We are very excited to offer this vintage tee-shirt graphic featuring the Bell YFM-1 Airacuda.  The Airacuda was one of the most intriguing, attractive, innovative fighter planes of the 1930's; while less than 20 were produced, it was highly trumpeted and published at the time, though graphics on tee shirts, pillow shams, and matchbooks are all but non-existant today.  Even the better vintage-aircraft aficionados will likely be stumped when you wear this tee shirt!

Buzz Rickson's tee shirts take us back to when tee shirts were not moo-moo dresses outfitted with short sleeves that flirt with our elbows; rather, these are vintage-style tee shirts of the 1930's - 1970's that are trim fitting, shorter in the body length, and with quarter-length sleeves.  

The original tee shirts were made on “body-size” looms which yield a shirt with no side seams, thus weaving a perfect tube.  To do this requires special looms that are only used by specialist manufacturers these days; subsequently, the looms are hard to source and expensive to produce garments on because you need one loom for each size you want made - but it's the proper way to make a vintage-style tee shirt, and it's the only way they were made in the 1930's - ‘70's.

The expertise for making such a garment is largely only found in one place in the world these days - Japan.  The Japanese have become renowned as world experts in vintage-style garment manufacture and home of body-size construction, being able to produce super-accurate, vintage-quality fabrics. 

These tee shirts are made of a robust cotton, heavier than typical undershirts, and the cotton is washed for a softer hand, a vintage look, and to eliminate guesswork in fit vis-a-vis shrinkage.

Available in sizes Sm - XXL.  Please see our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.

Imported from Japan

We are very excited to offer this vintage tee-shirt graphic featuring the Bell YFM-1 Airacuda.  The Airacuda was one of the most intriguing, attractive, innovative fighter planes of the 1930's; while less than 20 were produced, it was highly trumpeted and published at the time, though graphics on tee shirts, pillow shams, and matchbooks are all but non-existant today.  Even the better vintage-aircraft aficionados will likely be stumped when you wear this tee shirt!

Buzz Rickson's tee shirts take us back to when tee shirts were not moo-moo dresses outfitted with short sleeves that flirt with our elbows; rather, these are vintage-style tee shirts of the 1930's - 1970's that are trim fitting, shorter in the body length, and with quarter-length sleeves.  

The original tee shirts were made on “body-size” looms which yield a shirt with no side seams, thus weaving a perfect tube.  To do this requires special looms that are only used by specialist manufacturers these days; subsequently, the looms are hard to source and expensive to produce garments on because you need one loom for each size you want made - but it's the proper way to make a vintage-style tee shirt, and it's the only way they were made in the 1930's - ‘70's.

The expertise for making such a garment is largely only found in one place in the world these days - Japan.  The Japanese have become renowned as world experts in vintage-style garment manufacture and home of body-size construction, being able to produce super-accurate, vintage-quality fabrics. 

These tee shirts are made of a robust cotton, heavier than typical undershirts, and the cotton is washed for a softer hand, a vintage look, and to eliminate guesswork in fit vis-a-vis shrinkage.

Available in sizes Sm - XXL.  Please see our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.

Imported from Japan

Some AAF units and bases had their own baseball teams and their athletic apparel was often military-spec. and government issue.  Our baseball shirt is the type typically worn on cooler days under the short-sleeve, button-front baseball shirt and has the classic three-quarter sleeves in the team color, in this case red.  These "undershirts" have been forever popular worn on their own as just an outer shirt, and the detailing found on this copy is one you'll want to be seen wearing and not have mostly hidden under a baseball outer shirt.

The vintage baseball undershirts were manufactured to a standard back in their era that was very much the norm, utilizing circular tube-knitting machines that produced shirts with a perfect tube body and no side seams.  Tube-knitting machines can only weave one set diameter per loom; this means the factory needs a different loom for each size - very expensive - which is why you hardly ever see true tube construction in modern-day garments. Even the most expensive designer sweatshirts will usually have a side seam - sometimes two seams!  Tube construction ensures true shape is maintained, not only during its construction, but during its life of wear.  This is the proper way to make a sweatshirt; in the good old days, the proper way was the only way.  It's cheap and easy to make shirts from a flat piece of cloth, and most customers would never notice the difference, though they may wonder why their not-so-cheap sweatshirt seemed to lose its shape after only a few washes - but now you know.

A year of meticulous research and development has gone into this baseball shirt that was copied from a vintage example.  Japan is home to the masters of tube-knitting and we enlisted the great John Lofgren, master of vintage American clothing, to help bring this shirt to its insane levels of vintage perfection.

Please note the following vintage features found only on a shirt of this pedigree:

• Heavy-weight, all-cotton fabric for years of enjoyment under hard use

• All-cotton thread used throughout construction

• TUBE-Body construction utilizing vintage, wartime circular-knitting machines - there are no side seams

• Set-in sleeves

• #18 Toppushi yarn perfectly matched to the original vintage fabric

• The fabric is produced using a combination of two dying methods - sakizome (pre-dyed before weaving) and atozome (woven then dyed)

• Dying is performed in one location and sewing in another - very costly

• Exact copy of the original-style, printed-on-cotton labels

• True vintage fit for flattering appearance, not a sloppy, relaxed fit with droopy shoulder seams

Take a bite of old-time machismo and see how true baseball undershirts used to look and feel.  Limited quantities available.

