A commitment to materials and silhouette—ZUTTO's gaucho, tapered, and wide pants

Have you had a chance to see ZUTTO's clothing line, which launched with the 2016 Spring/Summer collection?
For the past 10 years, we've introduced items that people can use with lasting attachment, and this time we conducted a short interview with the person in charge of planning about the thoughts and commitments behind developing our original clothing line.

――What guiding principles did you have when creating clothing for ZUTTO?

I've worn all kinds of clothes over the years, going through both successes and failures, and when I happened to look inside my closet, I realized they were all piled up together—things too trend-driven to wear anymore, things I'd bought but rarely had a chance to wear, things I loved so much that I washed them repeatedly until they wore out, things that had faded or lost their shape.

Looking at all of this, I thought, "I really have worn so many different things." As I picked out the pieces I'd worn for a long time, the ones I still wear, and the ones I felt were failures, I naturally came to understand what kind of clothing was easy to wear, got a lot of use, and even earned compliments from others.

――So it's precisely because you tried so many different things that you came to understand what kind of clothing you want going forward?

Exactly. Having gone through repeated failures and successes, I now understand what I want to wear going forward. I really feel that the things that come to be loved for a long time have gradually become clear.

What makes me want to wear something for a long time is high-quality material, or material with excellent functionality.
Something that develops character the more you wear it. A silhouette that looks put-together.
Something that doesn't chase short-cycle trends, but that captures larger movements, like silhouette trends.

A design that's understated rather than showy.
I felt these were the qualities of clothing that comes to be loved for a long time, and I decided these were the points to focus on when proposing clothing for ZUTTO.

――I can understand the point about high-quality, functional materials.

Materials really are essential. Good, high-quality materials don't easily wear down, so they resist losing their shape. As you wear them, they become supple, and they stay comfortable to wear. Of course, since it's basically thread, it will soften. But the good thing is that this rarely leads to sagging or loss of shape. It's more the image of a material that develops character and enhances the overall feel as you wear it.

――So you do incorporate trends as well.

When it comes to trends, we don't chase things that will disappear after just one season—we incorporate larger movements instead.
Take cut-and-sew tops, for example. In the past, these were often seen as something like loungewear or work clothes, but nowadays, more people are exploring fashion through their lifestyle, and combined with a preference for natural style, there's a trend toward relaxed, everyday clothing looking wonderful.
Because of this, cut-and-sew items are very dependable—you can incorporate trends in the details, through the fabric, the fit, and patterns that pay attention to form.

There are trends that persist for a long time, and I think what ZUTTO aims to do is to discern that kind of long-lasting sense of the times.

――How would you like people who pick up these items to wear them?

Both the pants and the tops have been designed with silhouettes and shapes that are easy to mix and match, so I really hope people will wear them often. In terms of materials as well, with long-term use in mind, we've chosen fabrics that become more supple and develop character the more you wear them. I would be truly delighted if people paired them with all kinds of things, wore them often, and used them for a long time.

These clothes were born from a process of remaking samples over and over, with the entire staff trying them on and sharing opinions each time. This time, we'd like to dig deeper into the details, focusing mainly on the pants.

(Model height: 158cm)

The deep-cut rise emphasizes a beautiful vertical line, even with this distinctive silhouette.
Since it's wide overall, it can even look like a skirt at first glance, which makes it feel natural and easy to wear even when incorporating a fashion-forward touch.

Whether worn true to size or a bit looser, the silhouette looks great either way. By tucking the hem slightly inward, we've created a design that keeps the balance even with such a wide cut, making it easy to mix and match with other pieces.

The material used is called "GIZA Linen Ramie," a blended yarn of two hemp materials—linen and ramie—together with cotton.
It has beautiful color depth and sheen, with a slight slub texture on the surface. It has a crisp feel to the touch, and once worn, it strongly emphasizes the shape of the pants, so the lines of the body are less noticeable.
As you wear it, it gradually softens and becomes more supple, and as the crispness fades, a slight drape and rich texture begin to appear—something to look forward to. Since it uses finer fibers compared to typical chino material, it also doesn't get heavy with sweat, making it perfect for Japanese summers.

(Model height: 165cm)

(Model height: 157cm)

The cropped length keeps things from feeling heavy around the ankles. In summer, they look wonderful paired with sandals or espadrilles, and in autumn, with slim leather lace-up shoes or heeled short boots.

(Model height: 157cm, wearing size 1)

(Model height: 165cm, wearing size 1)

Tapered pants with room around the hips that gradually narrow toward the hem into a slim silhouette. A classic shape, but with tucks added for a bit of character. Available in two easy-to-coordinate colors: navy and beige.

The biggest highlight of these pants is the waist adjustment feature. Three buttons line up on each side, allowing you to fasten them at just the right position for your waist.

Depending on the balance with that day's top or shoes, you can change the button position to wear the pants tucked in compactly—for example, layering them under a dress—or lower the waist for a relaxed fit and enjoy a boyish coordinate.

Another highlight is that the adjuster buttons peek out when you tuck in a top—the dull gleam of the brass adds an accent to your outfit, giving these classic pants a touch of something "more than ordinary."

(Model is 157cm tall, wearing size 1)

The linen ramie tapered pants look great worn full-length, of course, but it's also stylish to roll up the hem slightly to show the ankle and pair them with flat shoes or sandals.

(Model is 165cm tall)

(Model is 157cm tall)

The wide pants in brushed-back jersey have a beautifully drapey silhouette, made from a sweatshirt material that feels comfortable against bare skin. Sweatshirt fabric usually gives a sporty, casual impression, but once you put these on, that impression changes completely.

The waist uses elastic and a drawstring, so while ease of wear is ensured, the carefully designed drape silhouette means that even pairing a top in the same material looks polished, letting your accessories stand out.
When you try them on, the legs seem to stand up three-dimensionally in a cylindrical shape, without clinging flatly to the legs along the side lines—giving a beautiful silhouette from every angle.

The material has a silky touch, like suede. It uses a super high-gauge knit fabric, tighter than typical brushed-back jersey, made from ultra-fine yarn spun from high-quality Peruvian Pima cotton grown in Peru, in the Andes of South America. The surface is finished with a suede-like texture through the exceptional skill of Kinan Meriyasu, a long-established fabric mill known as one of Japan's finest. Normally, machine-brushing produces more fuzziness, but this fabric achieves a smooth, high-quality finish.

(Model is 165cm tall)

Since these are full-length pants with a wide silhouette, to achieve a well-balanced look with flat shoes, we recommend a style that shows some bare skin. For heels, wedge sandals or clogs would look great.

(Model is 157cm tall)