[DEEP DIVE] DECK PANT

Welcome back to "DEEP DIVE". In this series we go behind the scenes to trace the genesis of our favorite Engineered Garments items. In this installation, we took out our magnifying glass to examine the Deck Pant, a Navy-inspired style, making its debut in the Engineered Garments Fall Winter 2022 season. 

The uniform has long represented a point of fascination for human beings. It simultaneously denotes a badge of membership into some larger organization, while also giving the wearer a sense of anonymity. The taste of power that comes with enlistment into a mighty military group comes at the cost of individuality. Even the designers of 20th century’s most iconic military garb remain unknown to the public, their own legacy faded as their designs are absorbed into the zeitgeist. However, there is a solid bridge that connects military wear to personal civilian clothing. As Engineered Garments designer Daiki Suzuki mentions, there would be no modern fashion without the influence of the armed forces. Look no further than the ubiquity of T-shirts and cargo pants.  

The story of the Engineered Garments Deck Pant begins with the bib overall. One of the purest forms of utilitarian work-wear, the bib overall is worn over a set of shirt and pants, absorbing grease, sweat, and the hard wear of physical labor. Picking up in popularity around the late 19th century, it became a symbol of the American worker - railroad laborers wore hickory stripes, farmers wore denim, and factory employees wore canvas. 

As production ramped up for World War II, the United States was looking for cheap, sturdy, and utilitarian silhouettes for its crewmen. They borrowed the bib overall design and created the US Army Wet Weather Bib - the Deck Pant’s closest relative. Used by both the Army and the Navy, the original version was constructed from olive green heavyweight coated cotton canvas (some troops were also issued an inner wool lining for cold environments), buckled above the chest, and sported a singular flap pocket on the right front side. 

The Engineered Garments Deck Pant makes dramatic changes to its predecessor’s shape, as the overall design is shifted from overall to pants, delivering an entirely new item. However, many portions of the original design remain, including the double knee reinforcement, the hem drawstring placement on the inseam rather than center placement, and the single flap pocket, mirrored on the front and back. Naturally, a range of Engineered Garments signature details may be found across the pants as well: twill tape drawstring around the waist, double faced closure, inside waist facing, and British military-style reinforcement stitching above each flap pocket. 

The Engineered Garments Fall Winter 2022 draws inspiration from Robert Eggers’ film “The Lighthouse” which explores humanity’s relationship to itself and the ocean, among other themes. With the Deck Pants, Daiki continues the examination of these topics. He takes a traditional uniform - once used to conceal individuality - and revamps it, creating an item that emphasizes personal expression, joining the lofty ranks of previous military wear that have made the transition to civilian use. Retaining key nautical elements, it is rendered in a variety of seasonal fabrics, allowing for new connections to be made with both the sea, and one another. 

The Deck Pant  is available the following fabrics:

• Black Cotton Double Cloth
• Dk. Navy PC Coated Cloth
• Indigo 12oz Denim
• Navy Cotton Double Cloth
• Olive Cotton Double Cloth
• Olive PC Coated Cloth

Available in-store and online at nepenthesny.com