Hello.
This is Noguchi from CASANOVA&CO.
It's already February.
Kisaragi (the old Japanese name for February), isn't it?
I feel like I've heard somewhere that February is called Kisaragi because the cold is so severe that you "ki(nu) o sara(ni) ki(ru)" (wear more clothes), but I'm not sure.
It's exactly as they say; we're probably at the peak of winter's cold, but as the title suggests, our Spring/Summer collection has arrived.
It's SARTO.
Something especially noteworthy from SARTO's collection this season has arrived, so please allow me to introduce it.
SARTO
SELVAGE CHINO PANTS TYPE 009
color _ RIGID COYOTE
size _ S,M,L
For those who thought, "Oh, just chino pants," yes, they are chino pants.
In fact, these are standard chino pants for the brand, but when I went to the exhibition half a year ago in August, they really caught my eye.
Perhaps it's simply my current mood, or maybe it's a balance within the current era and trends.
However, the balance of "this is how I want chino pants to be now" is completely met, and the fact that each item slightly exceeds that standard is absolutely excellent.
Just "slightly."
Instead of aiming for excellence by using Sea Island cotton or replacing it with cashmere, these chino pants maintain an excellent balance strictly within the realm of chino pants.
I'm almost embarrassed to be introducing these chino pants, a brand staple and a classic in men's fashion, for the first time.
Why didn't I notice that brilliance until now?
Well, please allow me to gloss over it with the convenient word "mood."
The only unique SARTO touch that regular chino pants don't have is this embroidery.
We've previously introduced SARTO's denim pants with this embroidery, but due to their different characteristics, denim pants and chino pants have different appearances.
Since this SARTO embroidery is done using the same sewing thread as the item itself, on denim with orange-colored contrast stitching against an indigo fabric, the embroidery also appears in orange.
However, with chino pants, sewing thread in the same color as the fabric is used, so the embroidery naturally becomes the same color.
This creates a really elegant finish.
The same embroidery is also applied to the opening of the back pocket.
To these casual chino pants, a subtle yet refined dignity and delicacy is added, without being overly pretentious.
This point alone makes them "chino pants you want to wear," but the fabric also has an incredibly good balance.
As the color name "RIGID COYOTE" suggests, it's an unwashed, starched fabric.
So, it transforms drastically when washed.
So, I washed it.
Once by hand, and once in the washing machine.
When I hand-washed it, I felt that it certainly had starch, although it was thin.
Well, I haven't really bought rigid denim before, so I can't be sure.
After two washes, the starch "makeup" came off, and it developed a really nice look.
See how lively the threads are?
The three-dimensionality of the fabric, the soft shadows, and how the stitching and embroidery blend with the fabric.
The elegance and delicacy that felt especially strong when new now seems to have moved a bit closer to the unpretentious demeanor characteristic of chino pants.
That's how chino pants should be.
The center crease that extended from the tuck is now nowhere to be found.
But that's fine.
Because they're chino pants.
I'm wearing the item that was washed twice earlier.
The length shrank by about 6cm from its new state, and for me at 178cm, size M became the perfect length.
When new, they are quite long, but it seems better to wash them before hemming.
The silhouette is clean, with no bulkiness around the hips or waist.
Yet, they have enough volume that they don't look too slender, giving them just the right amount of "chino-pant-specific clunkiness."
Personally, I find it a bit odd when denim or chino pants have a stiff, structured form, so I'd say SARTO's version has a perfectly balanced form for chino pants, which is not an exaggeration.
This balance, of course, is due to their excellent technique, but also the intuition of designer Toyoshima and pattern maker Ikeda, and the mutual understanding born from their long-standing relationship.
This sense of balance can only be described as "taste."
From the embroidery and the triple stitching next to it, to the bar tacking at the corners of the back pockets, the sewing details alone allow you to immerse yourself in the multifaceted expressions of these pants.
We also have this washed size M product on display and for sale in store, so please compare it with the new condition.
JACKET :
SARTO
HIGH TWIST WOOL NO-COLLAR JACKET
color _ NAVY STRIPE
size _ M,L
※Size M is sold out.
