Patagonia | Truth to Materials Collection | Ventura, California (US) | By Lee Fleming

Patagonia's recently released Truth to Materials is a capsule collection featuring seven styles brought about by exploring radical new methods of manufacturing. Borne out of a desire to reimagine the inaugural stage of a garment’s life, the collection focuses upon overlooked raw materials integral to production. Each piece in the Truth to Materials collection is made from reclaimed or alternatively sourced fabrics including an undyed cashmere Snap-T Pullover, a reclaimed cotton hoody and crew, a reclaimed wool jacket and a parka.

Celebrating the purest form of a material, the Truth to Materials collection focus on origins and staying true to its starting point during every step of the design and manufacturing process. The reclaimed wool used is sourced from Figli di Michelangelo Calamai (Calami, Italy), founded in 1878. Calami is dedicated to producing reclaimed wool and in this case the pieces were made from discarded wool sweaters that were shred into usable fibres. The reclaimed cotton is from the TAL Group who saved their cotton scraps by sweeping the floors of their factories in China and Malaysia - saving hundreds of tons of cotton from the landfill. The Undyed Cashmere is hand harvested by Mongolian goat herders who brush their flocks as they shift grazing grounds according to the seasons. The colours of the yarns indicate the seasons, caused by nature and produced a material untouched by the process of fibre dyeing, which lessens the environmental impact.

View the Patagonia Truth to Materials short film here and read more about the collection on Patagonia's website .

Triplstitched Contour Print Shirt | London (UK)

Up-and-coming menswear label and IDMC° favourite Triplstitched, work out of their Enfield factory in North London where they design and manufacture contemporary casual shirts using vintage machinery. Founded by co-founder of design and sourcing firm Eden & Eden, Scott Eden and Managing Director of Hong Kong-based menswear supplier The Limeys, Ben Marden, the pair work with a wish to return shirt production to the UK.

Triplstitched have sourced, shipped and restored shirt-making machinery from around the world with a promise to manufacture the garments from their London base using tried and test construction methods. Eden and Marden boast classic pieces of machinery in their factory including a Reece S2 buttonhole machine and a Union Special wide flat felled chain stitched armhole machine, developed to create the distinct aesthetic produced by American shirt icons. And although the machinery may not be able compete with their speedier modern counterparts, the finished Triplstitched garments are produced with a distinctive appearance.

With an arsenal of contemporary classics, the Contour Print is inspired by the quintessentially British Ordnance Survey Map. The classic two finger button down Oxford shirt features an print developed in-house that was created after Triplstitched re-drew a section of an 18th century map formerly used by the military to chart areas and territory. 

The shirt was then produced by Heathrow based IVO, a family run printer who used a rotary printing press to transfer the print pattern into the 100% cotton fabric and finally sanforized for a softer finish.

Available from at Triplstitched.

Organic Cotton Gooday Shirt by Rulezpeeps | Kamogawa City (JAP)

Japanese outwear clothier Rulezpeeps are committed to simple, functional yet comfortable design. Based in Kamogawa City (Chiba), Rulezpeeps present durable collections focused on quality Japanese craftsmanship and natural materials; the brand also supports the local economy with a promise to stock garments that are ‘100% made in Japan’. With a background in surf culture and influenced by natural processes, Rulezpeeps create clothing suitable for those who prefer the outdoors.

Available from The Garbstore

1940's Chambray Shirt by Our Legacy | Stockholm (SWE)

A wardrobe staple, the 1940’s Chambray Shirt by Swedish maker Our Legacy features as part of their Everyman collection which includes a capsule of shirt essentials re-imagined with their distinctive design approach. Made from a light-weight, multi-blue cotton chambray sourced from Japan, this effortless all-rounder, just like denim, will gain character, wear naturally and age beautifully over time.

Available from Neighbour.

Re-issued Work Jacket by Scout | Seattle (US)

Our obsession with workwear continues with this re-issue of a 1940s French industrial Work Jacket. Crafted in iconic French Blue canvas, this jacket by Scout features a large interior pocket, three front pockets, iridescent metal buttoned closures and reversed orientation buttoned cuffs.

Available from Scout.