The Making of Our Perfect Travel Shirt

Our Meridian travel shirt has really taken off since our successful Kickstarter launch in 2017 — and the reviews are coming fast and furious of one of our finest products yet — a high performance, machine washable dress shirt that never wrinkles, but has a natural look and feel that rivals any shirt you own.

But bringing the Meridian shirt into the world was not easy. It took two years of intense research & development to come up with a shirt I could be proud of — because I have some pretty specific needs when it comes to developing the best men’s travel shirt out there:

Technical capabilities

First, I knew that I was going to ask a lot of a Bluffworks travel shirt technically — because why even do it if I couldn’t get everything on my wish list?

I knew we had to have a wrinkle free shirt that I could ball up in the bottom of my bag, then pull out and wear anywhere. It had to be a non iron dress shirt — because who has time to iron on the road??

Whether I’m caught in a downpour or rinsing it out in my hotel room, I need a shirt that dries fast so I can keep going, so all of our Bluffworks travel clothes dry fast. I’m also always hot, so moisture wicking fabric for our shirt was key to help keep me cool.

My perfect travel shirt also needed to be antimicrobial — so I don’t stink after all that moisture wicking, and so that I can wear the shirt a couple of days in a row. I like to travel light, and so I need basically a capsule wardrobe when I travel made up of items that I can wear multiple times. The Meridian shirt helped us complete a full men’s capsule wardrobe of Bluffworks products.

Looks great

On the other hand, I knew I wanted a comfortable dress shirt that doesn’t look like a travel shirt. Half of the travel shirts out there look like they were designed for fly fishing trips, while the other half feel like they’re made out of the same material as a pup tent.

When I travel, I like to do everything — from hiking and mountain biking to eating at the best restaurants and taking in the world’s greatest art in museums and galleries. So if I’m committed to a minimalist wardrobe while I travel, I’ve got to have a shirt that works hard when I do, and looks great when I want to.

World tested

Getting all those amazing technical capabilities (moisture wicking, antimicrobial, quick dry, non iron dress shirt) into a shirt that also looks and feels good was one reason the R&D took so long. The other reason is that I like to field test everything we make in every situation I possibly can.

We do a lot of lab testing on all our fabrics and products, but nothing compares to taking a prototype out into the real world to see how it performs.

Of course, even as a dedicated traveler, there are only so many places and situations I can wear the shirt. But what’s amazing is that it’s now been truly world tested because our incredible early backers have started wearing this travel shirt all over the globe.

"The Meridian held up through an impromptu wrestling match with my little girls (Ollie 6 & Maris 2), and a weekend swim meet and a concert in Columbia, SC. Today, I'll be wearing it on a flight to Orlando, FL for a business meeting. Fantastic material...no wrinkles right out of the packaging. And after 3 consecutive days...it's still crisp enough to wear with a sport coat." - Wes

"My overall analysis after wearing it for four days: I absolutely love this shirt! Everything about this shirt is high quality. From the stitches to the way it hangs. The durability and wrinkle-free aspects are exceptional." - Preston

"Wearing a dress shirt two days in a row without washing is never an option for me. In fact, I normally change dress shirts half way throughout the day if I have an important engagement in the afternoon/evening. The Bluffworks Meridian wa as fresh as it was from day one! The client I was assisting even commented me on "my pretty shirt". Truly incredible products!" - Matthew

Customer approved

And the upshot of all that global testing? Well, let’s just say that our guys are as happy with the shirt as I am.

“My favorite wrinkle free shirt — perfect for happy hour or boardroom in any city you visit.” — Tortuga 

“It’s a no-brainer. The value is there, it’s great for people who want a really good shirt that can be their only shirt for a weekend away, or a short business trip. It looks equally good under a blazer, as it does under a puffy vest when you are at the coast for a weekend.” - Ben

“Five days. Six flights totaling 20h. No wrinkles — untuck with no worries. No odor. I got home and hung the Meridian back on the hanger.” — RICHARD

Our Meridian Shirt is incredible. I can honestly say this is one of the best products we’ve produced yet.

It’s a soft, natural feeling, comfortable dress shirt that has fantastic performance capabilities. I tend to wear one for three or four days before a wash because the Meridian designed to fit into a men’s capsule wardrobe and stand up to whatever you put it through. And when it needs care, it comes out of the washer and dryer perfect — wrinkle-free for real, every time. I can promise that this is the only non iron shirt you’ll ever need.

Stefan