r/NavyBlazer • u/AutoModerator • 12d ago

Thursday Free Talk and Simple Questions

Happy Thursday! Use this thread as a way to ask a simple question, share an article, or just engage with the NB community! Remember, WAYWT posts go in the WAYWT thread.

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u/Rich-Somewhere2915 12d ago

Thoughts on wearing an Oxford with more formal wool trousers? Is the mix of casual and formal too much or is it fine

21

u/Not-you_but-Me 12d ago

Define formal? I wouldn’t wear an OCBD with evening wear but they’re quite acceptable with lounge suits. The obsession with formality you see somewhere like MFA is mostly nonsense.

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u/MrandMrsMuddy 11d ago

And honestly, in a pinch—well, Dean Martin pulled off a white OCBD with a tux pretty damn well in Ocean’s Eleven. Obviously not the most traditional look, but if you keep the other details very classic, it works better than you’d think.

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u/GuitarStuffThrowaway 12d ago

OCBDs are the every shirt as far as I’m concerned (save for black tie or similar occasions, etc.). The only problem I’ve run into when wearing them to dressier events with a proper worsted suit is I feel more like a professor than a person attending a wedding or nice dinner.

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u/pulsett 11d ago

That sounds great!

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u/Adequate_spoon 11d ago

I would echo the other comments about oxford shirts being fine with most tailoring outside of formal dress. I would also add that it’s more a question of culture and style than formality. An OCBD would look unusual with a structured Savile Row suit because historically OCBDs were only worn as casual suits in the UK and never with business suits. However, with a more softly structured suit, an OCBD would be at home as historically they were worn with natural shouldered sack suits.

Obviously you don’t need to tie yourself to historic norms but it helps to understand them so that you can make informed decisions. For example, I’m British but I frequently wear OCBDs with suits and sport coats because I prefer softer tailoring, I like to take some inspiration from Ivy style and dress codes are much more relaxed these days. For more formal occasions I will go with a more traditionally British semi-spread collar though.

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u/LeisurelyLoafing Croc of shit 11d ago

It’s 100% appropriate with anything from denim to a charcoal worsted suit. If I was really being particular about it, I’d wear a white shirt but I’ve worn blue and uni stripe ocbds with worsted suits in conservative environments.

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u/gimpwiz 12d ago

Oxford shoes or oxford cloth shirt?

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u/Rich-Somewhere2915 12d ago

Shirt

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u/gimpwiz 11d ago

Rock on. A crisp white oxford cloth shirt in the US is considered adequately formal for most events. If it was good enough for Robert Mueller when he was director of the FBI, it's good enough for most anyone, most anytime. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/on-and-off-the-avenue/robert-mueller-style-icon

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u/LeisurelyLoafing Croc of shit 11d ago

Was going to use Mueller as my example too lol. OCBDs are a staple of American formal tailoring - some old dudes may opt for a poplin or pinpoint ocbd but plain oxford is fine too. My dad is a super old head (worked at BB in the 60s) and one day asked why I was wearing a dress shirt with jeans 😂