Today, we journey back through time to revisit one of the most interesting and thought-provoking sartorial discussions in recent memory.  This discussion post, initiated by menswear legend Matthew Fan, revolves around the topic of an American classic - the Brooks Brothers oxford-cloth button-down (OBCD).  

A salient component to the ivy look, the OBCD is the epitome of American Trad; its defining feature is its softly rolled collar (sans collar stays) held down by button fasteners.  Though esoteric - achieving the perfect collar roll is an enterprise in itself, as Foof demonstrates:

Over the years, I’ve bought more than a dozen OCBDs from Brooks Brothers and gave Mercer a crack. I would’ve tried J. Press, but their stock shirts are tents on me and they don’t do made-to-measure OCBDs. Until now, no OCBD has completely satisfied me.

So, I decided to give Brooks Brothers’ made-to-measure program another try—but this time, I implemented some modifications to the classic format.

To make the collar higher and improve the collar roll, I had them implement a two-button collar. The old, single-button collar tended to flatten on my neck; this one stays up and looks better with a jacket. In the interest of making the shirt dressier, I also replaced the standard placket with a French placket (or ‘no placket’, if you prefer).

I’ve never liked the way a rounded barrel cuff looks poking out of a jacket sleeve, so I got rid of the standard OCBD cuff and added a two-button mitered cuff.

I also eliminated the chest pocket and back pleats. The final shirt is more usable to me. Worn by itself, it looks dressier. It also looks better with a jacket and tie since the collar stands up better and there is more space for a tie knot. Yet, it works just as well as the original when worn casually with jeans, and it’s just as durable.

If you have time, give the rest of this thread a read.  A few menswear giants contribute their inputs here, justifying which features are good, and which features are bad.