High matter: chambray. What do blue collar workers in the US wear? All about chambray What is chambray

A piece of clothing like denim shirt"is strongly associated with cowboys, American workers, builders, drillers, and prisoners (where without them).

In the 80s of the last century, such shirts were quite fashionable and popular in the USSR, like many other fetishes of the Western world. However, a certain number of years passed, and such things began to be perceived first as commonplace, and then as a mossy anachronism.

However, nothing can remain in a frozen and petrified constancy. The fashion for heritage, which raged about three years ago, brought to light a lot of long-forgotten things. The usefulness of some in our time can be quite doubtful, but some things reminded of themselves as timeless classics and really comfortable wardrobe details.

Perhaps the time has come to thoroughly shake off the dust of the times from such shirts.

It’s worth mentioning right away that often such blue or indigo shirts can not always be called “denim” in the full sense of the word. The fact is that denim is a type of diagonal weaving of fabric from dyed and undyed threads.

More often such things are made of chambray fabric. This is a different type of cotton weaving, which is typical for shirts.

Such a fabric began to be made back in the 19th century in the north of France in the commune of Cambrai, hence the similar-sounding name of the fabric.

Most often, such a fabric was woven from blue and undyed threads, but there were variants and indigo colors. As a rule, when people talk about chambray, they mean a light, slightly "loose" fabric. It is well blown in the summer, and due to the peculiarities of weaving it can be worn for quite a long time.

IN different time shirts made of such fabric were worn by sailors, workers and other people, one way or another engaged in physical labor in the open air. It is no coincidence that the name of the working class in the West is "blue collar".

Later, such shirts, like many other wardrobe items, entered the everyday men's style and are now worn by anyone - a worker, a student, and a businessman. Even Jacques Yves Cousteau had great respect for chambray shirts.

Now most manufacturers make shirts from a similar fabric. Some do it according to a long tradition, and some within the current fashion and modern trends.

Unbranded Brand Shirts

In this review, we will talk about the Canadian brand Unbranded Brand, which I hope is already known to attentive readers. For those who do not yet know anything about the manufacturer itself or about its products, I recommend that you familiarize yourself with both. So it will be easy to understand the very concept of this manufacturer and its features.

Following the relatively inexpensive but very high quality jeans, Unbranded began to include work-style chambray shirts in its collections.

On this moment the company produces one of these shirts in indigo shade UBS690 and in red shade UBS680. In my opinion, both of these options look very good.

Material

These shirts use a very heavyweight 10 ounce chambray fabric per square yard of fabric. This is a very dense material, given that it is a fabric for a shirt (as a rule, not very dense light jeans have such a density). Initially, out of the box, the shirt is quite hard to the touch. The fabric is "crisp" like freshly bought raw denim jeans. However, paradoxically, after putting on this shirt, there is no discomfort. Rigidity completely disappears somewhere in a week or two socks. That is, in my opinion, this cannot be considered a disadvantage of this thing, most likely it is just a feature, especially since shirts made of such dense fabric are far from common.

If this moment bothers someone, you can scroll through the shirt once a washing machine. After it is dried and smoothed, its fabric will become somewhat softer. If the owner does not want to betray the thing " water procedures"from the moment of purchase, for some time the shirt can be worn over a light T-shirt.

I purchased an indigo shirt. Most often, chambray shirts are somewhat lighter, but in any case, this is a matter of personal preference.

The fabric is very durable, the thing is clearly designed for long wear (certainly not for one year).

Construction, fit, quality

The shirt itself sits quite tight in the shoulders. Fit is declared as slim, however, if it is slim, then it is quite moderate, in my opinion it is something in between slim and regular. However, I want to draw your attention to the fact that the armhole itself is quite high, which is why it will not be comfortable for everyone to wear such a shirt (this primarily applies to people with a wide chest).

In general, the thing gives the impression of being very durable, comfortable and reliable. The thing does not hang in a bag and at the same time does not restrict movement. There are no difficulties with active movement, if you raise your hands high, the shirt does not pull anywhere.

The length of the shirt is to the groin, so this shirt will be comfortable to wear both loose and tucked in, it will not pop out of jeans at the most inopportune moment.

