#9 Zimbabwe Workshirt

Gustin workshirt made from sanforized raw selvedge denim from one of the finest mills in Japan. The Zimbabwe style we have run in our jeans is one of our most popular denim styles to date. It's an absolutely beautiful fabric. We wanted to make a contrast stitch, denim work shirt out of the best material we could find. Now we have it. Denim connoisseurs always want to know where the cotton comes from. The answer they're hoping for is Zimbabwe. It's known for an extra long staple that gives it legendary toughness combined with a soft feel. Just like the 15oz version used in our jeans, this 10.5oz example has a dense, smooth hand that's surprising for this weight of material. These are important traits in a shirting fabric. The shade and grain of this version are spot on. A bright indigo warp is contrasted by a crisp white weft. There is nice slubbiness in both warp and weft, which results in crosshatching throughout the surface. You really see nice highs and lows. A pure white selvedge ID finishes it off. We'll be sewing this up in our standard contrast denim thread colors which should pair nicely with this shade of indigo. The rarity of the cotton makes it very expensive, but it's worth it.

There are a number of construction details that define our workshirt. The first is ample triple needle work with a classic chain stitch runoff. Triple needle is a specialized stitch not found on a standard button downs and that serves as the heart of any good work shirt. Ours gets triple need flat felled yoke and side seams with chain stitched bottoms. We also allow the side seam chain stitch to “runoff” the end giving you three chain stitch ends on each side. We bar tack to ensure the runoff can’t compromise the security of the side seam. The second detail is double chest pockets. We keep ours a bit cleaner, without flaps, but use button closures and double bar tacks in each corner for added strength. The left chest pocket gets the addition of a small pen slot. The third detail is side hem gussets. It’s a small functional element and looks absolutely great. On our selvedge styles we incorporate the selvedge on the bottom. Finally, we love the chin strap. Ours is small enough to be tasteful while still reminding you of the work wear roots of the garment. We created new custom Corozo buttons specifically for our work shirts. They’re a deep navy shade with a slightly domed top and two holes for securing. Overall, this is one of our most intricately constructed garments and one of the most costly to produce.

For production on these, we're teaming up with a small shop that exclusively sews reproduction workwear for Japanese brands - always above $300 per shirt. Their work is immaculate, and we're excited to be partnering with them.

Our workshirts will be available in our Classic and Slim fits. The main differences in details between our workshirts and our other shirting come down to construction - no back box pleat, and differently shaped side scoops. The Slim fit has a more tailored body as compared to our Classic fit. Chest and waist come in to provide a more fitted option. Details are in our fit guide now.