Single-needle stitching
A shirting construction where seams are sewn with one needle making one row of stitches at a time. Slower, more precise, more durable than double-needle.
Most shirting construction uses double-needle (or "twin-needle") sewing machines that produce two parallel rows of stitches in a single pass. It's fast and the seams are strong, but the second row often pulls the fabric slightly out of alignment, which produces a subtle puckering visible up close.
Single-needle construction sews each seam twice — once for each row of stitches — with one needle at a time. The fabric stays flat under the foot, which produces cleaner, flatter, more precise seams. Look closely at the side seams of a Brooks Brothers MTM oxford vs. a fast-fashion oxford and you'll see the difference: the BB seam runs perfectly straight; the cheaper one ripples slightly.
It's a workmanship signal more than a durability signal. Single-needle seams aren't meaningfully more durable, but they signal a brand willing to slow down the assembly line for a small visual improvement. Drake's, Kamakura, and most dress-shirt makers in this tier do single-needle on side seams and armholes; below that tier it's double-needle by default.
Oxford cloth
A basket-weave cotton fabric — two yarns woven together as one — producing a soft, slightly textured surface common in casual button-downs.
Plain weave
The simplest weave structure — each weft yarn passes over and under alternating warp yarns. Used for poplin, broadcloth, canvas, and many shirting fabrics.