Japan's wasn't bad either.
Why I Made It
When I decided to explore flight jackets for "Fuku wo Horu" (Digging for Clothes), I absolutely wanted to include Japanese ones.
American flight jackets are often discussed. But what about Japan? What if we started with the flight suits of the Imperial Japanese Army and asked the same question?
Japanese ones aren't inferior, are they?
That single thought was the starting point for this jacket.
What I Referenced
After digging, I found they weren't inferior.
It's not that the stitching was beautiful. It's more accurate to say I felt the careful craftsmanship. The structure balanced mobility and aesthetics, and what was designed for function ultimately became the garment's character.
What impressed me most was the collar tab. I thought it was genius.
By passing a button through a keyhole stitch, a rotating tab is created. It's a simple structure, but it's something only possible by not cutting corners. It's a specification you'd never arrive at if you prioritized efficiency.
What I Chose and What I Discarded
The fabric went through a process of dyeing white cotton to ecru. I wanted the crisp feel of strong twisted yarn. However, I've since encountered even better fabric. I'll honestly record that this fabric was a stepping stone.
For the sewing, I followed the flat-felled seams and placket structure. FUKUBORI's criterion is to retain processes that hold meaning.
There were two things I discarded. One was the hand-stitched bar tack. Since contemporary examples also show a coexistence with machine bar tacks, I saw no reason to deliberately include hand-stitching. However, the factory says it's machine-stitched, but I believe it's hand-stitched. That conviction remains unchanged.
The other was the amount of ease in the sleeves. While I didn't completely eliminate the specification of easing with flat-felled seams, I reduced it due to the risk of unstable quality. Cutting down on desired specifications for the sake of quality is always a bit frustrating.
What Is This Garment?
On the left side, there's a sword slit. It's a detail that has lost its original purpose in modern times. Yet, I kept it.
By keeping it, one can connect with the era in which this garment was born. Precisely because it can no longer be used functionally, it holds meaning as a trace. As FUKUBORI is a brand that doesn't simply reproduce appearances, this hole can only be retained as "respect for the craftsmanship of that era."
Japanese flight jackets were beautiful.
By wearing them, one can touch a small piece of that era.