Rick Owens SS26 Double Short Sleeve T-Shirt – Euca

Unstable cotton is a house designation rather than a technical one, and it means what it says: a lightweight, semi-transparent cotton jersey that does not settle into a flat plane and instead forms twists and folds against whatever it is on. Doubling it, which is what the Double construction does, compounds the effect. Two layers of a cloth that will not lie still, with the hem and sleeves left on the fold rather than hemmed, produces a garment with no stiff edge anywhere on it and a drape that changes as the wearer moves.

A single seam runs the length of the back. That is the only construction line in the whole piece, which is why it is the detail the house never leaves off.

The result is a short-sleeved tee that does not behave like a tee at all, and it is worth handling before deciding about it, because it photographs as a plain shirt and does not wear as one.

Why we selected it

We already had the Double in long sleeve and in the earlier short-sleeved colours, and we took this because unstable cotton is a different proposition from the standard jersey and it is the version we would hand someone who asked what separates this house’s tees from anyone else’s. The answer is in the cloth and it takes about four seconds to feel.

Unstable cotton has been a recurring fabric designation in this house since the middle of the last decade, and the Double is the construction it is most often paired with.

Materials and construction

One hundred percent cotton, made in Italy, in Euca. Double layer of unstable cotton, with the hem and sleeves on the fold and a single seam running the length of the back.

Fit notes

The doubled cloth gives weight without structure, so it hangs close and the folded openings fall rather than sitting flat. Unstable cotton forms its own folds and will not press smooth, which is the intended behaviour rather than a fault. Take your usual size; there is nothing here that needs to fit closely.

Styling

Alone with black trousers. Under an open outershirt. Under the sleeveless turtleneck in the shoulder seasons.

Care

Wash cool inside out and dry flat, not on a hanger. Do not press it flat; the surface is meant to move. No hot dryer. Our care guidance covers the general ground.

Related pieces

The Double LS T is the long-sleeved version of the same construction. In the standard jersey rather than the unstable cotton, the Double SS T in pale blue, in thulian pink, and in milk. For the plain tee beside it, the Basic Short Sleeve Level T-Shirt. Everything we currently hold from Rick Owens is listed together.