Red Stripes

For me it has always been about blue. The blue OCBD worn with a pair khaki chinos is simple perfection. It can be worn anywhere and anytime. If I want to look a little more sophisticated I may sub a blue university striped OCBD for my plain blue OCBD under a blazer. However, when purchasing a new shirt from Michael Spencer I decided to throw a little caution to the wind and opted for a red university stripe or as they call it “Candy Striped.”

I have never owned a red university striped shirt before. I have owned a pink uni stripe which actually inspired this choice. The difference being that the pink shirt was alpha sized and because of that was never paired with a tie. I did however see its potential.

The color and stripes of this shirt can add a little pop to otherwise standard rigs. I have paired my red uni stripe with a winter white Shetland, grey Shetland, and brown Shetland which all worked well. By far the most fun that I have had with this shirt is wearing it with ties. As I have written about before uni stripe shirts are great for wearing regimental ties with (Striped Shirt & Striped Tie). The red color presents both a challenge and an opportunity.

If like me you are a true blue OCBD type of guy I encourage you to give a red university stripe a shot. It will work with everything from grey Shetlands to blue blazers to brown tweeds and more. I will continue to experiment with my red striped shirt as I still need to wear it a few more times before I give the shirt a full review.
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oxford cloth button down
Jerrod Swanton is a simple man interested in simple, classic, and traditional style.

19 Comments on "Red Stripes"

  1. Grey Flannels says:

    Jerrod,

    Could you please identify the wristwatch for us?
    Thank you.

  2. HH Huntington says:

    Looks good on you, but I’ll stick with solid blue, solid white, and white with blue university stripes.

  3. NCJack says:

    I love my red unis, and now that LLBean isn’t carrying them I’ll have to look into BB, I guess. They’re great in outfits like yours, above; I think most men tend to go with a little too much blue

  4. Lennart says:

    Jerrod, the striped shirt looks great on you, I also enjoy trying other colors than blue and white. Currently my other colour is bright green, looks fantastic with grey flannels by the way.

    Keep up the good and stylish spirit.

  5. Steve L. says:

    I’ve got the same shirt and it works a lot better than I thought it would because the red isn’t very red.

    It may be pushing the envelope a little bit too far for you but the OCBD in lavender became a permanent part of my wardrobe on first sight.

  6. oxford cloth button down says:

    Grey Flannels – It is a Timex Originals T2N228. I got it at Target about 6-7 years ago.

  7. Grey Flannels says:

    Thanks, Jerrod.
    Nice watch; unfortunately the T2N228 isno longer available.
    My favorite minimalist watch is the Timex T20501. Still available.

  8. Fading Fast says:

    The winter white shetland was a particularly inspired choice with the red university stripe – they look perfect together. Winter white – which I see in period pictures from the heyday of Ivy – doesn’t get the attention today that it deserves.

  9. Ensiferous says:

    Jerrod, good topic. A truely classic shirt.

    Having at least one red stripe OCBD is a must. Or at least a very strong “You should try one.”

    The red stripes read as basically pink from a distance, but I actually prefer them over solid pink.

  10. bankstud says:

    Jerrod,
    Can you please identify the brand of the yellow,green,burgundy tie and is it from a recent collection?

    Thank you

  11. oxford cloth button down says:

    Bankstud – It is not current. It is an old Jacob Roberts tie. It is a head turner.

  12. Looks super! I have a similar shirt from Brooks Bros. plus two in the usual blue, one in pink, and one in a light green. Wear it in good health.

    Best Regards,

    Heinz-Ulrich von B.

  13. Hollywood Argyle says:

    I’ve always shied away from the red striped Oxford cloth button down, but I am now tempted to give it a try—you look good in it, and it seems versatile.

    I, too, am a fan of the university/candy striped shirt. In addition to three in blue, I also have them in pink (Lands End), lavender (ditto), green (L.L. Bean), and purple (Michael Spencer). I would love one in yellow, and would also like to try one in brown.

  14. BEG says:

    I’ve been a huge fan of the red unistripe for a long time. Sadly, my BB OCBD finally bit the dust and I’m making due with a Spier & McKay burgundy unistripe, but it’s just not the same thing. I found that I liked pairing my red unistripe mainly with green foulards, emblematics and the occasional green based regimental. That’s not to say other colors don’t work, it’s just what I found most pleasing to my eye.

  15. Front Porch Life says:

    Great post! All of the combinations above are outstanding. You have inspired me to utilize the uni stripe OCBD. I am searching ebay and thrift stores for one in yellow and red.

  16. Kel says:

    Agreed — red university stripe is righteous. And as BEG says, pairs well with all kinds of greens.

  17. andrew friedman says:

    i have the same shirt from the same place, as well as a blue university stripe from mercer & sons. both companies do a great job in this area. i haven’t yet been able to swallow yellow, green, or purple stripes. mercer makes a great maize/yellow.

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