In my subjective opinion, I would rate the quality of this thing as well above average. There are no protruding threads, crooked seams, clumsiness and roughness of execution here. In terms of quality, it far exceeds its price.

The size corresponds to the one stated on the manufacturer's website.

Some components

This shirt has triple stitched seams for added durability, although I doubt the shirt would have torn even with a double stitch.

A pocket of a classical form for a "working" shirt, fastened with a plastic button. On the left pocket there is a slot, it can be used to carry a fountain pen.

The inner part of the placket with a button closure is finished with a rather soft light braid.

As usual with Unbranded, there are no logos on the label. Only the size and country of manufacture is Macau.

In the middle of the hem, the shirt is trimmed with a selvedge line, in addition, the threads with which the seams are stitched are woven and left in the form of some decor (if you don’t like it, you can cut it off, it won’t affect anything). In general, like selvedge, it's just a tribute to old traditions.

On the reverse side of the "brief characteristics" things.

Where can I buy

First of all, you should look at the official website of the brand, you can also look at the store of the popular style portal Hypebeast (Fedex delivery), there are also quite interesting project people from the British store ironheart.co.uk to popularize high-quality classic denim in the Russian-speaking space Selvedge + (delivery is free in the CIS + small discounts are possible). In general, it is worth monitoring the manufacturer's stocklist and choosing the most acceptable option for yourself. Prices for such shirts are about $80 (slightly more in European stores). So these are quite reasonable prices for a thing of very decent quality.

Fashion trends

21.08.15 11:49

When it comes to denim or jeans (these names differ from each other only in that the first is a tracing paper into the Russian language of the English word denim, and the second is, in fact, its translation), chambray is usually considered to be equivalent to them.

This is not entirely true. Outwardly, things from denim and chambray are very similar, but they are completely different to the touch. Jeans are much denser and “heavier” than chambray, from which, by the way, for the first time at the beginning of the 20th century, they began to sew shirts for American workers (“blue collars” are just from there). However, the history of this fabric began even earlier, in the 16th century, when in France in the commune of Cambrai (Chambray) they came up with the idea of ​​​​using light linen fabric for sewing clothes. By the 19th century, cotton, which had become the main material, gradually replaced linen. Today, not only shirts are sewn from chambray, but also dresses, strict and not very; shorts and skirts; ties and backpacks. Fancy Journal has selected 30 of the lightest, just what you need for the last month of summer.

One of the main finds - a crop top with four straps in rich dark blue - ended up in Topshop. The style of the 90s does not lose its relevance this season, especially if you pair it with a pencil skirt and massive gold accessories.

At Russian designer Anastasia Romantseva got the second democratic line ARnouvue (the first, we recall, A la Russe). Its distinctive features, according to the founder of the brand, are avant-garde aesthetics and bold design solutions. Here we found what we were looking for. A 70s style chambray dress in a classic sky blue with thin straps and a loose fit. We recommend wearing it. With slip-ons and sandals - during the day for a walk or shopping; with bright pumps with moderate heels - in the evening on a date or at the movies.

We couldn't get past the Marc Jacobs backpack in quilted tricolor chambray. Soft, inside and out (with a scarlet lining, by the way), with funny applications in the form of a naive flower and an arrow pointing to a pocket - it is guaranteed the first places in the wish-lists of fashionistas and fashionistas on all six continents. The relatively affordable price (193 pounds) only contributes to this.

Speaking of price, at theoutnet.com, our editors found a dress by British-Italian designer Alessandra Rich at a 70% discount. Conceived in the gothic style, with a high collar, lace and chambray trim instead of velvet (what to do, an adaptation to modern market requirements), it's definitely not for every day, but it's worth every pound, trust me. No wonder, in last years Alessandra Rich evening gowns are as popular as Oscar de la Renta and Balenciaga.

Chambray shirts are an essential part of a woman's wardrobe. casual style because they are super comfortable and go with almost everything.

What are chambray shirts?

