Samurai - Heavy Weight "Down Below" Printed T-shirt Navy [SMT26-101]

The Samurai SMT26-101 “Down Below” Tee takes the brand’s heavyweight T-shirt platform and gives it a graphic pulled directly from Samurai’s own automotive culture. Made in Japan from a dense slub cotton jersey, it combines the substantial feel and irregular texture of Samurai’s core tees with artwork based on a custom lowrider kept at the brand’s Umeda headquarters.

The fabric begins with carefully selected raw cotton spun into thick No. 14 slub yarn. Rather than producing a perfectly smooth jersey, the irregular yarn creates subtle variations in thickness across the surface, giving the shirt a more textured and natural appearance from the beginning. As the cotton softens with wear, that uneven character becomes increasingly noticeable.

Samurai slowly knits the fabric on vintage Daimaruki circular knitting machinery dating back to Japan’s early Showa era. The machines operate at a much slower pace than modern industrial knitting equipment, allowing the thick single yarn to retain more of its natural character. The resulting jersey has a substantial, almost weighty appearance while remaining supple and comfortable against the body.

The “Down Below” artwork reflects another side of Samurai’s interests. The brand has a longstanding appreciation for vintage Japanese cars, and the graphic is based on a custom lowrider displayed at Samurai’s Umeda headquarters. Rather than using a generic automotive illustration, the print recreates distinctive details from the actual car, tying the shirt directly back to Samurai’s own world in Osaka.

Construction is finished with a triple needle binder neck sewn on a specialized three needle, one drop machine. This reinforces one of the areas most prone to stretching on a T-shirt and helps the collar retain its shape through repeated wear. Samurai designed the heavyweight series to become softer and more textured over time without losing the substantial character of the original fabric.

Finished in Navy, the darker body gives the automotive artwork a slightly more subdued appearance than the lighter colourways while letting the irregular texture of the slub jersey come through as the fabric breaks in. It is a straightforward graphic tee on the surface, but the fabric, machinery and connection to Samurai’s own garage culture give it considerably more character than a conventional printed T-shirt.

Made in Japan.

Key Features

• 100% cotton

• Samurai heavyweight slub jersey

• Thick No. 14 slub cotton yarn

• Carefully selected raw cotton

• Naturally irregular surface texture

• Slowly knitted on vintage Daimaruki circular machines

• Early Showa era knitting machinery

• Dense, substantial fabric

• Firm yet supple hand that softens with wear

• “Down Below” automotive graphic

• Artwork based on Samurai’s own custom lowrider

• Lowrider displayed at Samurai’s Umeda headquarters

• Triple needle binder neck

• Specialized three needle, one drop collar construction

• Designed to gain texture and character with wear

• Navy colourway

• Made in Japan

• Style SMT26-101

• Also available in Black, Light Grey and White
• See more from T-shirts
• Shop more styles from Samurai Jeans

Fabric & Care

100% cotton heavyweight slub jersey.

The thick No. 14 slub yarn gives the fabric natural variations in texture rather than the smooth, uniform surface of a conventional T-shirt. The jersey begins dense and substantial but is designed to become softer and more comfortable as it is worn.

Wash cold, preferably inside out, with similar colours and hang dry to help preserve the shape of the garment and printed artwork.

Fit

Standard Samurai Japanese T-shirt fit.

Samurai identifies the regular SMT26-101 as its standard Asian fit, designed around Japanese sizing rather than the larger Western cut used on styles carrying a “W” suffix. Customers accustomed to North American sizing may therefore find the proportions relatively trim.

We recommend comparing the listed garment measurements against a T-shirt you already own and like the fit of before choosing your size.

Samurai SMT26-101 Down Below Tee in Navy, made in Japan from heavyweight No. 14 slub cotton with a vintage lowrider inspired graphic.

Garment measurements taken flat before wash. Compare against a piece you already own and love.

Canada: free Standard shipping over $300 CAD, otherwise $19.99 in BC and $24.99 to the rest of Canada. Express is $33 flat. Tracked courier, 1 to 4 business days.

United States: free Standard shipping over $350 USD, otherwise $25.99 USD. Express is $30 USD.

Returns: read our Return Policy for full details on returns and exchanges.