Tobacco, black and white (some T-shirts in stock)

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You know that feeling when you realise a new purchase unleashes potential in an old, beloved garment? Like getting a yellow oxford and realising it doesn’t just look good with jeans, but also with your favourite herringbone jacket?

OK, I’m going to assume at least some of you do. Well, I was playing around with outfits to show the PS black Tapered T-shirt with last month; they were going to be restocked and I realised we’d never photographed the black. 

When I wear black I instinctively put it with similarly dark colours - dark brown, dark olive - or very muted ones - pale denim, cold beige. I wouldn’t naturally think it would work with tobacco. 

But then I remembered an image I’d saved from an old shoot, where the female model is wearing white jeans, a black T-shirt and a tobacco-suede jacket. So I tried the PS tee with my much-loved Connolly shirt-jacket and presto! What a lovely combination. 

Exciting too, because as I said it opens up possibilities. You start to think: would a black sweatshirt look good as well? Would a black knit be too dark? And how about black jeans? Would they both work with my Himel Bros? (The answers were yes, no, yes and yes respectively.) 

It’s such a nice feeling - like you’ve acquired not just one piece of clothing, but also 20% of a bunch of others. 

A reader mentioned recently that they like behind-the-scenes articles, such as how products are developed, or how I think through outfits.

This is one way. Given the task of finding pleasing ways to wear a new piece of clothing, I start with the obvious and easy, progress to the more unusual, and shoot off on various tangents when one combination suggests another.

The clothes are laid out on the bed, usually. Ones that seem promising are tried on (you can’t do that with everything, it just takes too long), and if they pass that test they’re recorded with a selfie. 

These are kept on file, in a folder on my phone. Which is backed up by Google on some super-server somewhere. At some point I might actually get around to categorising all of these so they’re browsable. 

I don’t go through this process every morning, mind. That would count as obsession. Only when there’s something new to photograph for an article or a product launch. 

Most other days it’s just a case of trying out one idea, knocking it around until I decide it works. Or it doesn’t, and I revert to something standard.

The easiest combinations are those like today’s black, white and tobacco, because they’re an extension to something I already wear - just replacing the standard mid-grey layer I’d usually wear under a jacket with this washed-out black. 

It’s like another twig on an existing branch, on the tree of my personal style. Or something. 

OK, returning to the more concrete part of this piece: this is the black PS Tapered T-shirt, which was restocked over the weekend along with white and navy.

The vast majority of the T-shirts went to the waiting list, but there are still some available. Also, quite a few readers bought two sizes in order to check their sizing, so if you're size isn't available it's worth adding yourself to the waiting list, as we'll get a few back.

On the black tee, it's definitely a washed black - like a pair of old black jeans, not a black knit - which I find makes it easier to wear. The contrast with white/ecru jeans is not as stark. It’s softer against the face.

The navy is also a washed navy, as should be clear from the images. Not a classic-menswear dark navy. The white is off-white. 

And for those that haven't had one of the Tapered T-shirts before, what’s special about them? 

Well, the idea is they combine the quality and weight of circular-knitted Japanese T-shirts, with a fit that is tapered and therefore much more standard. It’s the style of a tee you’re used to, from a Sunspel or a Uniqlo, but made to the level way as a heritage T-shirt - with all its character, strength and drape. 

As I described at length when we launched the T-shirts last year, I’ve always loved Japanese circular-knitted T-shirts - by comparison mainstream tees can feel flimsy, almost like underwear. 

The problem is they’re usually cut in a traditional (‘authentic’) shape, which is short and square. If you’re remotely slim, they’re not very flattering. Proportions do vary, but brands can’t do anything about the fact that the body is one piece, like a tube. 

So we make the T-shirts in the same way as those heritage pieces, but afterwards cut a seam in the sides, to give them a more regular shape. 

Importantly - at least to me - the collar is also high in the back, which I find more flattering than a traditional T-shirt. It’s the only reason I like wearing most sweatshirts without a shirt underneath: a sweatshirt will often be low at the back, but the tee fills in that space. 

