What's New This Week
wait, is it a button-DOWN or button-UP shirt?
We see the term “button-down” and “button-up” shirt used interchangeably online and arguably incorrectly quite often - ( I myself am guilty of this ) - but there is a very subtle difference between the two and I’m here to share some fun history with you.
For whatever reason, to me personally, a “button-down” shirt sounds better / has a better ring to it when describing a Men’s long-sleeve dress shirt, a Women’s blouse, or just about anything that is long-sleeved with buttons down the front. However, there is one SMALL difference between the two that is going to change the way you forever look at dress shirt with buttons down the front.
Shirts with buttons have always been called “button-ups” but it wasn’t until British polo players changed the game literally in the late 19th century. Essentially - they got annoyed with those collar flaps flying in their faces and started fastening the collars down with an extra button. John E. Brooks of Brooks Brothers saw this idea, designed his own shirt and brought it to mainstream America in the early 1900s, essentially creating the “button-down” shirt.1
All button-downs are button-ups - but not all button-ups are button-downs.
The key difference being a button-down has those two extra buttons on the front collar flaps - giving the shirt a more polished and refined “Ivy league East Coast” feel. Nowadays I find those little extra buttons extrememely pointless - and is something that personally gives me the ick. I will avoid any and all button-ups with that extra button purely out of personal preference - however I see them everywhere ( especially on old 90s episodes of Seinfeld - you can never un-see this now. #sorrynotsorry )
Lastly - you may be shocked to learn the single marker of a Men’s vs. Women’s shirt is the side the buttons are on. Men’s shirts have the buttons on the right side - vs. Women’s on the left. This goes waaaaaay back to when Women were commonly dressed by someone else - hence having the buttons on the opposite side made it easier for the person dressing them to fasten. Wow!
I love love love a good men’s striped shirt - and they are something I sell through consistently on my website and pop-ups. So much so, that I only have one online at the moment ( with more to come mid-June just in time for Renegade Seattle ). The fit and feel of a well-tailored men’s shirt will always have the perfect fit , whether you are looking for something oversized to layer, or to dress up and french tuck into jeans or trousers for work and dinner.
Since we are just about sold out of our classic Men’s striped shirts, I have put together a round-up of pieces you can shop and find online from my fellow vintage community.
( I will have more this summer at Renegade Seattle, and our other local events )
pro-tip if you have the time and patience, you can always pop into a Goodwill and browse the Men’s section - you can sometimes find one ( or three ) quality shirts to easily create this look. They might not be vintage - but a pre-loved shirt beats a $128 fast-fashion ill-fitting version from Free People any day. Better yet - find one from your favorite curated vintage shop - we have done the work of sourcing, washing and repairing the best of the best for you :)
Vintage Striped Shirt in Blue & Yellow x blaksands
1980s YSL in White x Barnaby Jack
Vintage Stiped Button-up in Yellow via Noihsaf
Vintage Ralph Lauren Button-up in Blue via Noihsaf
Vintage Stripe Shirt in Blue x Shop Marie
Vintage Green Striped Shirt Jacket x Rawson
Vintage Versace Button-up x Na Nin
Vintage Striped Cotton Shirt x Na Nin
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xx M
Michelle Moore is a Seattle-based creative, vintage curator, photographer, writer and educator. You can catch her at an up-coming pop-up, swing by on a night she’s hosting at the restaurant in Ballard, order one of her hand-knit Beanies, or hire her to host & plan your next event.
connecting you with good clothes + good people.
sources: Triple Stitched + Hockerty
History of the Button Front Shirt