Design Notes

The original inspiration for this shirt was that of a 茶叶, where we wanted to emulate the ribbed veins found throughout the leaf. I segmented the shirt into different panels, and we opted for a various obvious flat-felled seam to bring the veins to life.

The cutting of the shirt was made to be boxy cropped, with the arms extending to the palms of the wearer. It is meant to help segment the body when worn with any long pants, to give a more proportionate silhouette. 

We originally opted for a cotton-silk blend for the shirt, but we quickly realised the cost would be too high and the material itself felt almost like polyester. Instead, we went with a cotton-ramie blend, which had a good amount of structure that was necessary for its design. The blend has an almost raw-finish to it, emulating the texture of dried tea leaves. As it is made of 100% natural fibre, the fabric is breathable and suitable for Singapore's weather.