Field Note / Manufacturing
What Holds a Seam Together
Twill tape, double-needle stitching, set-in sleeves — the construction details you don't see on a hanger but feel after fifty wears.
March 3, 2026
A garment's construction is the part nobody photographs and everybody eventually notices — usually the first time a cheaper shirt's shoulder seam starts to sag or a hem starts to fray after a handful of washes. We build every piece around a short list of construction choices that show up in the spec sheet more than the marketing copy.
Twill Tape at the Shoulder
Several of our tees — the Lifestyle Tee among them — use twill-taped, shoulder-to-shoulder construction. A strip of twill tape runs along the inside of the shoulder seam before it's sewn, which stops the seam from stretching out under the weight of the garment over time. Without it, shoulder seams slowly creep backward with wear, which is why an old, unreinforced tee starts to feel like it's sliding off you even though nothing was cut wrong originally.
Double-Needle, On Purpose
Sleeve hems and bottom hems on our tees are double-needle stitched — two parallel lines of stitching instead of one. It's a small, unglamorous manufacturing choice that does two things: it's more resistant to the hem unraveling, and it gives a slightly more structured, finished edge than a single overlock stitch. You'll find it paired with a 1" ribbed collar with double-needle topstitching on our tee collars specifically so the neckline holds its shape wash after wash instead of stretching into a wide, worn-out ring.
Set-In Sleeves vs. Drop Shoulder
Set-in sleeves — where the sleeve is cut and sewn as its own panel into a fitted armhole — take longer to construct than a simpler drop-shoulder or raglan sleeve, but they hold their shape and range of motion better under repeated stress, which matters when the garment's job includes an overhead kettlebell press. We use set-in construction anywhere the sleeve needs to survive real training, and save drop-shoulder cuts for pieces designed to be worn looser and calmer, like the fleece hoodie line.
None of this is visible in a product photo. It's the difference between a shirt that looks the same in year two and one that doesn't.