Loop & Weft Shoulder Taped S/S Crewneck Tee (Black)

LRC1128

• 100% Cotton Wakayama Loopwheel fabric
• 1960s vintage-inspired T-shirt Motif
  
• Cotton thread stitching construction
  
• Ribbed sleeve construction
• Jacquard knit ribbed neck construction
  
• 4-needle flat seam construction
  
• Slim fit silhouette
  
• Washed fabric (to eliminate shrinkage)
  

Loop & Weft return to one of their core fabrics with this S/S tee, built around a rare loopwheel jersey from Wakayama. The fabric comes off one of the original old-style loopwheel machines, of which only around 200 remain operational anywhere in the world, all of them running at roughly one-twentieth the speed of modern high-speed knitting equipment. Each craftsman operating these machines requires over 20 years of accumulated experience to produce fabric at this level, and the slow, tensionless process preserves the inherent softness of the cotton yarn itself. The finished jersey is denser, more elastic, more durable, and richer in character than anything a modern machine can produce from the same raw yarn. This version uses a thick-count cotton yarn knitted into a mid-heavyweight jersey, a fabric that wears comfortably against the skin and only deepens in character with continued wear.

The silhouette takes its cues from 1960s classic T-shirts, with a clean crewneck shape cut for a unisex regular fit that carries just enough ease across the chest and sleeves to layer comfortably or wear on its own. The distinguishing construction detail on this model is the shoulder tape, a binder tape that runs along the shoulder line to reinforce it against stretching and give the seam a cleaner, more structured line. It is a detail drawn directly from military undershirt construction and requires its own dedicated handwork to execute properly.The neckline uses a vintage-style jacquard knit rib, knitted on a specialized machine one collar at a time, lending the neckline a noticeable presence and weight. The rest of the garment is sewn on a Union Special 36200 four-needle flatseam machine alongside two-needle seam construction throughout, a deliberately slow sewing spec that minimizes seam allowance bulk and highlights the stitch work itself.

*Model is pictured wearing a size L.He weighs 70kg (154 pounds) and is 178cm (5’11”) tall.

Made in Wakayama, Japan