These two are all you need.
It has already been two months since AW began.
The clothes I want change every year.
Something I wanted last year may not appeal to me as much this year, while something I had never paid attention to may suddenly become desirable. I think tastes gradually change as you continue wearing clothes.
But among them are things you continue to love unchanged, no matter how many years pass.
“Come to think of it, I’ve been buying this for years.”
I imagine everyone has at least one thing like that.
In my case, I feel that these kinds of items are often the ones that touch the skin directly.
Socks, for example, or T-shirts.
It doesn’t have the kind of flashiness that makes it the centerpiece of an outfit. But when it’s gone, you miss it, and in the end, you find yourself choosing the same thing again.
It isn’t flashy, but it’s indispensable.
Hello.
I’m Tomioka from cliché.
Since I began writing the blog, I’ve started thinking a little more not only about clothes, but also about myself.
“How would I wear it myself?”
“What is it that I like about this piece?”
As I was looking at this product while thinking about that, I suddenly realized something.
There are things I have continued to choose without change for a long time, too.
This time, I’d like to write about the “something I can’t do without” for me.
Previously, in a blog post I wrote about Essential S/S Tee,
“If I have this, I don’t need any other T-shirts.” Just one sentence.
I’m sorry. Let me correct myself just a little. Haha.
That’s truly what I thought at the time.
But as the season progressed and autumn and winter clothing gradually began to come together, it seemed the story had changed.
You can’t get through an entire year with short sleeves alone.
It goes without saying.
And this time, a long-sleeved T-shirt made according to the same principles as Essential S/S Tee has arrived.
Short sleeves and long sleeves.
I feel that those two together finally complete that statement.
So, if I were to rephrase it now,
“Once you have these two, you don't need any other T-shirts.”
perhaps.
<cantáte>
" Essential L/S Tee "
¥33,000 TAX IN
What we are introducing this time is Essential L/S Tee.
If you have worn Essential S/S Tee, it may be easiest to think of this as a piece that extends naturally from that experience.
Of course, it isn’t simply a matter of making the sleeves longer.
Wearing it on its own as a long-sleeved T-shirt. Wearing it under a shirt or jacket. And when it gets colder, layering it under knitwear or outerwear.
Its use differs little by little from that of the short-sleeved version.
That is precisely why careful consideration has gone into every detail to make it comfortable to wear as a long-sleeved T-shirt.
The same Suvin Gold used for Essential S/S Tee is used for the material.
That said, not just any Suvin cotton will do. The growing areas are limited, and only the specially selected cotton picked first from within those areas is used.
By knitting it at an exceptionally high density of 36 gauge, it achieves a moist smoothness and just the right amount of structure.
Surprisingly smooth against the skin, yet it never looks flimsy when worn on its own.
The feeling I had when I first wore Essential S/S Tee: “It feels good, yet it still feels properly made.”
That feeling remains firmly intact even in the long-sleeved version.
Of course, we can explain the materials and knitting technique like this.
But perhaps that isn’t the most important thing to convey about this T-shirt.
Even now, when Matsushima-san is serving customers or explaining this T-shirt to me, he almost always tells the same story.
“What I want to convey most isn’t the specifications, but the feeling the moment you put it on.”
And,
“When I first put it on, it felt so good that I couldn’t help letting out a sound.”
Even now, some time after its release, they continue to say the same thing.
That’s how seriously I think they take this feeling of comfort.
To be honest, when I first heard it, I thought it sounded a little exaggerated.
But once you actually wear it, you understand exactly what those words mean.
The quality of this T-shirt comes across overwhelmingly more after you wear it than before.
“Because it’s Suvin cotton.”
“Because it’s 36-gauge.”
Of course, those are also important reasons behind this comfortable feel.
But ultimately, what stays with the wearer is not the numbers or the name, but a much simpler feeling: 、“This just feels really good.”
And this time, becoming long-sleeved has brought with it a number of subtle refinements in areas that differ from the short-sleeved version.
Sometimes worn on its own, sometimes under a shirt or jacket. And when it gets colder, layered under knitwear or outerwear.
Precisely because there are more ways to wear it, the finer details become even more important.
Let's start with the neckline.
For the part of the collar that rests against the back of the neck, neck tape is used.
When you wear a T-shirt for a long time, one thing that inevitably starts to concern you is the stretched neckline.
Wear it repeatedly and wash it repeatedly. Because it's an everyday garment, this is an unavoidable consideration.
That's why even the parts that are almost imperceptible visually have been carefully considered.
The neck tape helps prevent the neckline from stretching even after repeated washing. Even if it does stretch somewhat over time, its construction makes it easy to restore the shape with an iron.
Wear it again and again, wash it again and again, and still wear it again.
