The Rite Record-Journal

Reviving the Uncle Sam Chambray Work Shirt

1930s chambray made in japan made in usa work shirt workshirt workwear

Reviving the Uncle Sam Chambray Work Shirt

In which we look at the process behind reviving this late 1930s work shirt.

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What is teacore leather?

What is teacore leather?

My personal pair of Lofgren Engineer Boots in black Chromexcel leather. Spend enough time looking at reproduction leather jackets and you’re bound to come across the term “tea core”. No, it’s not a form of British old age pensioner punk rock, it’s a term to describe a kind of leather. But what does it mean? Let’s find out. The term “teacore” comes from the Japanese term 茶芯 (chashin) for a kind of leather that is brown and has been surface-dyed another color, usually black. The character 茶 means “tea” but it also is short for “the color brown”. Meanwhile, 芯...

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A Brief History of Indigo Pin Check Fabric

A Brief History of Indigo Pin Check Fabric

Denim, chambray, cotton duck, hickory stripe and more workwear fabrics have become well-known but one fabric that continues to fly under the radar is indigo pincheck.  The aforementioned fabrics all have some degree of documentation regarding their history, but precious little exists regarding the origins of indigo pin check cotton fabric; in fact, I’ve never encountered any writing that mentions its making or history. Yet fragments do exist here and there so what’ve I’ve done is piece them together in an attempt to create a picture of how this unique fabric came to be. First, I should explain briefly what indigo pin check is:...

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Denim Mythbusting: Did T-shirts really only become popular after WW2?

1930s america heritage loopwheel made in usa slub yarn t-shirt tee the rite stuff tube knit undershirt

Denim Mythbusting: Did T-shirts really only become popular after WW2?

You know the myth: T-shirts only became popular because of World War II and the postwar era. But, is it true?

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Denim Mythbusting: Did chinos really only become popular after WW2?

1930s america apparel chinos clothing cotton heritage khaki made in usa rite stuff the rite stuff vintage workwear

Denim Mythbusting: Did chinos really only become popular after WW2?

It’s commonly believed that chinos became popular after WW2 and servicemen returned home. That sounds good, but is it true?

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