Bits from Billax

We were all bummed out when Billax left the blogger scene. It sucked. It was like when Heavy Tweed Jacket shut down his blog in the past. It’s not that I don’t understand, because I do. Blogging comes with a lot of baggage and sometimes you need a break. Heavy Tweed Jacket returned in the form of Tumblr (Heavy Tweed Jacket) and Billax was just recently spotted by Put this On the blog posting on the Menswear forum, Style Forum.
7 OCBDS with Collar RollBillax post on Style Forum does not disappoint. The king of collar roll showcases the collar roll of 7 OCBDs in this order Mercer (Pink Uni Stripe), The Knottery, J. Press, Brooks Brothers, Land’s End, O’Connell’s, and Kamakura. For those of us who are obsessed with button-down collars post like these are invaluable. For more details on the comparison check out the his full post here, Billax on Style Forum.

If this post did not quench your thirst for Ivy League Style advice dispensed by someone who lived through these times I have another link for you. Prior to Billax launching his blog he would allow me to publish some of his long form forum posts. This link will take you to these posts – Billax archive on the OCBD blog.

oxford cloth button down
Jerrod Swanton is a simple man interested in simple, classic, and traditional style.

6 Comments on "Bits from Billax"

  1. Dave says:

    I think I like the LE and BB the best. I wish Gant and Sero were still around. What’s your favorite style Jerrod?

  2. Fred Johnson says:

    I’ll take J Press, at least for now.

  3. Roger Russell says:

    I am surprised nobody thus far liked the shirt from The Knottery. It appears to have the desired look. I had asked Billax his opinion on their shirts and he liked them, but did say they were a little thin in body. I think the Lands End shirt is of that companies older version so that may not be an actual option.

  4. Charlottesville says:

    The Mercer looks good to me as well, although you need to go to the Style Forum link to see the full picture. I think the Knottery shirt has a 3 3/4 inch collar, which seems a bit too long. My 1980s era BB OCBDs rolled perfectly with a 3.25″ length. I still have at least one in wearable shape and measured it a week or so ago to be sure of the collar length. The newer ones have been hit and miss on the roll. I also would like to put in a good word for Ratio Clothing. Just got my first and it is a very well-made shirt, with lots of options available. Mine is a club collar, but the pictures on their website of the 3.5″ OCBD show a very good collar roll, and I can certainly verify that the quality and service are tops. One more trad option to consider.

  5. oxford cloth button down says:

    Dave – I like the LE one the best myself second to the Mercer. Charlottesville, is correct about a better image on the Style Forum. Billax, also talks about how other variables effect collar roll. In short, one collar does not roll the same for all.

  6. NaturalShoulder says:

    I am glad Billax has allowed you to keep some of his posts alive. His blog was full of great information.

    I think the Mercer looks the best of the bunch, but admit to being partial to Mercer. Like Charlottesville, I have tried Ratio and am very pleased with the collar roll and fit on their shirts. The benefit over Mercer is the ability to achieve a more precise fit.

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