Many of the brands we like on PS recognise this and cut their knits higher at the back of the neck - Adret, Colhay’s, Rubato - but those are jumpers. With sweatshirts it’s much rarer. 

Oh, and as promised we are still working on a grey version of the T-shirt. But as with a lot of production at the moment, there have been delays and delays. It will be months before that’s available I'm afraid.

Other information on the Tapered T-shirt:

  • Made for us in Osaka by the brand Allevol. Allevol tees are nice, but have a different body fit and collar shape
  • They use high-grade raw American cotton, which is spun in Japan into 14-count yarn (most high-street T-shirts are around half that, as well as of course using lower quality fibre). 
  • The material is knitted slowly on vintage circular machines, referred to as Taimaru. These are similar to loopwheel machines, but tend to create a denser material and a richer feel. 
  • The T-shirts have a bound collar: a separate piece of material which uses three lines of stitching to attach it to the body. This stops the collar stretching out over time - compare it to a mainstream T-shirt, and it’s remarkable how flimsy the latter feels. To avoid the collar being too stiff or bulky, the last line of stitching is on the body, attaching only to the collar on the inside. 

Care:

  • Treat like a dress shirt: wash cool and hang to dry. Do not tumble dry
  • The material can feel a little stiff after washing, depending on the machine and detergent. But it should soften as soon as it is worn
  • Being dense and malleable, the material has some natural stretch. So after washing don’t be afraid to give it a little stretch one way or the other, to gently add length or width. 
  • This is the same thing denim does after its washed, coming in a little and then going out as it’s worn again, adapting to the body. Doing this reshaping after washing is just accelerating that process.

Sizing:

  • The T-shirts fit like any regular tee in the body (from Sunspel for example) which all have a slight taper
  • The only difference you will notice is that the chest is a little larger, and the shoulder seam slightly dropped. Both of which I find quite flattering
  • In the images above, I am wearing a Large
  • However, I could also wear a Medium - I like the Large for a slightly oversized look, and the nice thing about the taper is that it doesn’t look too big. In the images below I’m wearing a Medium. Taka is wearing a Small
X-small Small Medium Large X-large XX-large
Chest (pit to pit) 49cm 52 55 58 60 63
Hem (bottom width) 44 47 50 53 55 58
Length (from back neck) 60 62 64 66 68 70

As mentioned in the article, please do add yourself to the waiting list if your size is not available, as we will have exchanges. And apologies there weren't more - we ordered the maximum available. In Japan as in most places at the moment, high-end production is having capacity issues

Pictured sharing a joke with the lovely, always smiling Lorenzo Cifonelli. Below with Taka of Allevol and Clutch Cafe

For the other clothes featured, please see the launch article here, or ask in the comments for details

 

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David

Simon,
I like the Connolly over shirt but am wondering if it isn’t cut a little long ?
You are quite tall and it looks long on you – or is it an optical illusion?
Regards,
David

Gary Mitchell

Aye they are canny t-shirts indeed.

Gary

I assume that are referring to denim jeans in the first paragraph. I bought a yellow Oxford shirt in Drake’s Archive sale only last week. It looks great with a red Shetland jumper and stone moleskin jeans. I also bought a bright yellow Shetland in William Crabtree’s sale. It will look good with double black selvedge jeans from Hebtro.co.

In my experience, imagination and boldness are required wear bright colours stylishly. In London, most people wear black, brown and navy tops (lots of Michelin Man and North Face jackets) with denim jeans. It’s a very sloppy and boring look IMO, especially on a dull day.

Peter Hall

I think yellow is sneaking back in. I have both yellow and cream Oxfords which look great with both blue and black jeans(white tee under otherwise I look washed out).I must try it with a red sweater.

Simon, you should develop your best style choices into an app. I’m sure it would be popular!

Peter Hall

Yes, thanks for the edit.