Chambray fabric is similar to batiste, and due to the special way of dyeing the yarn - a combination of light and dark threads - chambray resembles denim in appearance. Indigo is often used to dye chambray, which also resembles denim. Chambray fabric is quite durable, but unlike denim, it is thinner and lighter, so shirts, blouses, tunics, and dresses are often made from it. The edges of the shirts are quilted with a contrasting thread, which makes them even more similar to denim.

Now, take a look at 3 unique outfits paired with a chambray shirt that any woman over 40 can try on.

Exotic and original

Sometimes the most unexpected combinations can lead to a stunning look. Who would have thought that a leopard print skirt paired with a chambray shirt and a lizard leather bag could be such a wild success?

And these luxurious blue suede pumps are the inspiration for this unusual outfit. ()

Classic and sporty

A classic outfit will never let you down. Always looks great. You can never go wrong when pairing a chambray shirt with crisp white trousers, white shorts or a white skirt.

This also sports outfit is always very practical and makes any woman look stylish and fresh.

Bright and bold

Sometimes a chambray shirt can look a little trite, and to diversify the outfit, you can add some bright color. A fuchsia cardigan, monaco shorts, and a soothing chambray shirt make this casual outfit look original. How do you like the sneakers? Such sneakers or slips are very popular today and are great for this outfit.

It remains white - because of this, the fabric looks like jeans. Similarity to denim intensifies the color - chambray is often dyed the same violet-blue indigo.

Kinds

Thin linen fabric, similar to, was invented in the sixteenth century in France. At first it was woven from linen, and later switched to cotton.

Now it is produced as a 100% cotton chambray, as well as with various synthetic and natural additives. The latter are usually flax or hemp. Linen gives the fabric a matte sheen and antibacterial properties. Hemp fiber is characterized by mechanical strength and resistance to decay. It reduces the cost of the fabric, as the production of hemp fiber is cheaper.

Synthetic threads (polyester, polyamide, acrylic) make cotton fabric wrinkle-resistant.

Advantages and disadvantages

The fabric is a durable working material in casual style. From durable, thin and light matter, shirts and blouses are most often sewn. It is suitable for sewing tunics, corsets, sundresses, summer trousers, shorts, skirts, bags, even swimwear and underwear. The fabric is practical and hypoallergenic, so it is often used to make children's clothing.

Cotton does not dye well, so chambray always has a slightly faded color. The material has a natural and discreet color: blue, purple, gray, brown, white, pastel shades. The edges of the product are often quilted with a contrasting thread, which makes them even more similar to denim.

Chambray was originally used as a workwear fabric, so it's understandable that it's highly functional.

Material advantages:

• high wear resistance;
• breathability;
• hygroscopicity;
• hypoallergenicity;
• antistatic.

Fabric flaws:

• inelastic;
• shrinks after getting wet;
• dries for a long time;
• fades in the sun and washes.

Chambray clothes are light, loose, pleasant to the touch. It can be worn in the warm season, used for business meetings and free time.

Council of stylists

It is not recommended to combine denim and chambray of the same shades in the same ensemble. It is better to wear a thin linen shirt to work not with jeans, but with light trousers.
The most important thing when choosing cotton fabric is to determine whether it wrinkles a lot. Hold the fabric in the palm of your hand and hold it for a while so that it warms up slightly. Then see how much the material is wrinkled. For casual style clothes, a slight wrinkle is not a hindrance. If you are going to sew a product for which a wrinkled look is unacceptable, then it is better to choose a chambray with the addition of synthetics, such as polyester.

Care (washing)

Caring for chambray is easy. The fabric is easy to iron, well withstands machine and hand washing, is not afraid of spinning in a centrifuge. To prevent the fabric from fading, the water temperature during washing should be no more than 40 degrees. Like any cotton fabric, chambray shrinks noticeably after washing, so the finished product is chosen one size larger.

Product care rules:

• do not dry clean;
• after washing, stretch a little with your hands;
• do not use bleach;
• wash separately from the rest of the linen.

Why is chambray better than denim?

Due to the density and rigidity of the jeans, it is not always comfortable to wear, as it can rub the skin. Unlike it, chambray is a soft and lightweight material that is not capable of injuring even the delicate skin of children. Chambray is so soft and thin that even underwear can be sewn from it.

