A small landscape called “Forestière”
Good evening. This is Matsushima from cantáte.
While making clothes, there are sometimes moments when “words come afterward.”
There are times when making clothes that “words come afterward,” not because we conceived them deliberately, but from the materials and silhouette before us.
That feeling of a name suddenly taking root.
This jacket, bearing the name Forestière, was precisely one of those pieces.
<cantáte>
COL : NAVY, MAORN
SIZE : 44, 46, 48
¥352,000- TAX IN
<cantáte>
”Wool Flannel Forestiere Jacket”
COL : GRAY, NAVY
SIZE : 44, 46, 48
¥385,000- TAX IN
A masterpiece left behind by the long-established Parisian house ARNY’S.
Loved beyond gender, occupying a distinctive position that is neither workwear nor dresswear.
What would happen if we rewove that atmosphere here in Japan, through the lens of today?
The answer was surprisingly quiet and profound.
The construction—structure within “looseness”
The Forestière has two major characteristics.
One is a relaxed body and broad sleeves.
The other is an air that feels somewhat poetic.
Both of these are very simple when explained.
But when you actually try it on, you understand that it is not merely “looseness.”
and the shoulder line flows just slightly toward the back.
The generous volume in the sleeves does not fall forward even when your arms are lowered,
yet it naturally follows the lines of the body.
The pattern has few lines and no ornamentation,
making the atmosphere of the moment you put it on remarkably rich.
This is something cantáte has always valued,
It is “design that looks as though it was not designed.”
There are not many moments designed to be seen.
Yet the unseen parts are doing their job properly.
One symbol of this was the combination of linings.
Why three types of lining are used in unseen areas
The Forestière is not a garment completed by its outer fabric alone.
Rather, it is precisely on the inside that the “quality of comfort” resides.
For this jacket, we use three types according to their purpose.
The upper body has a smooth cotton-rayon lining.
It does not impede movement from the shoulders through the back, quieting even the presence of the garment when casually thrown on.
Durable cotton flannel is used for the lower body and cuffs.
It absorbs sweat, releases moisture moderately, and feels warm the moment it touches your skin.
The more you wear it, the soft, raised nap settles naturally into the movement of your body.
The sleeve lining is a blend of cotton and reeled silk.
Stronger than wool, yet not as overly delicate as silk.
That pleasant feeling of “slipping smoothly into place” every time you put it on begins here.
None of them are showy.
But by choosing these three correctly and placing them in the right locations,
The Forestière transforms into “a garment that simply wraps you in air.”
Fabric 1: Corduroy’s quiet statement
For this Forestière, we begin with corduroy.
Even when you simply call it “corduroy,”
was never meant to be merely sweet.
cantáte’s corduroy
Not ordinary cotton yarn, but a special fabric made by raising the density to its limit and carefully shearing the nap.
A texture like brushed suede, with a deep luster.
It is substantial, yet supple.
You can tell immediately, just by touching it: “Ah, this is not ordinary.”
Achieving both softness and refinement is surprisingly difficult with corduroy.
For the piping on the sleeves and collar, we deliberately useSheepskin suede with the rough side used outward.
A little fuzz and roughness collide with the elegance of corduroy,
As a single garment, it moves toward “harmony.”
It is not perfect.
Yet that slight “fluctuation” enriches the garment.
Fabric ②: The stillness of wool flannel
The other forestière,
Flannel made from special Super120’s wool twill.
This fabric takes more than two months just for finishing after being woven.
Through careful fulling and shearing, then slowly incorporating air,
A full-bodied texture and deep shading whose character changes with the light comes into being.
Soft, yet possessing a certain sense of resolve.
Neither classic nor avant-garde,
A presence that is “simply luxurious.”
Entre-Finos suede is applied to the collar and pockets,
Their lightness and smoothness give the flannel a sense of depth.
Both forestières,
The beauty of the fabric itself is that it “does not say too much,”
It naturally blends into the wearer’s life.
The essence of the forestière—clothing that drapes you in atmosphere
This jacket is by no means flashy.
Yet the moment you place it on your shoulders, the air changes.
Surprisingly light,
And yet it gives you the feeling that “your own outline becomes sharply defined.”
A damp stillness, as if it had come through the forests of old France.
Then the atmosphere of Japanese streets begins to overlap with it.
It does not smell of trends.
Yet it is not a reproduction of vintage clothing.
Reweaving French workwear through “the sensibility of today.”
That is the kind of clothing it is.
CREDIT
cantáte ”Denim Flare Trousers”
CREDIT
Styling—whether for poetry, work, or everyday life
That is what makes the forestière interesting,
“Its character changes with the wearer’s life.”
Paired with denim, it becomes laid-back urban workwear.
Paired with slacks, it exudes intelligence.
It blends in remarkably well even when worn over a sweatshirt.
The width of the sleeves and the looseness of the body.
They are all “relaxed,”
It is precisely because there is a solid design beneath it that it never dictates how it should be worn.
As if,A balance that feels as though the empty space of everyday life itself had been turned into clothing.
CREDIT
cantáte ”Denim Flare Trousers”
CREDIT
cantáte ”EX Wool Deep Skipper L/S Shirt”
In the end—what quietly and strongly remains
While making the forestière,
There is a phrase that has stayed in my mind for a long time.
“Building sincerity into the unseen structure”
The parts that no one may notice.
But if you cut corners there, something suddenly feels much lighter.
Making clothes is not flashy, and it is rarely praised.
Yet as time passes, the difference between “well-made clothing” and “clothing that wasn’t properly made” grows greater.
This forestière,
I believe it is a piece that symbolizes that kind of “quiet sincerity.”
As if draping yourself in the air of the forest,
Just throwing it on makes life a little richer.
I want it to be that kind of clothing.
cantáte MATSUShima Shin
