UNIVERSAL WORKS - 3 NEW GARMENTS IN THE WORKSHOP DENIM COLLECTION TO LAYER UP WITH FOR AUTUMN

Universal Works, founded by David Kyte and based in the heart of the old English textile industry in the midlands, have been producing beautiful yet functional men’s fashion since 2008.

The launch of the Workshop Denim collection by Universal Works last year was one of the highlights of 2014 for this denim-head. (I’ve been breaking in their trucker jacket for just over a year now.)

So, I’m happy to report that the collection has grown with the introduction of a chambray worker shirt and Slub versions of their jeans and chore jacket.

The Jeans

The irregular slubby denim has a wonderfully soft feel to it and the work wear inspired regular jeans have a relaxed fit with a mid rise. Based on a pair of cotton suit pants from the UW collection, the results are a very classic British take on the 5-pocket jean.

As with the other jeans in the collection the slub jeans are made with a washed 13oz denim, woven in Portugal and made in England.

The Shirt

The worker shirt continues this relaxed approach, generously cut with long tails, this is a contemporary take on a traditional British shirt. 

Manufactured in London on restored Union Specials and Japanese Juk machines from Hong Kong (the type that made the infamous shirts of Ralph Lauren in the eighties) the workmanship is of high quality.

From the seam gussets to the natural cotton panels reinforcing the cuff yolks the detailing is understated yet absolutely spot on.

The 5oz Chambray fabric is thick and crisp, a durable fabric that will only look better with wear and washing. I’ve been wearing it now on and off for a couple of months and the shirt is developing well.

The Jacket

UW have also introduced a slub denim version of their Baker’s Chore jacket – a garment inspired by David Kyte’s father who was a baker by trade.

I love the relaxed silhouette and feel to this garment and, as should be clear by now the detailing almost spot on - the only minor quibble I have is the selvedge line on the split breast pocket as I'm not a fan of overt selvedge detailing, but that's just me.

Functional British Fashion

This is functional British fashion with a direct link to the place it was produced and people it was made for.

Another strength of this collection is founded on its minimal aesthetic – there is no extraneous labeling or fuss. The buttons and rivets are unbranded and the jeans patch is hidden on the inside of the waist-band.

There is no superfluous back-story to what Universal Works do – the company’s guiding principle is simply to produce good quality British clothing, as David asserted in an earlier interview, he has deliberately “kept our jeans humble, modest and honest – kinda like us.”

The jeans are £145 a pair and the shirt is £155, and the chore jacket £199 - all available here. Or better yet pop in to one of Universal Works’ two London stores.

A Very British Jean: Workshop Denim

Understated branding throughout the range

The growing popularity of selvedge denim is leading more and more fashion brands to launch their own lines.

A chance meeting during Copenhagen Fashion Week turned me on to Universal Works, a small independent English label specialising in simple workwear inspired garments.

The Bakers Chore Coat

Founded in 2008 by David Keyte, the company has its roots in the Midlands - the old heart of the British textile industry. Universal Works’ guiding principle is to produce garments that “reflect the personality of the owner; real honest menswear that defies the trends and whims of fashion.”

Their new selvedge denim collection, Workshop Denim, launched this week, perfectly exemplifies this approach. The garments are all UK made from 13 oz denim woven on vintage shuttle looms in Portugal.

The two fits of jean, a regular and a slim, and the two jackets, a Bakers Chore Coat and Trucker, all sport a very deliberate lack of branding. Rivets and buttons are completely plain and there’s an inside “ghost patch” - only the stitching is visible on the outer waist line.

The Trucker Jacket

The relaxed regular fit is Universal Works’ take on the classic 5 pocket jean, featuring a mid rise and a slightly tapered leg. The slim fit has a lower rise but a straighter leg.

The Trucker Jacket, double-pleated with a single buttoned breast pocket, has more in common with the earlier Levi's 506 style, though looks to be cut slightly longer for a more contemporary fit.

The Bakers Chore Coat is beautifully simple, with three large patch pockets and a rise-and-fall collar. I’m not convinced about the breast pocket selvedge detailing though, but that’s purely personal preference.

However, if, like me, you dislike brands that plaster their clothes with labels and arcs then the otherwise strictly simple aesthetic of Workshop Denim will appeal to you. (I can’t help thinking of the protagonist in the William Gibson novel Pattern Recognition - obsessively having the branding ground off the buttons of her jeans by a locksmith.)

This is a typically understated English approach. For Universal Works’ first venture in to the world of selvedge denim David wanted to achieve something distinctly different to the established Japanese and American labels. The results are unashamedly European jeans that take in to account “the needs of contemporary man, keeping them unwashed so you can make them your own. We have kept our jeans humble, modest and honest - kinda like us."

Pocket detailing and plain dished rivets.

The jeans are priced at £135 a pair, so not overly expensive for decent selvedge denim, and entirely in line with David’s wish that his clothes should remain affordable - universal indeed.

It’s really positive to see a British brand do this and I look forward to seeing how Workshop Denim will develop in the future. Definitely one to watch.

If you’re interested check out Workshop Denim here or pop in to their London flagship store here.