Cool Hunting

Exhibiting the same qualities as a bespoke suit in regards to fit, detail and tradition, Nike Sportswear recently teamed up with Loopwheeler in Japan to create some of the finest cotton fleece apparel around.

To understand this breed of garment is to understand Loopwheeler. A small Japanese clothing manufacturer in the Wakayama prefecture, about three hours outside of Tokyo, they've built a reputation on tradition and craftsmanship, and are known for delivering the highest quality apparel (they have worked with Colette, Beams Plus and Selfridges in the past). This is due to the fact that all materials are carefully selected and hand cut to be processed in the vintage loopwheel looms, which date back to early 1920s Germany. Each sweatshirt is constructed using this four-needle machine (versus two or three-needle machines, which are widely used today). This slow-pace stitching allows more air to pad fibers creating a loftier feel. A loopwheel can only process 12 meters of fleece per day — which is approximately eight sweatshirts a day — but they supposedly last a lifetime.

A great example of fusing the best quality materials with technique and design, it's the ultimate authentic sweatshirt. Expect more of this type of stuff from Nike Sportswear, although i'd love to see Dri-Fit Loopwheeler garments in the future.

Released through Nike Sportswear under the NSW collection, keep a lookout for this to drop sometime mid-August, right around the Olympic season. Nike Sportswear Loopwheeler is denoted by the orange tag and will be sold around the $250 pricepoint.