A collaboration between Drake's and illustrator Mayumi Yoshida, this rugby shirt sits at the edge of where the brand usually operates: louder, more graphic, less easy to ignore.
The Verdict
At $345, this is a considered piece for someone who already owns the quieter Drake's shirts and wants something with more visual presence. It is not a wardrobe workhorse. It is a shirt you wear when you want to be the one who bought the interesting thing.
The Make
The fabric is 9.4oz yarn-dyed cotton jersey in a red and ecru block stripe, made in Portugal. That weight is substantial for a rugby shirt — heavy enough to hold its shape through a day of actual wear, not so heavy that it becomes a chore in anything above 65 degrees. Yarn-dyeing matters here because the stripe doesn't sit on the surface; it runs through the fabric, which means it won't fade unevenly after repeated washing.
Construction details read well for the price. The rubber buttons are the right call over plastic: warmer to the touch, less likely to crack. The covered placket keeps the front clean rather than interrupting the stripe with an exposed button band. The contrasting white twill collar references Drake's English Classic shirts, which is a genuine design lineage rather than a marketing note. Ribbed hem and cuffs are standard for the category, executed without issue.
The collaborative elements are restrained by the standards of the genre. The Mayumi Y. x Drake's 1977 chest patch is embroidered rather than printed, and the back motif is similarly worked rather than applied. Whether you find either detail charming or unnecessary will depend entirely on how you feel about the illustrator's work. Worth looking up before you buy.
The Fit
The brand describes this as having a slightly trimmer body and higher armholes than a standard rugby, which tracks with how Drake's generally scales things. It runs true to size. If you're between sizes and tend to layer underneath, take up. If you prefer the shirt to do all the work on its own, stay true.
The Context
$345 puts this above most rugby shirts you'd buy without thinking about it, and below the point where you're buying something that will genuinely outlast you. Drake's is not trying to compete with a vintage Ralph Lauren rugby on price-per-wear math. This is a collaboration piece with a limited production run, and the price reflects that. If you want a plainer stripe rugby at a lower price, Rowing Blazers makes a credible one. If you want something with more craft behind the knit itself, Sunspel's heavier cotton jerseys are worth considering.
The Personal Note
I haven't bought this one. The stripe and the embroidery together push it to a 7 on a loud-to-subtle scale, which is about two points above where I personally live. If you're drawn to it, the construction is honest for the price and the collaboration is genuine, not a badge on an otherwise unchanged garment. Buy it because you like Mayumi Yoshida's work, not because it says Drake's on the chest.
