The classic workshirt is a perennial Adsum piece. Tracing the origins of where the classic workshirt was created can be tricky. Taking a step back to consider it, it was most likely the turn of the century and the industrial boom in the United States that made the workshirt such an identifiable piece of clothing that has lived on to the present.
Plumbers, line workers, cowboys, mechanics, and hunters all found practicality in a workshirt. When the classic workshirt is put to use in any of the above mentioned fields, its pockets would be stuffed with varying items such as a pack of cigarettes or a mechanical pen. Having a flap pocket with a button to anchor the daily contents of the chest pockets served an honest purpose.
Our interpretation of the workshirt takes cues from the innovators of the style. We were inspired by Woolrich, Ralph Lauren and Big Yank. We use flat fell chain stitching on our seams with heavy thread tex to increase the durability of our seams. Thick impact resistant buttons will hold up for years if you tumble dry your work shirt or drive over it in a car. Stuff the pockets with whatever. It’s easier grabbing something out of a chest pocket than from the front pocket of a five pocket jean.
Each season we update and test our fabrics on our workshirt silhouette. This season, two plaids were used. Our cream based plaid pitches use a heavy but soft fabric that has brushed face. The darker shadow plaids use a heavier unbrushed fabric similar to plaid workshirts from the 60s and 70s. Both styles are 100% cotton.
We find that breaking in our workshirts over a few wears before washing is appropriate because of the sturdiness of the shirt. Hang it on a closet hook, leave your key in the front pocket. These shirts deserve to be well worn.
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