Manufacturing should not simply be a cycle of replication, of producing the same things again and again. It should be a process of innovation. Learning, and then honing those lessons to make rather than mass produce.

Take our second jersey capsule collection for instance. It draws on the success of the first collection last year and adds to it new garments that have the quality, finish and attention to detail to be expected. The first step in creating this new capsule was once again to call on the skills of Andrew Shane, whose decades of experience in the industry have led to him being nicknamed the “Jersey Jedi” around Cottenham House, our 150-year-old Manchester factory.

“We seek to put relaxation into the fabric, rather than tension. We look for the best possible fit.”

ANDREW SHANE, JERSEY JEDI

Needless to say, someone with Andrew’s experience would only be involved in a project of the highest calibre. He explains what sets us apart from others.

“Fundamentally, it’s because PWVC produce their own products. Not only do they design and market things, they make them all, on site at their factory in Salford.”

This collection of jersey certainly sets a marker in the field. The Crew’s Sweatshirt and Sweatpants, The 1/4 Zip Sweat, The Eden Hoodie – each takes something that is a menswear standard and refines it into a classic.

It starts with the fabric. We rightly extol the virtues of making garments in Manchester, yet the reality of trying to source the best material possible sometimes means looking further afield. In the case of some of our jersey, that means Japan. Andrew explains what makes it so special: “It’s fantastic quality. Imagine the difference between a cut of beef from a supermarket and a farmer’s market. Japan has an artisan approach and the mills take their time, using a slow knitting process. Unlike other manufacturers, the Japanese are happy to use three or four threads to give a loop on the back, which will wash and wear exceptionally well.”

With the best material found, the next step is to ensure the most is made of it. Andrew’s great experience is allied to that of our highly skilled workforce, with their knowledge of tailoring and cutting. Jersey is a different, sometimes difficult, fabric to work with. It has a stretch and flexibility all of its own that requires careful handling, as Andrew explains: “What we do at Private White V.C. is give these natural knitted fibres the time to relax. We take the material off the roll and allow it to acclimatise to the factory.” That special treatment continues as the jersey is sewn, as Andrew continues: “As we handle it in the sewing machine, we don’t adopt the more common practice of stretching the material to get as many garments out of it as possible.” The experienced machinists handle the jersey like a flowing thing, working fast to keep it flexible. By ensuring the material is in its natural, malleable state, we create a product that adapts to fit you, becoming more comfortable the more it is worn.

The final element that defines this jersey collection is the design. The cut and shape of the garments reveal the skills that are central to everything we make, from the iconic Ventile® raincoat to the new Eden Hoodie. The complexity of the cutting, sewing and shape of the new jersey collection is not something that cries out for attention. However, while you might not consciously notice the quality of the fabric and construction, there is ‘something’ about this sweatshirt and those sweatpants. Andrew defines it as: “Simplicity. It’s one of the most important things. Why over complicate? We seek to put relaxation into the fabric, rather than tension. We look for the best possible fit. When you wear our garments, you don’t notice what makes them so good. That’s the point. All the wearer knows is that this is a comfortable sweatshirt.”

“Simplicity is one of the most important things with jersey. Why over complicate?”

ANDREW SHANE, JERSEY JEDI

Andrew’s particular favourite from this new collection is the 1/4 Zip Sweatshirt. It boasts the classic copper coloured RIRI zip, which is not an easy element to accommodate into a jersey garment. The attention to detail required to ensure the zip sits comfortably shows the talent for making rather than manufacturing, ensuring that this new jersey collection stands out from the ordinary. Such is the standard of workmanship that Andrew suggests borrowing something from the art world: “I like to think that those initial jersey pieces we made last year were a first edition. Now we’ve made a second, which will be just as original. To me, the pieces coming out of Private White V.C. are so good that they ought to be numbered.”

THE JERSEY COLLECTION