Discover Five Phenomenal Tops from Five Top-notch Brands
You might have noticed that Robin Denim is all about denim. We have written at length about pairs of Japanese selvedge denim (just a few of them) in the past, but you might have also noticed that we have a weak spot for other well-made products as well. We simply love to pair our jeans with other premium garments that are built to withstand the test of time.
In today’s article we’ll feature five high-quality tops, each of them made by a truly fantastic maker. These phenomenal tops will improve any man’s wardrobe.
This article is part of High Five, a series at Robin Denim in which we feature five high-quality products from a specific category. All High Five products have been reviewed by our team, and what you see here are our honest recommendations. We’ve selected five different shirts from five different makers we absolutely adore—we like their philosophy, their vision, and of course their clothes as well. We’re excited to share it with you. Enjoy!
The Amedeo Overshirt by A.B.C.L.
The Italian brand A.B.C.L. was established by Antonio and Mattia, who live in very different places (one of them in Venice, the other in Tokyo). They share a desire to bring the best of Japan to a wider audience, and they seamlessly stitch this together with international designs. With a focus on both craftsmanship and quality, A.B.C.L. presents a range of menswear items, each skillfully produced by seasoned artisans.
In the denim world we are in, A.B.C.L. stands out with their sartorial approach, fantastic fabrics, and colorful collections. Although the brand has an amazing pair of Japanese selvedge denim in their line-up, they are mainly focussed on delivering trousers, shirts and jackets, all of them made from outstanding Japanese fabrics. We have been fans of the brands for years, and we love their fantastic designs and amazing fabrics.
A.B.C.L.’s Amedeo overshirt is made of a herringbone fabric made from a blend of 54% cotton, 43% hemp, and 3% wool. The fabric, featuring a subtle beige stripe, feels sturdy, yet it feels very comfortable on the skin. The Amedeo features two big pockets on the chest and real horn buttons. Due to the regular fit, it can easily be combined with a shirt underneath, making it the cherry on the cake for every outfit!
The Amedeo overshirt is available at the A.B.C.L webstore for €254.
Photo courtesy of Remy Online.
The Brace Corduroy Shirt by Hiroshi Kato
Founded in 1999, Hiroshi Kato focuses on combining the modern need for comfort with their love for vintage pieces. Taking inspiration from classic garments, hardware, and stitching, they seek to combine those with innovative blends of fabrics and new fits, creating timeless pieces that last. Hiroshi Kato was born and raised in Japan, but all of their garments are made in their workshop in Los Angeles in the USA.
Kato’s versatile and rich collections have a characteristic creativity and innovation. It’s this combination that helped them develop their signature Four-Way Stretch Selvedge, a blend of traditional Japanese selvedge denim and a stretch material that is woven just a stone’s throw from Tokyo. With classic pieces like the peacoat to a wide range of versatile and innovative shirting, Kato have built a strong reputation based on their premium fabrics and high-quality construction and finishing. They won us over the first time we tried one of their pieces. It was love at first sight!
Kato’s Brace shirt, a bohemian take on workwear, features two rounded pockets on the chest. The shirt is crafted from a 100% cotton, 14-wale corduroy, offering a robust year-round weight and a sturdy yet comfortable feel. It features amazing details such as chainstitch runoffs, a pen pocket, and an elegantly rounded hem. The vibrant Pacific Blue hue stands out from other blue pieces in your wardrobe, which means it will also contrast nicely with your dark selvedge.
The Brace Corduroy Shirt in Pacific blue is currently on sale and available for just €220 at the Hiroshi Kato webstore.
Photo courtesy of Remy Online.
The Stijn by the GoodPeople
Founded in 2007, the Dutch brand the GoodPeople offers a complete range of modern, authentic menswear essentials. They aim to produce all their garments as responsibly as possible, using sustainable fabrics and ensuring that their workers are paid and treated exceptionally well. The GoodPeople take inspiration from life itself, and they love to explore new routes and push boundaries.
