U.S. Navy T-Shirt

Product Information

Whilst they’re both made of cotton, denim is constructed with a twill weave, and chambray a plain weave. The difference being that a twill weave contains double the amount of threads, woven into a more diagonal pattern, compared to the straight one-times-one weave of chambray. The phrase “blue collar” originates from the denim or chambray work shirts worn by industrial or manual workers, differing from “white collar” workers, who held jobs in business and finance. A chambray work shirt worn in the field All main seams are triple chainstitched so you an be sure that your Heracles shirt is tough enough to deal with anything you can throw at it. Garment workers tag on the Heracles The buttons are reproductions of 1920s-style painted metal cat’s eye buttons that have been painstakingly reproduced in Japan. These buttons are incredibly hard wearing and, with wear, will develop an attractive patina as the paint begins to chip. Collar tab detail on the The Rite Stuff Heracles Shirt The 1930s was a time of great change in America, initially with the effects of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, and then with Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. It was also a time for new innovation in the design of work shirts. Advertisement for Reliance Mfg. Big Yank Chambray Work Shirts

The coloured warp and white weft of chambray, along with its one-times-one structure give the fabric its lighter colour and softer feel. The thread count is typically 150-500, resulting in a fine but dense cloth. Weight varies, but it is typically on the lighter side, though some heavier versions do exist. USN Personnel wearing chambray work shirts If we may call professions and office positions white collar jobs, we may call the trades blue collar jobs” The Times newspaper, 1924

History of the CPO Shirt

Chambray was first adopted by the US Military in 1901, when the Navy workwear uniform issued would include a chambray shirt and denim trousers. The chambray shirts came in both long and short sleeve variations, would be light blue in colour and were sometimes worn with the addition of a white t-shirt. The denim trousers that completed the outfit were a darker shade of blue than the shirt. Staying with stitching, higher quality shirts will feature double or even triple stitched seams. This, unsurprisingly, is to provide as much durability as possible, to prevent tears and to prevent any individual stitch being put under too much pressure. The nature of a work shirt means that it has to be tough enough to withstand being pulled and twisted for long periods of time, day after day, so reinforcement is critical to longevity. Starting with the fabric, the higher quality chambray work shirts will often be constructed from a selvedge material, which is identifiable by the tightly woven white edge that runs along it. These can usually be seen at the side seams or on gussets, which are added to provide further strength between the stitched fabric and prevent excessive pressure being put onto seams. You’ll also typically see run-off chain stitching on higher-end shirts, a good clue that indicates that the shirt was made on an actual sewing machine. These can divide opinion as, in basic terms, they’re pieces of thread hanging down from the shirt, but they are often seen as desirable. They can be cut off without any negative impact on the shirt’s strength. Elvis wearing a Chambray Work Shirt Cambric had a reputation as high quality fabric and was used in a wide variety of pieces, ranging from shirting to lace. The fashion-conscious of the 1500s would have worn cambric garments featuring detailed prints and intricate needlework. The chambray cloth of today differs from cambric in its weave; cambric has a plain weave, while chambray has a coloured warp and a white weft. By 1910 work shirts started to become more refined and details such as triple stitching and curved yokes became popular. Milton Goodman workshirt advertisement

From cambric’s original use as a fabric used for detailed embroidery and lacework, chambray has gone on to be synonymous with hard-wearing, long-lasting military clothing and workwear. The Characteristics of Chambray The following decade, the 1940s, brought the Second World War and another time of significant change in life in both America and across the rest of the world. During this time the design of work shirts remained relatively steady. It was in the military where the biggest developments in utilitarian clothing would be seen over the following years. Chambray Work Shirts and the Blue Collar Worker Some brands and their customers prefer 100% authentic reproductions, while others prefer to take influences and inspiration from different vintage pieces or periods of time to create their ideal interpretation of the shirt.

What is a CPO Shirt?

Chambray today is manufactured all over the world but, as with so many things, the highest quality versions originate in Japan. The Differences Between Chambray and Denim

Quite often chambray will be marketed as denim, and vice versa. They are, though, two different fabrics. As with everything, the details that go into the ideal chambray work shirt are subjective and down to personal preference of both the designer and wearer. Typically, the higher quality shirts will have some details and characteristics that lesser shirts, won’t meaning there’s things a few things you can look out for when choosing the perfect shirt. The cloth differed from other fabrics in the way in which it was woven, with the manufacturing process involving the weaving of short un-dyed linen fibres. For buttons, again, this depends on era and preference. For us, the mid-blue painted metal buttons on the USN chambray shirt always look good against the lighter blue of the shirt; particularly when the paint begins to chip. Brands Who Produce Notable Chambray Work Shirts The fabric used to produce US Navy chambray shirts was woven on original narrow shuttle looms and had a blue warp and white weft, giving the classic light blue colour. The cloth was lightweight and breathable, tough and durable. Designed to be worn for extended periods of time, day after day, keeping the wearer comfortable and cool. Chambray work shirts formed part of the standard USN uniform from 1901 up until WWII

CPO Shirts On The Market Today

By the end of the 1930s the cut and details of work shirts had become relatively standardised with brands refining their models to a point where they would remain familiar when compared with work shirts of today. There’s a huge number of variations in chambray and even more so in denim, but typically the result is that denim is a heavier, rugged fabric, with more give and stretch than chambray. The History of the Work Shirt With the arrival of the new Heracles chambray shirt from The Rite Stuff, we thought it was a good opportunity to get in depth about the history of one of our products again. The last time we did this, we went into detail about loopwheel t-shirts, so this time, here’s the Those That Know guide to chambray work shirts and the story behind them. Perhaps most commonly known from their use by US Navy from 1901 all the way up until the Second World War, chambray work shirts having seen somewhat of a resurgence in recent years thanks to heritage and reproduction brands as well as a renewed interest in vintage workwear.

The work shirt, in a form that would be recognisable today, appeared in the late 1800s, with brands such as Levi’s providing the clothes worn by workers in places like California, Nevada, and Colorado during the mining of the latter years of the 19th century. Miners wearing denim shirts, probably late 1800s Although many of these workers in the 1920s and 1930s did wear denim and chambray shirts, and therefore have blue collars, it wasn’t nearly as widespread as the white shirt was in the office. Chambray Work Shirts in the US Militarymy guarantee to you that all The Rite Stuff items are ethically made. Bryan Shettig, The Rite Stuff The Rite Stuff Heracles Shirt at Those That Know