Clothing from the USA. Outgrowing the working world

Robust workwear and footwear from industrial and agricultural environments have long since established themselves outside their original purpose. Here are garments and shoes from the USA that have this history behind them. They are manufactured by the traditional Red Wing company in Minnesota, which still works with the materials that have always been tried and tested, and on the other hand by a young company that has taken up this tradition with enthusiasm: Tellason in California.

Behind Tellason, based in San Francisco, are Tony Patella and Pete Searson. Both bring a fair amount of experience to the table: Before they started their own business a few years ago and have since made a name for themselves with their own brand, they had already spent two decades in the clothing industry as made-to-order clothing manufacturers. They develop authentic garments whose role models are often found in the working world. When making up garments, they like to use tried-and-tested fabrics that are full of character, such as raw denim from North Carolina or fabrics for guild clothing from Germany.

Since 1905, Red Wing, Minnesota, has been making work shoes that are famous for their excellent fit and long life. The full-grain cowhide from which Red Wings are made is created using a special process developed in the late 1940s and patented for Red Wing: The chrome-tanned leather delivered for the shoes and boots is retanned in mineral oil, which is what the American term "oil-tanned" means. This gives the leather a fat content of 22% (normal is 8 to 10%), which makes it uniquely supple and at the same time hard-wearing and water-repellent despite its material thickness. The processing is also appropriate for such leather. With the Goodyear process, the frame stitching process at Red Wing is carried out by machine in a sophisticated manner.