the T-shirt is the item where the brand's commitment and attitude show through most clearly.
It's the piece that sits closest to the skin,
a true daily wear staple that lives in everyday life.
Precisely because it's simple and meant to be worn for years,
Graphpaper refuses to compromise on fabric, construction, or hand feel,
pursuing the ultimate in basics.
This time, we talk about Graphpaper's signature item: the T-shirt.Pack T-shirts and oversized T-shirts,
tightly knit on a loop-wheel machine.

―Today we'd like to talk about T-shirts. Let's start with two of Graphpaper's signature items: the pack T-shirts and the oversized T-shirts.

Minami: We've been fortunate that they're very well received, but because they're knitted on a loop-wheel machine, we simply can't make that many. A standard circular knitting (sinker) machine knits with around 200 yarn feeds at once. Our loop-wheel machine uses just two. Even though the factory is knitting for us 24 hours a day, 365 days a year without rest, supply still can't keep up.2-Pack Crew Neck Tee
Price: ¥18,700 (tax in)
Color: WHITE / GRAY / NAVY / BLACK
Size: 2 / 3 / 4
Model wears: size 4 / height 182cm

―So it's running at roughly one-hundredth the speed of a normal machine!?

Minami: And on top of that, it's knitted as a tubular body — no side seams. That means each machine diameter only produces one size, so we really can't catch up. That's why in the shops you'll sometimes find sizes missing, or certain colors out of stock. Ideally we'd always have full stock, so the knitting continues non-stop, and the sewing too. To try to ease that problem, we considered using a machine that runs at a speed somewhere between a typical sinker circular machine and the loop-wheel we use now. That would give us a bit more speed, and those machines tend to be more available. We had them test-knit using the same yarn and same settings as our current T-shirts.

―Sounds like a good idea in theory. How did it turn out?

Minami: It didn't work. The result just wasn't what we were aiming for.

―Why are you so particular about using the loop-wheel machine?

Minami: The biggest reason is the hand. Loop-wheel jersey is originally known for being soft, airy, and loosely knit - it traps air and feels plump and lofty. But Graphpaper's T-shirts are tightly knit on those machines. That extra density adds even more work.

―So they're not using the typical fluffy loop-wheel finish.

Minami: If you tightly knit on a normal circular machine, the fabric gets stiff and boardy. When you do it on a loop-wheel, it somehow lands in this perfect middle ground. It's just my personal idea of "perfect," but the rest of the team felt the same. The result is a fabric and hand feel that's distinct from most T-shirts on the market. That's why, even with adjustments on another kind of machine, we ultimately concluded it just wouldn't be possible. This texture can only be produced on that loop-wheel.S/S Oversized Tee
Price: ¥18,700 (tax in)
Color: WHITE / GRAY / NAVY / BLACK
Size: ONE SIZE

―Are the pack T-shirts and the oversized T-shirts made the same way?

Minami: The yarn, specs, and settings are the same, but the oversized T-shirts are knitted on a 24-inch machine. Generally, when you knit on a 24-inch machine, the body is cut and opened before use. We use the tube as-is - a real luxury (laughs). Compared to the pack T, it uses significantly more material.

Adding a "heavyweight" variation
to the core tees.

―Tell us about the heavyweight T-shirts that appeared from last season.

Minami: Hanes, Gildan, and all the classic T-shirt makers always have, besides the standard underwear-weight tee, a heavyweight option. I wanted to do that. To offer "heavyweight" as a choice. Among people who wear Graphpaper's pack T, I figured there must be those who'd want something heavier. Honestly, I wanted it myself - that's where it started. From there, it was about seeing how good we could make it.

Heavy Weight S/S Oversized Tee
Price: ¥19,800 (tax in)
Color: WHITE / GRAY / NAVY / BLACK
Size: 1 / 2
Model wears: size 1 / height 182cm

―How does it differ from the pack T and the oversized T?

Minami: The pack T and oversized T use 30/2 yarn - 30-count, 2-ply. The heavyweight uses 30/3 - twisted from three ends. In other words, it's one-and-a-half times thicker in yarn count. We knit size 1 on about a 20-inch cylinder, and size 2 on about 21 inches, but because the yarn is thick, it pushes the fabric outward and the tube spreads — it ends up around 24 inches in finished width. The size feel is about the same as the oversized T we just talked about.

―So the basic construction is the same.

Minami: It is, but the texture is different. I personally love the feel of this heavyweight - lately it's pretty much all I wear. It's the perfect T-shirt to wear on its own.

―You can really feel the difference by touch.

Minami: Maybe it's the twist, but there's a slight dry, crisp feel. Compared to the pack T, it seems to lift off the skin a bit more.

―So even though it's thicker, you'd actually recommend it for summer?

Minami: Yeah - at first I thought it might be too heavy for summer, but it's surprisingly great. There's more fabric, so it absorbs more sweat too (laughs). The texture after washing is fantastic. Three-ply yarn finishes closer to a round cross-section than two-ply, which gives a sense of unity to the surface. That creates a different expression from the two-ply pack T. I think a lot of customers haven't noticed the difference yet - it's still hidden in the shadow of the pack T's popularity. Once you wear it, you'll immediately feel how different it is.

―Do you differentiate how you wear the pack T and the heavyweight?

Minami: Yeah. It depends on personal preference, of course, but for me: as an inner layer under shirts, I go with the pack T. For wearing as a single layer in summer, definitely the heavyweight. It has more body and structure overall, so the silhouette really snaps into shape. That said, even though the pack T is relatively lighter, that's only in comparison with the heavyweight. It's still made with enough weight to be worn alone. In the end it's a matter of taste.

―It's fascinating how the same material and spec can feel so different between two-ply and three-ply yarn.

Minami: The twist level is actually a bit looser and softer for the three-ply than for the two-ply, but like I said earlier, we're knitting at a high density. Soft raw material, tightly knitted - it's a bit of a contradiction, but that contradiction is exactly what makes it good. It lands in a perfect place and I love that.S/S Oversized Tee
Price: ¥22,000 (tax in)
Color: WHITE / GRAY / NAVY / BLACK
Size: 1 / 2
Model wears: size 2 / height 182cm

―The heavyweight lineup includes short sleeve and long sleeve, in four colors: white, gray, navy, and black, right?

Minami: Right. And the long sleeve is great too.

―From a distance, it has so much volume you could mistake it for a sweatshirt.

Minami: It's a luxury piece. The firmness of the fabric is just right - I wear it often.

―There are a lot of luxury items here (laughs).

Minami: Once you go to the factory and start asking, "Can we try this? What about that?" you work with the knitters, test and tweak over and over. By the time you finally arrive at the goal, they inevitably end up like this. They're simple T-shirts, but when you push every detail to the limit, this is where you land.