An Experimental Overshirt
The 3001 overshirt is the original Uskees design. A versatile work jacket flushed in a range of deep, tactile colours, it's made to age well, becoming as reliable and personalised as a trusted studio tool. Well, since 2019 the 3001 has become the bedrock for everything we’ve done since, and it will always be our core. The best thing about a core is that once it’s established, you can really have some fun. Play with it, reinvent it. Form something new and unexpected. Subverted, enhanced.
Our new wool specials, Delph and Tame, are the first reinterpretations of the 3001. Read on to learn how these elite editions of our signature garment came to pass.
Selecting a material
It all started after lockdown. We were looking to reconsider the shape and function of our range, try out new pieces, new materials, one of which was wool. We had designed hats and accessories in wool before, but nothing sizable. The ancient fabric seemed an ideal candidate for an experimental 3001.
Now wool comes from sheep, goats, alpacas, llamas, even rabbits, camels, yaks. It’s as organic as it gets and it's also sustainable — regenerative — and has amazing natural properties. It traps air for warmth and insulation. It dries super fast, wicking moisture, drawing it away from the skin.
We settled on sheep wool because it’s soft, lightweight and diverse in application. We explored herringbone wool, Melton coated wool, even tweed. Then we landed on lambswool. 100% pure, no blends, new, from a lamb’s first shearing. You can weave lambswool to create a flat fabric as opposed to knitting it too, which gives it a chunkier feel. Now we just needed partners to pull it off.
Sourcing a fabric
After much research and sampling, we connected with a supplier local to us in Manchester, UK. Mallalieus have been producing wool since 1863. They use sheep grazed wild on the Pennine hills. Their wool is washed in the soft water running off the same fells, then dyed in-house.
Colour is as paramount to Mallalieus as it is to Uskees. We agreed on some vibrant check patterns: peacock blue, woodland green. Interestingly, both options came from a single roll of wool. The vertical warp came from the sheet. The horizontal blue and green weft was run through it. We then had the material brushed for softness.
Built to last
With our wool in place, we pattern matched the 3001 so our check ran in sync throughout the garment, no easy feat, then we sent the material to Bern, our Portugese manufacturers.
In Portugal, the Delph and Tame overshirts were triple needle stitched at the arms, and strengthened at the pockets for durability. The collars were double layered, not reinforced, as the wool weave was already incredibly strong. Each piece was then triple-needled up the sides, and kept unlined to make them breathable, ideal for layering in a seasonal look. Finally, we punctuated the fronts with our plant based corozo buttons.
For a rich and fulfilling life
The result was a pair of very special garments, the best of Uskees. The first reinvention of our 3001. Proof that when we do things right and do them well, adhering to the highest standards of material selection and production methods, some things in life can still be special, and better days will always lie ahead.
Years in the making
An Experimental Overshirt
The 3001 overshirt is the original Uskees design. A versatile work jacket flushed in a range of deep, tactile colours, it's made to age well, becoming as reliable and personalised as a trusted studio tool. Well, since 2019 the 3001 has become the bedrock for everything we’ve done since, and it will always be our core. The best thing about a core is that once it’s established, you can really have some fun. Play with it, reinvent it. Form something new and unexpected. Subverted, enhanced.
Our new wool specials, Delph and Tame, are the first reinterpretations of the 3001. Read on to learn how these elite editions of our signature garment came to pass.
Selecting a material
It all started after lockdown. We were looking to reconsider the shape and function of our range, try out new pieces, new materials, one of which was wool. We had designed hats and accessories in wool before, but nothing sizable. The ancient fabric seemed an ideal candidate for an experimental 3001.
Now wool comes from sheep, goats, alpacas, llamas, even rabbits, camels, yaks. It’s as organic as it gets and it's also sustainable — regenerative — and has amazing natural properties. It traps air for warmth and insulation. It dries super fast, wicking moisture, drawing it away from the skin.
We settled on sheep wool because it’s soft, lightweight and diverse in application. We explored herringbone wool, Melton coated wool, even tweed. Then we landed on lambswool. 100% pure, no blends, new, from a lamb’s first shearing. You can weave lambswool to create a flat fabric as opposed to knitting it too, which gives it a chunkier feel. Now we just needed partners to pull it off.
Sourcing a fabric
After much research and sampling, we connected with a supplier local to us in Manchester, UK. Mallalieus have been producing wool since 1863. They use sheep grazed wild on the Pennine hills. Their wool is washed in the soft water running off the same fells, then dyed in-house.
Colour is as paramount to Mallalieus as it is to Uskees. We agreed on some vibrant check patterns: peacock blue, woodland green. Interestingly, both options came from a single roll of wool. The vertical warp came from the sheet. The horizontal blue and green weft was run through it. We then had the material brushed for softness.
Built to last
With our wool in place, we pattern matched the 3001 so our check ran in sync throughout the garment, no easy feat, then we sent the material to Bern, our Portugese manufacturers.
In Portugal, the Delph and Tame overshirts were triple needle stitched at the arms, and strengthened at the pockets for durability. The collars were double layered, not reinforced, as the wool weave was already incredibly strong. Each piece was then triple-needled up the sides, and kept unlined to make them breathable, ideal for layering in a seasonal look. Finally, we punctuated the fronts with our plant based corozo buttons.
For a rich and fulfilling life
The result was a pair of very special garments, the best of Uskees. The first reinvention of our 3001. Proof that when we do things right and do them well, adhering to the highest standards of material selection and production methods, some things in life can still be special, and better days will always lie ahead.