Workshirts

[marineabilly]

^ Matty, you may have just saved me some money - that's exactly how mine fits (Bud gave it to me a year or so ago). Great pic, as usual!!

Thanks brutha!

Cheers!

[Rivet Head]

No problem! Here's another classic shot with super low pockets:

[mtchfrnk]

That fool's trousers are great. Do we think they're denim? [Edit: the fool I am referring to is the first steelworker on the prev. page]

Also here's a third (or fourth or whatever) voice chiming in to say, "I think that's just how they made 'em." All my old Ohio-farmer-thrift-store shirts have 'low' pockets. In fact I've thought it's kinda weird how chest pockets seem to be creeping up towards the shoulders. Cf. 3sixteen work shirts--very, very high pockets. Not bad, just noticeable. I think I have also noticed that period cowboy shirts tended to have higher pockets than steelworker shirts. I wonder what the functionality was, there.

[Rivet Head]

I think they are probably some sort of work trousers, but not denim. Maybe a light cotton twill?

[glimmertwins]

I'm not so sure those "low pockets" everyone is referring to is necessarily something intentional. This is purely speculation but if I had to guess, most of the guys in these photos probably bought the shirts a tad oversized initially for comfort and over time they all probably lost some weight in those types of working conditions...plus if your covered in sweat the chances are your fabric is going to stretch and hang more than usual - especially if you have bulky items in those pockets(lighter, viceroys, knife, etc).

[crownzip]

I own a couple of 40's-50's Big Smith chambray work shirts with the same lower placed pockets. BTW, thanks for posting the great photos Rivethead!

[Rivet Head]

I'm not so sure those "low pockets" everyone is referring to is necessarily something intentional. This is purely speculation but if I had to guess, most of the guys in these photos probably bought the shirts a tad oversized initially for comfort and over time they all probably lost some weight in those types of working conditions...plus if your covered in sweat the chances are your fabric is going to stretch and hang more than usual - especially if you have bulky items in those pockets(lighter, viceroys, knife, etc).

A "tad" oversized wouldn't do that, they'd have to be really oversized...look at where the shoulder seams fall. If they were really big on these guys they'd be hitting lower on their bicep.

Add that to the fact that Marineabilly has a shirt from that era that does the same thing and I think there's only one conclusion....

[marineabilly]

I have to disagree with glimmertwins. A soaked shirt will cause pockets to droop, but not drop and weight shouldn't have any bearing on the position of the pockets. Look at the second pic Rivet Head posted; his sleeves are perfect fitting from where the shoulder seam hits the top deltoid area (exactly where a proper fitting shirt should) down to the wrist. It also appears to properly fit him in the torso area just right. This is exactly how my Penney's S&P Chambray fits. My speculation has always been that is was a "Tall" shirt (my shirt is somewhat long), but that would mean the guy had short arms and a long torso?

Based on the Rivet Head's photo's, I believe the pockets were made that way for some reason or another.

[TheIntelligentHoodwinker]

These new Albam ones look nice...

http://www.albamclothing.com/product.aspx?productid=345

[glimmertwins]

A "tad" oversized wouldn't do that, they'd have to be really oversized...look at where the shoulder seams fall. If they were really big on these guys they'd be hitting lower on their bicep.

Add that to the fact that Marineabilly has a shirt from that era that does the same thing and I think there's only one conclusion....

After looking a little closer, I think your right - the chest pockets start below the arm holes. Just looking through a few shirts in my closet none of them start that low except for an old big mac shirt I have.

I stand corrected.

[Rivet Head]

I have to disagree with glimmertwins. A soaked shirt will cause pockets to droop, but not drop and weight shouldn't have any bearing on the position of the pockets. Look at the second pic Rivet Head posted; his sleeves are perfect fitting from where the shoulder seam hits the top deltoid area (exactly where a proper fitting shirt should) down to the wrist. It also appears to properly fit him in the torso area just right. This is exactly how my Penney's S&P Chambray fits. My speculation has always been that is was a "Tall" shirt (my shirt is somewhat long), but that would mean the guy had short arms and a long torso?

Based on the Rivet Head's photo's, I believe the pockets were made that way for some reason or another.

That brings up another question...why are they making a lot of the repro shirts with such a short body? Most of the vintage ones I've owned have a much longer body than the models of today.

[marineabilly]

^The new thing is wearing them untucked - it looks okay to an extent, but I guess I"m old fashioned and like to tuck in a non-squared bottom shirts.

