The U.S.N. COTTON CARDIGAN is modeled on garments issued by the U.S. Navy from the 1930s through the 1940s. Similar examples can be found in early military-issued Henley shirts, which also used fleece-backed cotton for added insulation and comfort. This piece draws from those practical origins, offering a reproduction that reflects the understated functionality of naval wear during that period.

The U.S.N. COTTON CARDIGAN is made from mid-weight 10 oz. loopwheel-knitted cotton and features a brushed loopback French terry, making it warmer and softer than its unbrushed counterpart. Loopwheel machines, which produce this tubular-constructed fabric, are renowned for their slow knitting pace, producing only a single meter of fabric per hour. However, this low thread tension technique is what sets them apart from contemporary manufacturing methods and creates an exceptional and distinctive fabric. The resulting material is reminiscent of hand-woven textiles and possesses a unique stretchy quality and washed look, similar to old American sweatshirts that can only be reproduced on a loopwheel knitting machine. This loopwheel sweat is knitted in Wakayama, Japan, using extremely rare machines known in Japan as Tsuriami-ki, and requires rare skills and techniques, exclusively for The Real McCoy’s.

100% Cotton

Cotton Fabric, 10 oz. (Loop-Wheel Knit Fabric)

Cotton Sewing Thread Construction

Made in Japan