“Exuviae” is a term that refers to the exoskeleton of an animal that has been shed. Fred Li took the term and put on the masculine root in Latin (the modern day language of science) to come up with “Exuvius”…the thinking man’s second skin. That is exactly what Exuvius oozes. It comes out of their cotton and modal thread pores. This stream lined clothing company is quickly becoming known for their unmistakable product quality and innovative designs. (See Titan Collar Stays below).
Exuvius brings together form and function- a perfect blend of a classic look with modern day accoutrement. They’ve also developed an ability to alter off-the-rack sizes to fit better…something between custom-tailored fit and an off-the-rack size. Fred, CEO and Founder, lives by this motto: “Look like the hero of your own personal story.” He’s managed to translate that into a line that doesn’t try too hard and has the right focus.
First, the Dual Identity Undershirt. Feels like butter melting into a second skin around your body as you realize what a sham those burlap and cotton undershirts you’ve been wearing all your life have been. Your girl will wear it to bed and never take it off. Fred told us what makes it so special…“The fabric we use is called ‘modal’, and after discovering it I promptly went out and replaced all of my bedsheets with this material. True story. Also, I once found an old cotton undershirt clinging inside one of our modal undershirts after I pulled out of the wash. My girlfriend claimed it was something called ‘static electricity’ but I’m pretty sure the old shirt was trying to wear the soft-as-a-cloud Exuvius one. As a base layer, you really can’t compromise on comfort and fit, and the Dual Identity Undershirt literally has you covered.”
Then you get to the actual dress shirt. We tested out the Vanderbilt & the Fulton, neither of which disappointed. Uber stylish and fit like a dream. We liked the stamina of the Fulton for this past winters ultra harsh NYC blizzards, but the Vanderbilt was the ultimate favorite with the perfect weight and charm to go from jeans, Chucks and Saboteur blazer to fully suited up. We loved this lavender color, very complimentary with a power tie too. All shirts come with a ‘page’ of knot cufflinks, a nice touch. The guys at Exuvius are even willing to go the next step and find out how ‘she’ll’ look in your Vanderbilt for you…as for how they maintain the level of quality, Fred says “We pick our materials based on feel and durability. We don’t care about thread counts, cost, or country of origin. A good fabric should be comfortable to wear and uneasy to tear.”
Most intriguing at Exuvius are the swanky looking Titan Collar Stays, for people who start off their days as Bruce Wayne but finish out the night as Batman. 100% Titanium, these little guys are are lightweight, stiffer than steel, and while their primary function is keeping a man’s collar in check they double, triple, and quadruple as a set of screwdrivers, a thread cutter, and even a bottle opener…Not too bad for those of us who think the Dark Knight’s utility belt would clash with our slacks.
“We create products that reflect the type of men we all want to be.” -Fred Li, CEO of Exuvius
*Tried & Tested. Alister & Paine practices old-school journalistic integrity. We only write from experience–never press releases. If we haven’t tried it and loved it you won’t find it in our magazine.
