ATHLETIC T-SHIRT / WHERE THE HELL IS FORT IRWIN?

The ATHLETIC T-SHIRT / WHERE THE HELL IS FORT IRWIN? is crafted from 100% cotton loopwheel fabric and inspired by a vintage military training graphic referencing Fort Irwin, a U.S. Army installation located in the Mojave Desert in California, northeast of Barstow. The WHERE THE HELL IS FORT IRWIN? graphic is a hand applied print, completed at our Kobe headquarters using traditional manual techniques, achieving the authentic texture and feel of vintage t-shirts. The site was first established in 1940 as the Mojave Anti-Aircraft Range before being renamed Camp Irwin during the Second World War. In 1961 it was redesignated Fort Irwin and became an important training ground during the Vietnam War, where artillery, engineer, and armored units prepared for deployment. Its remote desert location gave the base a reputation among soldiers as an isolated and demanding training post. Because of its remote desert setting, Fort Irwin earned a reputation among soldiers as the middle of nowhere. The phrase “Where the hell is Fort Irwin?” became a common barracks joke among troops who suddenly found themselves training in the Mojave. Graphics like this belong to a long tradition of barracks humor, where unofficial shirts and patches turned desolate postings and demanding training assignments into shared jokes among soldiers experiencing the same hardships. Between the 1930s and 60s t-shirts made from loopwheel fabric were relatively common but remained sought after for their unique properties. This loopwheel tee is knitted in Wakayama, Japan, using extremely rare machines, known in Japan as Tsuriami-ki and even rarer skill and technique, exclusively for The Real McCoy’s. Loopwheel machines on which this tubular-constructed fabric is made, are renowned for their slow knitting pace, producing only a single meter of fabric per hour. The resulting material feels like it has been hand woven, with a stretchy element to it, a quality that cannot be replicated by modern production techniques. The crucial difference is that loopwheel textiles are knitted in an oval-shaped sequence to yield a fabric that will comfortably stretch with wear, but will return to its original dimensions with a wash. The absence of seams and the standard of the cotton make for a tee of ultimate comfort and quality. 100% Cotton Fabric, 6.8 oz. (Loopwheel Knit Fabric) Cotton Sewing Thread Construction Hand Applied Print on Front Made in Japan