Buy them as a set. But you don't have to wear them as a set.

Wear them as a set. Or wear the top and bottom separately, as individual pieces.

Clothes that let you choose both options come in handy in all sorts of situations. When you do not have time in the morning to think about what to wear, simply put the top and bottom together. If you feel like wearing them a little differently that day, use just the top or just the bottom.

Just having options somehow makes me feel reassured.

 

Hello. I am Tomioka from cliché.

 

When we hear "set-up," we inevitably first imagine wearing the top and bottom together. Perhaps a jacket and trousers, or a shirt and pants. Since the matching pieces are made from the same fabric and in the same color, they naturally look cohesive, and it is less likely that the styling will go wrong.

But I do not feel reassured simply because "the top and bottom are a set."

For me, there are two conditions that make a set-up feel reassuring to wear as a set.

One is that, right now, the top and bottom are the same color. The other is that they are made from the same material.

It may sound obvious. But I think this "moment right now" is surprisingly important.

For example, suppose you first buy a blouson made from a particular fabric, and then, because you like it, buy trousers in the same fabric six months later. The item numbers indicate the same material. The color name is also the same. Even so, the blouson worn for six months and the new trousers are not in exactly the same condition.

They are worn, exposed to sunlight, rubbed, and sometimes washed. The way the color looks gradually changes, and the stiffness of the fabric eases. Creases develop, the garment adapts to the body, and the wearer's way of wearing it remains in the clothes.

Of course, that is not a bad thing. In fact, as clothing, it is more natural that way. There are plenty of clothes that look better after being worn for several years than they did when new.

But when you actually try to wear those pieces together as a set-up, slight differences in color or the character of the fabric can sometimes stand out. Even though they are made from the same fabric, somehow the top and bottom can look separate. That bothers me a little.

So, if you want to wear a set-up as a set-up, get the top and bottom together from the beginning.

The same fabric accumulates time from the same starting point.

That way, even if the color gradually changes as you wear them, the top and bottom will change together. They are not only the same when you wear them today; they will continue to develop together six months from now, a year from now, and beyond.

For me, the "reassurance of having the top and bottom match" probably means exactly that.

But that does not mean you need to wear them as a set every time. Rather, I think that is where the fun of a set-up begins.

Wear just the top.
Wear just the bottom.
On days when you do not want to think about what to wear, put on the top and bottom as they are.

You buy one set of clothes, but there is not just one way to wear it. Although they are made with wearing them as a set in mind, each piece also stands on its own. I think that is what draws me to set-ups.

This season, cantáte has two such set-ups: Washed Linen Denim and Linen Washi.

Both can be worn as a set. But even though we call them both a "set-up," the impression they make when worn is quite different. The materials are different. The shapes are different. And they are used differently when separated into individual pieces.

This time, I will introduce not only how the pieces look when worn as a set, but also how they can be worn individually.

First, Washed Linen Denim.

CREDIT

cantáte "Washed Linen Denim Chore Blouson"

cantáte "Washed Linen Denim Tuck Trousers"

10eyevan "no.5 48 SG 〈SILVER-BLU〉"

 

For INDIGO, we intentionally kept everything within the same color family. Matching the top and bottom in the same color gives it the proper unity of a set-up. But unlike a typical suit, it is not a garment that creates tension simply because the top and bottom match.

The fabric being used has a great deal to do with that.

CREDIT

"WORLD IS YOURS Tee (Cartoon Letter)"

 

10oz linen denim. It has the character you expect from denim, yet when you wear it, no sense of heaviness remains.

It has the distinctive slubs of linen, and the creases that develop through washing and wear are not uniform. Those subtle irregularities catch the light, creating natural variations of depth within the same INDIGO.

Even when you wear both pieces in the same color, they do not look like one large surface. That is because the fabric itself has character.

Linen also has a distinctive way of falling. Even when there is plenty of fabric, it drops naturally with the body's movement. That is why, even when worn as a set, it does not create too much of the intensity of "wearing denim head to toe."

Rather than looking like a denim set-up, it feels a little lighter and more relaxed. I think INDIGO is the color that lets you appreciate the character of the material most directly.

 

CREDIT

cantáte "Washed Linen Denim Chore Blouson"

cantáte "Washed Linen Denim Tuck Trousers"

 

For NOIR, on the other hand, we paired it with a white shirt. Placing white between the black top and bottom is all it takes, but it breaks up the expanse of black once, keeping the overall styling from becoming too heavy.

CREDIT

cantáte "WORLD IS YOURS Tee (Cartoon Letter)"

 

Also, the texture of the fabric, which can be difficult to notice when viewing an all-black look, becomes surprisingly easier to see when white is placed next to it. NOIR is not a perfectly flat, pitch-black surface. There are the slubs and wrinkles of linen, along with subtle differences in character from the washing process. I think those differences are what make it interesting precisely because it is black.

Of course, it is not limited to being worn as a set. Washed Linen Denim is an exceptionally easy-to-wear set-up when the pieces are separated.

 

First, the blouson.

The fabric is designed to sit naturally away from the body rather than cling to it, so you do not need to treat it like outerwear. In feel, it is closer to a slightly heavier shirt.

You can throw it on over a T-shirt or wear it over a shirt. Pairing it with the matching denim trousers naturally creates a cohesive look, but I also think it works well with wool slacks.

The casual character of denim and the refinement of slacks. Normally, they are a combination with some distance between them, but this linen denim has a natural drape, so the two connect more naturally than you might expect. You can keep things clean with plain trousers, or add some variation with a patterned pair. Because the blouson itself does not make too strong a statement, its appearance can change depending on the trousers you pair it with.

And then, the trousers.

