Focus On: The Lexicon of Sunray
S/S '24
In which we introduce you to all the shapes and colours of Sunray’s famous tees.
First a little background:
Designed in Newquay by the inimitable Colin (read Rob’s interview with him from last season) and made in Japan, these are simply the very, very finest tee shirts. Made on a vintage circular knitting machine (meaning no side seams) by a third generation family firm who have been knitting jersey for 100 years (they once made uniforms for the Japanese Imperial Palace), this is a slow and meticulous process. This machine can produce only 1 metre of jersey an hour and a tee shirt takes over an hour and a half to make. The machine lays the cotton down in a tube in very slow revolutions with minimal tension. No tension and no side seam results in a garment which can almost never go out of shape. These are tee shirts built to last.
Meet the Men’s Shapes (named for Hawaiian surf spots):
Haleiwa
Pronounced hal - i - eva
Island of O’ahu
This is a classic tee shirt with short or long inset sleeves. Cut a little longer in the body. Made from 260 gram recycled heavyweight jersey.
Laniakea
Pronounced la - nee - uh - kee - ah
Island of O’ahu
With a classic crew neck featuring a sweat-catcher V insert for additional structural support, this sweatshirt boasts a boxy fit and ribbed trims, crafted from 450 gram recycled brushed fleece.
Pua'ena L/S
Pronounced poo - ayna
Island of O’ahu
A raglan tee with long sleeves and thick ribbed trims. A little higher in the neck than the Haleiwa. Made from 260 gram recycled heavyweight jersey.
Makaha
Pronounced maa - kuh- huh
Island of O’ahu
The fit is traditional: squarer, boxier and slightly shorter reminiscent of a classic vintage tee. Made from a 300 gram heavyweight jersey.
Meet the Women’s Shapes
(named for goddesses in Hawaiian mythology):
Na’maka’oh
Pronounced nam - akka - oh
Goddess of the Ocean
A classic every day tee with a short sleeves and a round, thick neckline. Made from 260 gram recycled, soft, luxurious and durable cotton.
Hi’Aka
Pronounced hi - akka
Goddess of Dance
This is the cropped shape. Inset slightly capped sleeve. Length sits just below belt loops of your jeans. 260 gram recycled cotton.
Hina
Pronounced hi - nah
Goddess of the Moon
Combining the shape of the Hi'aka tee and the reverse nature of the men's Laniakea sweat, the Hina features a round, crew neckline, long sleeves and a slightly cropped silhouette. Made from 450 gram reversed out brushed fleece.
The Fabrications
All the tee shirt styles are made using a special Japanese recycled cotton called Ochiwata. Ochiwata cotton is woven from the discarded short fibres of fluff from traditional cotton thread production. This by-product is then spun into the soft, downy yarn that produces a Sunray jersey.
Fun fact: Jersey fabric was first produced on the Channel Island of Jersey during the medieval era, hence the name.
Step this way to explore the full collections.
