Our Moleskin Work Vest is one of the softest and hardest-working garments you will ever own. Constructed using 13 oz. moleskin made in the U.K. and stitched here in Cincinnati, this vest is designed for years of service both in the shop and around town.
It is warm but not stifling. It breathes. And thanks to the design by woodworker and clothing designer Tom Bonamici, it has pockets and details that make sense for a furniture maker. We have a long history of using vests in the shop during the fall, winter and spring. A vest (called a waistcoat in the U.K.) lets you move your arms while keeping the core of your body warm. Most workshops are chilly concrete affairs (including our machine room).
But we never liked wool vests (too itchy). And the canvas vests made for contractors were too lightweight and had pockets that are better suited to a site carpenter.
That’s why we picked moleskin for our vest. This Calder moleskin is made by Brisbane Moss in Lancashire, the last remaining stockhouse of corduroys and moleskins in Great Britain. The vests are stitched in the Over the Rhine neighborhood by Sew Valley. They use our custom “Lost Art Press 2007” button and have our embroidered patch on the interior.
The Pockets
Inside the right side of the vest, we’ve put a pocket that is divided into three sleeves. These are ideal for your 6” rule, mechanical pencils and beef sticks. We put these pockets on the inside for one very important reason. When they are on the outside, all the contents spill out as soon as you bend over the bench or pick something up on the floor. You’ll like having your tools close to your chest.
The two large exterior pockets are deep enough that you can keep a 6” combination square and tape measure in there and they won’t fall out during normal work tasks. The top exterior pocket is your standard chest pocket – clip stuff to it or tuck pieces of paper or other lightweight things there.
Sizing
The Moleskin Work Vest is sized similar to our Chore Coat. So if you have one of those, picking a size is easy. You can measure yourself using the chart below to determine the best size.
By way of comparison, I’m 6’3” and 185 lbs. I’m wearing the vest in a large. It has a little room in it in case I want to wear a T-shirt and henley under it, which I like.
Other Notes
Because of the tight margins on this coat and the fact that we are not a high-volume clothing maker, these vests can be returned within 30 days. (If there is a defect in manufacturing, you can return it at anytime, of course.)
If you vest gets dirty, we recommend you spot clean it and brush it off with a stiff brush. If it gets really bad, we recommend dry cleaning for this garment.
It is warm but not stifling. It breathes. And thanks to the design by woodworker and clothing designer Tom Bonamici, it has pockets and details that make sense for a furniture maker. We have a long history of using vests in the shop during the fall, winter and spring. A vest (called a waistcoat in the U.K.) lets you move your arms while keeping the core of your body warm. Most workshops are chilly concrete affairs (including our machine room).
But we never liked wool vests (too itchy). And the canvas vests made for contractors were too lightweight and had pockets that are better suited to a site carpenter.
That’s why we picked moleskin for our vest. This Calder moleskin is made by Brisbane Moss in Lancashire, the last remaining stockhouse of corduroys and moleskins in Great Britain. The vests are stitched in the Over the Rhine neighborhood by Sew Valley. They use our custom “Lost Art Press 2007” button and have our embroidered patch on the interior.
The Pockets
Inside the right side of the vest, we’ve put a pocket that is divided into three sleeves. These are ideal for your 6” rule, mechanical pencils and beef sticks. We put these pockets on the inside for one very important reason. When they are on the outside, all the contents spill out as soon as you bend over the bench or pick something up on the floor. You’ll like having your tools close to your chest.
The two large exterior pockets are deep enough that you can keep a 6” combination square and tape measure in there and they won’t fall out during normal work tasks. The top exterior pocket is your standard chest pocket – clip stuff to it or tuck pieces of paper or other lightweight things there.
Sizing
The Moleskin Work Vest is sized similar to our Chore Coat. So if you have one of those, picking a size is easy. You can measure yourself using the chart below to determine the best size.
By way of comparison, I’m 6’3” and 185 lbs. I’m wearing the vest in a large. It has a little room in it in case I want to wear a T-shirt and henley under it, which I like.
Other Notes
Because of the tight margins on this coat and the fact that we are not a high-volume clothing maker, these vests can be returned within 30 days. (If there is a defect in manufacturing, you can return it at anytime, of course.)
If you vest gets dirty, we recommend you spot clean it and brush it off with a stiff brush. If it gets really bad, we recommend dry cleaning for this garment.