Some pieces become synonymous with the brand that created them. For Wax London, that piece is the Whiting Overshirt.
Distinctive checks, textured fabrics and an effortlessly wearable silhouette have helped turn the Whiting into a modern menswear staple — and it's picked up a few famous fans along the way.
Now available at TRIADS, we're taking a closer look at the story behind one of Wax London's most recognisable pieces.
Sitting somewhere between a shirt and a jacket, the Whiting is Wax London's signature overshirt.
The formula is deliberately simple: a regular fit, button front and two patch pockets, transformed season after season through Wax's choice of fabrics, textures, checks and colour combinations.
It's substantial enough to work as a light jacket, but relaxed enough to layer underneath heavier outerwear when temperatures drop.
That's what makes the Whiting such an easy piece to wear.
T-shirt underneath. Whiting over the top. Done.
There's also more behind the name than you might expect.
The Whiting was named after Wax London co-founder Tom Holmes' grandfather, giving one of the brand's most recognisable designs a connection to family.
And that idea of different generations being able to wear the same piece is part of its appeal.
It isn't designed around one particular trend or one particular way of dressing.
It's simply a great overshirt.
One of the Whiting's most notable fans is Bradley Cooper.
The actor has been photographed wearing Wax London on several occasions, including stepping out in New York wearing the brand's Orange Pike Check Whiting.
Cooper kept things characteristically understated — layering the textured overshirt over a simple long-sleeved tee and finishing the look with a trucker cap and sunglasses.
Nothing overly styled.
And that's precisely why it worked.
It's also a good demonstration of what makes the Whiting so versatile: throw it over the basics you already own and let the texture and check do the work.
Cooper isn't the only recognisable face to have reached for the Whiting.
Harry Judd of McFly has been seen wearing the Blue Mercer Check Whiting, while Alan Carr appeared in Wax London's Pike Whiting during The Celebrity Traitors.
The wider Wax London roster is even more impressive.
Ryan Reynolds, Ian Wright, Chris Evans, Anthony Mackie, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Charles Leclerc and Callum Turner are among the names who have been spotted wearing pieces from the London label.
It's a pretty good indication of where Wax now sits in contemporary menswear.
The secret is arguably that the Whiting doesn't really feel like a statement piece — even when the fabric is doing something interesting.
Wear one with loose denim and trainers.
Throw it over a white T-shirt with chinos.
Layer it under a coat.
Or button it up and wear it more like a traditional shirt.
The silhouette stays simple while the fabric gives each version its own personality.
That versatility has helped turn the Whiting from another overshirt into something immediately associated with Wax London.
For many people, the Pike Check fabric is the definitive Whiting.
Its textured woven construction gives the jacket far more depth than a standard checked shirt, while still retaining the easy shape that made the original so wearable.
It's the sort of piece that looks good from a distance but gets even better when you see the fabric up close.
And because Wax continually introduces the Whiting in new colour combinations and fabrications, there's rarely just one way into the style.
The best menswear often isn't the loudest.
It's the stuff you reach for without thinking.
That's where the Whiting earns its place.
Part shirt. Part jacket. Easy to layer. Easy to style. Distinctive without being difficult to wear.
From the streets of London to Bradley Cooper in New York, the Whiting has quietly become one of the most recognisable overshirts in contemporary menswear.
And now it's landed at TRIADS.
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