The essence of traditional Japanese sewing technics

Originally, Japan’s sewing technics and industry produced some of the world’s top engineers. The origin of this industry is the kimono. The kimono is a very complex, overlapping piece of cloth, but it is actually made entirely from a single piece of cloth about 38 centimeters wide. All the sewing work is done by hand, without any machine work. The history of the Kimono is very old, and its foundation was laid in the 700’s. In the 800’s, the upper class favored a very complicated kimono with many layers called “Juni-Hitoe”. In other words, the sewing technology that originated from the kimono has a history of over 1000 years.

This sewing technics gradually developed into simple kimonos and Wafuku(Japanese-style clothes) used by the common people. In addition, Western-style clothing has replaced kimono culture only recently. Even after World War II, kimonos and Wafuku were a natural sight on the streets, and for people in their 30s today, it was commonplace to see their grandparents wearing kimonos on a regular basis. Moreover, for some of them, sewing was a part of their daily lives in Japan, as they tailored their kimonos, untied the threads, and adjusted the sizes. In other words, handmade sewing techniques have been developed even among laypeople for more than 1000 years in Japan, so we have been having a high level of sewing culture.

When the western clothing culture started in Japan, the sewing industry also underwent a drastic change. Moreover, this drastic change contributed to the further improvement of Japanese sewing technology. It’s the orders from around the world. Today, China, Vietnam, and other Southeast Asian countries are famous as factory bases for the apparel industry, but before these regions began to support the apparel industry as we know it today, Made in Japan dominated the world. Furthermore, the purpose of moving production bases to China and Southeast Asia was to cut costs. And the truth is that the world’s high brands and famous Maisons still place orders with Japanese factories. I think many people are unaware of this fact. To begin with, we are now in an era where even most Japanese people wear clothes made in China or Vietnam. As a result, Japanese people themselves have lost the opportunity to recognize Japanese sewing techniques.

There is still evidence of the high level of traditional Japanese sewing techniques. One of them is “Japanese sewing engineers as leaders”. Nowadays, sewing engineers and sewing machine developers from apparel manufacturing base countries visit Japan in droves to acquire skills as trainees and return to their home countries. They learn from Japanese technicians how to maximize the potential of various materials. This is exactly what the traditional Japanese sewing craft is good at. What is clear from this is that Japan still has the world’s best sewing technology, and the traditional Made in Japan in apparel will definitely ensure the best quality.

There are two lines of nightgowns available, each made with exclusive materials. The first one is “Nightgown White Cashmere“. It is well known that cashmere is a valuable and expensive material in the world, but there are three main grades of cashmere.

1. White cashmere
2. Gray cashmere
3. Brown cashmere

 White cashmere is the most luxurious among the three. Moreover, it can be easily dyed in a variety of colors, and its color luminescence is better than the other two. This is why white cashmere is so valuable to the apparel industry. Plus, it is rare and not widely available. Even exclusive brands or Maisons use it for their special products. This white cashmere makes up 17% of this gown and contributes to the feel and comfort of the skin.

NIGHTGOWN YAKTOR FAN from Foo Tokyo

Why do they have such characteristics? The reason is the yak’s habitat. Yaks live in the highlands of the Himalayas at altitudes of over 3,000 meters above sea level, where temperatures reach -30 degrees Celsius during the cold season. In the highlands, where the air is thin and the sunlight is strong, the temperature rises very high in the summer. Yaks need to be able to release heat properly in order to survive, which is why they have highly breathable wool. The yaks grow in such a harsh environment, and this is why their hair has such unique characteristics. Note that the higher the altitude of the habitat, the higher the value of the yak hair.

Another feature is that yak hair is 14 to 20 microns fine, which is very thin considering ordinary wool yarn is more than 20 microns. This fine yak hair makes for a fine knitting fabric that is gentle to the touch and does not feel sticky. Another feature is that yak hair is 14 to 20 microns fine, which is very thin considering ordinary wool yarn is more than 20 microns. This fine yak hair makes for a fine knitting fabric that is gentle to the touch and does not feel sticky. In other words, yak hair has an advantage in terms of comfort and is one of the best materials for nightgowns, especially those that may come in direct contact with the skin.

While cashmere and yak hair is true of high quality, they have the disadvantage of being very delicate and difficult to process. In addition, products woven from such materials are expensive, so the sewing process should not be done in such a way as to degrade the quality. This is where Japan’s traditional craft techniques come into play. The sewing techniques that have continued from the kimono are incorporated into electric looms. And the outstanding skills of Japanese manual looms, which can handle delicate materials, are poured into the electric looms too. The resulting machine is capable of sewing materials that require extremely delicate handling, such as cashmere and yak hair. As you can see in the video below, the water used to steam the fibers is extremely clean and unique to the region, preventing impurities from entering the fibers. And the final step is handmade. The weaving is done by traditional craftsmen with “inherited sewing skills”.