Hello.
This is Noguchi from CASANOVA&CO.
Today, I'll be talking again about "SARTO - andante -" starting this weekend.
It's been two days since I wrote the last blog post on Sunday.
Items are still continuously arriving from SARTO. (laughs)
I mentioned that there would be almost 150 items, but it looks like it's going to be more than 150...
I'm starting to get a little anxious. (laughs)
I don't think we can display everything in the store, so there might be some items that we'll bring out if you ask for them, like "Do you have anything like this?"
Well, let's communicate about that.
However, I want all of you to see as many SARTO clothes as possible, and I think that will reveal the essence of SARTO's craftsmanship. So, from today's blog, I'll be introducing the items based on wearing photos.
I won't be able to keep up if I take photos of each item individually...
I'll number each styling, including those posted on Sunday, so please use those numbers when you inquire or say "I want to see this!" at the store.
Alright, let's get started.
SARTO - andante - No.1
Here, I'd like to introduce the coverall worn as outerwear.
Cotton canvas fabric with sulfur dye.
In other words, sulfur dyes.
The aging and SARTO's unique silhouette give it a distinct elegance that is clearly different from ordinary workwear-derived coveralls.
The difference is obvious from the back.
The body flows smoothly, and the arms curve three-dimensionally from the shoulder line towards the elbow bend.
It's incredibly beautiful.
The collar is switched to leather.
To be honest, many brands have been making "leather collar" outerwear recently, but SARTO is different.
The outside of the collar when it's standing up is the same canvas fabric as the body.
This means that when the collar is folded down, it becomes a "leather collar."
This photo again.
And the back.
What I mean to say is that they first formed a collar by pasting two pieces of canvas fabric together, applied product processing, then stripped off only the inner canvas fabric, and sewed the leather to it.
This is a very time-consuming process, but it makes the collar look beautiful no matter how you wear it, unlike simply attaching a single piece of leather to form a collar.
It's truly elaborate and well-thought-out.
And by utilizing the subtle gradations of the pocket area created by that process, they intentionally reattached the pockets in a shifted position.
As you can see in the photo, the left hem has a leather pocket.
The right hem is canvas, and there isn't even a pocket on the right chest.
This means that it was first formed as a four-pocket coverall, and then the pockets were removed after processing.
Furthermore, the leather on the collar and pockets, as expected, cannot be sewn with a regular sewing machine, so it's sent back to a factory that can sew leather.
And what's more, the inside of the leather pockets is lined with corduroy, so it doesn't sag easily even if you put your hands in or put things in, and you don't get fuzzy suede fibers on your belongings.
They've incorporated the feel and nuance of workwear into the SARTO style with very careful craftsmanship.
However, they've kept the "looseness" that workwear has.
I think this is the perfect piece to help you understand SARTO's philosophy of making clothes.
SARTO - andante - No.2
This combines SARTO's signature shirt and pants, but here's a little about the pants.
As I briefly introduced the other day, these modified cargo pockets are a detail that SARTO has continued to use.
It's very difficult to explain in words, but in addition to the typical flap-covered cargo pocket, there's a vertically opening pocket on the outside and a slightly smaller pocket on the inside, resulting in a total of three compartments per pocket.
I've been wearing these pants a lot myself for about the past month, and they're quite convenient.
I have a habit of stuffing everything into cargo pockets because I love pants with cargo pockets. Once, when I was a student going abroad, at airport security, I had crammed so much into the cargo pockets of my M-65s that they were bulging, and I almost got taken to a separate room. But with three compartments, I can separate and store various things, which is super convenient.
Since there are pockets with the same structure on both sides, that's a total of 6 compartments.
My phone, cigarettes and lighter, AirPods, wallet, card case.
That much fits quite easily.
I definitely don't recommend stuffing your pockets like I do, but they're still interesting and practical pocket details.
Also, although I said it's a continuously developed style, the pattern has actually been changed this time.
Simply put, it has transitioned from a pattern for an open leg stance, like a 501, to a more curved pattern, like slacks.
I think this has eliminated the bulkiness in the crotch area, resulting in a sharper silhouette.
However, I'd like you to understand that an open-leg pattern isn't necessarily bad, but I really like this piece because the good imbalance with the aforementioned cargo details makes it so appealing.
SARTO - andante - No.3
Pants continue, but this time it's denim.
This is also a standard item in SARTO's lineup.
Sleek, slim semi-flared.
