The Governor is our new trouser and short and we’re proud that it’s not only manufactured in Britain, but also made from cloth woven just over the hill from our office. We’ve taken our time searching for British fabric that can be machine washed and is suitable for making trousers.
Much of the UK textile industry has disappeared with so many companies moving to off shore suppliers, but the skill and passion to do things right is still strong in our country, and we’ve had a great response from the weavers that we are developing products alongside. It’s not been easy, but we don’t want things to be easy, we want them to be good.
After designing the pattern we tried fabrics from three different mills before choosing to go with a hard wearing blend of linen and cotton. Linen has a lovely silky feel to it and is very strong. Blending it with cotton helps make washing easy. At 12oz the cloth is hardwearing and not a lightweight. The more open weave and linen content help control overheating and the GVNR is definitely cooler to wear than moleskin. The cloth has a lovely texture and feel and really takes your shape as only a fabric with body can do. You can see the weave and there is a nice ‘slubby’ look to it.
The cut of the GVNR is all new and we have designed and sampled the pattern with the help of a factory over the border in Lancashire. There is a lot of skill and manufacturing experience in this factory which has its origins back in the mid nineteenth century. We are really pleased with the high quality and consistency that we are getting.
Compared to our 177 moleskin or C60 corduroy trousers the GVNR is looser fitting, without being baggy. There is a little more room in the hip and thigh. We have also added a bit more space in the ballroom! The leg is straight cut and has the added advantage of fitting really well over boots. We wanted something that was like a good workwear trouser but made from a high end cloth. All in all the GVNR is a little more roomy without sacrificing style. And as long as you have a bottom, it will look great in these trousers.
Adding to the workmanlike qualities of the GVNR we have a welted pocket knife side pocket. Knives like Opinel, Swiss Army or Leatherman will sit upright, with the top protruding making it easy to take out and put back in.
We’ve also added reinforcing to several key areas to add longevity to the GVNR. Front pockets often wear at the front where your hand goes in and out, so we’ve made that bit double thickness. There is also reinforcing at the base of the rear patch pockets. Pocket bags are made of a good strength cotton twill. If you keep your keys in your front pockets in time the pocketing will wear through so it’s best to use the back pockets. Our usual “Banker’s Pocket” is to be found in the front left pocket and will keep your loose change secure and separate from other contents in the main pocket. The outer side seam of the trouser has extra stitching and double bar tacking for strength. This is especially useful if you keep lots of stuff in your pockets, and it will help prevent the side seams from splitting.
The GVNR short has the same fit and features as the trouser. The leg opening is slightly larger to accommodate the hem. Inside leg measures 13″.
To finish off the GVNR we have a patch drawn up for us by our tattooer mate Christopher Kenyon who works from the ‘True ‘Til Death’ tattoo shop in Accrington.
So what’s next for HebTroCo? We will continue to develop products that are British made to last. More British woven cloth is being made for us and we are also working with a yarn spinner to be able to make trousers that are both spun, woven and manufactured in the North of England.
Cheers