Knitwear<The Real McCoy's STRIPE COTTON PILE BEACH SHIRT LIGHTBLUE

The STRIPE COTTON PILE STRIPE BEACH SHIRT has been made from plush cotton pile cloth and is cut in the style of 50s Cabana shirts, often seen on California beach-sides during Americas golden age.

Terrycloth and its various iterations originated from a pre-industrial French innovation. This technique involved weaving the fabric on a loom with two warp threads. The intentional loosening of one warp thread, when pulled through the dense weft, generates loops on both sides of the fabric, resulting in a distinctive piling effect. While the initial terrycloth batches were crafted from silk, the fabric evolved to the super-soft 100% cotton variant that is widely appreciated today.

In the 1850s, Samuel Holt's terrycloth knitting machines revolutionised production, enabling the mass manufacturing of terrycloth. The term "terrycloth" is believed to derive from the French verb "tirer," meaning "to pull," a fitting description given the fabric's manufacturing process. Before its invention, people relied on woven sheets of cotton or linen for drying off and so the plush texture and excellent absorption properties of terrycloth became a welcome alternative for towels.

The 1950s introduction of the Cabana shirt, marked the advent of multi-purpose sportswear tailored for both beach and casual settings. This innovative trend featured matching sets comprising men's swim trunks paired with sport shirts or lightweight jackets, embodying an outfit perfectly suited for the relaxed and sophisticated indoor and outdoor lifestyle synonymous with mid-century California.