【ZUTTO Original】Solving stole troubles. A short muffler & 2-way stole that won't come undone or slip off, even when you move.

These days, the cool morning and evening air feels refreshing, and our thoughts are gradually turning toward warm winter accessories. The first thing that comes to mind is, of course, a muffler or stole. Most people probably already own at least one, but scarves and stoles are winter fashion items that let you change the mood of your outfit day by day depending on which one you wear. In other words, having several on hand is never a bad thing.

This time, we're introducing an original stole and short muffler created based on a survey we asked our newsletter members to answer this summer. Your opinions took shape and helped decide the design and colors.

(Tap or click the images to go to the corresponding product page.)

▲There are now 5 colors and patterns to choose from.

Let's start by hearing from the staff member in charge of this project.

"We've been making original stoles for autumn and winter for the past several years, but even when I ask myself what our ZUTTO customers are looking for and try to predict, once things actually launch, the shapes and colors that turn out to be most popular are often unexpected. That's part of what makes it interesting, but this year I thought that if we asked for everyone's opinions and created something together, we could share the excitement of making things with our customers. That's how it started."

"At first, I was thinking of only making whichever of the two popular styles turned out to be more favored. I wasn't sure how people would respond to the short muffler type, since we'd never made one before, but surprisingly, the short type got a more active response in the color-decision survey. I think it's because there aren't many compact options out there, so quite a few people may have been looking for exactly that."

"This was another case where our expectations were pleasantly overturned—the design staff and I were both surprised, saying, 'Wow, this color is the popular one!' Since stoles and mufflers are meant to go with all kinds of outfits, I assumed versatile, basic colors would rank at the top, but the most popular choice was, surprisingly, ORANGE in a houndstooth pattern (laughs).

But thinking it over after seeing the results, it makes a lot of sense—it brightens up the area around your face right away. Especially with the short muffler type, which sits neatly and compactly around the neck, the orange doesn't feel overwhelming and actually looks quite stylish. Everyone really used their imagination when answering the survey, and it turned into a very fun result."

From here, we'll introduce the two styles—the "Loop Short Muffler" and the "2-Way Stole"—along with the colors decided based on everyone's feedback.

A "short muffler type" that you can wrap on quickly and take off without it being a bother

When we asked in the survey what troubles or stresses people felt when using mufflers and stoles, we got a lot of responses!

・It comes undone or slips off when you move

・It gets in the way (becomes bulky) once you take it off indoors

・It's a hassle to figure out how to wrap it

And so on.

The project staff member, who felt the same kind of stress, nodded along in agreement while reading through the comments, thinking "I know exactly what you mean," and decided that the "Balancircular Loop Short Muffler," which had been under consideration, was definitely worth introducing.

▲Balancircular Loop Short Muffler

A short, compact muffler that still keeps you properly warm, thanks to a loop that holds it in place.

By creating a loop on one side that you can slip the end of the muffler through, it stays snugly in place around your neck and won't slide off even as you move, leaving both hands free. This makes it easy to hold hands with your children or grandchildren while out for a walk, worry-free. In everyday life, there are surprisingly many moments where you bend forward—putting on shoes, washing your hands, and so on—but even then, the muffler won't dangle loosely, so you'll notice how convenient it really is.

Winters have been mild lately, and don't you sometimes find that with a thick, voluminous stole, you start to sweat after just a short walk, or feel the urge to take it off as soon as you get on the train or step indoors? For those of you who feel that way, a short, compact muffler type like this one should be just right.

It's also a great choice for those who already own a long stole and are looking for something a little fresh and new.

We paid close attention to the volume it creates when snugly wrapped, so that it doesn't look sparse even when worn with a heavy midwinter coat. Although it's a short type at 90cm in length, we made it 40cm wide, giving it just the right amount of volume and letting it spread out into a lovely fan shape.

▲It also looks great simply tied in a knot without threading it through the loop.

"Draping" and "wrapping" in a single piece

Even with mild winters, some of you may feel more reassured with a length you can wrap around several times. For that, we recommend this "Balancircular 2-Way Stole."

▲Balancer Circular 2-Way Stole

Actually, we made this shape once before, back in 2021, and it sold out completely. At that time it had a short zip at the front, but this time we've removed the zip for a simpler finish.

The Balancer Circular 2-Way Stole has slits for your arms, so you can wear it securely like a poncho—and just like the short muffler, it won't slip off no matter how much you move, leaving both your hands free.

Sometimes it's not your neck but your back or arms that feel the chill. On days like that, slipping your arms through and wearing it this way fits your body more closely and keeps you warmer than simply draping a single stole over your shoulders. It's also handy while doing desk work, since you don't need to hold the stole in place with one hand—you can focus on your tasks without the stress of it slipping off.

The 2-Way Stole measures about 200cm in length. You can wrap it however you like—whether in the classic editor style (a single loop around the neck) or in a one-loop style. In our survey, many people said "wrapping a stole is difficult," but we think a thin, smooth-textured material like this one makes it much easier to wrap.

Of course, some elaborate wrapping styles are inherently tricky just in terms of the steps involved. But compared to wrapping a thick, bulky fabric, this Balancer Circular fabric is far easier to handle.

A fabric chosen for how it's used—the one-of-a-kind Balancer Circular

The fabric we chose, called "Balancer Circular," is a ”WOVEN KNIT” that combines the best qualities of woven fabric and knit fabric. Thin and light, yet warm—it's the perfect ally for autumn and winter.

Its features are as follows:

・Easy to move in: It has the stretch of knitwear with just the right amount of tension, giving it a comfortable fit that moves naturally with your body.

・Resists losing its shape and wrinkling: Because the material has a high recovery rate, it's nice that it resists wrinkling even when folded compactly. It's also less prone to distortion from movement, and areas that bend—like your elbows—are less likely to leave marks.

・Resists fraying, allowing for a lighter finish: Since the fabric can simply be cut without any edge finishing, there's no need for seam allowances or extra thread, resulting in a lighter item. Also, having no seam allowance means there's no ridge in the fabric, which contributes to a gentler feel against the skin. (The Loop Short Muffler does have a seam allowance, since it's needed to form the loop portion.)

In addition to these functional strengths, the Balancer Circular fabric also has a lovely, elegant sheen and coloring.

The colors were chosen together with all of you, and come in five options: "Plain/Heather BEIGE," "Herringbone/CAMEL," "Herringbone/RED," "Houndstooth/ORANGE," and "Check/BROWN." Even the plain, pattern-free option uses yarns of varying shades, so when woven into fabric it isn't a flat, single color but has a subtle mottled depth. The patterned options feature fine, small-scale patterns as well, so they don't stand out too much and instead serve as a nice, understated accent.

There's the "Loop Short Muffler," compact enough to tuck away and convenient to carry, and the "2-Way Stole," which you can also wear with your arms through it like a poncho. Both styles come in the same range of colors, so we hope you'll enjoy choosing different colors and experiencing the appeal of both the muffler and the stole.

▼Balancer Circular Loop Short Muffler — product page here

▼Balancer Circular 2-Way Stole — product page here