My email inbox is in a sorry state. Every day I get hundreds of promotional emails, each begging me to increase their open rate by teasing me with intriguing subject lines. I’ve gotten pretty good at ignoring them (as I’m sure many of us have), but there is one subject line that cuts through all the noise. When Proper Cloth sends out an email about “Our Heaviest Shirts Yet,” you’d better believe that I’ll be boosting their conversion rate.
In December, Proper Cloth released a new collection of fabrics dubbed the “Low Twist Collection.” These Japanese fabrics are available in over a dozen colors and, as you guessed, are Proper Cloth’s heaviest yet. “Low Twist” refers to the number of twists in the yarn – essentially, a higher twist will result in a “finer” fabric (kind of like a higher gauge). But don’t mistake fineness for quality – what this fabric lacks in refinement, it makes up for with substance. The fabric has a 20s 3-ply construction that helps to tighten the weave and adds weight for warmth and durability. The result is an extremely soft, textured, and heavy fabric that feels like something Pendleton would have made 50 years ago. This is not a “brushed” flannel like you would typically see – this is the type of shirt you’d find at a thrift store (if you were lucky).
I immediately bought two – the black and red ombre (akin to a oversized buffalo check) and the navy and pine check (similar to a blackwatch plaid). I styled both pretty much the same as they do in their photo campaign – the red/black with a western yoke, western pockets, and snap buttons, and the pine/navy with slate buttons and standard yoke/pockets. Both have a soft point collar as well – I love a big collar on a dress shirt, but leave the wide spreads to the Italians. This is a “sport” shirt and the collar shouldn’t be the centerpiece.
It’s worth noting that with western pockets (the more angled pockets seen below), you can get the fabric cut on the bias if you want – this means that the fabric will be at a 45-degree angle. Although cutting fabric on the bias can change how it performs significantly (it becomes much stretchier), in this instance the result is purely decorative. I ended up going with standard western pockets because I felt the bias look would be too loud with this large pattern, but a quick search of vintage Pendleton and niche Japanese brands will show you that it’s definitely a thing. It all comes down to the style you’re going for, but I wanted to mention it for those that want an even more vintage-inspired design.
Because the fabric is so thick, don’t expect absolute perfection with the stitching. Proper Cloth makes shirts with an exceedingly high level of accuracy and neatness, but I noticed that these shirts have slightly more “human variance” in them – nothing that would affect the longevity or even the aesthetics, but worth mentioning. As fabric gets thicker it gets exponentially more difficult to work with – I know this firsthand, as my sewing skills are lukewarm with even the most forgiving of fabrics and wouldn’t make it past a buttonhole with this stuff. Even with the fabric being as hefty as it is, the construction tolerances are still very good overall.
The shrinkage in this fabric is in the normal range, so I would order your normal size. With that said, I think this fabric begs for a looser fit – resist the urge to make this a slim shirt, and err on the side of extra space. In my opinion, it’s best as something you can toss over a tee. I like it as an overshirt, or a “shacket” of sorts – it’s heavy enough on its own to stand in for outerwear on a mild day, or as a mid-layer on a cooler one.
If you are a regular reader you will know how obsessed I am with Proper Cloth – the biggest reason for that is because they go well beyond what any other custom shirtmaker is doing. This collection is a great example – where else can you combine a custom fit and design with a fabric that gives vintage flannels a run for their money? If you’re trying Proper Cloth for the first time, you’re welcome to use my referral code for $20 off of your first purchase. The shirts are $140, which isn’t cheap – but it’s a heck of a lot easier than traveling back in time to find something similar.