The waist is kept clean and streamlined, while ample volume is given from the thighs through to the hem. It is a very wide silhouette, but if this were ordinary heavy denim, it would look somewhat more rugged.

Yet they have the softness and drape of linen. The fabric sways as you walk, then falls vertically when you stop.

They are wide without looking heavy.

You can wear a sweatshirt or knit on top. Tucking in a shirt gives a slightly more polished look, while wearing a T-shirt untucked makes it more casual.

When worn with the blouson, they are the trousers from a set-up, but on their own, they are remarkably versatile as a pair of wide-leg pants.

Even though they use the same fabric, the blouson works as a lightweight layer, while the trousers stand on their own as a pair to appreciate for their silhouette.

So even though you bought it as a set, you never feel that you have to wear it as one.

Rather, the days you wear it as a set and the days you wear the pieces separately naturally blend together. That is the kind of set-up I think Washed Linen Denim is.

 

 

The other is Linen Washi.

CREDIT

cantáte "Linen Washi Shirt Blouson"

cantáte "Linen Washi M51 Cargo Pants"

 

This is also slightly different from Washed Linen Denim.

BLACK is unified in black from top to bottom. Linen is used for the warp and Japanese paper for the weft, creating a densely woven fabric.

CREDIT

cantáte  ”WORLD IS YOURS Tee (Block Letter)"

 

When you touch it, the first thing you notice is its firmness. But it is not simply stiff. Because it is made from linen and Japanese paper, it feels dry against the skin and is not as heavy as it looks.

On top of that, it is given a hard washer treatment.

The beautifully, densely woven fabric is deliberately disrupted at the very end.

As a result, fine wrinkles and variations in tone emerge across the surface of the fabric. They are not uniform. That is why even when you wear BLACK top and bottom, it does not look like you are simply wearing black from head to toe.

Light hits some areas, while others recede into the folds. Even within the same black, shades and depth emerge. There is a sense of unity as a matching set, but it is slightly undone. I think that degree of looseness makes it easy to wear every day.

 

CREDIT

 cantáte  "Linen Washi Shirt Blouson"

cantáte "Linen Washi M51 Cargo Pants"

10eyevan "no.1 Ⅲ BR 43 〈DEMI〉"

 

For TAN, on the other hand, I paired it with white.

CREDIT

 cantáte "WORLD IS YOURS Tee (Block Letter)"

 

If BLACK has a slightly tense appearance, TAN is softer. Even with the same material and the same shape, changing only the color creates a very different impression.

Adding white makes the dry tone of TAN look lighter as well. It is a spring/summer combination, but I think it looks light not simply because the colors are bright, but because it includes the dry texture of washi and linen.

Linen Washi is interesting when you separate the top and bottom, too.

 

As the name suggests, the shirt blouson is a garment that sits right between a shirt and a blouson. Fasten the buttons all the way up and you can wear it like a shirt. Open two or three and pull the collar back slightly, and it becomes a light outer layer. Wear a T-shirt underneath and leave the front open, and it moves even closer to a blouson.

Even with the same clothes, the appearance changes just by changing how many buttons you fasten.

There is no single correct way they have to be worn. Change them according to the temperature, what you are wearing underneath, and your mood that day.

The trousers, on the other hand, have a wide silhouette based on the M-51.

Since they are cargo pants, they naturally have details derived from military wear. There are pockets, and plenty of volume. Ordinarily, these pants could easily lean in a fairly rugged direction.

But even this gives a different impression simply because the material has changed.

Rather than the weight of cotton military pants, they have the dry texture and crispness of linen and washi. The shape is military-inspired, yet they look somehow clean when worn. That is what makes them interesting.

And then there is the hemostatic tape at the hem. You can tuck it inside and wear them as ordinary wide cargo pants. Or bring it out and give them a little movement. Here too, it is not about one being right.

With the shirt blouson, decide how far to fasten the buttons. How much to pull the collar back. Whether to leave the front open or close it.

With the trousers, you can wear them as they are. Show the hemostatic tape. Decide how to balance them with your shoes.

A great deal is left for the wearer to decide in the end.

 

If Washed Linen Denim is a matching set that changes its character depending on the clothes you pair it with, Linen Washi may be a matching set whose character changes by changing how you wear the clothes themselves.

They are both matching sets, but they leave different kinds of freedom.

When buying a matching set, naturally, I think you first imagine wearing the top and bottom together. I do too.

Since they are made from the same fabric in the same color, I want to wear them together first. But if that becomes the only goal, it feels like a bit of a waste.

Wear both today. Just the blouson next time. Then just the trousers. If thinking about combinations in the morning feels like a hassle, wear them together again.

It is fine to have a period when you mostly wear the top, or to realize that you have been wearing the pants almost exclusively. If you like each piece as an individual garment, I think that is more natural.

Even though it is a matching set, you gradually stop thinking of it as one.

That feels just right to me.

As you wear them separately, each develops its own wrinkles, and the fabric gradually settles in. Even though the two pieces started from exactly the same place, I think their character will slowly change if they are worn different numbers of times.

Even so, one day, after a while, try wearing the top and bottom together again.

If you stand in front of the mirror and think, “I’m glad I bought them together after all,” that is enough.

Because you have the reassurance of being able to wear them as a set, you can wear them separately without hesitation.

Having the top and bottom together may not be about deciding how to wear them, but about increasing the ways you can wear them.

Try wearing both Washed Linen Denim and Linen Washi as a set first.

And then, next time, just one of the two.

By then, I think it will feel less like “I bought a matching set” and more like I simply gained two pieces of clothing I love.

I feel like I would wear it for longer that way.

cliché 冨岡