A little history of ripstop
Ripstop, rings a bell? The name of this fabric with its very particular appearance comes, literally, from the English to rip - to tear - stop. During the Second World War, military equipment had to be extremely resistant to tearing, in order to ensure the protection of soldiers in the extreme conditions of combat.
This is how ripstop appears. This canvas is born from a textile innovation which consists of integrating, at regular intervals and in the grid of the weaving, thicker reinforcing threads. These threads prevent the propagation of snags created by external shocks, while maintaining a light canvas - no need to use a thick canvas, the reinforcing threads are enough to make the fabric particularly robust.
Ripstop fabrics are historically woven from cotton or silk and later polyester or other synthetic fibers. The reinforcing threads are usually made of nylon. This remains the case today, for technical outdoor sports clothing for example. Our overshirts are designed with 100% cotton ripstop woven in Japan. The reinforcing thread, which is thicker, is also made of cotton.
The specific grid of ripstop, and its resistance, has therefore made it a preferred fabric for the design of military jackets. This weaving also made it possible to replace expensive parachute fabrics, originally made of silk. Today it is considered a technical fabric - for its breathable and waterproof aspect. In ready-to-wear, it is used on pants or overshirts, and even as the main fabric for shoes, guaranteeing the robustness of the finished product.
A military past
To make our ripstop overshirt, we wanted to remain faithful to the military history so specific to this fabric. Several inspirations intersect, all drawn from the military wardrobe: here are the vintage predecessors of our Le Goût du Sel overshirt.
In terms of shape, the jacket is distinctly inspired by two models of military jackets: the French military shirt from the 1960s, in the center of the photo, and the OG 107 jacket of the American army, a piece worn by infantrymen of the Army during the Vietnam War (1955-1975). These two jackets were not necessarily designed with ripstop.
This is the jungle jacket, the jungle jacket, which is designed exclusively in ripstop , because it was intended to protect soldiers in the Vietnamese forest. The resistance of the canvas was a real asset in the field. The historic jungle jacket is the one on the left in the image.
A tiny resemblance to ours?
The ripstop look by Crafted
