About two weeks ago, I felt the cold ease up.
Just when I thought spring was approaching, it snowed again in Okayama.
Summer is persistent, but winter turns out to be quite tenacious too.
It seems to have gotten cold again nationwide.
Everyone, please take care of yourselves and be cautious of snow damage.
So, hello.
I'm Noguchi from CASANOVA&CO.
As we entered the latter half of February, deliveries from various brands have been arriving one after another.
Therefore, although I haven't been able to keep up with introducing them, the store has definitely taken on a more spring/summer atmosphere.
Recently,
From COMOLI, we received the slim corduroy 5P pants that I'm starting to feel like wearing, and the season's No. 1 (I think) leather jacket.
BESTIAIRE, a brand based in Amsterdam, produces in Italy.
This is its debut season at CASANOVA&CO, but it's incredibly impressive.
I have a strong feeling it will offer a fresh new sensation.
And then there's IRENISA, which recently went on sale in stores.
I'm planning a special project for this at a later date, so please look forward to that.
What's more, a new brand is scheduled to join us this weekend.
Its name is "FOUNDOUR."
This season marks its debut, but those who know, know.
It's a brand that asks the question "What makes good clothes?" in this era of material and informational excess.
Once the products arrive, I'll be sure to introduce them properly.
There's this much to talk about just from what I can write here.
My brain is in a slight panic.
So, today, to calm my mind, allow me to introduce nonnotte's Heavy Broad series.
This material has been a brand staple for some time, and I feel it's an essential element in Mr. Sugihara's approach to clothing design.
This season, our store's lineup is as follows:
nonnotte
Draping Shirt Type A
color _ Tidal Foam
size _ 3,4,5
nonnotte
Draping Shirt Type A
color _ Blue Granite
size _ 3,4,5
nonnotte
Draping Elastic In Tuck Wide Trousers
color _ Tidal Foam
size _ 3,4,5
nonnotte
Draping Elastic In Tuck Wide Trousers
color _ Blue Granite
size _ 3,4,5
The above four types.
First, let me talk a little about the fabric.
The material is 100% cotton.
The weave is broadcloth. That is, plain weave.
While broadcloth is a common term for shirts, this one is completely different in direction from what is generally considered high-quality broadcloth.
Woven by Kaneta Textile in Kakegawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture, this heavy broadcloth is, as its name suggests, a "heavy" broadcloth.
While ordinary broadcloth often uses fine-count cotton to pursue high quality, this heavy broadcloth uses very thick-count cotton yarn.
And it is woven with extremely high density.
Normally, this would result in a stiff fabric with a casual impression. However, Kaneta Textile's exceptional weaving technique goes beyond simply weaving at high density; they also pay close attention to the density ratio and yarn quality. This results in a heavy broadcloth that possesses both a crisp appearance and overwhelming toughness.
Just by looking at the fabric, it's clear that it's a beautiful fabric with well-arranged threads, and above all, it's very comfortable to the touch.
Even at the fabric stage, it's a material I truly love.
The crispness of this heavy broadcloth assists Mr. Sugihara's draping, while simultaneously creating powerful wrinkles.
While fine-count broadcloth often creates crumpled wrinkles, making many such shirts difficult to wear without ironing, this heavy broadcloth resolves that issue.
So, it's perfectly fine to wear it washed and unironed.
Personally, I often found myself reluctant to wear shirts that needed ironing (though I believe such a shirt doesn't truly exist), so this is a very welcome feature.
If anything, I think you can expect an even better touch and texture than when it's new.
And another appealing point is this season's color palette.
We have two new colors available at our store.
Beautiful colorways inspired by the African landscape and scenes that served as the source of inspiration for this season.
This Tidal Foam is a smoky beige with a yellowish tint, and the sheen of the heavy broadcloth really shines through.
If this color were used for a plain weave fabric made of thick-count cotton, it would normally give a very casual impression, but the balance with the heavy broadcloth fabric creates a very alluring look.
And Blue Granite is nonnotte's take on sax blue, inspired by the morning sun shining on the African plains.
This color is difficult to convey with words, so please try wearing it and experience it for yourself.
It's a surprisingly familiar shade for us Japanese people.
This is what it looks like when worn.
This, as you can see, is Tidal Foam, and
This is Blue Granite.
Both colors are not often seen elsewhere, but they blend in exceptionally well with the skin.
The body width is very wide, and the arm shape is unique, unlike anything I've seen outside of nonnotte.
It's an iconic piece that has been continuously produced by the brand as the Draping Shirt Type A.
However, this season, the shoulder pattern has been revised, making it even easier to wear than before.
When you spread your arms, you can see the unusual design, but as you lower your arms, they hide within the armpits.
And when standing upright, the impression changes so much that it looks like a sharp shirt.
You can see how the fabric at the armpit rises to conceal the volume of the body width.
It looks like this from the side.
The arms and body are shaped to be controlled away from the body.
It's something that only arises when the form, fabric, and sewing specifications perfectly align at a high level.
The excess fabric at the back creates a pleasant roundness when you move.
nonnotte's draping shirts reveal their beauty in everyday movements.
When your reflection appears in a glass building in the city as you walk. (Though Okayama doesn't have such fancy buildings.)
When you stand in front of the train doors on the subway. (Though Okayama doesn't have a subway.)
When you catch your reflection in the mirror after leaving the restroom at Aeon.
In those small, everyday moments, you feel a deep sense of beauty, thinking, "How lovely."
This is not a kind of narcissism or vanity, but rather the most primitive and irreplaceable feeling that clothing can give to a person.
I believe that exquisitely crafted clothing possesses the power to evoke such feelings, and I see it as my role here to convey why that power exists, using as many words and visuals as I can.
I've digressed, but wearing them as a set is also highly recommended.
The pants are wide trousers with pleats at the waist.
I plan to properly introduce nonnotte pants with a different fabric at a later date, but Mr. Sugihara's shaping really shines through.
When paired with a shirt, the connection is impeccably beautiful.
The waistband has elastic, but also includes belt loops.
It also has a drawstring inside, making it a complete package for those who really want to fix their waist position.
The hem is hand-stitched with a width of about 8cm.
Both the shirt and pants, being made of this fabric, would look great if you just wash them roughly and wear them casually.
I hope those who are interested will take a look.
Today, I've focused on introducing the heavy broadcloth material, but please allow me to introduce the series using this season's iconic fabric at a later date.