Raw Machine Denim ~Special Edition~

denim. One of the types of fabric that everyone knows. It is a fabric that is classified as a twill weave of the Mihara organization of textiles (fabrics). ・Plain weave ・Twill weave ・Satin weave The Mihara organization consists of these three. Denim is the most common twill weave. I forget whether it was the 17th century or the 18th century, but it is said that the origin of the word is "Serge de Nimes", a fabric woven in the Nimes region of France. Translated into Japanese, I think it means "Nîmes fabric". Today, it originated in America. I think some people are aware of it, but there is a strong theory that the fabric was born in France, and the clothes made from it were born in Italy. I wasn't alive then, so I don't know the truth. And it is said that the Nimes region of France was a port city, and it was exported to all over the world and went to each country. I don't remember exactly, but "Levi Strauss" and "Jacob Davis", who are said to be the creators of jeans (denim pants), were not Americans, but lived in the United States because they were immigrants from some country. I think it was And one day, Mr. Jacob Davis was asked by a certain woman to make durable work trousers for his husband, who is a worker, and the "jeans that are work clothes" was born. Jacob Davis used Levi Strauss's durable fabric to create reinforced rivets at the pocket openings to prevent the pockets from tearing easily. The fabric, which was born in France, was nurtured by many coal miners in the great country of America, and continues to fascinate people around the world. It is also an anecdote that the late Yves Saint Laurent left the words, "It is a pity that I could not create jeans in this world." I myself jumped into the world of clothes when I was a kid, started working at a vintage replica jeans shop in Amemura, Osaka, and then worked at a jeans sewing factory in Kojima, Okayama. One of the people who has been devoted to fabrics and jeans. So far, I've bought Levi's XX (actually BXX), Big E, Lee, etc. at a high price and bought them in good condition, and also vintage replicas and designer goods from Japan and the United States. I wore a lot of branded items. I think it's one of the most worn items among people who run select shops like this. perhaps. However, now there are so many different types of the same denim fabric. It is said that there are 120 types of cotton in the world, which is the starting point for composing it. Denim is completely different depending on whether it is an innovative loom, which loom it is woven with, and what kind of processing is done after weaving. Roughly speaking, First stage: fiber Second step: thread Third step: Dyeing Fourth stage: weaving Fifth stage: post-processing After stepping on the order, the denim fabric is completed. <First stage: fiber> Here, depending on which fiber is used, the appearance of the finished fabric will change. Of course, I think the finished dish will be different depending on which ingredients are used to cook it. And, in the first place, I think that some people have an image of wearing denim from a rigid (raw denim) or one-washed state to remove the color. I think that if you aim to fade the color from a dark state, denim will have more depth and expression if the cotton fiber is not "long-staple cotton". Therefore, the best is "medium fiber cotton". Or rather, rice cotton. American cotton with normal fiber length gives the best shades of color. Cotton with long fibers (approximately 2.8cm or more) is too flexible, and shades of color are not beautiful. I think it's good if you enjoy the dark color without lightening it. Well, that's why "medium fiber cotton" is the most fun to wear for many years. <Second step: Thread> The middle fiber cotton is made into a thread. There are two types of spinning. "Air spinning (open end)" and "ring spinning (ring spun)". It is said that denim used to be air-spun. A stream of air twists the fibers to create a thread. As a result, the yarn is finished with a sense of unevenness, and it becomes a yarn that makes the air of the time come out, but there seems to be quite a lot of unevenness in the strength of the yarn. But lately I've been obsessed with open-ended long-staple cotton t-shirts. It's soft when it hits your skin, but it's moderately rough, and it's good when you're sweaty without being sticky. It might be good for summer in Japan. Open-ended long-staple cotton T-shirt. and, On the other hand, "ring spinning". I've forgotten the principle of this for a while, but I feel that the yarn is more balanced than air spinning, and the quality of the yarn is consistent. This is mostly the case in recent years. Or rather, if the denim is medium fiber, I think it's better to ring-spun because it's easier to wear. I think it's easy to adjust the strength of the twisted yarn, such as the strength of the twist. <Third step: dyeing> I think many people know the principle of denim color fading. In the first place, we use a large machine called a "rope dyeing machine" that is used only for denim fabric. By a method called rope dyeing, Immerse in synthetic indigo solution, expose to air, and oxidize. This process is repeated many times (about 12 times, in general) to create that dark indigo. But this is about the warp thread. Weft yarns are not rope dyed. The indigo dye is a dye that was developed from petroleum raw materials as a substitute for natural indigo dye in the old days, and it is said that the dyeing molecule is larger than other dyes. Due to the large size of the molecules, not all of the dye can enter the inside of the thread, and it is dyed to some extent. As it continues to be worn, the surface rubs and the white part inside the thread becomes exposed, causing a phenomenon called "color fading". This is unique to denim. This logic is the biggest secret to creating fabrics that are loved by people all over the world. Well, there is also a method called "Kasezome", but I forgot it because I rarely see it. <Fourth Stage: Weaving> Indigo warp yarn dyed by rope dyeing and Bleached yarn (white yarn) weft and weave. First, the warp threads are set on the loom one by one. Then, the warp threads are alternately moved up and down by a part called a heddle, and the weft threads run through the gaps. This is the principle of weaving. And the loom is still an old-fashioned loom = shuttle loom, which makes denim with selvedges (fabric selvedges). It is often referred to as a red ear, but it doesn't really matter whether the product has a ear or not. The texture is completely different, so that's important. I think the type of loom used depends on what you want to achieve with the product, but the fabric woven with the inadequate machine (shuttle loom) at the time of development is not frivolous, and has a deep expression. I can feel it, so I think it's more fun when it changes as you wear it. After that, when the fabric is woven, the size of the fabric (the width is roughly the same and the length is about 50m) is completely different between the old style and the innovative one. Generally speaking, the width of selvedge denim is about 70cm to 80cm. The one woven with the innovative loom is about 120cm to 140cm. The production efficiency is completely different. almost double. Old-fashioned things are inefficient. This is a negative, depending on how you think about it. because the price will go up. In many ways. <Fifth stage: Post-processing> After the fabric is woven, it is usually post-processed. It is also called finishing, and it is done to draw out the texture of the fabric, adjust the expression, and make it easier to handle as clothes. In terms of denim, it is said to be "organization processing". There are three types of processing applied to denim. ・Sanforized processing (shrink-proofing) Prevent fabric from shrinking. ・Singeing processing Burn off fluff that occurs on the surface of the dough and clean it. ・Skew processing This is done to prevent "twisting" which is characteristic of twill weave. All three are usually done. But for me, these three things are different now. This will give you a neat and well-proportioned dough. However, Levi's original vintage 501XX is not processed at all, and that is also connected to "that" powerful appearance. I think 99% of the denim that exists in the world today is one of these three. It's not a bad thing. However, now you can easily get high quality anything. Denim is a fabric that has existed for a very long time. I think it's not bad to enjoy the most classic look and expression. It takes time. And unless you're a big fan of replicas, if you've ever worn denim that hasn't been sanforized, singed, or skewed at all, you're probably not too familiar with it. I don't think so. That's why you should try it. That fluff is so fuzzy, it looks like you'll be surprised if you don't get used to it. smile However, as you continue to wear it, the fluff will gradually come off, shrinking and twisting as you wear it. This unorganized denim "Kibata Denim" Say. I think that the experience of using denim that is 100% made with the vector of raising yourself and changing it will be very memorable. The attachment to the clothes is also exceptional. It's been 10 years since Hatachi's jeans boyhood. It is my pleasure to create something new and introduce it to you. I will introduce it later.