The
Easy-Wearing Henley

By now, you're probably familiar with the henley—the long-sleeved pullover that looks a bit like a polo without the collar or the top half of an old school union suit. The underwear connotation actually makes sense. For decades, the only place you might've seen one was under a workshirt. You can thank Ralph Lauren for the shirt's eventual revival in the '90s. In the designer's biography, author Michael Gross quotes a New York merchant who pulled out a vintage shirt for Ralph Lauren and his buying team: "I showed this fellow underwear—a three-button long-sleeve shirt by Johnstown Knitting Mills. He said, 'This is a new shirt,'" and rest is history. These days, the lack of frills and gimmicks make the henley ideal for winter layering. Opt for heavier materials such as slubby cotton or wool and linen blends to ensure that the shirt maintains its shape. Throw it on under a cardigan for some woodsman vibes or push the sleeves up and undo a few buttons while unwinding by the fireplace. Scotch in hand, of course.

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  The henley derives its name from the English town of Henley-on-Thames, where it was the traditional uniform for rowers to fight against the brisk river winds.

When in doubt, use this (n-2) equation to determine how many buttons to button,
where n stands for the total number of buttons on the shirt.