Some items in a traditional man's wardrobe are simply essential, must have staples. The Oxford strap Oxford Cloth Button Down (OCBD) shirt, a quality pair of chinos and an Oxford Grey crew-neck wool sweater are unquestionable such items. I'm convinced that given these wardrobe staples are in heavy rotation, they needn't be super expensive items with diligent shopping, one can find great quality clothing generally for prices that won't break the bank. Having been referred to Arket via a post I saw on Instagram, touting their chino work trousers sent me to their website where I found these 3 pieces which appeared to be extremely well thought out and executed and at prices that even my rather frugal budget can afford. Arket is a Swedish company which specialized in high-quality clothes for man, women, and children as well as housewares at reasonable prices.
Oxford Stripe OCBD:
I had been shopping for a good quality OCBD shirt for a while to add to my rotation and the shirt from Arket seemed to fit the bill nicely. I know there are a hand full of old-line companies which are famous for these shirts such as Brooks Brothers, Mercer & Sons, J. Press, and Japan's Kamakura, all of which, I'm sure making excellent quality shirts, but their pricing with import duties into Germany make these options price prohibitive for me. Arket's Shirt 3 Oxford has most of the details I was looking for including 100% organic cotton content and genuine Trocas shell buttons for a fraction of the price. Made from a nice heavy weight Oxford cloth, this really feels like a quality item that will last years and break-in nicely and become softer with wear.
Kahki Organic Cotton Chinos:
Arket Cotton Chinos are made from high quality 100% Organic cotton (these in dark beige) medium-weight twill are pretty Ideal in terms of fit and finish made with a slim, but not too slim, these chinos while not high waisted, these just about have the ideal fit
This Merino sweater again in nicely made with large ribbing at cuffs, neck, and waist, and knitted using a wonderful multi-hued melange grey yarn. I purchased their size large, which fits well my 44-inch chest and 6-foot,2-inch frame.
Knitted in a plain jersey knit, this jumper is made of RWS certified merino wool. RWS stands for Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) which makes it possible to trace the material all the way back to the farm. For full details, I recommend a visit to the Arket website.