I'd almost forgotten, as I've been so focused on wide-leg styles for the past few years, but I personally believe slim black denim is an essential item in men's fashion.
However, instead of going for a close-fitting, slim tapered style, I feel that landing on this semi-flared balance is characteristic of SARTO's "unpretentiousness."
I'm personally happy that it's properly slim from the hips to the thighs.
From the knees down, it's a subtle flare that naturally connects to the shoes.
Personally, I believe slim pants are a must for SARTO's style, so please try them on when you try on various clothes in the store.
SARTO - andante - No.4
This is what it looks like full body. But next up is knitwear.
In the previous blog, I briefly introduced hand-knitted items, but this one is machine-knitted.
However, this knit is incredibly interesting.
What you can gather from the photo, besides it being a zip-up and such, is that it creates a silhouette that indicates a considerable amount of stiffness and body.
The secret lies in the combination of yarn count and gauge.
For this knit jacket, they are using 24/2 yarn in a 4-ply construction.
In other words, 24/2 (ply yarn) = 12 → 12/4 (ply) = 3, so a 4-ply 24/2 yarn effectively becomes the thickness of a 3-count yarn.
This means that the appropriate gauge for a 3-count yarn is 3 gauge, so it's common to knit the yarn on a 3-gauge machine.
However, SARTO plays around with that.
They are forcibly knitting 4-ply 24/2 yarn on a 7-gauge machine.
As there are terms like high gauge and low gauge, the higher the gauge number, the finer the knit, and the finer the appropriate yarn becomes.
（To be more precise, gauge should be the number of needles per inch or centimeter.）(Please forgive me if I'm wrong.)
In other words, by forcing a 4-ply 24/2 yarn onto a 7-gauge machine, when 3-gauge is appropriate, the density of the threads increases, leading to a supple stiffness.
This is the secret to the silhouette I mentioned earlier.
However, this "play with yarn count and gauge" isn't a technique everyone can do, it seems.
Moreover, even with the same yarn count and gauge, whether it can be done or not depends on the yarn itself. It's a balance achieved by designer Toyoshima and the knitters he trusts, combining their techniques, experience, and intuition.
Toyoshima described it as a "session with artisans," and I truly agree.
However, what impressed me most wasn't so much the process, but rather the "lightness" of the silhouette.
I can't convey this unless you actually try it on, but the density you can feel just by touching it, combined with the lightness you feel the moment you put it on, really messes with your head. (laughs)
The common thread among all the stiff and rigid knits I've encountered so far is that they are tightly knitted.
Of course, I think this SARTO knit is also knitted tighter than usual, but by increasing the density through the aforementioned combination of yarn count and gauge, I believe they are suppressing the amount of yarn per garment more than typical tight-knits. Probably.
Otherwise, that lightness with 100% wool would be strange.
It's hard to tell since I've combined it with black, but only the cuffs and hem are color-blocked.
We're planning to have two more colors available in this style, so please try them on at the store.
I think you'll be surprised.
SARTO - andante - No.5
Another knit style.
While the previous one was 100% wool, this is a cardigan with mohair as the main material.
The composition is roughly 55% kid mohair, 15% wool, and 30% nylon.
This also incorporates the "play with yarn count and gauge."
They're using a single 13-count yarn in a 5-ply construction, forced into a 7-gauge machine, but...
13/5=2.6≒3 gauge, so 7 gauge is far off the appropriate gauge.
And this time, since the main material is mohair, it becomes even more difficult to machine knit.
So, they're using the simplest knit, plain knit.
Or rather, that's the only difficult part, it seems.
Knitting is truly profound.
Paired with the semi-flared denim from No.3.
The cardigan itself is a bit long, so I think it's perfect for throwing on like an outer layer.
It's not quite long, but it's a long-length mohair cardigan, and the fact that it doesn't feel too grungy is really the magic of knitting.
Rather than aiming for stiffness and body like the 100% wool zip-up, it feels like a dense block of mohair, without the sweet fluffiness often found in mohair knits, giving it a very luxurious feel.
This style might strongly divide opinions, but I think this look is also very SARTO-like.
Today, we covered Nos. 1 to 5.
I'll probably do it tomorrow and the day after too. (laughs)
It's frustrating that I can't provide a proper written introduction for all the items I'm wearing, but if there's anything that catches your eye, please feel free to contact us and we'll be happy to tell you more.
See you tomorrow.