Anti T-shirt gardenia

As seen in  Vogue Business, Departures and Airmail.

Looks great with our Water Master Pants.

The first thing I learned while living in the mountains is that stretch fabric does not exist in nature. Who knew? That's because spandex is a man-made material made from fossil fuels.

At the time, I was writing the script for my TED animation, "The Lifecycle of a T-shirt," and discovered how polluting it is to make the average t-shirt. It left me depressed for weeks and inspired me to make its complete opposite.

So how can one design a t-shirt style without stretch, but still feel casual and comfortable? Alas, the open-back solution! 

The fabric wraps around the shoulders, drapes dramatically in the back, and is held together by an adjustable neck tie. Perfect for a hot summer day when the warm breeze cools you from behind. 

The cropped boxy cut is best worn with high-waisted pants, tucked slightly in the front for an effortless look. 

Hand-embroidered contrast stitching sits atop hand-sewn french seams that follow the curves of the body. 

Gardenia flower pods are foraged from the mountain forest in the summer to dye this vibrant sunshine hue.

The original prototype was made for a Smithsonian exhibition, took two years to perfect. It was the first style we made entirely by hand.

Style 01101