Indigo yarn is a problem for a knitting mill. It sheds dye onto everything it touches, and very few factories will run it; UES found one that would, and knits this jersey from a No. 7 single yarn — roughly twice the thickness of the yarn in an ordinary T-shirt — that has been rope-dyed in indigo exactly the way denim yarn is. Rope dyeing never reaches the center of the thread: the surface takes the indigo, the core stays white.

That is what makes the shirt behave like jeans rather than like a dyed tee. With washing, the surface indigo lightens; as the yarn thins with wear, the white core begins to show through, and the color moves into a gradation that is different on every shirt. The yarn is slightly heavier than that of UES’s No. 8 Slub Nep tee, which means a thicker fabric, longer life, and bolder, more contrasted fades. The long sleeves finish in plain tubular cuffs, not ribbing, so the fading runs uninterrupted to the wrist. 100% cotton. Made in Japan.

Fit Notes: This T-shirt runs small. Compared to most global American brands, we recommend sizing up one from your usual size: a size 4 (XL) fits similarly to an American L, a 3 (L) to an American M. As always, we strongly recommend checking our size chart and comparing it with your best-fitting garment to ensure the right fit.