Also yes to the lookbook. I find it really useful .

Gregoire

Down the line reader contributions for the LookBook would be kewl

Phillip

The double suede seems to work nicely here despite both pieces being in the brown family. I’m wondering if having a higher level of contrast across the rest of the outfit makes it easier to combine the similar textures (or visually separate them).

JH

Very nice outfit. I’ve long admired this Connoly overshirt, but they have not been available since you first showed it, Simon. Do you know of any alternative/replacement? I have not been able to find it yet…

Rob

Connelly just had a restock. Just picked up a small. Think they have a medium remaining if you haven’t picked one up already!

Rob

Absolutely love my navy tapered t-shirt from the first run, but have missed out on the black twice now – seems it literally goes within a few hours (medium sold out 4 hours after the restock email)! I did snag a white one though.

I guess there is no way to persuade an artisanal factory in Japan to increase output – a strength and weakness of manufacturing clothing in Japan.

Anyway, extremely happy with this t-shirt.

Rob

Thanks Simon, that’s very interesting. I had assumed that Covid-related issues had passed, but it sounds like that’s not the case. Japan relies on cheaper (not cheap) labour from China for some things, which has been difficult over the last few years due to travel restrictions. Is that the issue, or it’s a lack of domestic workforce? And does that mean that factory equipment is sitting unused in Japan and Scotland? Certainly a great shame if so, but a difficult one to address.

Zach S

Nice to see the black actually worn, and exciting that you’re any amount towards making a grey.
With my cheaper ones getting a bit tired I might have to grab the full set!

Stephen

Hi Simon, just to say I completely agree on two points:
1). It’s great when a new addition increases the use and variation of existing pieces. Something which I find your articles are really helpful in achieving. Sometimes even with existing wardrobe items, without additions.
2) Taking the opportunity to support, where one can, the smaller artisans, that have had a tough time and will in my view, continue to do so what with inflation throughout the supply chain and pressures on disposable income at the retail end. Hopefully your continuing to highlight them will help.
All the best.

Noel

Really looking forward to them. As much as I like the warehouse T-shirts, I have to size up because otherwise they are too short.

I’d like to say that I appreciate the waitlist system, it seems fair to me.

DrBruno

Great boots! Can you provide details?

Sebastian

What do you think is behind the continued commissioning of 2 button jackets when the lower of the 2 never gets used. Are you surprised there aren’t more 1 and 3 button jackets among the well dressed?

Anonymous

You mentioned Taka is wearing a small. For context, roughly how tall is Taka and is he broad chested?

shem

hi simon i echo that black is fantastic as a t shirt and I find arguably nicer than navy and grey. On a bit of a tangent simon I like paraboot loafers as I find them incredibly comfortable. I have a mid brown one and am thinking of getting another pair. in either a shade like this (https://www.paraboot.com/en/men/loafer/corauxmarine-marron-lis-america) or in black. I know burgundy shoes (except Cordovan) should often by avoided but given how expensive alden is now I’m wondering if paraboots in the link can act as a replacement of sorts in combinations where cordovan will look nice.

Anonymous

Just wondering, in what situation would you wear this style of T-shirt versus the knitted style produced by The Anthology?

Markus

I ordered, for the first time on PS, two white t-Shirts. Looking forward to receiving them.

Freddie

Fortunately I managed to secure the tapered tee in one of each of the colours last year. I have really enjoyed wearing them since, and love the flattering fit and thickness of the cotton.
Unfortunately I have subsequently managed to stain the white one (I suspect with the sun cream I used on holiday), so while it still works as a layering piece I try not to wear it by itself.
I also find that the deodorant I use sometimes causes temporary white marks on the black and navy versions, albeit this fades and washes out.
Separately, I try to use moisturizer with SPF 15 on my face and neck each day and have found that has stained some of my shirt collars over time.
Simon, have you ever experienced any of these issues? If so do you have any recommendations of products, brands or ingredients to use (or equally to avoid)?

