Pocket T-Shirt - White

The T-shirt, in its modern form, is largely a product of the United States military. During the Second World War, the standard-issue undershirt was standardised across all branches of the armed forces — a short-sleeved, crew-neck garment in tubular cotton knit, sized to be worn beneath the uniform. The single chest pocket, sewn flat to the left breast, was a practical addition: a place for a cigarette pack, a lighter, a photograph.

Buzz Rickson's, the replica division of Toyo Enterprise in Tokyo, has spent three decades reproducing these garments to the original specification. Their work begins with surviving originals — GI-issue tees that have come to light through military surplus channels and private collections. From these, the team extracts the knit gauge, seam type, collar construction, and fabric weight. What results is not a garment designed to look like a vintage T-shirt. It is a garment built by the same method, to the same standard.

The cotton is heavier than anything produced for today's mass market. It has structure without stiffness — the way good cotton felt before the pressures of cost and volume stripped it back. This weight means the garment holds its shape, drapes with body, and improves with time rather than degrading.

The collar is cut and sewn from rib knit, set in with the right degree of tension — close enough to sit cleanly beneath a collar, open enough to wear alone without constraint. Seaming throughout is lockstitched. The chest pocket is sewn flat with clean squared corners.

In white, this is the foundational piece. The colour of the original GI issue. It layers under an open overshirt, stands alone against fatigue trousers or selvedge denim, and takes on character through use. Lot No. BR78711. Made in Japan by Toyo Enterprise.

• Reproduction WWII-era US military pocket T-shirt
• Heavyweight cotton tube-knit construction
• Single patch pocket on left chest
• Set-in ribbed crew neck
• Short sleeves with hemmed cuffs
• Lockstitched seaming throughout
• Made in Japan

100% cotton. Heavyweight tube-knit jersey. Lot No. BR78711. Made in Japan.

• Machine wash cold
• Do not tumble dry
• Iron on reverse if required
• Made in Japan