Welcome to our new series called What We're Made Of.
So much of what we think makes Wythe special is our passion for textiles. For us, designing a garment always starts with the fabric - we can't make a truly authentic piece of clothing if the fabric isn't true to its roots. It's not enough for us to use an mill's existing fabric qualities - we typically use textiles that are unique and exclusive to us; often times these are fabrics that stopped being produced decades ago.
This brings us to our first fabric in the series: our slub cotton/linen twill. We first introduced this fabric last year and it is something we're immensely proud to continue running.
This twill is a blend of 65% cotton and 35% linen, woven in India exclusively for Wythe. We wanted the durability of a cotton with the breathability of a linen. A fabric like this would normally endure a number of finishing processes which strip away much of the character these yarns create - but not ours! This fabric is made from unbleached and undyed cotton yarns, which are best seen on our unbleached color which is full of little nuances in shade and tone. The unbleached cotton is anything but the bleached bright white we normally think of with cotton. Once these yarns are woven, to achieve other colors, we dye each finished piece. After the garment is constructed, we wash it to achieve a vintage, lived-in feel.
The Wythe Chino is based on U.S. Military Chinos brought back by GIs from the second world war. That "chino pant" then evolved into the ever-present khaki slacks that have become an American staple. The fit of the Wythe Chino retains the charm and fullness of those original pants that look great next to the barbecue or walking down the street.
Let 'em get dirty, let 'em get wrinkled, and most importantly live in them!