Linen chosen from a different perspective. An original light coat that settles naturally into your everyday style

What kind of clothing makes you want to wear it forever? There are surely many ways to look at this question, and at ZUTTO, we consider it from various angles every day as we introduce products to our customers—whether it's a basic design you'll want to use for years to come, or the story behind a brand you'll come to love.

One of the appealing aspects of clothing you want to keep wearing is watching it grow more familiar as you use it. But even better is something that feels like your own cherished possession, gently fitting into your life, from the very first time you pick it up. With that perspective in mind, we revisited the material for the light coat that debuted last year (2017), and this spring, it makes its return.

On mild, pleasant spring days, cool summer days, and days when you sense autumn approaching—the Linen Natural Dyed Light Coat is something you can reach for with confidence across three seasons. Including the story of last year's light coat, we'll introduce you to the behind-the-scenes tale of the coat's creation from N, in charge of ZUTTO's original apparel, as we unravel ZUTTO's thoughts on making clothes.

A well-received linen coat, seen from a different perspective

Originally, I often wore a lightweight, single-layer coat in early spring myself. Then a friend happened to be wearing a coat of the same shape but a different fabric, and we both agreed that there's something fun about the feel of a coat you can casually throw on like a cardigan. However, that coat had a compact sleeve design, so you couldn't really layer much underneath it, which made it hard to choose on those slightly chilly early spring days. So with ZUTTO's light coat, we made a point of designing "roomy sleeves" so you could wear various types of clothing underneath.

Exactly. There was also this image I had of "a coat like a cardigan." A cardigan is something you can throw on casually, but as an outer layer for early spring, it feels a bit unreliable. Still, I wanted to keep that sense of ease, and that's how last year's light coat came about. Happily, it was very well received by customers. There are even people among the ZUTTO team who wear it regularly. Because of that, it also bothered me that we weren't able to produce more due to timing issues, so I'm glad we can introduce it to customers again this time.

△Roomy sleeves. A versatile piece that works with any inner layer.

Linen is a material I really love because there's so much pleasure in nurturing it over time, but I also thought about how much time and effort it takes before it develops that soft, relaxed feel with good-looking wrinkles. I enjoy that process myself, but not everyone does. The previous coat was made with the theme of something you could keep using for a long time while enjoying how it gradually changes and settles onto your body. This time, though, I made the coat with the theme of a fit that feels comfortable and right from the very first wear—something you'll want to keep wearing, something you'll want to choose again and again.

△The warmth of the fabric that you can feel even just by touching it. So that you can wear it for a longer stretch of the year, we chose a slightly brushed material that's easy to reach for even on the somewhat chilly early-spring days.

That might be true. Of course, what people want to keep using for a long time varies from person to person, but I do think there's a kind of common theme running through it. When making ZUTTO original wear, I think about a great many things, but as far as design goes, my goal is for it to look good within fashion trends when worn by people in their 20s and 30s, while also looking youthful and stylish—not "trying too hard to look young"—on people in their 40s, 50s, and beyond.

I think about it every day starting from the premise of "something you won't tire of" and "something that won't wear out quickly," from the perspective of "things you can use for a long time." And I try to draw on my own experience of searching through all kinds of shops for clothes before I arrived at that way of thinking.

I used to feel all the ups and downs of trends firsthand while searching for clothes I liked and enjoying fashion, but as I got into my late thirties, I started to feel like I was no longer really the main target customer at most shops. And yet, going to shops aimed at an older age bracket didn't feel quite right either. Clothes that stay close to people who have long enjoyed fashion, as well as to people who are just starting to enjoy it from now on—that's the kind of theme I keep in mind as I think through all sorts of things day to day.

That relaxed, softly worn-in feel that makes you want to keep using it

That's part of the appeal of linen, too. For this coat, we chose a brushed linen fabric from a textile shop in Osaka's Semba district, the city of fibers, with over 100 years of history. "Natural Dye," which also gives the product its name, refers to the dyeing method used. Twill weave, in which the threads cross diagonally, has a more supple texture than plain weave and is characterized by being less prone to wrinkling. This suppleness is what gives the fabric the kind of relaxed softness you'd expect from something you've worn and loved for years.

△The fabric is brushed by lightly raising the surface fibers after weaving.

When you hear "linen," you might picture a crisp, fresh-feeling fabric, but depending on the weave and dyeing method, there are also warm, relaxed-looking fabrics. Choosing the fabric is always a struggle for me. This time, though, since I already had an image of a relaxed, soft fabric in mind from the start, it was easier to choose. I also agonized over the color, but in the end I settled on these two, both of which let you feel the texture of the linen while still being basic colors.

