TCB Jeans_Cat Head Jacket

□Encounter with the Original

I wanted to make a new coverall for spring. I started searching for original designs early last year. Although I gradually narrowed down the target I wanted to create, I couldn't find the actual target. In the midst of this, during a casual chat with Ryo, who works in the same room, I lightly mentioned, "I'd love to make a coverall if a 1930s Duck Head one came out, it'd be so cute." He replied, "I bought one when I lived in the Netherlands, and I've given it to my dad now, so he has it." Thinking what an amazing coincidence it was, I expressed my desire to use that vintage item as the target, and he readily agreed, and the project began.

□Attention to Detail

When I talk about coveralls, I often write that I love the distinctive left chest design of the 1930s. This time, as with the Black Bear, Strong Hold, and Boss of the Road that I've created in the past, it features an asymmetrical design, though not as pronounced. The most captivating point was the adorable, slightly funny duck face. I've always loved vintage animal logos, such as the bulldog in Boss of the Road, the chicken in Can't Bust'em, the bear in Black Bear, and the pig in Finks; the list goes on, but they are all charming. To recreate this atmosphere, I had the design redrawn many times, changing the original's funny duck to a cat. As a result, the cat on this tag turned out wonderfully, making the two-pronged snap buttons on the chest and the dome-shaped tack buttons on the sleeves also cute while replicating the vintage feel. The buttons on the placket reproduce the pear-skin texture found on vintage counterparts. This rough texture prevents slipping and makes them easy to attach and detach. I believe this aspect, too, is a texture that resulted from prioritizing functionality over mere design.

Another attractive feature, I believe, is the green bartacks and buttonholes. There are many vintage items with colorful bartacks, and at TCB, we've enjoyed using colors we've seen or adopting colors that seem plausible yet aren't, to have fun with the bartack colors. However, when it comes to colorful buttonholes, I can only recall Duck Head and Oshkosh at the moment. Of course, they might seem vivid at first, but the fading of the green as it's worn might be another enjoyment of this jacket.

 □Fabric

Ingenious Stitching Another distinctive feature of the stitching was the chin strap made with a chinstrap specification collar stand, created with chain stitching. My managing director and I were racking our brains over this process, but when I consulted Mr. Tateno from Workers, a fellow veteran, he told me that he had created a trumpet two years ago when he made a Payday-inspired piece. I took advantage of his kind offer, "You're welcome to use it at TCB," and the fact that the collar stands of Payday and Duck Head are interchangeable. What we can learn from this is that what we considered a design was actually a byproduct born from the convenience of the sewing machine, considered from a manufacturing perspective.

At TCB, when making coveralls, we make the length slightly shorter than vintage ones to balance them easily even when worn with full denim. Since it has raglan sleeves, it does not feel restrictive even when worn just right, and the range of motion of the arms is wide. For the fabric, we were particular about every detail, from the uneven yarn shape to the color and dyeing method, based on vintage pieces. Recently, instead of expressing unevenness with a single count of yarn, we choose to mix different yarns and vary the unevenness shape of each. Specifically, for the warp, we use straight yarn of count 8 and yarn with short slubs of count 9 in a 1:1 ratio. For the weft, we use natural slub yarn of count 12 and nep yarn of count 12, also in a 1:1 ratio. As a result, four types of yarn are used, creating a vintage atmosphere. The dyeing was also done in a shallow color characteristic of store brands. Instead of a shallow warp, the weft is dyed gray instead of ecru. This approach means that some fabrics were particular about making the warp dark to conceal dirt, a consideration by various companies, and many fabrics probably used gray-dyed weft to make the fabric appear darker and conceal dirt.

As a finish, since half of the weft yarn is nep yarn, it is finished without singeing.

□Regarding Sizing

The basic sizing is consistent with TCB's standard coverall, the Cathartt Chore Coat. For comparison with denim jackets, we recommend sizing down 1-2 sizes depending on your preferred fit.

Reprinted from TCB official

Above all, this vintage-like cat button is an irresistible detail. I think when looking at vintage items, "Why are old designs so charming...?" It's probably because the original drawings were handmade. That's my personal opinion.

No matter how much AI evolves, I believe there's a certain "goodness" in handmade drawings that it can't achieve. That being said, to produce a large quantity of buttons, of course, the handmade drawing is digitized for production.

The temperature differences have been drastic lately. A coverall that can be quickly put on when needed is extremely convenient. With a moderate thickness, it can be used all year round.

Actual Size Chart: Unit cm