Mercer & Son's Buffalo Bill Gingham

"Our shirts really do have character where other shirts look like they're made by robots. If it looks perfect, it really has no style. Art not science. " David Mercer

"Being as small as we are, often we're doing one shirt at a time. We have always been focused on quality first and value second." DM

"We were 5-6 weeks and are 7-8 at moment. -hope to cut that back to 5-6." The wait

"Dried Blood Gingham."

Same Mercer roll as the button down

Best to stay outta PJ Clarke's

Perfect button holes

Broad cloth, surcingle & canvas

Understanding the history-

if for no else...

...than you.

I reckon I've tried a half dozen MTM shirt makers in the last couple of years with varying success. I have developed an eye for a well made shirt and my rule is, "The simpler the better." If Mercer & Sons aren't MTM - they should be. Left arm half inch shorter than your right? Mercer will take care of it. Don't want a pocket but do want a locker loop. Mercer will take care of it. Each shirt is cut for you after you order so nothing is off the shelf.

David Mercer and I worked on this shirt together. I wanted a dark burgundy-over sized gingham and no one had the fabric. A lotta folks said, "No problem, we can get that." And when it came time to get -- they couldn't. This happens a lot in the MTM shirt biz. For whatever reason the swatch in the book is not supported by yardage at the plant. It's frustrating.

I'll never know how David found this fabric but my "Dried Blood Gingham" was perfect for what I had in mind. David did talk me into a plain collar for what he calls, "the Buffalo Bill." My first plain collar will not be the last.

It's softer and more comfortable than the button down. It's not lined and unbuttoned it's very relaxed looking with a perfect roll. There's no matching sleeve to yoke patterns but that's easily overlooked by just how damned well this thing is put together.

There's a lotta mass produced crap out there with bespoke details like split yoke, double/ triple button cuffs and contrast button hole stitching but they come in M, L and XL along with goods of questionable origins. It's amazing what some folks are getting away with. I paid $135 for mine but David is offering you the Buffalo Bill for $102 and free shipping.

That ain't bad at all for what probably are the best, non-MTM-but-better-than-MTM-shirts out there. Go here for details and the secret order code.

MTM Shirts: Red Gingham, Studs and Morley

Sayat Nova is an Armenian restaurant in Chicago just east of Michigan Avenue on Ohio. Got that M. Lane? Armenian. I'm a fan of the raw Kibbie but have been known to eat anything put in front of me at this place. It was popular (and cheap) for lunch so my boss liked to take three or four of us for what he called, "a feed."

We'd get there at 11:30 on a Friday and nine times outta ten we'd see Studs Terkel there with his radio producer. And nine times outta ten Studs was in a red gingham shirt, a blue blazer and khakis. And nine times outta ten Studs ordered a martini before lunch. When I saw this gingham in the sample book I thought of Studs.

I also thought of Morley Safer who's a fan of gingham. I saw Mr Safer in a restaurant bar, I think it was the Copper Beech Inn, some 20 years ago. He was by himself sipping a martini and smoking a Marlboro. And he was in a red gingham shirt, blue blazer and khakis.

Hmmm, red gingham and martinis? Seems to be a connection.

It's a shirt best worn without a tie but with a blue blazer and khakis. I decided to skip the popover here and keep it simple. When I wear it this Friday I'll order a dry Beefeater Martini (up) at lunch and think of Morley and Studs as I take the first cold sip. And if someone wants to put a place setting on me that's OK too.