I Tested lululemon's Newest (Under $100) Summer Staple at a Business Meeting, the Beach & the Airport

• Value: 20/20
• Comfort: 19/20
• Fit: 17/20
• Quality: 19/20
• Aesthetics: 19/20

TOTAL: 94/100

Athleisure giant lululemon is always innovating, whether it’s an exercise dress that’s somehow flattering on everyone,  restfeel sandals that are comfortable quiet luxury or a mini canvas tote bag that the internet is obsessed with. So in my lululemon summer athleisure shopping haul, I threw in a piece that I thought might come in handy in my work life: the lululemon Relaxed-Fit Cotton-Blend Poplin Button-Down Shirt ($98). I know you’re thinking: “A white button-down shirt for work? How groundbreaking…” But I was impressed by the crisp feel of the fabric and the just-long-enough hang of the shirttails, so I gave it a chance. I’m a button-shirt snob, eBay stalking French men’s shirts that sell for hundreds used, and obsessing over pockets, buttons and collar spreads. So odds were, this was going to be a miss, since everyone know that lululemon’s strength is in exercise-type clothes, right? Surprise—my experience with the lululemon Poplin Button-Down Shirt was love at first wear. Here’s why.

The fabric of this shirt is next-level for all-season comfort. The fiber blend is 65 percent cotton, 30 percent nylon and 5 percent elastane, with a crisp poplin composition that feels like high-quality long-staple 100 percent cotton, except it’s more lightweight and has a hint of stretch. I wore it as an in-between layer on a plane, since I didn’t know if the air conditioning would require a long-sleeve shirt over my T-shirt in addition to the jacket I was wearing, and it added a non-bulky insulation I ended up needing. Before washing, the shirt has an appealingly crisp look; after machine washing and lightly tumble drying, it assumes a soft crinkled texture that still looks business-appropriate.