has become obsolete due to cheaper pricing, but helps us understand the shirt’s original purpose.
Today, the Oxford shirt comes in two different styles, the Button Down Collar (for casual dress), and the Pointed Collar (for a more formal look). This difference also delineates an interesting difference in functional quality. The shirt was groundbreaking because of its versatility in an era when objects and money were scarce for many, allowing men to dress-up and dress-down with the same shirt. Men could wear it with a suit, or untucked with more casual pants.
After learning about this history and the legacy my Oxford shirt carries with it, I understood the more functional and purposeful use of a style I have come to love so much. It was interesting for me to see how the style has come such a long way, and has endured mostly because of its versatility; something I too enjoy from it even today. Getting to know the personal story of my shirt better, I understand the life inside of it, and the impact it has had for generations. Now, every time I put my shirt on, I also put on a history of functionality, innovation, and style.
http://tmlewin-blog.com/2015/01/history-oxford-shirt/
The Materials of History, Thought, and Art 
I had no idea that Oxford shirts were made to be able to be disassembled and have interchanging parts. I enjoy your the transformed relationship you have with this shirt now– I want to have a more of a relationship like that with my clothing. It is interesting how contextualizing an object historically can alter our relationship to that object.
I find it so interesting that the four original oxford shirts were named after top tier universities in the world. But it also shows how Eurocentric that whole system of naming was especially considering oxford shirts are worn by people all over the world. In any case, your post is very detailed and well written. I love how the shirt was actually made to make up for the steep price when it was originally created. It shows a consciousness of and consideration towards consumers we sometimes forget to attribute to manufacturers.