An estimated 1930s French 'Black Lightweight Moleskin Grandpa Shirt'.
A truly exceptional arrival.
The "Grandpa Shirt", indispensable to French vintage style
"Grandpa Shirt" is a general name for shirts characterised by a long body and a pullover design, also known as the "grandfather shirt". The name is said to come from the idea of an old shirt that a grandfather ( grandpa) might have worn.
They were worn as workwear at the time, and also as everyday garments such as pyjamas and underwear, serving a wide range of purposes. Many fabrics are known, cotton, flannel, chambray, linen, wool and more, varying with the working environment, the season and the times.
This piece is an unusual one, made in "Black Moleskin", a fabric considered rare even in French vintage. In grandpa shirts especially, pieces in black moleskin are very unusual, and are known as all but legendary among grandpa shirts.
As the name suggests, it is said to take its name from a cloth that recalls the skin of a mole.
Once you touch it you will understand: it is smooth to a degree you would hardly expect of cotton, with a fine sheen. Most moleskin in circulation is thick, but this piece is a rare one made in light moleskin, a thin moleskin found only in a few pieces from older periods.
The secret lies in "the weave". Moleskin is a cloth made in a "satin weave".
Satin weave is counted as one of the three basic weaves, built on a repeat of five or more warp and weft threads; the floats are long, so that only the warp or only the weft appears on the face. It is dense, thick, supple and smooth, with a strong sheen.
It was precisely because moleskin is so densely woven and so supple that it was chosen as working dress for people who laboured in harsh conditions.
This piece is cut generously from black moleskin, rarer still than blue. Black is so versatile that many people will have been looking for one.
Having actually been worn as workwear in its day, it is entirely practical.
Whatever the era, brand or condition, grandpa shirts in black moleskin are very few in number and of real rarity.
A small, restrained collar, flap pockets on both sides of the chest with exposed buttons, white stitching that stands out against the black, and hand stitching that carries the warmth of human hands: every detail speaks of its age.
The size label cannot be confirmed. This corresponds roughly to a Japanese "S ~ M".
Judging by the measurements, it runs small, so it should fit a smaller frame without any trouble.
There are signs of use, such as traces of repair, but no significant damage that would affect wear, so it has plenty of life left in it.
A grandpa shirt made generously from black light moleskin, one we would very much like anyone who loves French workwear to own.
This is not something money alone can buy, and we cannot promise that another will come our way.
It would serve well in your wardrobe, of course, and leaves nothing to be desired as a collector's piece or a source of design ideas, either. A piece like this is seldom seen, even in Japan, so if you have been searching, or simply love unusual things, do not let this opportunity pass.
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