Five Brother Heavy Chambray Work Shirt

Founded in the late 1800s, Five Brother was long a staple of American-made men’s workwear. The brand eventually faded into obscurity, but one California-based company has breathed new life into this long-lost manufacturer of vintage Americana. And as a tribute to its forebears, the company is doing things the way Five Brother did in its heyday: producing union-made clothing right here in the United States.

This heavy chambray work shirt is classic both in construction and aesthetic. Like work shirts in the early 20th century, this reproduction is fitted with cat-eye buttons, a chin-strap collar, and selvage detail on both the side gusset and the inside of the front placket. For durability, it features a host of design elements—such as triple-chain-stitch outer seams—that have been lost to wear-it-once manufacturing. The flap pockets, for example, have been cut on the bias at 45 degrees, giving the fabric better elasticity and superior movement. And because the selvage chambray fabric has been sanforized, the shirt will shrink no more than about 5 percent.