From the quality to the style, here’s my hands-on review of Snaps Clothing’s pearl-snap shirts. And, of course, I answer whether or not they suit my slim, modest frame.
Here’s a little history. In the ‘40s, Western-style shirts (which, by the way, I consider a stylish, workhorse for your wardrobe), got upgraded. Already function-forward, a clothier called Rockmount Ranch Wear decided snap buttons would make them easier to take on and off.
Have you ever worked on a ranch? When it gets hot, and you want to undo a few top buttons, it’s impossible to do so with work gloves.
Snaps Clothing is bringing the pearl-snap shirt into everyday style. But, how does this functional, cowboy-esque aesthetic work on a regular button-up polo? And easy-function aside, are their shirts any good? Most importantly, does Snaps make pieces conducive to men of modest height?
I’ve been wearing two of their shirts for over a month now. Here’s everything you need to know.
Snaps Clothing: About the Brand
Snaps was founded by two Southern gents who, according to their About page. These men related to each other through live music, sports, authentic connections, and good dressing. They decided to bring back the American pearl snap shirt, honoring their roots.
The Texas-based brand claims to be dedicated to quality fabric, good fit, and sustainability. So basically, guys who I’d love to grab a drink with made shirts I’d love to wear. Their shirts are a bit more elevated than the typical snap-button shirt you’d normally see.
My Build and Products Tested
I’m 5’7” and a half (easily 5’8″ and up in shoes) and 130lbs at my fittest. I have a 35” chest and wear XS tops. My waist is a size 28, which means I even have to get XS shirts tailored half the time.
I was sent two of their shirts, both short-sleeved, both size S. The shirts were labeled as:
- The Rambler Twill EZ Care, SL-S-BLD-SS, Dusty Blue Gingham
- The Rambler EZ Care, SR-S-LAG-SS, Desert Flower
At the time of this writing, I can’t find either of these pieces on their websites. Hence, the very specific codes and official colorway descriptions. However, I’m sure my experience with both can easily apply to pieces in their EZ Care and Twill EZ Care lines.
Snaps Clothing: Rambler Twill EZ Care Shirt Review
The Rambler Twill EZ Care is a modernized Western shirt. The cotton construction is infused with T400, a material often used in athletic wear due to its stretch and recovery.
Design
This shirt has a deceivingly simple design. It’s infused with a lot of functionality, but you’d never know just by looking at it. Visually, this makes it highly versatile. It’s technically a button-down shirt because the collar tips are, well, buttoned down.
This allows the collar to stay in place, providing a neat, put-together look. However, the buttons are hidden behind the collar points.
I think this brings a nice aesthetic balance. It’s an overall cleaner, more elegant look without looking anywhere near stuffy.
After all, we don’t go to Western shirts for black-tie-level dressiness. Still, if you wanted to, you could dress this shirt up with a blazer — I certainly have. I’ve also worn it with jeans, shorts, and underneath a pullover.
Relatedly, the dusty blue hue makes it a year-rounder. The cool shade makes it perfect for colder seasons, while the dustiness is summer-appropriate.
Sizing and Comfort
At first, I was concerned about the Snaps line’s lack of XS options. That almost always means that I’d either need to get the shirt tailored or gift it away.
The S shirt fit me beautifully. The shoulders sit securely but not tightly, which is the most important part of a shirt fit, no matter what the trendy cut of the day is. The body needed no tailoring. It fell cleanly while giving me enough room to move around comfortably.
The sleeves jut out a bit, but that’s par for the course. Everyone is built differently, and most shirtmakers leave room in the sleeves for people to do as they wish with them.
I might get it tailored, though I’ve preferred wearing it folded, James Dean style. It adds to the balance of ruggedness and class. Otherwise, feel free to wear it as is, since that breezy fit is on-trend right now.
The fabric is super comfortable, breathable, and easy to maintain. Even in the summer, I only washed it every three-ish wears. I let it airdry and personally never needed to iron it, though it is ironable.
As you can see from the images, there were a few fold lines when I first took the shirts out of the package. These evened out through multiple wears and by simply hanging them in my closet.
Overall Thoughts on the Rambler Twill EZ Care Shirt
Overall, I think the Rambler Twill EZ Care shirt fulfills all of the brand promises. It’s comfortable, versatile, well-fitting, thoughtfully designed, and easy-maintenance.
Inherently, pearl snap buttons balance a dignified, luxe look with a practical, rugged look. It’s the aesthetic equivalent of a real-deal cowboy, who also knows to say “ma’am” and “miss.” Or a Southern gent who can down whiskey with the boys, but also still holds doors for ladies.
