The Kuroki jacket: why did we want to do things differently?
When we talk about "denim jacket"
We are the first to appreciate it (we even love it), and it will forever remain a classic of the men's wardrobe... But we said to ourselves that this time, we could go a little further in this reflection, and offer you something really different.
Because honestly, the denim jacket has no shortage of variations that draw on retro inspirations or very raw workwear.
In fact, even type III, which is the most contemporary basic that we see everywhere, still has a very vintage connotation.
So if we're talking about type II or I which are much more retro, it's not even worth looking for modernity... It's vintage, or nothing!
Type I, type II, type III... For decades, even more than a century for some, nothing has changed in the design of denim jackets. We really wanted something different...
(Credits: Heddels )
We even see that nowadays, if a brand decides to make an original denim jacket, it will probably turn to something even more retro, with models that are directly inspired by the work clothes of previous centuries. . Very nice, but really not the most accessible.
In short, for more than a century, nothing has really changed: large jeans buttons adorn the front of the jacket, there are still these orange seams derived from jeans, and these flap pockets on the chest …
Our mission: to create the denim jacket of our time
And we wanted a more modern jacket, less busy , while retaining a certain nobility in the choice of denim, without losing this concern for the authentic material that we find precisely on vintage models.
We thought of this jacket as the jacket that you could wear in perfect coherence with our white sneakers while keeping the same design philosophy. A little more refined, a little more sober, but not banal.
There is the same state of mind that drove the creation of our sneakers: we have a piece that can be worn very easily with everything, but which nevertheless brings something pure and different in its lines.
We also wanted to create stronger lines, which enhanced the silhouette of the wearer, something with an urban and modern look. We didn't want to do "vintage" here, but really something contemporary.
So if we started from the historic Type III, before creating and modernizing it, we first had to refine it.
It's simple: rather than adding elements, we thought we should remove them.
In particular, it was necessary to remove what gives the vintage connotation of a classic denim jacket, but without losing the essence of the shape of a true denim jacket. You follow me ? OK, let's go...
The process: purer lines, more modern design
We start by tackling the most visible: these orange seams seen and reviewed. They have therefore been replaced by tone-on-tone stitching, which is more discreet.
Discreet tone-on-tone stitching, which puts the material at the heart of the subject.
Then, we removed the metal buttons visible on the throat as well as on the chest pockets. The lines of the jacket are lighter and a more contemporary look is finally beginning to emerge...
Discreet snap buttons that replace classic jeans buttons. When closed, the jacket will have a continuous, pure center line rather than a row of buttons.
The same goes for the sleeves, which no longer have the classic buttons, but hidden snap buttons.
Still with the aim of purifying the silhouette, we removed the flaps from the front pockets, and they now have the shape of a back jeans pocket, a nod to our first clothing loves.
But to give a stronger line, we decided to raise a seam line from the bottom of the jacket to the chest pocket. This allows for a more unique visual signature.
They should be seen as two lines of force which visually “carry” the front of this jacket, a bit like two beams in architecture.
The final touch: chest pockets without flaps, like those on the back of jeans, and a line of force that runs diagonally across them, to emphasize the silhouette and provide structure.
This adds structure to the whole, creating a line that catches the eye, and that the eye naturally follows when looking at the jacket.
The “stonewashed” color: an aesthetic and practical choice
Finally, we had to look at the question of color.
It was not possible to release a "bleached" shade like for our jeans, because that is the one which would have taken it most towards a vintage connotation. And then as we explained to you in our article on the denim jacket , it is much easier to combine different shades when you want to put together several denim pieces in the same outfit. Tone on tone can very quickly give the strangest effect...
When choosing canvas in its raw, unwashed state... It can be very charming, but remember: indigo is an unstable pigment by nature, which tends to bleed very easily on light colors.
So when it's pants that bleed onto your shoes, it can be managed quite easily with appropriate care or by choosing dark colors... As for a jacket, we wanted to prevent you from staining all your shirts, knits , or light t-shirts.
The beautiful shades of the Kuroki canvas, in its "Stonewashed" version.
It was therefore quite natural that we chose a “stonewashed” shade !
As a reminder, this shade designates denim that has been lightly washed to obtain a slightly brighter blue, which reveals some azure highlights, but is still rather dark in its overall color.
(The name comes from the fact that it is usually done using pumice stones and numerous washes. But not here, as you will soon see...)
To summarize: with this stonewashed shade, we obtained...
- a jacket that can be worn with all the jeans we have made so far: from raw to bleach, including gray or even canvas pants. To you shades of blue!
- A jacket that won't bleed all over your beautiful light clothes. It's better, though, isn't it?
With this "Stonewashed" shade, the most discerning among you can even have fun introducing subtle shades of blue with darker raw jeans, a navy shirt, a sky blue knit...
A few reminders about this Kuroki canvas and ozone washing…
It's exactly the same canvas as our bleached jeans: a 12.7 oz Kuroki canvas. and it's also an ozone wash (but lighter than our bleached jeans).
The result is a canvas that is more flexible and soft than a classic selvedge canvas, and whose fading highlights the magnificent irregularities of color and relief of this Japanese fabric.
A 12.7 oz Kuroki canvas meets ozone
Lovers of Japanese denim, you have already come across the name Kuroki. They supply a lot of denim purist brands.
