the airiness of heavyweight tee's
paul newman, marlon brando, jackson pollock, james dean, steve mcqueen.
dockworkers, soldiers, writers, actors, athletes.
all wearing a heavyweight t-shirt at some point.
but why?
a menswear staple that became an icon, the well-known crewneck cotton knitted t-shirts can be traced back to early 1900s. a time when modernizing production methods introduced new techniques and created the shirt without buttons. the tee replacing the henley. a flexible knit that would pull back in shape.
f. scott fitzgerald wrote about it in the 1920s, in his debut novel this side of paradise. the army got photographed in them frequently during wwII. marlon brando turned the classic white tee into an icon in his movie a streetcar named desire. jackson pollock's tee became a work of art just by him wearing it during painting.
over time, these type of heavyweight cotton knitted t-shirts became a daily essential. until mid 90s the mass production era started making so much bulk, that the weight of t-shirts became significantly lighter and very different in the way it was knitted. speed, volume, easy production, low price, high margin.
factors that significantly impacted how we knew t-shirts back then and how we know them right now.
enter Japan.
in a country with such a high appreciation for craftsmanship and preserving old machinery, the loop wheeled knitting of heavyweight cotton for t-shirts and sweatshirts never stopped. Japan is known for preserving western culture style and making techniques, carefully intertwining with the Japanese way of crafting and attention to detail.
in terms of production techniques and machinery, Japan is just one of a few places in the world where loopwheel knitting is still done and on the original machines. machines you can also find in Swabian Alps, Germany and in China where they use older Tompkins loopwheel knitting machines.
aside from the knitting technique, which is a slow and thoughtful process focused on durability and premium quality, it is very much on the weight of the fabric that gives you the ultimate tee regardless of the season.
thin, lightweight t-shirts (which are produced in bulk) might feel perfect for summer but that is not actually the case. yes, they are comfortable in the morning. however, you will notice that during the day it starts clinging more and more to your body. sweat making it stick. the thin quality is translucent, causing the sun to shine through. it builds up the heat on your skin. and at the end of the summer, due to the thinness, you have a shoddy, worn-out tee. not a great look.
heavier cotton knitted t-shirts are the exact opposite. they absorb your body sweat quicker, which then evaporates faster, thus keeping your body cooler during the day. they block sunlight a lot better. the knitting technique creates tiny air pockets that allow the pure cotton to breathe. and at the end of summer, your shirt still looks good as new. wear it into winter, and you'll notice it becomes more thermal. so basically a year-round tee for any moment.
at STORE DU NORD we strictly work with sunray sportswear for these loopwheel knitted t-shirts and sweatshirts. not only because colin and emma are great people to work with, but also because they make an amazing garment for an honest price with a lovely Japanese family business. they're ridiculously soft, take 1,5 hours to make one shirt start to finish and they hold up perfectly, as it should.
comfort goes a long way.