Light and warm. Original tops that work as a sweater alternative, and a light coat you can wear into spring

What we're introducing here are ZUTTO original tops and a light coat that can be worn from now through spring. Fashion sensibilities are already turning toward spring, but in reality it's still very much cold winter. These are items perfectly suited to this transitional season.

What becomes a standard

In fashion, it's not just designs that become standards—the same can be said of materials. Take, for example, the fabric commonly known as "cardboard knit." Development of this material has advanced rapidly in recent years, and it has quickly become a standard, fulfilling that "wish it existed" need with its crispness, softness, lightness, and warmth all at once. Among fabrics with these characteristics, an encounter with a material that felt distinctly ZUTTO gave rise to this original top and coat.

A cardboard knit is a three-layer fabric with a polyester material sandwiched between the front and back layers to create thickness and a soft, fluffy feel against the skin. For this project, we used "Cotton Double Raschel" from Ono Merias. While typical cardboard knits use synthetic fibers such as acrylic or polyester on the surface, the Cotton Double Raschel developed by Ono Merias has cotton on both the front and back surfaces.

This is apparently quite rare, because knitting machines can typically only work with either natural fibers or synthetic fibers exclusively—not both at once. The conventional wisdom is that since the middle layer of a three-layer cardboard knit requires synthetic fiber to create volume and lightness, the front and back layers must also be synthetic fiber in order for the machine to knit them.

However, Ono Merias modified their knitting machine and succeeded in stably producing high-quality fabric with cotton on the front and back and polyester in the middle. The machine was originally used for car seat fabric before being modified, and it's said to be so rare that "there is probably only one like it in all of Japan."

The benefit of having cotton on both the front and back is, of course, the feel against the skin. In winter you'll wear something underneath, but since this top and coat are meant to be worn across three seasons, there will be times in spring and autumn when it touches bare skin—and the softness of cotton is reassuring in those moments.

Being cotton yet still warm is a defining characteristic of Cotton Double Raschel, making it a perfect material for this current season as we transition from winter to spring.

Cotton Double Raschel has crispness yet remains soft, so when worn, it neither clings to nor hangs away from the body, creating a beautiful silhouette. It's extremely lightweight with no heaviness weighing down on the shoulders, freeing you from any sense of confinement while achieving true comfort.

Now let's take a specific look at the top and coat that ZUTTO designed using this Cotton Double Raschel.

【A Wide Neckline, Versatile Top】

For the top, we made effective use of seaming to make the most of the Cotton Double Raschel's crispness while preventing the silhouette from becoming too oversized. Once you try it on, you'll notice that the seam at the arm has a surprisingly effective design impact. The shoulder is dropped, with a seam positioned around the upper arm, and this subtle design detail serves as a nice accent to the overall silhouette.

The neckline is cut wide and stands up slightly. This design lets the fabric fall away from the neck, giving the impression of a feminine, delicate neckline. Balanced against the roomy body width, the aim is also to keep the neckline looking neat and clean.

The front hem has a rounded shape, and viewed from the side, the silhouette dips lower toward the back. This silhouette pairs well with both skirts and pants styles.

During the colder months, you can enjoy layering a shirt underneath, and you can also tuck a scarf into the wide-open neckline. It's a single piece that offers plenty of styling versatility.

Let's compare the fit and sizing on two women, one 165cm tall (left) and one 158cm tall (right).

Despite the difference in shoulder width between the two, the seam falling at the upper arm means both wear it without any awkwardness. The biggest difference shows up in sleeve length—on the 165cm woman it covers just enough to hide the wrist, while on the 158cm woman it covers enough to hide the back of the hand.

【A Well-Defined Silhouette, Light Coat】

The coat has a cocoon silhouette that narrows toward the bottom. Because of this, the front naturally closes and is designed so it won't spread open too much. Though it has a relaxed fit, it falls from the shoulder position appropriate for each individual wearer, which is a nice touch since it avoids the "swallowed up by the coat" look that comes with something too oversized.

A plain, solid-colored fabric is easy to mix and match, but it can sometimes come across as a bit too safe or ordinary. To address this, we added stitching at wider intervals along the coat's front opening and sleeve sections to create balance. Making it collarless prevents any bulkiness around the neck, allowing a turtleneck to stand out nicely, and it's also designed to make wrapping a stole around the neck easy.

During the coldest parts of winter, you can layer a knit sweater underneath. Since the armholes have plenty of room, wearing something thick underneath won't make you look overly bulky.

There are pockets on both sides, so you can slip in your phone or lip balm and step out for a quick errand without needing to carry a bag.

Here too, let's compare the fit and sizing on two women, one 165cm tall (left) and one 158cm tall (right).

The neckline opening and shoulder position suit both body types well. As for length, on the 165cm woman it falls just above the knee, while on the 158cm woman it falls at just about knee length.

For ZUTTO's original items, we choose materials and create designs with a wish to pursue "designs you'll always love" and "clothes you can grow attached to"—things we've come to understand through our many experiences with fashion.

As everyday wear for adults, we aim for something you can put on casually, without trying too hard, yet that still carries an air of elegance and refinement.

Nothing would make us happier than for you to add these pieces to your wardrobe.

▶ A top that can take the place of a sweater