Mack Weldon is a big men’s brand that has been out there for a while. Their SILVERKNIT Polo (our review) is one of my favorite polos, so when I saw the 37.5 Oxford, I decided to give it a try.
Material
The fabric is quite heavy and stiff, and is 60% cotton, 40% 37.5 Polyester. I found the stiffness to soften up with some washes, but the fabric still retains its crisp nature.
The care instructions for the shirt indicate “tumble dry low, do not iron”, which was interesting to me, but the shirt does come out of the dryer wrinkle-free and crisp. I normally hang my shirts to dry and steam or iron as necessary, but this shirt needs the dryer to get out all the wrinkles.
Fit & Style
The shirt is described as having a classic fit, but I would say the fit is more tailored. I found the length to work well both tucked or untucked, but in White, this is a shirt that I would probably only wear tucked in.
The weight of the fabric gives the shirt a nice crisp look. Along with the high cotton content, no one will know that you aren’t wearing a standard cotton oxford button-down (with the exception of the small Mack Weldon logo on the back along the side hem).
Performance
The 37.5 technology makes the claim of removing sweat from your body while it is still in the vapor stage, rather than wicking it once it is a liquid. This is said to help keep your core body temperature at 37.5ºC and the microclimate next to your skin at 37.5% RH. It also claims (not mentioned by Mack Weldon, but by the 37.5 technical information) to trap odors and then release them when washed.
Some of this is hard to say for sure if it’s working or not, but I didn’t ever feel moisture from sweat while wearing the shirt. Even though the underarm sweat guards, which strangely have ventilation holes that look like a drain hole, I didn’t feel warm or wet. I’m not sure why these guards are necessary with the 37.5, but they didn’t seem to hurt the performance of the shirt, other than adding some extra fabric.
As far as the odor resistance, that seems to be claimed by the 37.5 technology, I was able to get a solid two wears out of this shirt before it needed to be washed, so it seems the claims are founded.
I’ve worn this shirt in some warm conditions, but haven’t gotten to try it in the heat and humidity of the summer, so I’ll be interested to see how this technology holds up then.
When it comes to overall comfort, Mack Weldon claims “just enough stretch” which I’m guessing simply comes from how the fabric is woven. The stretch is not very noticeable, but I didn’t find the shirt to be uncomfortable.
Overall
The Mack Weldon 37.5 Oxford is a unique entry into the market. The shirt kept me dry and comfortable and allowed for at least two wears before needing to be washed. It looks crisp and doesn’t give away that it’s a performance shirt.
At the standard price point of $88 or the standard discount of 20% off, I’m on the fence on whether I would purchase it again. It’s a solid oxford shirt with a technology that seems to work, but I think the weight of the fabric could hinder the shirt’s versatility in hot weather.
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