Okay, someone has to say it. Culture is spending too much time talking about crispy diet cokes and not enough time talking about crispy white button-down shirts. Off the heels of that newly infamous Chanel x Charvet moment during creative director Matthieu Blazy’s Spring 2026 debut, it feels worth revisiting what makes a good shirt great. And, why I think a truly excellent button-down is your fall trump card.
The best button-down is buttery yet crisp, opaque yet supple, creamy yet structured. You absolutely need one in white (non-negotiable) and you kind of need one in a tonal neutral (think ranges of powder blues, chocolate browns, charcoal to dove grays, or an inky black). But if you want to feel complete, add a third hue to your arsenal. I’m partial to butter yellow or baby pink. Pinstripes can play ball, but they’ll never replace the OG white.
Chanel x Charvet shirts on the Spring 2026 runway.
Styling-wise, I wear mine mostly with wide-leg jeans, but this fall I’ve noticed that the cool girls (EIHGs, in trademarked-speak) are also pairing theirs with cigarette or puddle jeans, High Sport pants, The Row Gala pants, and anything silk. It’s the rare piece that works with every texture and vibe you throw at it.
The silhouette always shifts with the trend cycle. I’m observing button-downs becoming more form-fitting right now, but the key is wearing what flatters how you move. I like mine a little boyish — slightly oversize with a dramatic side split, perfect if you have prominent hips and want a bit of shape without losing ease. Sometimes I’ll get the waist taken in, but the customization I swear by is the monogram: small, tonal stitching on the rib, forearm, or cuff. It’s subtle, personal, and the easiest way to make something classic feel singular. To accessorize, I almost always wear mine with a collar necklace.
Wearing my button-up from The Row.
Ahead, I'll review a few that meet the bill: a chocolate-brown number from Kallmeyer, The Row’s perfected iteration, Anteros's new cult fave, the one every cool girl wants made custom, and, of course, Phoebe Philo’s take that makes you an urban legend simply by wearing it.
Katie Holmes wearing The Anteros's insider-favorite shirt.
My All-Time Favorite Button-Up Shirts
Kallmeyer can do no wrong, and their take on the chocolate brown button-down leaves me breathless. The tonal grosgrain placket detail (the white stripe that lines the buttons) is such a perfect play to add some cheekiness to what’s already considered more austere. Love!
The Row’s button-down shirts are a classic for a reason, and they’re my designer pick for the classically crispy, creamy, and white variety. It should wear like you’re drinking a cold glass of milk after finishing a decadent and warm chocolate chip cookie, and this one does just that. Enjoy!
The cool girls run to Chava Studio when they want something custom. A Swiss mill called Alumo is behind many of its 100% cotton button-downs. The vibe? Charvet-like in quality, but more whimsical in its execution. Take the famed tuxedo shirts or the hidden stripe detailing found on their chocolate brown version. Come here to play!
The Anteros butter yellow Lief shirt took the (niche) fashion internet by storm. From what I’m seeing on the streets of NYC, it’s not going anywhere this fall. The elongated cuffs make this pick striking, daring, and cool, which is a perfect accompaniment to its creamy, yet supple texture that wears color SO WELL.
Every time I see a Phoebe Philo button-down shirt worn in the flesh, my jaw involuntarily drops. They are all just THAT good. The white pointed collar is sharp, chic, and luxurious. The tuxedo shirt is playful and sexy, and the pinstripe feels embodied yet grounded; very Danielle Goldberg. You just can’t go wrong.
Thanks for reading! I’ll catch you next month, and until then—keep up via my newsletter (trademarked on Substack) or on social.