Sizes:  36 - 46.   Please note that the individual modeling the shirt in the photos has a 38" chest circumference and he is wearing a shirt in size 40.  Please our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.

Imported from Japan

The Henley is a classic vintage-style tee shirt if ever there was one.  This is produced exclusively for ELMC by the John Lofgren workshops of Japan. The expertise in making such a garment is really only found in one place in the world these days – Japan - and John Lofgren is the master.

These Henley tee shirts are created using a thread that was developed in Japan that replicates the look and feel of vintage fabric; because these cottons all have different length staples (fibers), the thread has a distinctive texture that is similar to vintage fabric. This specialized thread is called ‘Raffy’, which is a combination of American Supima cotton, Egyptian cotton and Turfan cotton.  The body section is produced by one company and another makes the ribbing - each specializing in their own field of expertise. The cost is, naturally, much more expensive than regular mass-produced material, but the finished product is superior.

Of course, all of the authentic detailing is incorporated in the design, thus these classic, vintage Henley tee shirts have  the vintage fit, which is sensibly trim and lacking sloppy, droopy shoulders, excess blouse in the body width and length, and no sleeves hanging down to your elbows. Both over-lock and flat-seam sewing are deftly executed in this design as per the vintage garments.  Lastly, genuine, seashell buttons are employed at the neck closure and the labels in the neck are woven on vintage shuttle looms for the correct vintage look and feel.

The Henley tee is often duplicated but we offer the real deal - a sleek-fitting classic styled to vintage perfection and built to last.

Available in sizes 36 - 46.  Please see our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.

The Henley is a classic vintage-style tee shirt if ever there was one.  This is produced exclusively for ELMC by the John Lofgren workshops of Japan. The expertise in making such a garment is really only found in one place in the world these days – Japan - and John Lofgren is the master.

These Henley tee shirts are created using a thread that was developed in Japan that replicates the look and feel of vintage fabric; because these cottons all have different length staples (fibers), the thread has a distinctive texture that is similar to vintage fabric. This specialized thread is called ‘Raffy’, which is a combination of American Supima cotton, Egyptian cotton and Turfan cotton.  The body section is produced by one company and another makes the ribbing - each specializing in their own field of expertise. The cost is, naturally, much more expensive than regular mass-produced material, but the finished product is superior.

Of course, all of the authentic detailing is incorporated in the design, thus these classic, vintage Henley tee shirts have  the vintage fit, which is sensibly trim and lacking sloppy, droopy shoulders, excess blouse in the body width and length, and no sleeves hanging down to your elbows. Both over-lock and flat-seam sewing are deftly executed in this design as per the vintage garments.  Lastly, genuine, seashell buttons are employed at the neck closure and the labels in the neck are woven on vintage shuttle looms for the correct vintage look and feel.

The Henley tee is often duplicated but we offer the real deal - a sleek-fitting classic styled to vintage perfection and built to last.

Available in sizes 36 - 46.  Please see our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.

Imported from Japan

This classic, vintage-style tee shirt was produced exclusively for ELMC by the John Lofgren workshops of Japan. The expertise in making such a garment is really only found in one place in the world these days – Japan - and John Lofgren is the master.

These tee shirts are created using a thread that was developed in Japan that replicates the look and feel of vintage fabric; because these cottons all have different length staples (fibers), the thread has a distinctive texture that is similar to vintage fabric. This specialized thread is called ‘Raffy’, which is a combination of American Supima cotton, Egyptian cotton and Turfan cotton. The fabric is then woven on rare, vintage, circular knitting machines, so the body is a complete tube with no side seam and known as “body-size.”

Tube-knitting machines can only weave one set diameter per loom; this means the factory needs a different loom for each size - very expensive - which is why you hardly ever see true tube construction in modern-day garments. Tube construction ensures true shape is maintained, not only during its construction, but during its life of wear.  This is the proper way to make a tee shirt; in the good old days, the proper way was the only way.

The body section is produced by one company and another makes the ribbing - each specializing in their own field of expertise. The cost is, naturally, much more expensive than regular mass-produced material, but the finished product is superior.

Of course, all of the authentic detailing is incorporated in the design, thus these classic, vintage tee shirts have shorter sleeves than most contemporary tee shirts, which was known back in the day as quarter sleeves. And our shirts have the vintage fit, which is sensibly trim and lacking sloppy, droopy shoulders, excess blouse in the body width and length, and no sleeves hanging down to your elbows. Lastly, the labels in the neck are woven on vintage shuttle looms for the correct vintage look and feel. This vintage tee shirt design is the exact type seen being worn by Marlon Brando in the famous cult-classic, “The Wild One,” where a renegade biker club holds a small town hostage and the image of the biker bad boy was solidified in the public’s mind.  