It isn't made to be worn just once on a special occasion; it is designed on the premise that you'll reach for it repeatedly in everyday life.
This may be the part where cantáte's philosophy is expressed most clearly.
The cuffs also use Suvin Gold ribbing.
It may seem like such a small thing, but when you wear a long-sleeved T-shirt, you touch the cuffs more than you might expect.
When wearing it as is. When rolling up the sleeves. When letting them peek slightly out from the cuffs of a jacket or shirt.
That's why these aren't merely ribs to hold the sleeves in place; their softness against the skin and how comfortably they sit when worn have also been carefully considered.
Once you actually put it on, the difference is clear. You can roll up the sleeves without them feeling too tight, but they don't feel insubstantial either.
They may be inconspicuous, but the more often you wear it, the more these small differences make themselves felt.
Precisely because it's something you wear almost every day, even the cuffs feel good.
Unexpectedly, I think details like this are what make you want to wear it again.
The hem uses two-needle stitching.
These details look perfectly ordinary, but they too have a reason: they're made for long-term wear. Securing the hem with two rows of stitching helps prevent it from stretching even after repeated wear and washing.
Because it's something you'll wear repeatedly, it's also important that it holds its shape.
The fabric itself has a moderate amount of stretch and naturally follows the body's movements.
The body length isn't simply a matter of being long or short; it's balanced with the way you will wear it in mind.
Wear it on its own. Tuck it into your pants. Layer a shirt or jacket over it and let the hem peek out slightly.
Whether worn out or tucked in, it sits properly.
It doesn't decide from the outset how you should wear it.
Precisely because long sleeves offer more ways to wear it, even these seemingly unremarkable measurements have a clear purpose.
Wear it on its own. Tuck it into your pants. Layer a shirt or jacket over it and let the hem peek out slightly.
It doesn't dictate a single way to wear it.
To make that possible, the body length has been refined so it is neither too long nor too short, settling naturally into any way of wearing it.
Because a T-shirt is such a simple garment, a difference of just a few centimeters can greatly change its appearance. You can change how you wear it yourself to suit the rest of your outfit. The body length leaves room for that.
And one more thing.
The side seams.
It may be an area you hardly ever think about when looking only from the front.
But clothes aren't viewed only from the front. From the side, from the back—not only when standing, but also when walking.
If anything, I think it's in moments like these that a garment's balance really comes through.
Refining the way the side seams lie suppresses unnecessary bulging, creating a clean appearance even when viewed from the side.
You won't notice them from the front. But they make a real difference to how the garment looks when worn.
The neck tape, the ribbed cuffs, the two-needle stitching at the hem, and the side seams.
Each one may seem very minor when considered on its own.
But a plain T-shirt has no embellishments to conceal those small differences.
That's precisely why the accumulation of details you don't notice directly becomes the way a garment looks and feels when worn.
At first glance, the Essential Tee is an unassuming plain T-shirt, but once you put it on, something feels different.
I think the reason lies precisely in details like these.
I've explained a lot up to this point, but in the end, I really want you to try it on.
I think that's the quickest way to understand it.
Once you actually put it on, you should begin to understand what I meant by “the sensation the moment you put it on” at the beginning.
Because it has exceptionally little surface fuzz, it doesn't cling to the skin even when the heat lingers, giving it a light, smooth feel. Rather than feeling hot because it has long sleeves, it feels as though the fabric glides over your skin.
When I first wore the Essential Tee, I was genuinely surprised: “Can a plain T-shirt really feel this different?”
Judging by its appearance, it's simply a plain T-shirt.
It doesn't have a large logo or eye-catching embellishments. That's precisely why it's difficult to convey everything through photographs alone.
Touch it, put it on, wash it, and wear it again.
I think that through this repetition, you gradually come to understand what has been put into this T-shirt.
For spring and summer, Essential S/S Tee.
And for the seasons ahead, Essential L/S Tee.
You can wear it on its own or under something else. As the seasons progress, it becomes a base layer, and when it gets warmer again, you wear it on its own.
When I think of it that way, perhaps it's these unassuming clothes that we reach for most often throughout the year.
“Something without flash, but indispensable.”
As I wrote this blog post, I found myself thinking again about what that means to me.
And I feel that this Essential Tee, too, will eventually become something like that.
In a previous blog post,
“Once you have this, you don't need any other T-shirts.”
That’s what I wrote.
Starting this time, I'll make a small correction.
“Once you have these two, you don't need any other T-shirts.”
For those who already own the short-sleeved version, let this be the next one.
For those who haven't worn it yet, let this be your first.
Take my word for it and try it on at least once.
The rest, you'll understand once you wear it.
Essential L/S Tee goes on sale Saturday, September 5, at 12:00!
cliché Tomioka