[Rivet Head]

I'm with you on the tucking thing...like to button the top button a lot of the time too.

[rnrswitch]

I'm with you on the tucking thing...like to button the top button a lot of the time too.

The only time untucked is acceptable for me is when I am rolling with the entire shirt unbuttoned with like a white t underneath. Like when I get home from work or something. Feels a little sloppy to me untucked, plus with the shirt tucked I can shows my ass off to the ladies... boom!

[marineabilly]

Ha!! Nice, rnrswitch!!

Okay, so I got a response from JCrew (because I really love the covert twill material) and this is what they had to say:

"...The Covert Twill Utility Shirt actually doesn't have a tab collar and we're working on correcting that detail on jcrew.com ASAP. Hope this helps."

I knew this was the case, but I wanted to make absolutely sure - I still might bite the bullet on it.

[Rivet Head]

Interesting....I wonder if it's just pointed at such an angle that you can't see it in that pic?

[rnrswitch]

While we're talking about utility shirts I will throw out an interest check on this shirt:

It was a bit big for me when I first got it, tolerable, but have since lost weight and it is pretty big now. Still wearable, but not the "go to" shirt I was hoping it would be. Size XL. Worn a handful amount of times, never washed.

[Rivet Head]

Nice shirt switch...are there hidden buttons toward the bottom? What brand is it?

[mtchfrnk]

^^Looks like D'artisan. Are you pitching some kind of soft sell here, Switch? If so, I am interested.

I want to give some love to probably the best workshirt I own, this popover made by Steven Alan. Although SA is a major part of the untucked-shirt axis, they really made an effort to do this one right.

Note the low, moderately sized pockets.

IRL the chambray is significantly more gray/violet. Best detail IMO are concealed collar buttons--after a wash, they leave circular imprints like the collar snaps on a worn A-2 jacket. I will try to take pictures of this some time.

[rnrswitch]

Nice shirt switch...are there hidden buttons toward the bottom? What brand is it?

It is a studio d'artisan as mtchfrnk pointed out and yeah, there are some hidden buttons towards the bottom. I really wish I fit in the shirt. I would wear it a lot more. The chambray is like 11oz and rugged.

Checkout Blue in Green for more info.

SDA shirt

[airportlobbytx]

Looks nice, but no finished gussets is almost a deal breaker for me, more so than a chin strap (which is often just an irritant).

^^Looks like D'artisan. Are you pitching some kind of soft sell here, Switch? If so, I am interested.

I want to give some love to probably the best workshirt I own, this popover made by Steven Alan. Although SA is a major part of the untucked-shirt axis, they really made an effort to do this one right.

Note the low, moderately sized pockets.

IRL the chambray is significantly more gray/violet. Best detail IMO are concealed collar buttons--after a wash, they leave circular imprints like the collar snaps on a worn A-2 jacket. I will try to take pictures of this some time.

[Happy Hooligan]

seeing those pics of the rivet guys made me think, maybe the double neck strap on workshirts is for guys like that who deal with hot sparks. The double neck strap makes a solid line of protection so sparks don't go down your front shirt that just a single collar would.... ?

Great looking shirts by the way popping up here....

[marineabilly]

Okay, so here's my Penny's Big Mac S&P Shirt with the low pockets. They're a bit lower on me than I remember - It's been months since I wore it. Bad outfit, I know, but I just threw the shirt on for the photo.

No problem! Here's another classic shot with super low pockets:

[Rivet Head]

That's a great shirt! Bud's a cool dude for giving you that one. Here's a neat little add I spied in the 30's 40's Free & Easy with some more low pockets:

[fardin]

awesome shirt, and great pic, not a bad outfit whatsoever. love the lower pockets!!!!!!

[lostinthesupermarket]

Great shirt. The fabric looks really nice.

Nice ad also, fardin. The guys in those 30's/ 40's graphic ads always kind of remind me of Ronald Reagan.

[glimmertwins]

THere's a neat little add I spied in the 30's 40's Free & Easy with some more low pockets:

Jesus - those proportions in that ad are crazy - gigantic shoulders and wide waist with little hands and head.

...wish I could still get a hickory or stifel workshirt for $1 though.

[wahwho11]

but....for 79 cents, you can't go wrong-89 if you're a tall man.

[marineabilly]

Another low workshirt pocket. My last one - I know this subject's been going on for a bit, but a cool pic:

[superhero]

the ultimate chambray shirt... give me your top 3.

my favourite has always been the kicking mule workshop natural indigo one but i can never get my hands on it!