Wabash is railroad cloth: an indigo fabric printed with fine white dots and stripes by discharge, worn by engineers and section crews from the turn of the century into the 1940s, and prized today because the print stays while the indigo around it fades. Pherrow’s weaves its own — the same original indigo wabash used on the 555CA and 333WP — and here puts it into a work jacket drawn from a 1940s denim jacket with a stand collar.

The details are the rare ones. A cinch back on the waistband belt, with a buckle reproduced from a pre-1940s part; two-prong dot buttons — snaps — down the front, a closure borrowed from European work and lunch jackets rather than American ones; and both chest pockets finished with the buffalo-horn stitch that marks Pherrow’s denim. The main seams are felled and sewn with three needles, so a jacket light enough to wear over a T-shirt is built like something heavier.

The cut is a traditional standard size, not today’s oversized block: short, but with enough length to balance the body, and the proportions of the vintage original. Wear it from new and the wabash does what it has always done — the indigo lightens at the collar, cuffs and seams, the white print holds, and the jacket ends up looking like the one it was copied from. Unsanforized and one-washed. 100% cotton. Made in Japan. A note from Pherrow’s: the cinch-back buckle keeps the pointed pin of the original, so adjust it with the pin tucked under the belt and wash the jacket in a bag.

Fit Notes: This model fits true to size for Pherrow’s and most Japanese brands. Compared to most global American brands, a size 42 fits similarly to a Large. The fabric is unsanforized but has been one-washed, so no shrinkage is expected. As always, we strongly recommend checking our size chart and comparing it with your best-fitting jacket to find the perfect size.