Honest, straightforward garment-making that has continued in Kojima, Okayama. From SETTO, a brand that sees clothing as a partner, spring shirts have arrived.

There are always reasons why a garment makes you want to keep wearing it for years to come. It might be the rich texture of the fabric, a timeless design you'll keep choosing as you grow older, or a background of making that resonates with you. SETTO, which we're introducing this time, is a factory brand from Kojima, Okayama that seems to embody the very history of Japanese clothing-making. Just as they describe clothing as a partner, their garments are filled with points that make you want to cherish and wear them for a long time. Here we focus on "SETTO shirts," which are especially popular at ZUTTO, and introduce this spring's lineup.

▲ FARMS SHIRT Special Order BEIGE

▲ Left: MIDDLE SHIRT Double Line Stripe, Right: SNAP Shirt

BRAND STORY: Making clothes to last a lifetime

SETTO was born from a textile maker in Kojima, Okayama.

The brand name SETTO is said to derive from Setouchi (the Seto Inland Sea). You can catch a glimpse of the brand's dedication and stance toward making things rooted in that particular place, and you get the impression that the calm, gentle sea with little wave motion and the soft breezes of the Seto Inland Sea have found their way into each of SETTO's garments.

Kojima, the brand's home base, was originally reclaimed land unsuited to rice cultivation, which led to the development of the cotton industry there. The weaving and sewing techniques for that cotton were then passed on to tabi socks, school uniforms, and work clothes—and eventually to jeans, which had not yet been produced in Japan at the time, as the baton of monozukuri (craftsmanship) passed from one era to the next.

They want to hold to a stance that regards clothing as a lifelong partner and never treats daily life lightly, one that seeks the joy and pleasure of surprise and discovery in exactly that place. Valuing what is essential, without a single compromise, they simply continue their honest, straightforward craftsmanship.

SETTO's clothing carries this brand philosophy within it. Drawing on their background as a textile maker, they research and develop blends of quality cotton from various countries, originally spinning yarn to match the characteristics of cotton from each region of the world. The original yarn, which draws out the best qualities of the cotton to their fullest, leads to a distinctive presence and a devotion to how the textile ages over time.

SETTO shirts, beloved as staples

FARMS SHIRTS NAVY STRIPE

The FARMS SHIRTS have been sold since we first began carrying SETTO, and remain a popular staple shirt to this day. With its beautifully clean A-line shape, this full-open shirt is easy to wear as an outer layer and is a long-selling item chosen regardless of season. Hoping to delight ZUTTO customers, we had them create a special-order color, BEIGE, of the FARMS SHIRTS this time.

[A refreshing BEIGE in voile fabric]

▲ On the left is the newly arrived special-order BEIGE. On the right is the NAVY we have carried from the start.

This isn't simply a different color—we had them use a slightly crisp, rustling voile fabric. It lightens up your spring and summer wardrobe, and we'd also recommend this special-order piece to those who already own the original FARMS SHIRTS.

The tuck at the back keeps the silhouette clean and neat.

The fabric chosen for this special order uses voile yarn in the weft. A special washing process gives it small and large wrinkle textures along with a crisp hand, lending it an atmosphere much like vintage clothing. Because the wrinkling is natural, it still looks clean and put-together even worn straight from the wash.

It also looks great tucked in, paired with denim.

The color is less like a typical beige and more like a faintly tinted cream or off-white. Paired with a darker inner layer, it becomes slightly see-through, giving a cool, breezy feel. If you choose skin-tone or pale colors underneath, they won't show through, so please select your inner layer to suit your preference.

New shirts for 2023SS

[SNAP Shirt] 100% linen

The SNAP shirt is made of 100% linen. Its French linen canvas is given a washer finish that makes it soft from the very first wear, a material that grows even softer against the skin the more you wear it. The contrast between the shirt's clean, tailored body—made from this soft, relaxed fabric—and the gently gathered sleeves is striking.

The best thing about snap buttons is, above all, how easy they are to wear. Simply snap them shut with one hand—an ease and casualness that still carries a clean, refined impression.

With sleeves that billow softly outward, this shirt gives a lovely, charming impression.

[MIDDLE SHIRT Double Line Stripe] 100% cotton

The MIDDLE SHIRT Double Line Stripe, with its vibrant color lineup, is a mid-length shirt that falls to about above the knee on our 162cm-tall staff member. The refined beauty of the high-density broadcloth fabric is paired with a relaxed, unpretentious fit, along with gathers at the back and other small design details placed throughout that make it easy and enjoyable to style.

Made from 100% cotton with excellent moisture absorption and breathability, this oversized shirt lets you dress comfortably even in the hot season.

Let's compare the silhouettes of these three styles.

*All items are worn by a staff member who is 162cm tall.

Viewed from the front, the FARMS SHIRT and the MIDDLE SHIRT double line stripe have a silhouette with a nice drape, while the SNAP shirt has a soft, gently rounded silhouette.

FARMS SHIRT's A-line silhouette is easy to see from the side, and the softness of the SNAP shirt is also easy to appreciate from this angle. The silhouette with the straightest drop is the MIDDLE SHIRT double line stripe. Generally speaking, a soft, rounded silhouette gives a gentle impression, while a straight, clean drop is easy to choose when you want a slightly more polished look. The SNAP shirt and the MIDDLE SHIRT double line stripe sit at either end, and the FARMS SHIRT falls right in between with just the right amount of softness—making it a versatile silhouette that suits any occasion.

What makes the FARMS SHIRTS, exclusive BEIGE edition, so good

Planning staff

"It's a bright color that makes you look forward to spring and summer fashion, and the voile fabric is cool and easy to wear. As the weather gets warmer and spring approaches, I think this shirt will really support that feeling."

This BEIGE color, in fact, received very positive feedback from both the staff who tried it on and the staff on the photo shoot.

Voices from the staff who tried it on

"It's a color you could wear almost like a white shirt, and I personally recommend it highly. The fabric has natural wrinkles, so it doesn't feel too 'proper'—it has an easygoing, relaxed quality that makes it easy to wear. It feels light to wear, and the wide body lets the breeze pass through at the sides for a cool, comfortable feel. I can already picture the day when it's warm enough to wear this as a single layer."

Photo shoot staff: "The buttons looked so beautiful catching the light that I couldn't help but photograph them. The texture of the fabric is lovely too." (*Due to the lighting, the color appears darker in the photo than it does in person.)

This exclusive BEIGE edition has a completely different feel from the original FARMS SHIRT. We hope you'll welcome it as a new addition to your wardrobe.

▼Click here for the FARMS SHIRT product page