A long time coming as always.
I’ve been wearing and swearing by the Raglan Skivvy since I made the first merino sample for a winter in Europe back in 2017. Always driven to create what I need personally, I'd tweak the pattern and make a fresh iteration for myself each year.
Eventually in 2021, I found some time to transfer my rough patterns onto card, manually size grade, and test the samples on different bodies. Finally adding to the website.
We had a good time but a few winters ago, I began feeling restricted within my skivvy.
I went through my fabric box to find some offcuts of merino that I'd saved and sewed up three looser fitting, round necked long sleeve tees.
The first was a dark brown rib. With raw hems at the sleeves and hem.
The second was a black rib. I didn’t have enough larger pieces of fabric and so made the sleeve have a cuff. A nod to the Raglan Skivvy, although single layer.
The third was made of vanilla jersey. A centre back seam, and overlocked with contrast black thread out of laziness but a detail I have come to enjoy. Sometimes wearing inside out to create interest within my outfit.
I rotated between these daily. New favourites. Slotting so easily into my existing wardrobe.
*
Recently Zoe reminded me of a visit I made to Sydney. I’m trying to think when it would have been now, was it in July 2023 for the Poet’s fifth birthday shoot? Imagery in a friends’ studio which is now Zoe’s own. I remember giving her and Mara a show and tell of the clothes I'd brought. I was wearing the dark brown L.S, and jumped up from the couch to give it a spin.
In 2024, I packed one in my backpack to take for three weeks in Tassie. I wore it over a Raglan Tee with Jimmy Pants to climb Cradle Mountain, then layered a singlet over it with my Cross Back Skirt to visit Moma. Comfortable, relaxed, warm but cool. A piece I could completely rely on.
Sometime last year, walking home from my errands and wearing my long sleeve. I remember voice memo’ing Zoe asking her thoughts on finding a new maker for merino.
Last week I went back through our texts to see if I could find my recording. I found broken responses between us. Half voice message (lost) and half text.
Zoe was replying as she listened. Looking back now a year later, it’s kinda wild how true to the original feeling we have stayed. Almost subconsciously.
3.29pm, 24/05/24
Sent from my iPhone
ZB: Would you consider doing a long sleeve that isn’t a skivvy?
HB: Yeah that was my 2nd voice memo !!
ZB: Ah! It shows how much we’re on the same page!
* vm sent by me lost*
ZB: I like the raw edge too
And centre back. Ooft, yes
These are all v considered thoughts
Ooh love the jimmy detail in the arm
HB: Using a fine rib (almost sheer) is my dream
ZB: Beaaautiful
HB: Also using dead stock feels nice because it’ll be really special and LIMITd
* vm from Zoe lost*
HB: Working with smaller qtys makes me feel so much more drawn to it
Yum sheer photos
I wore mine heaps in summer!
Really love putting it in my bag
I love this you seem so excited
Which makes me feel excited
ZB: I am! Heheh
HB: I wore it on my hike with it pulled back so it was only on my arms
Very ballet
ZB: soo ballet
*vm sent by me lost*
HB: Imagine all the layering
Maybe we could bring back the raglan tee?
ZB: Yes yum!
HB: and then there’s a lil bit of the skivvy living on
After this exchange, I set to work. Sewing samples, making pattern adjustments, I graded sizes onto card. Then did more samples, and got friends to try on trying to take note of what everyone seemed to need. How to get the essence of HB across, while remaining true to what was important to me.
The details, like my text chain with Zoe shared, borrowed bits and pieces from my other HB pieces. Inspired by what's come before;
A twist sleeve, to subtly reference the diagonal side seam of the Jimmy Pant.
A centre back, referencing the yoke of the Poet and Raglan Skivvy.
A “tuxedo hem”, scooped at front and back. Like a LIMIT Poet and Daise Vest I had made for myself (inspired by a movie scene of a girl out for dinner, the front bib of a men’s tux covering her torso).
I wanted it to make sure sizing would work across more bodies. To fit both a masc and femme frame, something the skivvy hadn't been able to do so well. I decided on grading this into three sizes; AA, B and D. I graded them 10cm circumference between sizes. A reminder that HB sizing is open. To choose how you’d like it to feel, more than what a number may represent.
The sheer rib I'd dreamt of was found. Milk; a beautiful creamy tone that complimented the cream cotton seersucker. I remember feeling the need to shift back to Archive colours, after a few years of seasonal colours for skivvies.
Complimenting the Milk was a Coal rib, dark enough to almost appear black in low light. I bought up the end of Circular Sourcings’ deadstock rolls originally used by A.BCH. I found a second roll of the coal at my other supplier – dead-stock sold to them by Arnsdorf after they closed their doors.
A cool thing about the rib merino is that although technically designer surplus, it’s also been knitted in Melbourne, I believe in the same factory I visited once when working with Vege Threads. These are the tiny parts of running my business that I love. Everything is so serendipitous. In my own small way, I can weave (or knit!) a tiny thread, to continue the legacy of these three local businesses I admired and was so sad to see close.
After all the momentum, things needed to take a pause. Out of my control.
I kept wearing my handmade samples. Zoe and I sprinkled the Coal size AA into any shoots we could. We shifted focus onto other garments, other things. Summer came and went and yet we still held a candle for the Twist L.S.
Then! A few months back, as the weather cooled, I felt the time was right. I put a call out to see if anyone had a hot scoop for makers with the correct machinery and availability for tiny production quantities. Lily of Circular Sourcing suggested Sim, who used to work in production at A.BCH, working with the exact fabric I was hoping for her to sew. What were the chances!
So, I guess that’s where we are up to - oh wait.
The photoshoot! Zoe’s friend Oonagh was staying with her over the weekend, Oonagh is a dancer, amongst other things. The initial vision although I'm not sure we even realised.
Full circles and connections within connections. There's so much more.
It's all meant to be. I'm thrilled to finally share this special piece.
HB x
