Blanketシリーズは今年で第4弾になります。
私が10代の時はVintageでもBlanket付きは不人気で古着屋さんの中にはライニングを剥がして販売している店も有った位でした。
なので第一弾を発表する時は値段も高くなるし買ってくれる人は居るのかな？
という不安の方が大きかったのを覚えてます。
ただ発表した時には大好評で生地の仕込みの大変さも縫製の現場の苦労も報われた瞬間でした。
そして2nd 1st Carharttと続けて来ましたが第４弾目に作るジャケットは裏付きジャケットの代名詞と言っても良いのでは無いでしょうか。
Storm Riderを参考に作らせて頂きます。
それも古着市場では珍しいLate40’sの裏地の裾がセパレートしてる珍しいモデルです。
当時はデニムとウールを含むライニングの縮率の差で作るのが難しかったのか？もしくはLEE特有の考えで馬に乗る際の前傾姿勢のライディングポジションを大前提で考えられてるのか、ライニングの裾が流し込みでは無く、フラシ仕様になっておりその為にミシンのラッパを作成したりとで男心を擽ぐる仕様です。

Storm Riderの思い出を一つ語って下さいよ。
とスタッフから尋ねられました。

自分が20歳の成人式の日に、お祝いで当時LEEのSTORM RIDERを作ってる工場の社長が一着作ってくれたのを今でも大事に取っています。（時効にさせて下さい）
サイズは36なので今では着る事は出来ませんがその人からSTORM RIDERと一緒に沢山の物を受け継がせて頂いた気がします。
（何処かのタイミングでその方の事も語りたい…)

COWBOYの仕事でCattle Driveって言うのを御存知でしょうか？
馬に乗って1000キロ以上の道のりを牛の群れを移動させながら目的地に運ぶ仕事。
Cattle Driverの事をCOWBOYと指すと言っても良い位、鉄道が生まれるまでは重要な仕事だったのかも知れません。
そんな壮大な仕事が有ったからこそ時を経て衣装になり、ファッションとなり形を変えて楽しめてる事がとても幸せな事ですが、
現代に置いて牛を運ぶ事は無くても猫と戯れる時に纏う服が欲しい。
そんな思いで命名しました
『CATS DRIVE』
是非お試し下さい。

This is the 4th year for TCB to produce the wool lined jacket.
In the times of my teens, vintage jeans and jackets started to become popular and the prices kept on increasing more and more but the lined jackets were somehow not in demand at all and some vintage jeans shop even sold them after ripping the lining off. So, when TCB released the first lined jacket, the type 2 ver, I was not that confident but worried more if our customers would like it or not. Against my anxiety, the jacket got sold out in a few days and I remember feeling really relieved.

And then we have released the type 1ver, the Carhartt chore coat ver, and are finally releasing the most iconic lined denim jacket in history, Storm Rider model. We’ve referred to the vintage lined jacket from the late 40’s and it has this unique detail where the wool lining is separated from the denim fabric. The lining is usually tucked into the waist belt and the chainstitch applied on top of it.

Maybe, it was difficult back then to calculate the shrinkage rate of both denim and wool fabric but Levis or some other brands were able to produce lined jacket so maybe this was not the right reason. Considering Lee is a workwear brand for cowboys, it might be because the jackets were made thinking about the forward-bent posture for riding a horse. With the lining separated from the jacket on the waist, it allows you more free movement. It’s just my guess though. For TCB to do a faithful reproduction on this point, we have even made a folder (a metal attachment for Union Special) to get the width of the denim piping right.

Recalling my old memories about Storm Rider, I was living in Fukuyama City when I was a kid and nearby there were many denim factories. And I was a crazy kid who tried to go into a denim factory to see how jeans were made. I was so curious about anything denim and the people there were so kind to let me see everything. I didn’t have money to pay but they always welcomed me into the factory whenever I visited them. A few years passed and on the coming-of-age ceremony when I turned to 20 year old, the managing director gave me a Lee Storm-rider, which his factory were producing then, as a present. It’s strictly forbidden for subcontract factories like his to do such a thing but let me please say it’s barred by prescription. The size was 36, which was my perfect fit back then and I still keep it as my treasure. Maybe this very jacket led me to setting up my own factory and to starting TCB brand.