Noel

Regarding deodorant stains, it’s the aluminium in them that interacts with the sweat causing stains. Switch to one that doesn’t use aluminium (there are various options, I find magnesium based ones almost as good) and the problem will resolve itself.

There’s isn’t much that can be done against sunscreen stains unfortunately. Wear darker colours and wash soon after to reduce the effect.

Andrew Hughes

Hi,
I recommend using an alum stone instead and won’t leave stains.
Best,
Andrew

Josh

Noel is absolutely right about the aluminium and the sunscreen. On the latter, if you apply sunscreen on your neck/jaw, I‘ve found being strict about applying it only above the collar line and blotting the skin after the product has absorbed can help. The best stain remover I‘ve found for treating such stains is Ace, which is essentially dilute oxygen based bleach (and thus considerably less damaging than chlorine based bleach). Off-white shirts also fair better here, and the darker shades of blue (as opposed to “ice blue”). Sunscreen stains are the single most limiting factor I have when it comes to the longevity of my lighter coloured shirts, so any tips others can share or a future post on the subject, Simon, would be greatly appreciated!

Peter Hall

Rub, gently, a stain remover into the area. Then soak for 15mins.

Wash on the hottest label setting in the washing machine.

Don’t use warm water to sponge or clean the stain and try to treat as soon as possible

Jim Bainbridge

My experience with suncream is that P20 is the absolute devil to remove from clothes, but if it is allowed to dry for 15-20 mins, it’s pretty safe and won’t stain. I’m not sure I would risk it with anything really precious, though.

Peter Hall

For my finest summer clothing,I switched to water based sunscreen.I find them quite effective .
And as a Mancunian , I am chalk white.

J.

Simon, just curious: will a tumble dry drastically shrink the garment or is are those instructions more for the tee’s longevity?

CK

Looking great Simon, really nice soft shade of black you’ve managed to achieve with these. When I received the restock alert, I had to pounce on the chance to grab black, which will now accompany both my Navy and white. That’s a full house for me and covers all my needs, I would double up on any of those if required in the future. I appreciate grey will go down a storm with other readers though!

Look forward to wearing this beautiful black with some denim as well as Olive green shades this spring.

Veit

Hi Simon, Ordered the black one as it will fill a gap in my wardrobe.
What Jeans are you wearing? The white Rubato model? And what’s your size in those?
Thanks 🙂

jason

is the front neckline higher or lower than warehouse 4601? I find the warehouse neck to be a bit too high

Joel O.

Hi Simon,
I am really enjoying the navy and white t-shirts. I decided to hold off on the black version for now as the future grey version will be more useful. Is there an option to get on the waitlist or is that only available for existing items in the shop?
Also, I am similar in size to you and could easily fit into both the Medium (what I purchased for the Navy and White) and the Large. I am contemplating ordering both sizes next time to properly compare them, but I am curious about your experience. Which size do you tend to prefer, or do you wear them both equally? What are your main considerations when selecting between the two sizes? I’d anticipate overall shape is a main factor, like opting for the large when paring with looser trousers… though I’d expect the leg line of your chinos to be looser than the off-white jeans, yet you wore the Large with jeans and have a white medium shirt with chinos. Maybe a better question is when would you not chose a certain size than the other?
With the medium, I learned that most of my other tees are much too long and don’t look put together. The neck line, length, and general shape of your t-shirt design is seriously incredible and every detail seems very considered. Still, I wonder if the large would give me the same feeling or the reality of looking just as put together while offering a more generous fit. The easy answer is owning both to have the options, but my wallet and wanting to make the best use of the product disagrees with this response.
PS: One suggestion I have is to make videos demonstrating a person wearing the product. Nothing beats trying a product for yourself, but I feel like a video is better than photos.

Stephen S

Good morning Simon,
Completely off subject ( I did comment on this post yesterday), I seem to recall a post/email, regarding pop up shops in the coming months, over slightly longer periods. Please could you advise/ post link? I may be mistaken, if so do please accept my apologies.
Regards.

