RAL SHIRTS ’25

2025/3/24 木村まさし

RAL's new spring arrival is a shirt!

Makoto, Mechanic and Welder, 172cm, size L

This may be abrupt, but shirts are great, aren't they!
And it's not just one thing—they're great for many reasons.

Since they have a collar, they look neat, but they are actually great when you're out for a ride.

They're easy to put on and take off, making it simple to adjust to the temperature, and they offer protection from the sun. Above all, there is truly no better feeling than riding a bike with your shirt wide open.

The hem of the shirt fluttering in the breeze and riding to that rhythm makes you feel fantastic. You feel like you could ride forever on that wind.

This time, I really wanted to create a chambray shirt, so I hunted for the fabric and brainstormed the design, and I've ended up with one I'm quite confident in.

Why Chambray Shirts?

If you ask why chambray, it's because I wanted to make something that gets better the more you use it, just like the custom brass pedals we had MKS make for us recently.

Products only stay "brand new" for a fleeting moment, and I personally love things that don't just deteriorate, but evolve through wear, becoming one-of-a-kind as they age. When I choose other items, I try to use that same standard.

With that in mind, the first things I wanted to tackle when restarting RAL were the jeans released at the beginning of the year and this shirt. This philosophy is the foundation of all RAL ideas.

I've always loved vintage clothing (or maybe I just didn't have the money for anything else!), and I was greatly encouraged when I read in a masterpiece by Grant Petersen—the founder of Rivendell and formerly of Bridgestone USA, whom I deeply respect—called "Just Ride," where he describes the concept of "use-age." I thought, "I completely understand that value!" which is exactly why I decided to be bold and plan products based on the values I truly care about.

If you like this kind of thing and haven't read this book yet, you should definitely read it.

Details

Oops, let's get back to the shirt.

Chambray, woven with indigo blue and white threads, was originally adopted for workwear because "dirt doesn't show up as much," so it's naturally great for working in, too.

It features reinforcements at the elbows (I was extremely particular about this design) and details on the chest pocket, ensuring that areas prone to wear and tear are properly strengthened.

Also, my trivial obsession is the stitch count and sewing specifications. The number of stitches per inch might seem like something that truly doesn't matter at first glance, but the devil is in the details. I designed it to use a mix of chain stitching, lock stitching, and lap seaming in different areas so that the stitching takes on a unique character as it's washed repeatedly, becoming even better the more you wear it.

Even though we used tough details, the fabric itself is a supple and soft 100% cotton fabric made in Japan. It's soft and comfortable, and because the weave is slightly looser, there's just enough space between the threads to allow for good airflow.

The warp is, of course, indigo-dyed, so it will also only get better as you wash it. Yes, it's a solid piece.

I used to work in the apparel industry and made products like this quite often, but with this one, I feel like the fabric, design, and details have clicked perfectly. Tooting my own horn, of course.