No need to hold back with a leather jacket.
When choosing a leather jacket, do you look at the inside as well?
The type and thickness of the leather, the shape, and the price.
There are many things to notice even from what can be understood from the outside.
But open the front, turn it inside out, and put your hand in the pockets.
Then, ideas about the garment that could not be understood from looking only at the outside begin to come into view.
Good evening. I am Matsushima from cantáte.
Today, I would like to talk about the Coach Jacket and Varsity Blouson made from the same horsehide.
Since these are leather garments, of course we are particular about the leather.
However, I do not believe that using good leather alone makes a good garment.
What shape to give the leather.
Where to give it volume, and where to support it.
What to use inside, and how to construct it.
There are many decisions to make before turning a single piece of leather into a garment you can actually wear and live in.
Today, I hope I can talk about things as far as that.
Before that, I would like to talk a little about the price.
I think those who have been following cantáte for a long time have a general sense of our price range.
Even so, after someone has taken a liking to a garment, it can honestly feel a little sad when they ultimately pass on it because of the price.
Of course, knowing the price and actually paying that amount are two different things.
You may have other clothes you want, and other things you want to prioritize in your life. I am the same in that I cannot buy everything I like.
But from the maker's side, I wonder how well we are conveying what goes into reaching that price, and how far we are communicating it.
It might be easy to say, "It's expensive because it is made earnestly."
But making things earnestly is also simply the obvious thing to do as a maker.
Rather than asking you to accept it simply because of that one statement, I want to properly explain what we chose and how we made it.
Even the parts invisible from the outside require fabric, patterns, and sewing processes.
If you leave that out, it is no longer the same construction.
If so, I want to make the clothes I want to create, including those details.
And explain why I made those choices.
I think all I can do is repeat that process.
<cantáte>
COL : NOIR
¥462,000 TAX IN
Let's start by explaining the Coach Jacket.
Originally, a Coach Jacket is a relatively simple garment that can be thrown on lightly.
It is an easy shape to wear without feeling overdressed, and it does not demand much of what you pair with it. I like that familiar feel.
This time, we are using horsehide for that shape.
It is not enough simply to replace nylon with leather for the outer fabric.
The material's thickness, weight, and firmness are all different. To receive that leather, we have rethought the design from the inside out.
For example, the front facing.
It is the part visible on the inside when the front is opened.
Rather than simply hiding the edges neatly, we construct it as a structure that supports the front placket from behind.
Horsehide has its own weight and firmness.
How the area around the front is settled changes how the garment looks both closed and open.
The inner pockets are the same.
Rather than adding them into empty spaces after the lining is finished, we incorporate them from the beginning as part of the lining pattern.
We consider not only where to place the pockets, but also how to connect the areas around them.
The inside is also built with the feeling that it is one complete garment.
When worn closed, they are almost never visible.
Even in product photos, these are details that are difficult to convey if you only show the outside.
But the wearer touches those areas again and again.
Opening the front. Using the inner pockets. Taking it off and hanging it up.
I want to properly arrange even the view that appears in moments like that.
For the body lining, we use cotton moleskin.
It is a fabric with a suede-like touch, whose character becomes clear when you run your hand over it.
Inside the horsehide, there is another material that feels pleasant to the touch.
However, just because it is used in the body does not mean we use the same fabric for the sleeves.
The sleeve lining is cotton rayon.
There should be some slipperiness where you put your arms through.
Because we use thick leather, if the inside catches as well, you feel its weight even more every time you put it on or take it off.
The body has the role of the body, and the sleeves have the role of the sleeves.
Rather than matching all the fabrics, we choose what each area requires.
We used corduroy inside the Coach Jacket's pockets.
This is the place that comes directly into contact with your hand when you put it in.
They may not be visible from the outside, but the person wearing it will notice.
Moleskin, cotton rayon, and corduroy.
Listing the names makes it sound as though we have used a great many materials, but each was selected with its intended location in mind.
With that material in mind, we redrew the inner pattern.
From the outside, it is a simple Coach Jacket. But when you take it off, there is something else to see on the inside.
Precisely because it is a familiar shape, I would be happy if you took the time to look at details like these.
The other Varsity Blouson has a shape that lets you feel the same volume of leather more clearly.
<cantáte>
COL : NOIR
¥440,000 TAX IN
We allowed more volume from the shoulders through the sleeves, designing it so the leather would gather naturally.
It would be a little wasteful to simply make this horsehide follow the body for a sleek appearance.
I wanted to preserve in the shape even the character created when thick leather overlaps or drapes.
Even with the same amount of fabric, not every material takes the same shape.
Some materials fall softly, while others have enough structure to stand slightly away from the body.
With this leather, that firmness remains in the shape of the shoulders and sleeves.
Not only when hung on a hanger, but also when worn, where the leather is supported and where it gathers.
The silhouette has been considered with all of that in mind.
When your arms hang down, the leather falls from the shoulders into the sleeves.
When you bend your elbow, that volume shifts and wrinkles gather elsewhere.
I did not want it to be merely large; I wanted the volume of the leather to remain visible even as it moves.
It creates dimensional undulations unlike those of clothing made from thin fabric.
When light hits the raised areas, you can see the sheen.
The areas that recede into the depth appear a deeper black.
