A gauze material full of charm that becomes softer the more you use it

What kind of material comes to mind when you hear the word "gauze"?

Soft, fluffy, and gentle,

perhaps you picture baby underwear, or the handkerchiefs

you used as a small child.

Gauze is an all-purpose material with excellent absorbency and breathability.

It's not just for babies and children's items—

it's a material well worth incorporating into everyday bedding and clothing.

＜A "lightness" and "softness" as if wrapped in air＞

Gauze (gaze) refers to a fabric woven from loosely twisted cotton threads,

woven loosely in an alternating warp and weft pattern.

Because the weave is coarse, it's characterized by excellent breathability and moisture absorption,

readily absorbing sweat and drying quickly, and drying fast after washing too—

making it an ideal material for hot seasons when you tend to sweat more

and need to wash your clothes more often.

The loose weave means a lower density between threads,

which gives it that appealing

"lightness" and "softness," as if wrapped in air. 

＜A material that actually offers warmth, too＞

Though it's a material strongly associated with summer,

layering gauze fabric multiple times

creates air pockets between the layers,

which also has the effect of improving heat retention.

Gauze layered two or three times over

feels surprisingly warm when worn,

making it a material useful not only in summer but also in cooler seasons.

 

＜Fluffy gauze made over the course of four days＞

A gauze bedding brand made by a bedding manufacturer in Kyoto:

Kyowa Zarashi Mensha.

At Kyowa Zarashi Mensha,

bleaching is carried out using the traditional "wazarashi" method.

Sarashi is the process of removing impurities and pigments after weaving the cotton cloth,

a process that an automatic refining machine can complete in just 40 minutes,

but the wazarashi method uses a rare wazarashi kiln—of which only a handful remain in Japan—

taking as long as four days to thoroughly remove even the impurities deep within the fibers,

including cotton's distinctive odor, the oils released during spinning,

and impurities left over from weaving the cotton cloth.

Because this wazarashi method treats each individual fiber

gently, without applying pressure or stress,

the cross-section of the fiber ends up nearly perfectly round and beautiful,

and this creates a three-dimensional air layer,

which enhances both absorbency and breathability

while producing a soft, fluffy texture.

＜A reassuring material free of chemical additives＞

Once the bleaching process is complete, the fabric

is washed in natural water and put through a dehydrator,

after which short pieces of gauze fabric are sewn together into one long piece of fabric,

and finally, the width and grain of the fabric are adjusted to prevent it from losing its shape,

before being finished with sizing using natural starch paste made in Okinawa.

Adjusting the fabric grain

helps prevent the fabric from losing its shape after washing at home.

Also, no chemical substances such as softeners or dyes are used,

which is another point that makes it reassuring to use. 

＜Comfortable sleep with gauze bedding＞

Gauze Blanket, 5-Ply

A gauze blanket made by layering five sheets of gauze together.

In summer, it quickly absorbs sweat and keeps you feeling dry and comfortable,

so it works as a cotton blanket in spring and summer;

and since the air layer keeps you warm,

in autumn and winter you can add it as an extra layer over a down comforter—

making it usable all year round.

The neckline has a folded-over collar, so it feels soft against the skin.

Long Gauze Pajamas, 2-Ply

These are long pajamas made by layering two sheets of gauze together,

recommended for spring through autumn.

Since they're long, they're less likely to

get rumpled while you sleep at night, which is nice.

They absorb sweat well and let it evaporate,

keeping you comfortable to wear.

You can find other itemshere.

＜A factory brand from a sewing plant＞

ao is a factory brand launched by a sewing plant

located in Itoigawa City, Niigata Prefecture.

Founded in 1967, this factory has

built up a solid track record centered on sewing

high-end women's apparel such as blouses and shirts.

While gauze is soft, it's also

a fabric that requires a lot of hand work to sew,

but by making use of skills honed over many years of experience,

the factory takes care to ensure that seam allowances don't fray against the skin as much as possible,

pressing down the seam allowances and stitching them in place, sewing with folded seams,

sewing pieces into a pouch shape, and so on—

attending closely to every small detail during construction.

＜Soft-material clothing adults will want to wear too＞

Crew Neck Cardigan

Gauze may bring to mind baby clothes,

but this soft, fluffy material feels wonderful

against an adult's skin too.

V-Neck T-Shirt

This T-shirt is made by layering two sheets of thin fabric knitted from ultra-fine thread.

It's characterized by a soft, fluffy feel and a smooth, gentle texture.

At first glance it looks like a simple T-shirt, but

the silhouette has been made a little more compact,

with a gentle V-neck designed to show off the décolletage beautifully.

It's great worn on its own, of course, and

also works well layered under a jacket or as part of a layered outfit. 
 

Balloon Sleeve Pullover

Gauze woven from thin thread on the surface,

裏面には目の粗いガーゼであるスラブ二重ガーゼを使用し、

The back uses slub double gauze, a coarser-woven gauze, and

this pullover is characterized by the way its texture and sheen differ between the front and back.

The volume-filled balloon sleeves and

the picot-cut cuffs add a touch of elegance to its refined look,

making it just as useful for more formal occasions. 

You can find other itemshere.

 

Stole Progression

Soft, lightweight gauze is also well suited to fashion accessories.

Stoles in particular come into direct contact with the neck, so using gauze fabric

allows even those with sensitive skin who dislike scratchy fabrics to wear them comfortably

and enjoy their styling with ease.

Stole KATAKATA

Born from Marumasu Senshoku, a long-established maker founded in 1901,

the stoles made by marumasu feature

designs with vivid, beautiful colors expressed through the maker's own dyeing techniques.

The fabric is such thin, light gauze that

when unfolded, you can see the scenery through it,

and it is made using 100% Supima cotton, a premium grade of cotton.

You can find other itemshere.

 

The brands introduced here can be washed at home, and

they take on a softer texture the more they are washed.

That said, while gauze is a durable fabric,

it is vulnerable to snagging, which can cause threads to break, so

please be sure to use a laundry net.

*marumasu stoles should be

hand washed.

After washing, avoid tumble drying;

reshape the item and let it air dry.

Gauze dries quickly, so it will dry in a relatively short time.

For ao, since the garment is washed and tumble-dried

after it has already been sewn into its finished shape,

it barely shrinks at all,

but with kyowa zarashi mensha,

you can expect about 3 to 5 cm of shrinkage after washing.

Once the season for use has ended,

wash the item and let it air dry thoroughly, then

store it in a way that maintains good ventilation.

▽Kyowa zarashi mensha

▽ao

▽marumasu