From the Mailroom: Classic Fella
One of the best aspects of having a (modest) social media presence is that I get to interact with and promote small brands. There’s something really beautiful about someone striking out on their own to pursue a passion. With so much doubt and uncertainty in the world, it’s refreshing to see people willing to go out there and bring their vision to life.
Another great aspect of interfacing with smaller operations is that they usually1 focus on producing high-quality products. Quality is such a massive differentiator and is something that tends to get worse as a brand ages (e.g., Brooks Brothers, L. L. Bean, and J. Crew, while still making up the bulk of my wardrobe, clearly are not what they used to be).
I find that it’s generally a good thing to keep my ear to the ground in this regard — I get to find brands that genuinely care about their product from an artisanal perspective, and don’t yet have to feel dismay over the inevitable private equity leveraged-buy-out fates that many of our favorite shops have been meeting recently.
That brings us to todays topic: Classic Fella.
The inspiration for CF draws heavily from mid-century America, with a heavy focus on the essentials of a man’s wardrobe. Most of the offerings are undergarments (undershirts, socks, boxers — the things everyone needs); things that are often overlooked when we think of “elevated basics“, but are important nonetheless. Everything is made in Italy, which is a nice touch as well.
The name itself is kinda funny — a bit lighthearted, but I think it works well as a brand name for a company that specializes in undergarments. Not too serious, but not too goofy (e.g., meundies), gets the point across.
Their initial release also features a pair of single-pleat shorts and a button-down shirt, which they were nice enough to send over to me for review (along with a pair of quarter-socks).
The Button Down — $180
Immediately I was drawn to the fabric itself. It visually looks like oxford cloth, but upon feeling it, it’s clear that it isn’t — it feels almost like a piqué weave. I actually had to go back and ask the team for clarification on the fabric itself, as I was a little perplexed. I got this answer back:
We've refrained from calling our button-down an "oxford" purely because of its weight and density. It's a basket woven cotton fabric, just like oxford cloth, but made with a finer thread and a looser weave. Since oxford cloth is known for its weight and durability, it didn't seem like a good move to give ours that name. Wanted to avoid any and all heckling from the menswear crowd haha. Kidding, kind of.
They’re not kidding about how lightweight it is either. I love oxfords but have a really difficult time wearing them in the warmer months because of the fabric weight. This feels like a good medium for a summer shirt that retains the visual texture of an oxford without you ending up drenched in sweat.
Collar Length: ~2.5”. Again, it’s not an oxford, so collar roll was likely less of a consideration here.
Sleeve Cuff: Single-pleat, runs a bit slim through the forearm. The cuffs themselves are on the smaller side.
General Fit: I’m 6’2 and 205 pounds with a 46” chest and usually take a 16.5 x 35 in dress shirts. The large fits me well — the sleeve length appears to be 35” and the neck is right around 16.5” too. A bit of a generous cut in the chest and through the body of the shirt. Definitely works better tucked in.
The Shorts — $155
The details: Single-pleat with an extended waistband and natural corozo buttons. Made in Italy. The fabric itself has a good heft to it and feels pretty durable. Very much a taupe color in-person — a bit darker than a standard pair of khakis. 9” inseam.
I’ve never owned a pair of pleated shorts, so this was a first for me. I think the fit of shorts is probably the most personal and contentious of any garment in the wider menswear community. You have everything from European ultra-skinny-fit jean shorts that go down to the knee, all the way to 5” inseam Patagonia baggies with a very wide fit.
Preference is largely, in my opinion, a product of how much muscle mass you have on your legs. I cannot for the life of me make slimmer-fitting shorts work with my tree trunk legs. The CF shorts are definitely on the slim side and have a particularly European-feeling cut to them. Not really a negative per se, just not something that meshes with my body type really well. So, even though I can recognize them as nice shorts, the fit unfortunately just doesn’t work for me.
All-in-all, this was a pretty solid mail day. It’s clear that Classic Fella makes their clothes with intention and the quality is definitely noticeable. As always, I’d never shill for a company that I wasn’t willing to stake my reputation on, so rest assured that I actually like the stuff they sent me.
Cheers guys, and happy Monday!
Of course there’s dropshippers and fake vintage sellers and all kinds of bad actors in the menswear space as well, but they’re so easily identifiable that they’re almost not worth mentioning.