Warehouse Sweatpants No. 40 Lot #492

When you pick up this sweatshirt, the first thing you'll notice is its weight. This newly developed sweatshirt is the result of repeated trial and error in order to recreate the 1960s RW type. This groundbreaking athletic sweatshirt uses the fabric horizontally to reduce shrinkage, and while the side panels tend to catch the eye, its true characteristics lie in the yarn. The fabric, knitted with an extremely tight weave, is stiff yet elastic, heavy yet soft and fluffy. Warehouse is particularly particular about the fabric's "grain." In regular sweatshirts, the "grain of the fabric" is vertical, but in this RW model, it's horizontal. To make the grain stand out, they repeatedly changed the combination of yarn count and weave density. What they finally arrived at is the unusual "ply-ply" method for sweatshirts. Normally, sweatshirts are knitted by combining one yarn each on the front, middle, and back, but by ply-plying, it became easier to achieve a tighter weave. Furthermore, the characteristics of the loopwheel knitting machine allow for a stiffer fabric with a more defined surface while maintaining elasticity. Historically, sinker knitting machines, which were adopted later, produce fabrics that are too stiff even with the same yarn specifications, resulting in a stark difference in the finished product. The "weight" of the finished fabric requires skilled work during both dyeing and sewing. Dyeing is more demanding than usual, and sewing is not as easy as with lightweight knitwear. The "weight" of this RW type sweatshirt is the result of a "baton relay" of cooperation in all processes: fabric, dyeing, and sewing. I will also discuss the original RW model later. Surprisingly, analysis of torn areas in the fabric of a 1960s vintage piece, commonly known as the "tataki tag," revealed exposed "ply-ply" threads. The pioneering spirit of those who attempted to develop athletic wear in a pastoral yet uncompromising manner is unearthed through the "uncompromising pursuit of detail."