Blog
Thread Count: What Does It Mean and Why It's Important?
Bigger is better. It's a powerful idea. One that makes SUVs so darn appealing, one that explains the remarkable success of Urban Outfitter's “Everything is Bigger in Texas” shirts, and one that customers often fall back on when making decisions about clothing. But perhaps the “bigger is better” mindset is also one that we don't question enough. Well, today that ends as we examine thread count, what it means, why it matters, and if bigger (aka higher thread counts) is better. What is thread count and why does it matter? Thread count, which is expressed as a number (e.g....
The Advantage of Whole Garment Knitting
Despite the consumer trend in the last ten years of buyers wanting to learn more about how things are made, companies are still talk about their manufacturing process in very reductive terms. Rare is the brand that won’t simplify their production to just some country-of-origin label, as though everything coming out of a country is of the same quality. Some may talk about the handwork that goes into their products, but this often assumes that everything handmade is good, and everything machine made is bad. The reality of what determines quality is often much more complicated. Take knitwear,...
The Importance of Fit
“Clothes and manners do not make the man; but when he is made, they greatly improve his appearance.” - Arthur Ashe Many of us can relate to the following situation: That button down from our favorite designer's S/S line, the one that we've been saving up for, is all sold out in the size we always wear for that designer and in that fit. But we suspend disbelief and convince ourselves that we can size up or size down because “we'll lose a few lbs” or because “that tailor down the street can definitely take the shirt in.” Does it...
The Duke of Windsor
It’s hard to isolate legendary figures in the development of fashion – who knows who the first person to roll their jeans was? Who first decided to tuck his pants into his boots? But from this historical ambiguity, there have been a select few whose personal style helped transform what was understood to be classic menswear, and their appreciation of fit and pattern paved the way for what we know today. Within classic menswear, Prince Edward, the Duke of Windsor, the namesake of the Windsor and half-Windsor knot stands out. Born in 1894 to...