The Cotton Linen Grandpa

MATERIALS
This shirt is 100% natural. Fabric, buttons, thread. Nothing synthetic, nothing unnecessary.

The fabric is a blend of 80% cotton and 20% linen. It sounds simple, but it's actually quite well thought through. Linen is strong, lightweight and produced in Europe with a low environmental footprint. The problem is that pure linen wrinkles like an old letter in a trouser pocket – and wrinkled clothes get worn less. We make garments to be used a lot and for a long time, so that won't do.

With 20% linen we get the best of both worlds: a fabric that is stronger and has more structure than our popular The Shirt, but doesn't require an iron every time you want to head out the door. A few wrinkles? Yes. Something to worry about? No.

The buttons are made from corozo – the nut from the Amazon that falls naturally from the tree. A discreet "Buy Less Play More" text on each button, produced in Portugal. All labels, inside and out, are in cotton.

REINFORCEMENTS
A shirt that's meant to last needs to handle what life actually throws at it. That's why The Cotton Linen Grandpa is reinforced where it counts: at the arm openings and on the elbows. Bartacks – small, dense stitch reinforcements – sit at the most exposed points. They make the shirt stronger, and give it the little detail that separates a considered garment from a generic one.

AREAS OF USE
The Cotton Linen Grandpa Shirt is a pullover shirt. A classic Norwegian work shirt rooted in farming life, with a cut that has proven itself across generations. A long placket opening at the front makes it easy to pull over your head. Mandarin collar. Narrow cuffs. Side slits. No pockets to fill with odds and ends.

The striped fabric is classic and summery, but the shirt isn't afraid of hard work. It works on the dock, in the kitchen, at a concert and at the obligatory summer party where nobody is quite sure about the dress code.

The cut is based on a men's fit, but works unisex. Ladies: size down one. We've added an XS to cover women's small.

NB! The neck label says "men's", the hangtag says unisex. We know that's a little confusing, but the production error was caught too late.

WHY THIS SHIRT?
The Shirt is a favourite. We know that. But it's not made for warm summer days, and we were missing a light, natural alternative for the brighter months.

We wanted to make something minimal, durable and completely free of synthetic materials. Linen stood out quickly: it's produced in Europe, has a low footprint and is exceptionally strong. But pure linen wrinkles too much for people to wear it enough – and that's a waste of a good garment.

The solution was a blend. 80% cotton, 20% linen. Enough linen to add strength and structure. Little enough that you don't need to make friends with the ironing board. The result is a shirt that is lighter, stronger and has more texture than The Shirt – and that is made to be worn, season after season.

USE MORE
This product is made with durable materials and in a timeless design. This helps ensure that you can use it for many years, but its lifespan also depends on how you take care of it. If you take good care of your product and repair it when needed, you will be able to enjoy it for a very, very long time. We're here to help with that through Use More, a service that gives you help on fixing and caring for your product, and one free repair of this product. Read more about Use More + here.

STORE AND MICROFACTORY
Our store is not your typical shop. Sure, we sell clothes and make money from it, but can we do everything the opposite of what typical clothing stores do? Our goal is just as much about opening minds and showing that it's possible to do things in a completely different way, with a totally different footprint.

Visit us at Grünerløkka in Oslo (where Markveien crosses Korsgata) to try on clothes, share your input on new products, repair worn garments, see how your products are made, or just have a chat with one of us. More information about the store here. Read more about our store concept here.