Casgliadau Arlein

Flannel shirt "The Leek Shirt. Real Welsh All Wool". Belonged to a miner at Abercynon colliery

Long-sleeved flannel shirt in cream with fine vertical blue stripes (consisting of three warps); tight rounded neck opening bound with narrow white cotton edging. This edging has a button hole at the centre back and on either side of the front opening, presumably for the attachment of a separate collar. The shirt has a slit at the centre front which fastens with 3 mother-of-pearl buttons; a further mother-of-pearl buttons fastening at each cuff. The proper left side of the slit at centre front is reinforced with a placket. Tringular gusset inserts at upper edge of slit at cuffs and at lower end of side seams. Hem at the front of the shirt is rounded at corners/sides resulting in a 24cm long side slit. Shirt is reinforced by a yoke of self fabric (constructed of two parts) that runs across shoulders and upper back; here, the blue stripes are arranged at 90º to the rest of the shirt. Remains of a doube-row of hand sewn stitches (approximately 5cm apart) using white thread on upper sleeves, just below shoulder seam. Woven label (green and red on white ground) at inner centre back neck. All machine stitched (apart from hand stitches mentioned above).