Button-Down Collars: FUN Facts
By BankersBall on Jul 18, 2008 in Cube Life, Dretthin for Succeth
While we’re on the topic of big law …
A certain corporate lawyer wonders aloud why Big Law guys and academics seem to be the only types that still make use of the button-down collar.
My guess is that when Big Law-ers hear “business casual” they think “business preppy.” As we discovered about the ladies of Big Law, it’s not at all unusual to find mass market prep (J. Crew, etc) on display at law firms. In fact, they seem to take some kind of perverse pleasure in making sure they wear pink with lime green.
Which makes perfect sense, given that Brooks Brothers invented the damn thing in 1896: “John Brooks, grandson of the founder, makes fashion history by introducing the button-down polo collar shirt. His design inspiration comes after attending an English polo match where he observes the players’ shirts secured with buttons to keep them from flapping in the wind. The shirt becomes an instant success…”
Incidentally, fashion “rules” dictate that button downs, as distinctly casual garments, are not to be worn with a tie, and go best with a blazer.
On Jul 25, 2008, stanti said:
“they seem to take some kind of perverse pleasure in making sure they wear pink with lime green.”
Or they want to pay an everlasting tribute to the one, the only, the Vice.
On Jul 27, 2008, zzz said:
Obviously not so much fun if you posted this on July 18th and no comments yet.
On Aug 29, 2008, The Mooks said:
I challenge your comment that ties are not to be worn with button downs, though it is close to the rule–non-button collars should not be worn without a tie, as they are generally regarded as not having enough punch, gusto, chutzpah, or other favorite ethnically biased euphamism for balls to not look funny without a tie. But then again, are there really any rules these days?