For the past three years, we have been selling OLDE HOMESTEADER's "SLEEVELESS".
The idea was conceived four years ago.
Looking back now, four years ago, even though I was buying for a clothing brand, sleeveless innerwear that could be worn in the summer, such as tank tops, were not available, at least not around me.
At that time, and even before that, I often talked with Mr. Ohno, who was in charge of buying women's fashion and is now at the multi-purpose gallery "Issho."
"Someone (referring to the brand) should make tank tops or something."
Something like that.
Currently, I think that tank tops and sleeveless tops that can be worn as innerwear for the spring and summer season are starting to appear, mainly from domestic brands.
I think that especially in Japan, clothing brands that are stocked in so-called "select shops" have a wide variety of thoughtful and functional tank top-style innerwear to help you cope with the long summer.
It was four years ago that I first talked with Fukuhara from OLDE HOMESTEADER about a line of clothing called "SLEEVELESS" and came up with the idea.
At the time, it all started with the concerns I had about summer clothing.
I've always tended to wear long-sleeved clothes even in the summer, and at the time I was still exploring the world of long-sleeved shirts.
I was in the midst of a period where I was trying out various things on my own, such as if the collar was like this, or if the interlining was like this, then it would be like that, and so on, taking into consideration the perspective of manufacturing, and actually wearing the shirts, as long-sleeved shirts are an essential part of the clothing scene regardless of the season.
To achieve this, spring and autumn alone were not enough time; I needed to wear a long-sleeved shirt in mid-summer as well, and test it out for myself.
I had only been a buyer for a select shop for about four or five years, and I was not particularly good at appealing clothes through coordinating them, based on my own theory that "everyone has different tastes." So in my quest to create a select shop that placed emphasis on the "clothing making" aspect that I had come up with, I simply repeatedly compared my "predictions" with the "results" by wearing the clothes myself.
That was my 20s.
Meanwhile, the seasons change one after another and summer arrives.
When summer came around, I had no choice but to wear a T-shirt with sleeves underneath.
I've never really liked the deep, deep necklines that are common on regular tank tops, so I wore T-shirts instead.
However, the T-shirts that were mainstream at that time (about 4 years ago) were not "cool to wear" but "heavy" and "tough" and could be worn for one, two or even three seasons without any problems. They were smooth and silky T-shirts made from good materials (they got sticky when you sweat). T-shirts like these were coming out one after another from domestic brands, so I felt uncomfortable wearing them under long-sleeved shirts.
I also tried cutting the sleeves of my T-shirt from the sleeve side of the armhole.
However, since the armholes of T-shirts are supposed to be made large, when I cut them myself, they were so wide that my thighs were visible through the open armholes, which was pretty ridiculous.
At that time, Fukuhara-san from OLDE HOMESTEADER, with whom I had been involved for several years (about six years ago), released inner tank tops at a time when, as far as I knew, no one had yet created them as a "collection."
Because it's an underwear brand.
At that time, I honestly said:
"The neckline is deep and I don't like it."
Of course, there are many people who look good with the deep necklines of tank tops, and I know some people prefer more open chest areas.
But I wanted a tank top with a tight neckline myself.
The T-shirt had the same neckline as the T-shirts that had been worn as innerwear up until then, but it had no sleeves and the sides were open, making it feel cooler.
So when OLDE HOMESTEADER, a company that specializes in underwear, created an authentic tank top with a deep neckline, I thought, "I have no choice but to ask them."
The yarn is spun from a by-product of high-quality raw materials and used as a single yarn, giving the fabric a moderate smoothness and a textured surface.
I thought it would be great if only the neck dimensions could be made "just like a T-shirt."
And so, four years ago, it took a year of development to come to fruition, and three years ago, we first sold a sleeveless innerwear called "SLEEVELESS" in our store.
I myself have used it a lot since then, and although it was a little difficult to get my head in at first, the neck holds its shape even after repeated washing, and it's completely different from the loose armholes that come with cutting the sleeves of a T-shirt, so I really like it.
But I want to surpass my past self.
And then, I discovered a new problem with the SLEEVELESS that I had been selling up until then.
It's fine as an inner layer, but when you take off the shirt you're wearing over it, it feels "too much of an inner layer."
"Too inner" of course refers to appearance.
Four years ago, I was looking for an inner layer that would allow me to wear a long-sleeved shirt in the summer and stay as cool as possible.
However, that hurdle has already been overcome, and it seems that a variety of excellent products are now available from various brands.
And my lifestyle has changed too.
I often play outside with my daughter and son in the summer.
In the scorching heat, instead of wearing a T-shirt, I want to wear sleeveless clothing like the SLEEVELESS style I've been wearing up until now, but I don't want to be seen as "clearly wearing an inner layer."
I wanted to wear "SLEEVELESS" because it is of completely trustworthy quality, is comfortable to wear as an inner layer, and even if you wear it by itself, it doesn't feel like an inner layer.
So this year, for the first time, I was able to put it into shape.
Compared to the SLEEVELESS that has been sold until now, this product has been completely renewed in both "fabric" and "production site."
And it's cooler here.
I think I've created something on a different level.
Its main purpose is as an inner layer, but it also looks cool as clothing.
Look forward to it.
The product will be on sale from Saturday, June 22nd, with Fukuhara present in the store.
I will introduce it to you again later.