Stripe hickory

A symbol of American industrial history, a railroader's icon and famous for its aesthetics as much as its functionality, theHickory Stripe takes its name from hickory wood, as it recalls its appearance, but also shares its virtues of solidity and resistance.

TheHickory Stripe was introduced to the USA in the 19th century, and made its legend by being worn by railroad workers. It quickly became associated with the American dream and hard, manual labor. It entered the collective imagination through popular culture, in films and TV series, helping to establish the Hickory Stripe as the emblematic fabric of the working man.

The reason for its use was, of course, its robustness, but also the fact that its pattern masked grease and coal stains. Add to this the comfort of the garment, and Hickory Stripe was the perfect choice for a functional, durable garment.

Although popularized by railway workers, the Hickory was also widely worn by farm and factory workers and mechanics. After the Second World War, Hickory Stripe lost popularity as industries and fashions changed, but later, in the 1980s, the appeal of vintage revived the story of this iconic fabric. Today, it is widely used in sustainable fashion for its strength and powerful symbolism.

Hickory stripe is generally made from cotton, necessarily of high quality, which is spun and then dyed to obtain colored threads, often blue, and undyed threads. It is this combination of yarns, woven in a twill, i.e. at an angle, that gives hickory its distinctive striped appearance.

The Stripe hickory is part of the Kidur Summer 2024 collection.

For its 2024 collection, Kidur has chosen to turn to Chapman, the historic Manchester weaver carrying on the family tradition since 1869. The weaving company is still owned by the Chapman family, and continues to produce high-quality fabrics based on cotton, their specialty.

Kidur used hickory stripe for two pieces in its 2024 summer collection: the Ernest Draisine shorts and the 41 Draisine jacket. Both stem from the desire to create a durable, supple and lightweight garment suited to a Kidur summer wardrobe made in France.

41 DRAISINE JACKET

ERNEST DRAISINE SHORTS

To preserve stripes, it's best to wash your garments inside out and at low to medium temperatures. Air-drying is also preferable to machine washing. If machine drying is necessary, it should be done at low temperature.