Loop & Weft Tompkins Knit V-Gusset Crewneck Sweatshirt Oatmeal

This Tompkin-lined sweatshirt is made using the Tompkin, a fantastic old-style knitting machine almost nonexistent in Japan. The Tompkin machine is a rare vintage circular knitting machine developed around 1846 with low production efficiency and excellent capabilities to create soft and textured fabrics. Only a few machines remain in operation in the entire world. And only a single factory in all of Japan, located of course in Wakayama, has a couple of vintage Tompkin machines running the production for this fabric. Loopwheel is better known amongst denim heads worldwide, but the Tompkin material is even more surprising to the touch due to its extreme softness. Unlike circular Loopwheel knitting machines, which usually knit from top to bottom, this machine knits ultra slowly from bottom to top, giving it a thick and ultra-soft texture with plenty of air. The result is the softest sweatshirt fabric we have ever seen, even softer than a premium soft merino or Lambswool sweater.

As if this were not enough, the loop part of the lining is finished with a special sheepskin raising process to create a fluffy material full of texture with increased thickness and warmth. In addition, loop & Weft opted for a thinner 40-ban yarn to ensure the perfect balance between stretch and retention of the fabric over a long period of wear.

The design is based on a classic V ribbed neck sweatshirt with vintage style ribbed cuffs and hem. All these ribbed parts are sewn with two-needle stitching, something that requires a lot of time and effort.

The silhouette is tailored in a relaxed, regular fit that allows you to fully experience the warm, fluffy comfort of the Tompkin fabric.

For the absolute best of the best, look no further than Japan’s Loop & Weft, who have been crafting top-tier tees and knitwear with an artisan’s eye for more than a decade. Using rare vintage machines, their pieces undergo a tediously slow knitting process that results in incredibly dense and suspiciously soft fabrics with unique uneven textures derived from the combination of natural and recycled fibres. In their efforts towards eco-conscious production, they use natural dyes with low environmental impact, resulting in coveted, one–of–a–kind pieces with a trademark organic unevenness in colour.

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