In Defence of the Canadian Tuxedo
All my denim & chambray shirts
Just look at the picture above.
Legit passion or a real problem — I honestly don't know 😂
What I do know is that denim shirts almost always work. Unless you're heading somewhere black tie formal, you really can't go wrong.
The Shirt Ranking Nobody Talks About
Most style guides rank their must-have shirts the same way — white dress shirt first, OCBD second, then somewhere down the list comes denim.
I'd flip that order.
Here's my case: how often are you actually wearing a suit and tie?
For roughly 80% of people, suit and tie occasions are minimal — weddings, formal dinners, the occasional work event. And honestly? An OCBD handles all of those just fine. There's something less stuffy about an OCBD under a suit, and when the tie comes off, that collar roll gives it a better look than a stiff dress shirt anyway.
For everything else — which is most of your life — denim wins.
Why Denim Over Everything Else
A few reasons this is my go-to:
Blue is a universal colour. I've yet to find a situation where wearing blue was the wrong call.
Most people default to plain cotton button-downs. Nothing wrong with that — but there's something about wearing a piece that shows it's been lived in. Maybe I'm getting old 😂, but I've always respected menswear that ages well. Denim is one of those pieces — the fades, the wear patterns, the way it starts to feel like yours over time.
Denim fade on the elbow
And personally — my skin tone is a bit darker, which I find works really well with dark denim. If you're East Asian or South Asian, don't sleep on dark denim shirts. They hit differently.
Let's Talk Double Denim
As a proud Canadian, I know the Canadian Tuxedo well — yes, that's the nickname for head-to-toe denim, and yes, it can absolutely be pulled off.
The safer approach — which I do often — is contrast. Light top with dark bottom, or dark top with light bottom. Either works. The contrast keeps it from looking like you accidentally got dressed in the dark.
The bolder move? Dark denim on dark denim. Full match, full commitment.
Hyun Bin and Milo Ventimiglia have both pulled this off — and at a high level. I've done it myself a few times. Some people said it looked great. Others gave me a funny look 😂
But here's the thing — if you have the confidence, go for it. Double denim rewards confidence more than any other outfit.
My Favourite Denim Shirts Right Now
Levi's Western Shirt — the classic, always reliable
Spier & Mackay custom shirt — worth the investment for a tailored fit
Gap raw denim — underrated, the raw denim version in my picture is one of theirs
Final Thought
Denim isn't just a casual option. It's versatile, it ages beautifully, and it works across more occasions than people give it credit for.
White dress shirt has its place.
But blue always works.
Now I want to hear from you — have you tried the Canadian Tuxedo? Did you wow everyone around you, or did you get the funny look? Drop it in the comments 😂
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