Welterweight Sweats

Between the 1930s and the 1950s, American athletic apparel underwent a rapid evolution as production shifted from woolens to more durable, lightweight cotton jersey. With knitwear manufacturers quick to adapt their designs to meet the ongoing needs of athletes, the new cotton knits took on a series of modifications aimed at enhancing comfort while maintaining longevity.

True to form, our Welterweight collection employs the same set of construction methods that were common practice prior to the 1960s, starting with a mid-weight French terry knit with three ends and brushed on the inside. From there, the fabric is pieced together using flatlock stitching, ribbing at the collar, cuffs and hems, and ribbed gussets—each engineered to accommodate stretch at high points of stress. 

Colors were chosen to best display an accurate depiction of the washes and novel irregularities present at the time of the original mid-century productions and after a lifetime of wear. The heathered pieces are made with a mix of contrasting ribs as a nod to some of the earliest athletic sweats. These were produced when mills simply used the materials they had on hand and a single sweatshirt with two to three tones of grey wasn't uncommon. In addition, the heathers undergo the process of tinting, while those that are dyed are treated with a dry-wash to recreate the effect of an authentic sun fade. For finishing, each garment is heavily washed to parallel the hand feel of vintage references.