WORKERS Cotton Relax Cardigan, Orange
BRAND & PRODUCT
About the Brand and Product
WORKERS Cotton Relax Cardigan
WORKERS is a menswear manufacturer based in Okayama. The brand creates clothing rooted in workwear, traditional, and military styles, based on a thorough exploration of vintage garments. The representative himself researches actual vintage items, visiting the original manufacturers and even existing buildings from the time they were made to examine materials, then incorporates this into designs that are easy to wear in the modern day through precise pattern work.
It looks like a sweater, but it’s actually a cotton cut-and-sew. The great thing about it is that while it has the look of a sweater, you can wash it without a second thought. The body is made from extra-heavy jersey fabric. While the knitting method is the same as T-shirt fabric, by feeding multiple extra-thick yarns into the knitting needles, it achieves a thickness like a low-gauge sweater. This year, this jersey fabric is unbrushed. While brushing certainly adds warmth, it inevitably makes shirts worn underneath catch easily. Naturally, it also increases costs. Furthermore, unlike the three-layer structure of sweat fabric (loopback), jersey is a single-layer structure using only face yarns. Brushing it too much reduces its strength, yet if you don't brush it enough, you can't tell the difference. After much deliberation, I decided to make an unbrushed version this year. The result... well, you can't tell unless you compare it to a brushed one. What was all that strange effort for...?
The pattern for this cardigan has been significantly changed since the last time. The size M has a body width of over 60cm for a relaxed fit, but it tapers toward the hem—a "cocoon silhouette." If you increase the body width and let it drop straight down, the hem area becomes loose and baggy. I considered adding ribs, but making it too tight loses the relaxed feel. While I was worrying about this, I saw a women’s cocoon silhouette and thought, "This is it!" and adopted it.
Pairing it with a shirt is nice, but matching it with our 2 PLY Off Turtle creates an even more relaxed atmosphere. I intentionally removed the ribbed cuffs to reduce the feeling of sleeves getting caught. By "tightening" the dimensions toward the cuff, I adjusted it so it doesn't flap around even without ribs. "This part feels a bit loose," "It catches when I put it on." We solve these sensations one by one through specifications and pattern lines, whether by using ribs or adjusting the pattern. Then, we create it and evaluate what kind of "sensation" it gives once again. WORKERS' clothing manufacturing is an endless repetition of this process. At first, it's about "sensation," which changes with the times, our own age, and our bodies. That is why the specifications and patterns we once thought were the right answer can sometimes change.
STAFF VOICE
Staff Comments
Ichimura / 175cm / 75kg
I am wearing size L.
This is a cardigan made from the same fabric as Workers' cotton sweaters, which can be called a staple item for the autumn/winter season.
It looks great paired with a cut-and-sew or a shirt, and since the material is cotton, it's easy to wear without reservation, making it a very versatile model.
In early autumn, you can wear it as an outer layer, and when it gets colder, you can wear another outer layer over it.
It's machine washable and just a highly recommended, convenient cardigan to have.