An additional advantage of thin cotton shirts is that unlike denim shirts, they look appropriate on office workers.

Making purchases via the Internet in order to update the wardrobe, we focus primarily on the description of the composition of fabrics and other materials. The use of high-quality material is the maximum chance that the thing will be pleasant and practical to wear, and will look decent. Each fabric has its own advantages and disadvantages, so before buying a new dress or blouse, evaluate the suitability of the characteristics of the material and the purpose for which you are purchasing the item.

Natural fabrics or synthetics?

A couple of decades ago, with just the word “synthetics”, the value of a thing in the eyes of the buyer fell several times. But the latest advances in technology and science allow you to create synthetic fabrics with improved characteristics regarding breathability and moisture removal. Surely, you are familiar with branded sportswear made from such fabrics. They are easy to use, easy to wash and dry quickly. But, despite all the advantages of modern synthetics, the most preferred are natural fabrics and materials, as well as mixed fabrics with a predominance of natural fibers.

Cotton

Natural cotton is ideal for the body: it breathes, absorbs moisture well and is simply pleasant to the body. When choosing summer clothes, pay attention to the fact that the material is not too dense. For connoisseurs of organics, there are organic cotton lines that are popular in the US and Europe. Cotton is used to sew both basic T-shirts and elegant dresses.

Madras

Tokay cotton fabric with the same pattern on the front and wrong side. It usually has a striped pattern and is ideal for summer suits in the style of the 60s.

Crinkled fabric, "reaper" - Seersucker

Indian wrinkled cotton fabric for summer wardrobe deserves a separate word. A very thin material allows the body to breathe, but due to its wrinkled shape, this fabric protects the body from overheating.

Linen

Linen fabric is made from flax fibers and is more expensive than cotton fabrics. But linen has undeniable advantages over cotton: it retains coolness better and is more wear-resistant. Linen items fit perfectly into the summer style, both for business representatives and freelancers. But linen requires more effort to iron wrinkles and creases. Abroad, the visible natural wrinkling of well-groomed linen items is considered a kind of chic.

Silk

There is no doubt that silk has been and remains the best fabric for summer clothes. However, it is worth noting that we are talking about natural silk (natural silk), and not its imitation of polyester. Silk fabric is light, thin and durable, and its ability to keep cool can outperform any material. So that silk things retain their original appearance as long as possible, wash them with special powders and detergents.

Viscose – Rayon

Viscose for its aesthetic qualities is called artificial silk. This fabric is created from natural wood through complex chemical processing, so viscose is considered a semi-synthetic material. Viscose clothing looks great and fits the figure, the cost is relatively low, and the permeability to air and moisture is also good. The disadvantage is rapid wear and loss of appearance.

Georgette - Georgette

A translucent light thin fabric that does not have a chiffon sheen is georgette, a fabric named after the French couturier Georgette de la Plante. Today, this fabric is often compared to chiffon. Georgette was originally made from silk, but today this fabric can be found using wool and polyester fibers. Georgette will be especially convenient for summer evening and cocktail dresses.

Jersey – Jersey

Jersey fabric is made from wool, cotton and synthetic fibres. The material is good for any kind of clothing, but not for the hottest days of summer. At the same time, jersey items do not require special care and easily restore their appearance after washing.

Chambray - Chambray

Summer jeans would not be so comfortable without this lightweight imitation of chambray fabric. A fairly dense fabric among other summer materials, but if you cannot imagine life without jeans, then chambray trousers are a great alternative. Initially, this fabric was made from linen, but today cotton chambray is more popular. The color of chambray can be any, which very successfully diversifies the summer images of denim lovers.

Adsorbent Synthetics - Synthetic Wicking Fabrics

Summer is not a reason to suspend or postpone sports, but quite the opposite: modern absorbent (moisture-absorbing) synthetic materials make summer jogging or fitness activities comfortable and fashionable. However, high-quality synthetics are not too cheap, but unlike cotton, they will last a long time.

When purchasing clothes in foreign online stores, study the description especially carefully in the section with the description of fabrics, but if the definition is not completely clear, such as “silk”, check with the seller; in this example, whether natural silk or artificial.