The GoodPeople describes their collection as “modern designs, renewed classics, and timeless products,” and this is exactly what they offer year after year. Their collection ranges from comfortable sweaters to heavyweight tees, from winter parkas to denim shirts, all made from premium fabrics in European factories. We stumbled upon the brand a few years ago, and we’ve been big fans ever since!
The Stijn (a common Dutch name) is a casual overshirt made from an anthracite-colored, 100% organic cotton fabric. The regular fit is slightly oversized, making it easy to wear over either a tee or a lighter collared shirt. The Stijn features two pockets on the chest and looks great whether opened or closed. The shirt is a compliment generator like few others. The more folks tell you how good it looks on you, the harder it’ll become to leave on the hanger.
The anthracite-colored Stijn shirt is currently on sale and available at The GoodPeople for €138.
Photo courtesy of Remy Online.
The Overshirt with Snap Buttons by Delikatessen
Delikatessen is a European shirting brand that was founded by creative Andre Lisowski and art curator Stephen Hartog in 2009 in Amsterdam, making it the second brand featured in this article with a distinctly Dutch flavor. Delikatessen focuses on well-tailored and effortless garments that combine classic craftsmanship with innovative designs. The brand is offering fresh and stylish garments from their restored farm in Burgundy, France, which is now the main Delikatessen workshop.
Delikatessen’s impressive collection spans from numerous shirts in premium fabrics to comfortable yet stylish trousers, and a wide range of clothing essentials to outfit a man with taste. The garments draw clear inspiration from classic designs but feature contemporary and smart details. We have been following Delikatessen’s journey closely over the past few years, and we enthusiastically recommend that you check out their amazing collection!
The minimally detailed overshirt with snap buttons features a relaxed, slightly boxy fit. It is straight-cut with a jacket-like bottom hem and a center box pleat at the back, providing extra movement space when reaching forward. Crafted from a beautiful 100% cotton pre-washed Japanese fabric, the overshirt boasts stylish details, including a classic collar, a chest pocket, a pronounced button placket with large buttons, and tonal stitching. The shirt has a clean, fresh, and easy look, making it versatile enough to be worn as both a sturdy shirt and a jacket.
The Delikatessen overshirt is currently on sale and available at the Delikatessen webstore for €140.
Photo courtesy of Remy Online.
The Ombre Heavy Flannel by The Flat Head
The Japanese denim brand The Flat Head was established by Mayashi Kobayashi in 1996 and is based on the founder’s deep love for American vintage denim. Before its inception, Kobayashi repaired countless pairs of vintage jeans, allowing him to learn the ropes. Currently known for its selvedge denim and perfectly crafted Americana-casual clothing, The Flat Head makes garments with exceptional craftsmanship and an unmatched attention to detail.
First and foremost, The Flat Head is a denim brand, offering tons of premium jeans made of Japans’ best selvedge denim fabrics. Their pieces use only specially selected threads, custom-made fabrics, and traditional construction methods to create products that withstand the test of time. On top of their firm denim foundation, The Flat Head have built an amazing collection including shirts, flannels, wallets, tees and leather jackets, all inspired by American vintage garments and made to the highest-possible standards.
The Flat Head’s Ombre Flannel is their reinterpretation of the iconic American casual checked shirt from the 1930s. The Ombré (meaning the two tones blend into each other) is made from a super soft green and ivory midweight flannel that’s been brushed to make it soft-to-the-touch on the inside. It features a slim silhouette and is made with an amazing attention to details including cat-eye buttons and black cotton backing in the sleeves and collar. If you like to wear a flannel every now and then (or every day), The Flat Head’s Ombré shirt will surely make your heart beat faster!
Head over to Redcast Heritage to find The Flad Head’s current offering of flannel shirts, well-made jeans, leather jackets, and more!
Photo courtesy of Remy Online.
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‘High Five’ is a series at Robin Denim in which we feature five high-quality products from a specific category. All products featured in ‘High Five’ have been reviewed by our team, and the series features our honest recommendations. The makers who are responsible for the products share our passion for artisanal approaches towards quality and durability.
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