"Hickory Stripe" Men's Vest

A passion for old sewing machines and extraordinary fabrics!

This was the reason why Michael Cerny started designing and sewing men’s vests.

His workshop produces unique vests made from very high-quality fabrics. These are designed and sewn with absolute precision and craftsmanship.

This is a men’s vest made of 12.5oz Japanese raw selvedge "Hickory Stripe" denim.

The origins and the name! The fine vertical stripes are visually based on the old seersucker pattern. The name "Hickory" is derived from the extreme durability of hickory wood. Textile manufacturers advertised the densely woven twill fabric for its toughness, claiming it was "as strong as hickory wood." Originally, the sturdy material was used as ticking for mattresses and pillowcases before it found its way into apparel.

The trademark of railway workers: The fabric gained popularity from the 1890s onwards as an unofficial uniform for locomotive engineers, stokers, and railway workers. The characteristic vertical stripes served purely practical purposes:

Stain concealment: In the harsh daily routine on steam locomotives, workers were constantly exposed to coal dust, soot, oil, and grease. The tight blue-and-white striped pattern visually camouflaged stains perfectly.

Cooling effect: The alternating light and dark stripes reflected sunlight better than plain dark blue denim. Furthermore, the fabric was usually somewhat lighter (around 10 ounces) and more breathable than classic heavy denim, which made working in the hot locomotive cabs more bearable.

The inner lining is a canvas with an anchor motif.

These vests are sewn on old, in some cases historic sewing machines, some of which can be found in our workshop. You can find the matching belt among our leather goods.

We are happy to customize the vests to your individual measurements should standard sizes not fit.

We also manufacture vests using your personal choice of fabrics and colors.

The vest is made to order. Duration approx. 1–2 weeks. Care instructions are also included so that you can enjoy this unique piece for a long time.