Around four hundred loopwheel machines are left in Wakayama, and roughly half of them are running on any given day. Built between the 1920s and the 1960s, they knit at a fraction of the speed of modern equipment and under almost no tension — gravity, not a pull, sets the stitch — which is why the industry abandoned them and why Warehouse & Co still uses them. The Lot 4601 is the brand’s plain T-shirt, and it is made on these machines in a 12-count uneven cotton jersey.

The yarn is spun with deliberately varying thickness, so the low-tension knit comes out loose, structured and visibly slubbed: a surface with grain and depth that no high-speed machine reproduces, and a fabric that is sturdier than its weight suggests. It wears the way old T-shirts wore — softening with every wash, holding its shape, gaining character rather than losing it.

The body is tubular-knit, with no side seams, and the crew neck is reinforced so it keeps its line. The cut is the classic short, boxy silhouette of a mid-century tee. The shirt is not pre-washed and will shrink about 1" (2.5 cm) in every direction in the first wash, settling into its intended fit from there. 100% cotton. Made in Japan.

Fit Notes: This T-shirt is not pre-washed and will shrink about 1" (2.5 cm) in all directions after the first wash. Compared to most global American brands, we recommend sizing up one from your usual size: unwashed, that size will feel slightly loose, and it settles into the intended fit after washing. The cut is the classic short and boxy silhouette, so expect a shorter body than a modern tee. As always, we strongly recommend checking our size chart and comparing it with your best-fitting garment to ensure the right fit.