Inspired by traditional Japanese Sakiori, one of our favorite mills has created a unique style to pay respect to this ancient textile practice. This is the Japan Shadow Sakiori.
Sakiori is a traditional Japanese technique of rag weaving. It's a process whereby scraps of fabric, usually too small to be used alone, are joined together to create a functional textile. Dating back to the 18th century in Japan, Sakiori is a process that focuses on the value of re-use and zero waste. Think of it like a patchwork of very small pieces of varied fabrics carefully stitched together. Colors and texture can all be different. In this case, one of our favorite mills in Japan has deployed a dobby weave to create the unique patchwork effect. It's most pronounced on the backside of the fabric, where you see a rainbow of different colors and widths, mimicking small pieces of fabric. Slub yarns allow this patchwork to show through the top surface. It's completely different than any fabric we've seen. Indigo dye and a solid 13 ounce weight make it a rugged style.
Our workshirts are true throwback garments. Inspired by the style's origins of utility and ruggedness. Finding fabric with the right character for this style is key and we have fresh new examples today. Each starts in a superheavy form. This is the type of fabric you only see out of Japan and our intricately constructed workshirt gives it the showcase it deserves.
There are a number of construction details that define our workshirt. The first is ample triple needlework with a classic chain stitch runoff. Triple needle is a specialized stitch not found on standard button downs and that serves as the heart of any good work shirt. Ours gets triple need flat felled yoke and side seams with chain stitched bottoms. We also allow the side seam chain stitch to “run off” the end giving you three chain stitch ends on each side. We bar tack to ensure the runoff can’t compromise the security of the side seam. The second detail is double chest pockets. We keep ours a bit cleaner, without flaps, but use button closures and double bar tacks in each corner for added strength. The left chest pocket gets the addition of a small pen slot. The third detail is the side hem gussets. It’s a small functional element and looks absolutely great. On our selvedge styles we incorporate the selvedge on the bottom. Finally, we love the chin strap. Ours is small enough to be tasteful while still reminding you of the workwear roots of the garment. We created new custom Corozo buttons specifically for our work shirts. Overall, this is one of our most intricately constructed garments and one of the most costly to produce.
Our workshirts will be available in our Classic and Slim fits. The main differences in details between our workshirts and our other shirting come down to construction - no back box pleat, and differently shaped side scoops. The Slim fit has a more tailored body as compared to our Classic fit. Chest and waist come in to provide a more fitted option. Details are in our fit guide now.