SHIRT :
SARTO
COTTON CHAMBRAY EMBROIDERY SKIPPER SHIRT
color _ WASHED BLACK
size _ M,L
With a good selection of shirts now available, I'm wearing a full SARTO outfit.
The embroidered skipper shirt and the no-collar jacket are, as expected, an excellent match.
One might think that pairing chino pants with a navy jacket would lean too heavily into an Ivy League look, but I believe the moderate looseness unique to SARTO's spring/summer collection creates a very good balance.
The silver concho buttons on the skipper are doing a great job.
The natural stone used this time is "Citrine."
It's apparently November's birthstone.
It's a translucent, orange-ish stone, and while it's less assertive than the turquoise or onyx we've used before, that's exactly what makes it good.
The skipper I'm wearing inside is also a classic item of the brand, similar to the chino pants, but its pattern has actually been improved.
Since experiencing it firsthand is the best way to understand, I won't go into detail here, but it's a delicate and precise improvement that only a brand with a designer and pattern maker working together can achieve.
I was quite impressed by this at the exhibition.
JACKET :
SARTO
COTTON DOBBY DOTS PYJAMS JACKET
color _ BLACK/O.WHITE
size _ S,M,L
Next up is a combination of the dot shirt jacket, which has been in stores since January, and chino pants.
The fabric of the shirt jacket features "woven" dots, which we introduced last spring/summer in a shirt.
Because it's a woven dot pattern rather than a printed one, the color reversal when you roll up the sleeves makes for a nice accent.
Also, printed dot patterns tend to have a cute, pop image, but SARTO's version is quite cool.
What's more, it's very cool.
In short, it's very, very cool.
Personally, I imagine wearing this with shorts and a tank top in the summer.
At that point, I think the exquisite coverall-like length, waist pockets, and forward-angled sleeves that hint at a jacket create an excellent balance.
This year, we have various excellent shorts from different brands, so please look forward to them.
JACKET :
SARTO
COTTON SILK TYPE WRITER HUNTING JACKET
color _ LIGHT BEIGE
size _ S,M,L
※Size M is sold out.
SHIRT :
SARTO
COTTON HIGH COUNT ENZYME STAND COLLAR OVER SHIRT
color _ GOLDEN EYE
size _ S,M,L
Finally, this one.
Last year, I personally chose and wore only black, so perhaps as a reaction, I think this kind of look is good this year.
The inner shirt isn't tucked in, the buttons are casually fastened, the pants are casually rolled up...
I think SARTO's spring/summer collection embodies this kind of casual tension, where you wear it so roughly that it feels like "everyday wear, but somehow stylish," without being too contrived.
However, this works because of the meticulous construction, exceptional sense of balance, and witty playfulness.
When you visit SARTO's Spring/Summer exhibition, you're greeted by a vibrant space filled with clothes in various colors.
Orange, pink, red, blue, green, yellow...
As you can see from the brand's lookbook, it's so colorful that there's almost no color missing.
While creating such a light atmosphere throughout the collection, the Spring/Summer pieces also possess a distinct "weight" in their craftsmanship.
On the other hand, the "weight" comes to the forefront in the Autumn/Winter collections.
This contrast is where SARTO's "nuance," "playfulness," and "sense" truly shine.
Today, I was at the shop wearing SARTO's 25AW reversible tailored jacket and wool cargo slacks.
It was a solid and weighty Autumn/Winter SARTO style, with almost everything black except for the inner layer.
Comparing that to the style in this photo, it feels like there's such a wide range that they might not even appear to be the same brand on the surface. Yet, SARTO is able to maintain such an unwavering "core" while adapting the atmospheric output between spring/summer and autumn/winter.
Technique and taste, unadorned aesthetics and an unwavering core. That balance.
I've never encountered a brand like it.
That's why, if you only look at the surface, you might conclude that "SARTO's Spring/Summer is light," but it's clear that it's on a different level.
And that's where I believe the appeal of SARTO's spring/summer style lies—in its lightness.
And precisely because of this, the chino pants gain even more presence.
If you're interested, please take a look at SARTO's Spring/Summer collection with the chino pants in mind.