Express deliveries always get us excited, because we know they tend to be sent from our favorite mills in Japan and that they often contain something new. The package we received last week revealed one of the most unusual shirting finds of the season - two classic ideas paired to create something very different. The first is a luxurious, velvety soft 21 wale corduroy. Its fine vertical channels create texture and depth. The second is a classic plaid pattern. When paired with the corduroy weave, this plaid appears set behind the top surface. It has a unique look that renders it much more subtle and muted. The colors are earthy but soft and subtly faded. All together, the look is fresh and complex. 

This shirt is sewn up in our new Rugged style. It's designed to be the perfect style for our heavier, more rustic fabrics we run. It's a bit more casual, without being over the top. This style is really set off by two key design cues: a perfectly sized collar without buttons and two clean button closure, and rounded chest pockets. These two elements lend the style a more casual look while their clean implementation keeps the shirt versatile. A simpler back yoke replaces the box pleat and locker loop of our Classic style. Intricate stitching tacks down the collar stand. The Rugged style inherits the same core fit block from the updated Classic style. The moment we sewed up some flannels and heavy jacquards in this style we knew it was right.