If you’re going to put pearl snaps on a modern shirt, it should strike a similar balance. It should be easy to dress up or down, classic but modern, and easy to style. This shirt achieves that; it’s versatile from a practical and fashion perspective. And, it works excellently on us shorter folks.
Snaps Clothing: Rambler EZ Care Shirt Review
Compositionally, the Rambler EZ Care Shirt is similar to the Twill EZ Care. The main difference is that it features a polyester fabric, which is engineered to allow heat to pass through and out.
It’s also moisture-wicking. This will prove to be highly practical for the occasions I decided to wear this shirt. It also has two chest pockets instead of one, both of which include snap buttons for more security.
Design
Overall, this shirt has more details on it, and more details means more casual. However, the dark salmon and deep periwinkle color palette make it pretty adaptable.
For example, the brightness makes it ideal for summer. However, the colors themselves, essentially versions of pink and purple-blue, would wear naturally in spring.
Meanwhile, the deep hues and detailing ensure you don’t have to rule it out during cold seasons. It combines Western, masculine design cues with preppy, celebratory colors, but it doesn’t go too far in either direction.
I have three favorite ways to wear it. It’s recently gotten cool but not cold in New York City, and I’ve worn it underneath a thin silk-merino pullover. It looks great with either a deep brown or a maroon sweater. As it gets colder, I can see it paired with a light slate gray or a winter white.
The second way is with blue jeans or chinos. Basically, the way a Western shirt is meant to be worn. I’ve worn it with loafers,
Third, it’s an excellent beach shirt. The color is beach-appropriate, and the cooling technology makes it the perfect layer on a windy day or just a day I don’t feel like taking my shirt off on the beach.
You can wear it open with a tank top underneath or as a quick layer to throw over after you’ve gotten out of the ocean and dried up. I even wore this shirt with white dress shorts, drivers, and a tan blazer during a beach club party.
Sizing and Comfort
Everything I mentioned about the Twill EZ Care Shirt applies here too. However, again, the added COOLMAX technology makes it an excellent warm-weather shirt. Because of its details and extra buttoning, it doesn’t look like it would work on extra hot days.
I love clothes that trick. While everyone is wearing loose t-shirts and swimming shorts, I can be in a handsome, structured shirt that’s equally as comfortable.
Overall Thoughts on the Rambler EZ Care Shirt
Like the Twill, the Rambler EZ Care Shirt fulfills all of the brand’s promises. With its COOLMAX tech, I highly recommend it to people who want to wear collared, structured shirts in the summer.
Since it has a two-button-pocket design and bright colors, you might think it’s only for highly casual, warm-weather outfits. I disagree. I think it’s a well-balanced design that you can wear most of the year.
It’s certainly more casual than the one-pocket Twill EZ Care shirt, but you can definitely wear it in a smart casual situation.
Overall Thoughts: Pros and Cons of Snaps Clothing
I won’t bury the lead. I’m a fan of Snaps Clothing. I like the style, comfort, and convenience of the snap buttons. Moreover, I’m pleasantly surprised that the size S fits me as well as XS pieces from other brands. So as far as my experience goes, I give it the modest-height thumbs-up.
I want to further acknowledge the excellent balance of style these pieces provide. They range from super casual to smart casual.
The pearl snaps are classy but functional, and the aesthetics of each shirt take full advantage of that. Both shirts I tried are classic but distinct. Other practical pros include comfort, great fit, and easy maintenance.
As far as who can wear this shirt, I say anyone. Even if you don’t love a Western
sensibility, these shirts are clean-lined and modernized enough that they can be styled like a polo. Still, they’re far more interesting than a polo. (Indeed, Western clothing for men isn’t so common on the Upper East Side where I live.)
Who it isn’t for? Anyone who just doesn’t like the look of pearl snaps. Or anyone who doesn’t want to get their short sleeves tailored. Though if this is the case, I warn you that few brands will work for you. Everyone’s arms, and arm-fit preferences, are different.
I don’t consider this a con per se, but the brand story mentions a focus on sustainability. I couldn’t find any details about this on the website. Maybe I need to dig deeper, but who’s got the time? I’d love more transparency on this topic.
Finally, the shirts I received weren’t on the website — or rather, I couldn’t find them. That’s no problem — inventory changes are no big deal. Again, I’m sure my experience with these shirts will apply similarly to each piece in their respective lines.
Questions? Comments? Let me know below!