Weather varies location depending, but a solid sweatshirt to work that insulation through the winter is never a bad idea. Our main gig is jeans, that's no surprise, it's in the company name! But what Denim is to Okayama, Sweatshirts are to Wakayama. Nestled between Kobe & Okayama is the prefecture of Wakayama, renowned for its Kinosaki Onsen (Hot Springs). But more important to us, it is the hub for Sinker, Loopwheel, Tompkins & more impressive and rare cotton jersey weaves coming out of Japan. With so many great options for tops coming from the otherwise unassuming region of Japan, we highlight some of our favorites from the current FW '19-20 season.
The Tompkins Upright Rotary Knitting Machine, a rare vintage find (especially in Japan), creates an even and light fabric with its slow and steady pace. This produces a fabric that is similar in texture and weight to fabric knit in the late 1800s.
While Loopwheel is the fabric most are familiar with, Tompkins is it's predecessor. Tompkins is like the new (actually, really damn old) standard, with a single factory in Wakayama left that only allows 1-2 machines to keep running production for Tompkins fabric. The reason? Simple economics - Loopwheel is more profitable, and better known amongst clients, hence easier to sell as a fabric and garment.
Easily the heaviest of the bunch, SDA never cut corners during production, and this piece exemplifies that ethos. Perfectly positioned kangaroo pockets, fitted to provide maximum warmth as a layer, and Universal® Japan with the hardware for the win.
Loopwheel (or 吊り編み) is produced in a painstaking manner on vintage French Circular Knitting machines, with an ouput of a mere 1m every hour per machine.
Featuring that contrast white stitching that is quintessentially Samurai's Indigo, the classic collegiate V-stitch crewneck sweatshirts from Samurai are composed of yarn dyed indigo threading that is woven into this loopwheel fabric in Wakayama, Japan.
The larger cuffs and torso rib on Samurai's Indigo Crewneck Loopwheel Sweatshirt is one of our favorite details on this piece.
Probably the most textured of the bunch, as to be expected from the Slub Masters. PBJ develop a new Indigo Jersey sweatshirt fabric every winter, and this year's iteration is hairy AF with a solid dose of nep.
Classic comes correct with one of Momo's best selling pieces to date, period. With just a subtle touch of flavor coming by way of the eponymous two white stripes painted on the arms, this may be the most functional piece of the bunch with the double zipper action.
