Samurai Jeans - SJST26-105 Concrete Kite

Kites flourished as a pastime for the common people during the Edo period.

Authentic kites were said to be made of sturdy Japanese paper with pictures of warriors painted on them in ink (called "mushae").

Kites are also considered to be auspicious, and have long been flown at seasonal turning points to pray for the growth of children, for career advancement, and even for good health. Even today, the traditional methods of making kites have been passed down to the present day as a part of traditional Japanese culture.

This is inlay-knitted shirt is made from aged cotton on a loopwheel machine. Cotton is usually transported in compressed bails, but by slowly maturing it in a temperature and humidity controlled room for 30 to 50 days, we were able to restore the compressed cotton to its original plump and fluffy glory.

It is with this aged cotton that we spin up our threads and have them knitted on a vintage machine in Wakayama.

Under normal conditions, these old loopwheel machines can only produce about 1 meter of fabric per hour. In our case however, because we are using high-gauge thread for difficult inlay knitting, only about 48cm of fabric per hour is possible.

It may sound inefficient and time consuming, but the result is a small quantity of soft material that is almost moist to the touch and, while being quite thick, stretches less than standard hanging knitted fabric. We’ve also taken the silhouette into consideration, and even though this is knitted on a loopwheel machine, it features split sides.