When viewed from the front and when viewed from the side.
When your arms are extended and when your hands are in the pockets.
Even a change in posture alters how the shoulders and sleeves look.
With the Varsity Blouson, I think the character of the leather emerges through such unselfconscious movements.
The inside is constructed with that movement in mind as well.
For the body lining, we also use cotton moleskin with a suede-like touch.
We use cotton-rayon with a smooth glide for the sleeve lining.
Even if you give the sleeves volume, if the garment catches inside, movement becomes difficult.
For the outer leather to move, the inside through which the arms pass needs to be smooth.
While retaining the impact of the leather, we also consider ease of movement when you put your arms through the sleeves.
We have not considered the outer shape and inner construction separately.
The Coach Jacket has a carefully considered construction inside its familiar shape.
With the Varsity Blouson, the expression of the leather moves more dramatically through the volume at the shoulders and sleeves.
Even though they use the same leather, what we want each shape to show is different.
And this is Fine-Grain Horsehide. used for both of these styles.
The European hides are chrome-tanned by a tannery in Himeji.
This time, we selected hides from two-year-old horses, prioritizing a fine grain and supple texture.
When I write "supple," you may imagine leather that is thin and soft, but this leather has thickness and density.
When you first put your arms through the sleeves, it has a little firmness, making it clear that you are wearing leather.
This is not a material chosen solely for lightness or ease.
Yet it is precisely because of that firmness that it holds its shape.
Fine wrinkles form as it moves, and the bent areas develop undulations.
Rather than eliminating its firmness, I wanted to preserve the characteristic tension of this leather.
After dyeing, we have not applied pigments or a heavy coating.
The natural marks and wrinkles of the leather have also been deliberately left intact.
It was not a uniform material to begin with, so even within a single hide, the expression varies.
We have not finished it by covering all of that up and making it uniform.
Care has also gone into the expression of the black.
Buffing it after infusing it with oil brings out depth and a natural sheen.
It is not merely black: sheen emerges where the light hits, while deep black remains beside it.
When the leather moves, its appearance changes as well.
The relatively clean appearance of the Coach Jacket, and the leather gathered at the shoulders and sleeves of the Varsity Blouson.
Even with the same material, I think the expression of the black looks different because the shapes differ.
From here on, I am talking about how I wear it myself.
When I wear a leather jacket, I first wet it with water.
That makes the leather crisp.
I like that texture.
I do not think a leather jacket is necessarily better the softer it becomes.
I also like the way firm leather bends with the body's movements and develops wrinkles there.
Of course, the way it changes differs according to the type of leather and its finish.
It is not that you should wet everything in the same way; this is simply how I personally wear it.
Still, because it is something I wear myself, I want to bring it closer to the expression I like.
I am more interested in how it changes while being worn than in keeping it in its new condition forever.
Leather that initially feels a little unfamiliar gradually settles into its bending points after you have put your arms through the sleeves again and again.
You bend your elbow.
You put your hand in the pocket.
The hem lifts when you sit down.
Even if you think you are wearing it in the same way, people's postures and movements differ, so the way the wrinkles form will never be identical.
That is what remains in leather clothing.
The shape is determined when it is made, but the expression it develops after being worn cannot be predetermined.
That is the part only the wearer can create.
I do not think you need to overthink how to style it.
With the Coach Jacket, try wearing it where you would normally throw on a nylon jacket.
Even with a familiar shape, changing the material changes how your everyday clothes look.
Paired with denim, the black and sheen of the leather stand out within a familiar combination.
Even with a shirt underneath, it retains the easygoing character of a coach jacket.
Wool slacks work well too.
Because the way the trousers fall differs from the way the leather holds its shape, each material is clearly visible.
With the Varsity Blouson, I want you to enjoy the volume from the shoulders through the sleeves as it is.
You do not need to force the trousers into a slim silhouette; I think it can be worn naturally with a shape that accommodates the volume of the leather.
It works well worn ruggedly with denim, and I also like pairing it with slacks.
There is a solid presence in the upper body, with the soft movement of wool below. That combination feels just right.
Both use special materials, but you do not need to make the day you wear them special.
I want you to mix it into your everyday wardrobe and simply wear it.
When you talk about construction, it inevitably becomes detailed.
How the facing is constructed, how the inner pocket is incorporated, or how the sleeve lining uses a different fabric.
I do not want you to remember everything when you get dressed.
When you put your arms through the sleeves, they slip in smoothly.
When you put your hand in the pocket, the fabric you touch feels good.
When you take it off and set it down, your eye is drawn to the inside as well.
I would be happy if what I have explained becomes that kind of tangible experience.
I think the reason for the price ultimately comes across there as well.
I want it to be something understood not only by being convinced through words, but by wearing it, touching it, and spending time with it.
Neither the Coach Jacket nor the Varsity Blouson reaches its final form when the tailoring is complete.
As the wearer's movements and time accumulate, wrinkles form, the sheen changes, and it develops into an expression unique to that person.
Because it is made with care down to the unseen parts, I want you to wear it without hesitation.
Rather than saving it for special occasions, I want you to pair it with your everyday trousers and walk your usual routes.
Beyond the price tag lies room for it to grow from here.
I would be happy if those who enjoy even the empty space could wear it for a long time.
cantáte 松島 紳