Available in sizes 36 - 46.  Please see our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.  

Imported from Japan

This classic, vintage-style tee shirt was produced exclusively for ELMC by the John Lofgren workshops of Japan. The expertise in making such a garment is really only found in one place in the world these days – Japan - and John Lofgren is the master.

These tee shirts are created using a thread that was developed in Japan that replicates the look and feel of vintage fabric; because these cottons all have different length staples (fibers), the thread has a distinctive texture that is similar to vintage fabric. This specialized thread is called ‘Raffy’, which is a combination of American Supima cotton, Egyptian cotton and Turfan cotton. The fabric is then woven on rare, vintage, circular knitting machines, so the body is a complete tube with no side seam and known as “body-size.”

Tube-knitting machines can only weave one set diameter per loom; this means the factory needs a different loom for each size - very expensive - which is why you hardly ever see true tube construction in modern-day garments. Tube construction ensures true shape is maintained, not only during its construction, but during its life of wear.  This is the proper way to make a tee shirt; in the good old days, the proper way was the only way.

The body section is produced by one company and another makes the ribbing - each specializing in their own field of expertise. The cost is, naturally, much more expensive than regular mass-produced material, but the finished product is superior.

Of course, all of the authentic detailing is incorporated in the design, thus these classic, vintage tee shirts have shorter sleeves than most contemporary tee shirts, which was known back in the day as quarter sleeves. And our shirts have the vintage fit, which is sensibly trim and lacking sloppy, droopy shoulders, excess blouse in the body width and length, and no sleeves hanging down to your elbows. Lastly, the labels in the neck are woven on vintage shuttle looms for the correct vintage look and feel. This vintage tee shirt design is the exact type seen being worn by Marlon Brando in the famous cult-classic, “The Wild One,” where a renegade biker club holds a small town hostage and the image of the biker bad boy was solidified in the public’s mind.  

Available in sizes 36 - 46.  Please see our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.  

Imported from Japan

This vintage tee shirt design is typical of those used by sports teams back in the day, where the trim color on collar and the entire sleeve denoted the team.  Our classic, vintage-style tee shirt was produced exclusively for ELMC by the John Lofgren workshops of Japan. The expertise in making such a garment is really only found in one place in the world these days – Japan - and John Lofgren is the master.

These tee shirts are created using a thread that was developed in Japan that replicates the look and feel of vintage fabric; because these cottons all have different length staples (fibers), the thread has a distinctive texture that is similar to vintage fabric. This specialized thread is called ‘Raffy’, which is a combination of American Supima cotton, Egyptian cotton and Turfan cotton. The fabric is then woven on rare, vintage, circular knitting machines, so the body is a complete tube with no side seam and known as “body-size.”

Tube-knitting machines can only weave one set diameter per loom; this means the factory needs a different loom for each size - very expensive - which is why you hardly ever see true tube construction in modern-day garments. Tube construction ensures true shape is maintained, not only during its construction, but during its life of wear.  This is the proper way to make a tee shirt; in the good old days, the proper way was the only way.

The body section is produced by one company and another makes the ribbing - each specializing in their own field of expertise. The cost is, naturally, much more expensive than regular mass-produced material, but the finished product is superior. Of course, all of the authentic detailing is incorporated in the design, thus these classic, vintage tee shirts have shorter sleeves than most contemporary tee shirts, which was known back in the day as quarter sleeves. And our shirts have the vintage fit, which is sensibly trim and lacking sloppy, droopy shoulders, excess blouse in the body width and length, and no sleeves hanging down to your elbows. Lastly, the labels in the neck are woven on vintage shuttle looms for the correct vintage look and feel.  

Available in sizes 36 - 46.  Please see our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.  

Imported from Japan

This shirt with graphics reached some level of fame, due to its appearance on the cover of LIFE magazine in July 1942.  We've always held this design in great fascination, and using the Eastman 1940's off-white "skivvy" tee shirt as the foundation, a masterpiece copy of the vintage shirt can now be offered.

The original tee shirts were made on loop-wheel, “body-size” looms which yield a shirt with no side seams, thus weaving a perfect tube.  To do this requires special looms that are only used by specialist manufacturers these days; subsequently, the looms are hard to source and expensive to produce garments on because you need one loom for each size you want made - but it's the proper way to make a vintage-style tee shirt, and it's the only way they were made for the U. S. military in the 1930's- ‘40's.

The expertise for making such a garment is largely only found in one place in the world these days - Japan.  The Japanese have become renowned as world experts in vintage-style garment manufacture and home of body-size construction, being able to produce super-accurate, vintage-quality fabrics.  Needless to say, we were only interested in producing the very best that could be achieved, so our Tee Shirts are made in Japan.

For those who appreciate the fine details and quality of a vintage garment and, therefore, the absolute authenticity of a high-end reproduction, the Eastman Tee Shirt is sure to delight.  This is the definitive, classic, white tee shirt of all time.

Available in sizes 36 - 44.  Please see our SIZING TIPS for advice on how to get the correct fit.

Imported from Japan