Stephen

Thanks Simon, I did try that but obviously missed it and tried a search. I was looking for Pop- up in error. Thanks again.

Nicolas Strömbäck

I mean this is realy all you need for a truly casual outfit. Tee, leather and denim. Excellent.

CJ

Received my first PS tees today (all three colours) – damn they’re good!
Will be ordering some more…. when my size comes back in stock 🙂

Great job Simon.

Andrew Hughes

Hi All,
Check out the t-shirts by The Real McCoys and particularly recommend their undershirts in navy, white, and green. They wash and wear very well.
Best,
Andrew

Joel

Hi Simon,

I was on the waitlist for a large black T. I ordered it as soon as I got the restock email.

It’s lovely and now on the waitlist for the white.

Have I missed it in the article and comments when you expect the tobacco to be in stock?

Best,

Joel

Rob

Hi Simon,
Great article. Seeing some of the images here and then reading your article on jeans have reinvigorated my search for a good pair of white jeans. I really like the cut of the ones you have on in this article. Is this the Drakes pair in Ecru? They look quite white in the photos is that due to lighting or as they become more ‘bleached’ with washing. After following your blog for a while I have been interested in trying made to measure white jeans. Would you have a strong preference one way or another with Levis v Blackhorse Lane when trying to attempt a similar fit to what you have above?

Michael

Did I miss the restock email? I’ve been waiting for a few months for any colour in Medium and so far, nothing.

Michael

Are you sold out of all mediums and not expecting a restock any time soon?

James Saldivar

Hi Simon and Michael,
I’m sending two mediums back today (one white; one navy) as really need a large.
I bought a white in medium a year or two ago and it’s been my favourite t-shirt by far, hence the stocking up. Unfortunately, when comparing the new to my old one, they’re a lot tighter/smaller including on the arms. I have kept one navy (I ordered three in total) as will wear it about the house but unfortunately it’s too much of a ‘muscle fit’ (and I’m not that muscular) for general use.
Will snatch up the large when they next come round! Just wondered if there was any conscious design choice to slim down in the latest iteration or whether that’s my old one stretching/me getting bigger (Though I don’t think it’s the last one, even if I do say so myself!)?

MIchael

Any other brands you can suggest for those that missed out this year?

Stephan

Hello, Simon! Would the thickness and crispness of cotton (not sure how to explain what I mean) be similar to Armor Lux’s long sleeve mariniere shirts? This being an example: https://www.armorlux.com/en/breton-striped-shirts-armor-lux-houat-heritage-breton-shirt-thick-cotton-5771900.html.
Obviously, I am aware your Tee’s fabric will be less heavy than this, but does your Tee have a similar feel of being heavier compared to other Tees, like this Armor Lux one is notably thicker and heavier than regular high street counterparts? Thanks!

Stephan

Thanks, Simon. This is actually what I was hoping for (as heavy as the Armor Lux would likely be too heavy) – a substantial T-shirt that is a little fitted, but won’t make me self-conscious re transparency and easily betraying my less than chiseled physique lol. And the elasticity that you mention is a bonus. I take it also that the tapering doesn’t make it too slim, but simply prevents it from just hanging off the shoulders straight down, but shaping the body by getting narrower towards the waist from e.g. mid-ribcage?

Stephan

Just another question re sizing – I am a few cm shorter than you, but like the measurements on L better than on M. Would it be too long for me and should I opt for M instead? I am between sizes 48 and 50 in tailoring, and usually 50 in most knitwear that is even remotely slim.

Markus

I just received two of your off-white t-shirts….. what can I say. They are just great and like no other t-shirt I have ever had (heavier, more substance). I was immediately tempted to buy black, which unfortunately is out of stock in small. Do you think the navy colour would look just as good with ecru jeans or beige workwear chinos?

Markus

Just an PS: When will black be restocked and do you plan to restock the blue oxford shirt?

Markus

Thank you. I will do that