Shizuka Shirt - Dark Gray

静か (shizuka): "quiet, still."

Eihei-ji, deep in the cedar forest of Fukui, was founded by the monk Dōgen in 1244 and is still one of the two head temples of Sōtō Zen. Its monks sit zazen facing the wall, the Sōtō way, practicing what Dōgen called shikantaza, just sitting, with no koan to solve. Visitors can stay at the temple and join the early morning sitting.

Here it's charcoal with a slight warm cast, the darkest of the three grays, in linen with a wrapped drop V-neck and a soft standing collar. It's slim without clinging, and the three-quarter sleeves end in open cuffs above the wrist.

Charcoal is for people who'd wear black every day but want a little less edge. It goes with black or olive pants and white sneakers, and a haori from our modern Japanese traditional wear turns it into a calm dark set.

• Fabric: linen, lightweight and breathable
• Neck: wrapped drop V-neck with a soft standing collar
• Sleeves: three-quarter length, open cuffs
• Build: pullover with a curved hem
• Fit: slim, follows the body without clinging; US sizing, XS to 3XL
• Size reference: 6 ft 2 in, 172 lb wears L; 5 ft 11 in, 198 lb wears XL

Measurements for every size are in the size guide.