A shirt from the "Hinomoto Aloha" line, made by Ningyo no Wataya in Moka City, Tochigi Prefecture. Rather than remaking an old kimono, it is tailored from a bolt of new kimono cloth. The kimono's pattern becomes an aloha shirt you can wear every day or on your travels. It can be washed in a household washing machine, so care is easy.
The pattern combines seigaiha (blue ocean waves) and folding fans. Across an unbleached ground, waves drawn in fine pale-brown lines spread over the whole shirt in overlapping seigaiha arcs, with small fans in red, blue-green, and yellow scattered here and there. The touches of color stand out against the soft tones, giving a cool, refined impression. Seigaiha is an auspicious motif expressing the wish for a peaceful life that continues without end.
The material is a polyester bolt of the kind also used for fine kimono. Compare it with silk by touch and you will hardly notice a difference. It is water-resistant, resists wrinkling, and is highly durable. Because the cloth is new, there is none of the fading or staining found in older kimono.
Unisex and generously cut. Size M fits a chest of 90–95 cm.
The sewing is done by hand by artisans in Tochigi Prefecture. From cutting the cloth to the final finish there are ten separate steps, and an artisan can complete only one shirt in a day. The buttons are made of lustrous Japanese bamboo.
Perfect for strolling through town, sightseeing, or a resort stay. It pairs easily with trousers or shorts, and makes a fine everyday piece as well. Do experience this high-quality, artisan-made kimono aloha shirt for yourself.
The Hinomoto Aloha is not an old kimono remade. We source new bolts of cloth and, in repeated consultation with our sewing artisans, make each shirt by hand from cutting to stitching. Even a seasoned hand can finish only one shirt in a day. What follows is an account, in order, from the choosing of the cloth to the final pressing.
Bolts of cloth have long been woven in a wide range of materials and widths, suited to the climate and customs of Japan. We seek out and acquire new bolts of this kind, and make them into aloha shirts. The polyester bolts we use — a cloth found in fine kimono as well — resist water, seldom crease, and can be washed at home with ease. Nor is there any fear of the fading or staining that comes with an old kimono.
The first step is the cutting of the cloth. The front panels, the back panel, the sleeves, the collar — each is cut away in turn. From a single bolt, only two shirts can be made. Cutting allows no error; of all the stages of sewing it is the most laborious, and the one that demands the greatest care.
The sewing comprises ten stages: pocket, yoke, brand label, sleeves, side seams, collar setting, hem, buttonholes. Of these, setting the collar is the most exacting; a single shirt takes a full day to complete. For buttons we use domestic bamboo rather than the coconut customary to aloha shirts. It has a quiet lustre, and sits well with the cloth.
Other pieces from the same hands.
This item can be washed with water at home. Please place it in a laundry net before washing. To preserve its texture for years to come, we recommend dry cleaning.
