We have both henleys paired with cream shorts here, but other classic colours like navy or olive shorts would work too:
Because the henley is knitted and fully fashioned, it looks smarter than an ordinary jersey cotton cut and sewn henley, which is what makes our henley more suited to being worn with tailored clothing such as high waisted tailored trousers, as shown here. The wider ribbed hem on the henley means it will sit neatly on the trousers even when it is untucked.
The rower's henley is a happy medium between formal and casual, an elevated casual piece, if you will, making it well suited over slimmer fit jeans and trousers, such as the cream jeans featured here. The dark brown henley would also work well with light or dark wash denim.
Outfit 1.
Extra Fine Merino Rower's Henley Shirt in Brown
Cream coloured shorts
Brown check linen jacket
Cocoa, cream and mustard vintage silk scarf
The brown henley is a dark brown shade which works well with other shades of brown, such as this mid-brown check sport coat. Given the more casual bottoms, we have balanced this with a more formal sport coat on top to dress up the look.
The deeper v of the henley aligns well with the shape of the lapels, as opposed to a lot of henley shirts with rounder necks that can give off too much of a period look, rather than contemporary look. Wear a silk or light wool scarf around the neck to "dress up" the henley. We opted for a cocoa, cream and mustard scarf to go with the cream and brown tones of the rest of the outfit.
Outfit 2.
Extra Fine Merino Henley Shirt in Brown
White jeans
Pistachio sport coat
Brown loafers
The dark brown henley works well with green as well, especially a matt olive or pistachio like this sport coat here. We’ve completed the smart casual look with a pair of brown loafers, to match the brown henley. White jeans are always a safe choice, as it goes well with stronger colours like brown and olive as shown here.
Outfit 3.
Extra Fine Merino Henley Shirt in Brown
White jeans
Superfine lambswool tennis cardigan in oatmeal
Swapping out the pistachio sport coat for our oatmeal cardigan – which works just as well with the white jeans and brown henley to create a tonal combination. It is the most casual look out of the 3. The cardigan is a traditional piece of classic menswear, but matched with the henley, we like how this look achieves an elegant balance between contemporary and classic.
Outfit 4.
Extra Fine Merino Henley Shirt in Cream
Olive trousers
Denim shirt
Black leather biker jacket
At the beginning of the 20th century, the henley shirt, as well as for rowing, doubled up as an undergarment in Britain. Due to its softness and comfort, it was often worn under a tough, heavy duty shirt - like the denim shirt featured here.
The idea was a favourite in the US and you often see working men wearing a henley under a denim or chambray shirt. This look is our modern take on this classic combination.
Layer further with a black biker on top to achieve that mix of contemporary and heritage style.