Established in 1950, they have the particularity of having a factory dedicated to dyeing, another to weaving, and a last to finishing. They have enormous know-how in dyeing , because they know how to fine-tune the different parameters that influence the final color (oxidation of the indigo, cotton used, etc.).
A real Japanese-style boss! Image taken from their website . Note the mention of pure water…
Little by little, they are investing more and more in the environment, particularly in the treatment of dyeing water .
They're also starting to place photovoltaic panels — currently, 10% of the energy Kuroki consumes comes from the sun . Let's hope they continue this momentum! I invite you to explore the dedicated page , it is a subject that seems to be close to their hearts.
For those more curious, the creators of the US workwear brand 3sixteen published a complete article on Heddels about their visit to the factory.
Oh, and for the record, their most recent loom was purchased in 1958! It is therefore a canvas which is right in the Japanese folklore of the old loom which works very, very slowly...
Ozone wash?
We can say that our jeans are “ozone washed” ! As a reminder, ozone is a molecule composed of three oxygen atoms, with powerful oxidizing power. If you have some knowledge of chemistry, here is a link that summarizes what is happening .
It is a much more ecological solution than traditional washing obtained with water, enzymes, chemicals and pumice. Its operation is rather simple to understand: the jeans are humidified then exposed to this gas, then rinsed.
For example, for a single pair of jeans:
- 6 to 7 washes and rinses are traditionally required,
- compared to only 2 to 3 with ozone washing .
Ozone washing thus reduces:
- water consumption by 50%,
- energy consumption by 61%.
If you have the courage, here is the detailed breakdown of the energy expenditure of ozone washing... And if you really want to explore the question further, I invite you to read this document from a machine manufacturer. And if you are still not satisfied, also read this document ...
The ozone is then converted back into regular oxygen before being released into the environment!
The finishes: long live selvedge and hidden pockets!
It's not because we've refined the design that we're going to deliver a room to you without the little extra touches that make it so charming!
On the contrary, we went all out on the hidden details, because we know you love it!
Still in the spirit of a nod to our Kurabo jeans, the chest pockets have hidden rivets, and if you look inside, you will see a selvedge border that borders each of them...
And selvedge edging is everywhere:
- the most visible is the one that runs along the bottom of the jacket, inside…
- inside the collar…
- then in the hand pockets on the sides!
We really let selvedge appear everywhere on the hidden parts of this jacket. It's an expensive thing to make, but these are the kind of "secret" details, that only the wearer can appreciate, and that are important to us.
And in fact, these pockets have a particularity that we have not seen anywhere else: each of them contains an additional zipped pocket. So you have a zippered pocket inside another pocket. It’s a pocket “Inception” !
Indeed, we are never very reassured to slip objects into pockets on a denim jacket, and here, you can secure some personal effects in the zipped pocket.
And finally, this jacket has a neat interior, thanks to beautiful blue braids which finish all the seams. The bonus is obviously the Sahsiko pattern lining, like on our bleach jeans. We wanted a sober exterior design, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't have a little fun with the hidden parts!
The seams are taped for the cleanest possible result, and we used the "Sashiko" lining of our bleach jeans as a reminder of the Japanese world of Kuroki canvas.
Our light cotton linen Maruwa shirt and its exclusive blue
But, what is this shirt that we see in the distance...?
Remember our Japanese flannel shirt from this winter? We now want to offer you an equivalent for sunny days!
Here, it's a cotton/linen blend (45/55%) that comes straight from Maruwa.
... This is the new addition to the Japan Line! An ideal shirt for sunny days, and to give more personality to a simple outfit.
We wanted to choose a pattern that would bring variety between your plain shirts, and we had to keep that Japanese touch that we like so much.
The solution ? We asked Maruwa to develop a color especially for us!
All in shades of blue and more or less irregular gradients for the Japanese side.
Yep, it’s a totally exclusive color that you won’t find anywhere else!
It must be said that there is something exhilarating in knowing that a renowned Japanese manufacturer has configured its loom according to our specific requests, just for us...
We can clearly see the gradients of the checks here, they are what brings a unique touch compared to a classic checked shirt.
You know, I'm not a big fan of checks on very "primary" shirts, which is why I much prefer when there is subtlety, blending, very light gradients between colors, as seen in the photos.
Concerning the origin of raw materials, the origin of raw cotton is distributed as follows: USA 60%, Brazil 20%, Australia 10% and Greece 10%. It is then spun and woven in Japan.
There, for lovers of detail, a very close-up of the material, where you can clearly see how the colored threads gradually mix.
As for the linen, it comes from Belgium!
And for the more technical among you, its weight is 157 g/m2, which corresponds to a rather light hand.
The handmade cotton linen of the shirt contrasts very well with the wool flannel of our sleeveless vest. It's a very simple spring outfit to put together, especially in terms of colors, and which allows you to cope with temperature variations characteristic of spring.
The color of the patterns will go particularly well with khaki or olive shades.
Small end note: in this very Japanese universe, it was Boras from the Borasification blog who volunteered to wear our April clothes. A big thanks to him !
How to get the new products for April?
Our clothes are available on our e-shop and in our stores in Paris , Lyon and Bordeaux . The choice is yours !
