Thank you to everyone who watched my recent Instagram Live. It was my first time, and I was incredibly nervous! (lol)
But I was able to convey what I wanted to say, and it was a great experience, so please watch with a warm heart when I appear on future Instagram Lives...
Souvenir jackets originated when American soldiers stationed in Yokosuka after the war ordered them as mementos of their time in Japan.
They brought Japanese landscapes, motifs such as dragons, tigers, and eagles, and their unit insignia to local tailors and had jackets embroidered with their designs.
This is how the "souvenir jacket," a fusion of Japanese embroidery culture and American casual wear, was born.
Its features include boldly expressed Japanese designs in embroidery and glossy satin fabric. Playful details such as reversible designs are also part of its appeal.
Production became widespread in the 1950s and 60s, and it spread widely, mainly in Yokosuka. The designs and specifications established during this period have been passed down as the prototype for modern Sukajan jackets. Because each jacket is handcrafted by artisans, it is an item with very high vintage value.
However, this SOUVENIR JK is based on sports jackets from the 1950s and 60s.
Sports jackets of that era were mainly made of natural materials such as cotton poplin and twill, and were widely used for their ease of use as everyday wear, ease of movement, and good breathability.
Taking that background into account, this product uses cotton nylon. Since the introduction of the M-65 in the 1960s, cotton nylon, which is tear-resistant and highly durable, has become widely used in the military field. The fabric used in this product is made of a blended yarn in which cotton and nylon are mixed from the yarn stage, and is used for both the warp and weft threads, so it is thin yet has high strength.
In other words, this product is a garment that follows both the lightness of 1950s and 60s sports jackets and the functional materials derived from military products such as the M-65. It embodies the atmosphere of that time while also possessing modern practicality.
Typically, the embroidery found on souvenir jackets is done using a free-swinging sewing machine.
However, this product deliberately takes a different approach to express the "free-swinging texture." While giving the appearance of twisted thread being swung, the intricate patterns are actually recreated using fixed stitches. This technique gives the embroidery a unique three-dimensional quality, making it appear as if it is slightly raised from the fabric.
At first glance, it appears to be luxurious embroidery, but one of its features is that it balances cost with the number of thread cores and stitches used. If this were to be recreated using traditional free-swinging embroidery, it would require a great deal of time and effort, and the product price would skyrocket. This is not simply a simplification, but a very logical design that reinterprets the beauty of free-swinging in a modern way.
Actually, this lion embroidery has a rather charming concept behind it.
The Nigel Cabourn logo you usually see— there are two lions depicted on it, and this one has supposedly escaped from the logo. If you look closely, you'll see that the lion that should be inside the logo has indeed disappeared. This playful embroidery creates a depth that goes beyond mere stitching. The moment I heard this story, I immediately decided to buy it! (laughs)
What's even more noteworthy is the distinctive cutting.
As you can see in the image, the back and front sleeves are constructed from a single piece of fabric. This is a feature also seen in sports jackets of that era, and the pattern is designed to follow the body's movements.
Normally, such large pieces are often used in coats and cargo pants, and it is a difficult technique to sew. However, this results in fewer visible seams, giving it a clean look, while also providing a wide range of motion and a stress-free fit.
Furthermore, pleats have been added to the back to further enhance the range of motion of the arms, improving the functionality inherent in a sports jacket. The fact that this time-consuming technique has been deliberately adopted to faithfully reproduce the atmosphere of that era is one of the great appeals of this garment.
Height: 185cm / Wearing size: 52
I styled it with the ARMY CARGO PANT - RIPSTOP PIGMENT in white, and the white of the embroidery goes very well with it. It's a simple style, but adding an accessory around the neck creates a nice balance. If you want a more classic look, you can pair it with BASIC CHINO - WHITE, or for an even more casual look, military pants would also work!
Please try out various styling options.
Finally, let me briefly introduce the SOUVENIR VEST, which features the same embroidery.
This vest is based on a 1940s deck vest. We've taken that and expanded on the "FISHERMAN" theme of this season's SS26 collection, incorporating it into the design.
The silhouette is quite large, with plenty of room around the arms. Furthermore, the reverse side uses deck cord fabric, making it reversible. Both sides can be worn as the main piece, so it's a "double A-side" finish. Therefore, it can be worn authentically or with a bit of playful styling depending on the occasion, so please feel free to contact us if you're interested.
Tyler
