The Core Jacket worn by French farm workers and laborers as a daily hardy piece of outerwear in the late 19th century has had many forms of fashion in the last century. Now Vollebak has combined this famous workwear with the ancient Japanese Edo embroidery technique known as Sashiko, which means little stabs, for a modern iteration.
This combination of clothing from two different worlds results in the Sashiko Chore Jacket which is attractive to look at, warm during chilly days and lasts for a long time owing to its premium material.
Designer: Volleybak
The uniqueness of the jacket doesn’t end there as it is woven from a 5.5km of meta-aramid thread intricately shaped in a V-pattern. These patterns are a detour from the original lighting or arrow shapes used in the Edo embroidery. Vollebak has crafted the jacket with consideration towards longevity and roughness of use as the stitching is denser towards the hem as compared to the elbows. This enhances the movement around joints and provides strength in the high-tension sections.
The single long armid fiber used in the making is highly resistant to fires and durable enough to take on the odd cut from a Swiss knife. Other than that the maker uses high-quality Japanese jacquard cotton dyed in indigo. The material is then meticulously cut sewen and reinforced in the sashiko stitching method, following the body contours for a universal fit. Two angle pockets and chest pockets are added to the clothing. Thereafter, the jacket is washed to get the classic faded denim aesthetic.
Although the pattern of the stitch is different from the traditional knit method, the white stitch on the blue or gray backdrop (depending on the color you choose) is the classic sashiko combination. It’s like a Sierra of blue mountains with snow-clad tops on The Great Wave Off Kanagawa. For the eight buttons, Volleybak uses premium buffalo imitation bio-resin material.
Sashiko Chore Jacket is available in two colorways – Blue Edition and Grey Edition – for a price of £695 (approximately $920). The reinforced kimono-style collar of the Grey edition adds to the style while the blue edition goes for a more conventional collar style. Yes, the price is exorbitant but the attention to detail in making the jacket, especially the reinforced 1 million high-strength stitches, truly speaks about its exclusivity.
