Overshirts and Transitional Layers

FASHION · UNITED KINGDOM

Overshirts and Transitional Layers

Why an overshirt works, fabrics, fit over layers and caring for it

The overshirt has become the most useful layer in a wardrobe because it covers the part of the year that neither a jumper nor a coat handles well.

What it actually is

A shirt cut with enough room to go over other layers, in a heavier fabric than a normal shirt. It sits between a shirt and a jacket, which is precisely why it works in spring and autumn.

Some have a jacket-style collar and patch pockets; others are simply a heavy shirt. Both work.

Fabrics

Cotton twill and moleskin are hard-wearing and warm. Wool blends are warmer and drape more softly. Corduroy adds texture and reads more casual. Quilted linings extend it into colder weather.

Check the weight in grams, which tells you when you will actually wear it.

Fit

Try it over a t-shirt and over a jumper, since it needs to work over both. The shoulder seam should sit at or slightly beyond your shoulder, which is deliberate rather than a mistake.

Sleeves should reach the wrist bone with room for a layer underneath. Length to around the base of the hip.

Wearing it

Open over a t-shirt, buttoned as a shirt, or under a coat as a mid layer. It replaces a jumper for anyone who finds knitwear too warm indoors.

Care

Wash cool, inside out, and air dry rather than tumble drying. Heavier cotton softens with wear, and moleskin in particular improves over a couple of years.

Brush wool blends after wearing and dry clean them rarely, steaming the creases out instead.

Building around one

A neutral overshirt in navy, olive or oatmeal works with almost everything already in a wardrobe. Patterned ones are worn less and remembered more.

Two is usually enough — one light for spring and autumn, one heavier or lined for winter.

Buying second-hand

Heavier cotton and wool overshirts hold up for years, which makes the resale market well worth checking before buying anything new.

Fabric weight through the year

A lighter cotton overshirt covers spring and early autumn, and a heavier moleskin, wool blend or quilted version takes you into winter over a jumper. Checking the grams per square metre tells you which you are buying.

Unlined overshirts pack flat and suit travel, which is a large part of why they are useful.

Cost per wear

This is a garment worn several times a week for half the year, which makes it one of the easier purchases to justify. Ask honestly whether it works with at least three things you already own.

WHERE TO BUY

Ready to shop Wax London? Use the link below to visit the official store.

→ Shop Wax London — official site

Visit this site