△Left: TOP GREY, a soft shade that brings out the texture of the linen to its fullest; Right: NAVY, a color with depth that lends an elegant impression.

This is a dyeing method that brings out the fabric's natural texture, developed by craftspeople who have long worked on tenugui (Japanese hand towels) and furoshiki (wrapping cloths) familiar to us Japanese. Mass-produced items are characterized by uniformity: the fabric is placed into a large, pool-like vat of dye and colored all at once. But with the dyeing method called "Natural Dye," the product is first shaped, and then dyed in a small dyeing vat while being kneaded as a drum rotates. Because of this, the color doesn't take evenly, which allows the natural character of the material itself to come through in a soft, gentle texture. It's linen with an appealingly rich texture, almost as if it were hand-dyed.

△Knowing that it's dyed by someone who has worked on tenugui and furoshiki somehow makes me feel even more attached to it.

A versatile piece that works with any inner layer, in any season

△Model height: 158cm

Necklace: Necklace Black rectangle (I.Ronni Kappos)

Of course, it's lovely to simply drape it on and let it fall straight down for a feminine silhouette, but you can also give it a different look and mood by using the newly added "mochidashi parts" (tab fasteners) to create some variation in the shape.

A tab-and-button detail that adds a bit of play, letting the front hang at a slight angle. It's distinctive enough to serve as an accent for your outfit.

The reason we added this tab detail is that the fabric has such a soft drape, we thought some people might find it a bit much on its own. That said, you can absolutely wear the coat open without using it at all—we designed it so it looks natural whether you use it or not. On days when the wind bothers you, you can button it up, and on days when you're wearing a lot of layers underneath, you can leave it undone. Feel free to use it however works best for you.

◇A welcome piece for spring's shifting temperatures

Spring is surprisingly cold, isn't it. When I looked into it a bit, I found that the average temperature difference between March and May can be more than 10 degrees. So we made this generously roomy throughout, including around the sleeves, so it can be worn over voluminous tops like dolman sleeves, and also so you can wear a knit underneath without it bunching up on chillier days.

△Model height: 167cm

Coat: Linen Natural Dyed Light Coat, Pullover: V-neck Pullover (ZUTTO), Skirt: HENIN Skirt (FilMelange), Stole: Stole PROVENCE, Bag: Tail Shoulder Bag (REN), Sandals: coming soon

For this outfit, we paired the coat with our own original pullover and a stole from INOUITOOSH. While incorporating spring-appropriate materials, we made sure it still keeps you properly warm. Once March arrives, it's tempting to reach for light, airy spring clothes, but in reality, the weather to actually wear them doesn't come until a bit later. Even so, we designed this piece so you can feel the season regardless of what you wear underneath.

>> A 100% cotton pullover. A sweater-like cut-and-sew piece made generously with thick-gauge cotton, easy to reach for even on chilly spring days.

◇Linen for comfortable summer wear

That's right. Linen is an excellent material with both good moisture absorption and quick-drying properties, so it performs well even in summer when you tend to sweat more. Also, even though it's a coat, being able to hand-wash it makes it easy to use. Its soft, flowing silhouette pulls together a simple summer outfit with an elegant touch. We'd also recommend adding an accent with a bold, eye-catching belt.

△Model height: 158cm

Coat: Linen Natural Dyed Light Coat, Belt: Leather Belt PV802 (Puntovita) , Bag: Rattan Handbag with Shoulder Strap (CANDRIA TOMMASO) , Sandals: Coming soon

Pairing it with tight-fitting pants gives a sleek look, while pairing it with a voluminous skirt or wide-leg pants lets you enjoy an easy, relaxed style that's comfortable to move in. In air-conditioned rooms, it also works well as a substitute for a long cardigan.

I'm glad if you feel that way. Since it's a coat people take the trouble to choose, I want to make something that makes you want to reach for it in all kinds of situations. The theme of "ageless," which I mentioned at the start, is a difficult one, but it's an axis that has never wavered within me. Right now I'm in the process of planning this year's autumn/winter items, but in my mind I'm already thinking about next spring.

I'd love to have more opportunities in the future to share behind-the-scenes stories about the making of our products, the things I think about when creating clothing, and the things I think about when creating clothing, that we don't often get to tell you. I hope that all our items—including ZUTTO's original wear as well as clothing and accessories from other brands—will become treasured, well-loved pieces for the customers who receive them.

>> Find ZUTTO's original wear here