Short-Sleeve Merino T-Shirt

Development Story / 開発ストーリー

I took a merino T-shirt with me on a long trail just to test it. The fabric was so high-end that I kept asking myself whether it could ever become a commercial product. But out on the trail it really did feel like the right balance of cool and warm — the saying that wool is "an air conditioner you wear" was suddenly true. The wool was soft against the skin, didn't itch, was shrink-treated so I could throw it in the dryer without thinking about it, and held up to the constant rub of the backpack without tearing. I fell for the fabric. Long sleeves are great for blocking the sun, but in summer especially I wanted a T-shirt that breathes well, something I could grab for a casual day hike — so I made a T-shirt model. — What I felt walking 4,200 km on the PCT — Wool has wonderful benefits, but it also has downsides. At MIYAGEN we worked through how to address those downsides. During development we asked ourselves what to prioritise, whether to insist on 100% wool, or whether to bring in the strengths of synthetic fibres. First, we re-evaluated the merits and demerits in our fabric selection. The merits of wool: - High warmth retention - Hygroscopic, so it's comfortable to wear - Antibacterial and odour-controlling - Good UV protection The demerits of wool: - Can feel itchy - Tends to shrink (felting) - Wears down easily; durability is a challenge - Vulnerable to damage from insects - Slow to dry Wool production has constraints, and those constraints push the cost up. Among an already constrained category, the wool fabric we further selected is so expensive that during development we genuinely struggled with whether or not to sell it. But after walking 4,200 km on the Pacific Crest Trail, from desert to glacier, the way it felt against the skin was wonderful, and that experience reaffirmed how complete this wool fabric really is. The selling price will be high, but to bring that comfortable wear, the versatility that performs in any condition, and the appeal of wool itself to as many people as possible, we decided to put it on sale.

Design Concept / 設計コンセプト

Merino wool fibre certified by an independent third party. We selected fabric from an Italian mill with more than 100 years of history. Through automation and dedicated research facilities, the mill produces uniform, high-quality wool fabric with excellent performance — one of the top names in the wool-fabric world. They run the entire chain themselves, from sourcing raw wool at their own farm in New Zealand through spinning and weaving, with rigorous management of the raw wool and full transparency about where it comes from. They actively pursue environmental initiatives — breaking down dyes and returning them to nature, running their plants on solar energy, and similar production practices — and have built that into their system. They have received many certifications from third-party bodies focused on environmental stewardship, and they actively pursue SDGs goals. The wool used by MIYAGEN Trail Engineering is from "Super 120" — a particularly fine yarn even within merino — selected for its long-staple fibre, which means very little pilling. It is so soft and so free of itchiness that it doesn't feel like wool.

A fibre that evolved to live: wool that repels water yet absorbs water Wool has a cuticle (also called scales). The cuticle is hydrophobic, while the cortex (the protein structure underneath it) is hydrophilic. The hydrophobic cuticle covers the hydrophilic cortex, giving wool a uniquely layered structure. This layered structure is wool's biggest characteristic. In addition, a thin layer of air is held between fibres on the hydrophobic surface of the cuticle, which lowers thermal conductivity and helps retain body heat. Because of the cuticle, wool offers a list of features no other fibre has:

Repels water yet can absorb water

Stays warm even when it has absorbed water; the fibre "breathes"

Resists soiling

Excellent flame and fire resistance

Hard to break, with strong elasticity

Shape memory

Easy to spin into yarn

Quoted from The Woolmark Company (https://www.woolmark.jp/fibre/).

A special multi-stage shrink-resist treatment that preserves the cuticle The cuticle and scales have another important property: "felting performance." When wool absorbs moisture, the scales open and the surrounding wool fibres tangle more easily, so felting progresses. The reason a sweater shrinks in the wash is exactly this opening of the scales. The back panel of a backpack also has all the conditions for felting to progress, which can be a real problem in the outdoors. Wool is normally treated to resist shrinkage, but if too much of the scales is removed, the fabric becomes too hydrophilic and loses some of wool's native characteristics. Resin-coating approaches, on the other hand, halve the very benefits that make wool wool. For MIYAGEN's wool products, we apply a multi-stage shrink-resist treatment across cotton, yarn, and fabric stages. This special multi-stage treatment lets us bring out wool's strengths — moisture-wicking, breathability, warmth retention, antibacterial and odour-control — to the fullest. It also produces a fabric that doesn't shrink or pill easily even on the back of a backpack, with very high abrasion durability. Because of this treatment, the fabric also handles standard household electric or gas dryers after washing.

This product is fully made at sewing factories in Japan. Pattern making, cutting, sewing, and finishing all happen at our partner factory in Okazaki, Aichi. A skilled patternmaker developed the three-dimensional pattern; many samples were made before we reached the version we now sell. Being a small brand we order in small lots, but the factory said: "If a brand like yours is starting in Okazaki, we want to help you make it." It's been a pleasure to visit them many times and watch carefully made garments come together. They told us that, because this jersey-knit fabric stretches, it requires very high skill to sew — and because the fabric is very expensive, they're especially careful with cutting and stitching. Aichi was once a thriving textile region. Toyota, Aisin, and Brother produced looms and sewing machines, and the area grew from textiles into automobiles and aerospace. As labour costs rose, the textile industry contracted and most of it moved overseas. Sewing is always done by human hands; clothes that are fully sewn by robots barely exist. As labour costs go up and overseas products take more share, we have deep respect for the textile industry and its skill — the industry that supported Japan's development. It's a real piece of luck that we found this factory.

Function & Detail / 機能ディティール

Designed for long trails A design that is easy to use for a long time.

Main body

We've made it slightly oversized to allow for easier movement in the field. We focused on creating a pattern that can be worn not only for hiking but also for everyday wear. We use simple stitching to reduce the number of threads and minimize any feeling of tightness. Although it's a simple pattern, it's designed using three-dimensional cutting, with a larger back and a smaller front. Furthermore, the back is made longer to prevent it from riding up when bending or squatting. The photo below shows the long-sleeved model.

Kangaroo pocket

Kangaroo pockets have long been used to prevent hands from getting cold, and are also known as muff pockets or hand warmer pockets. Furthermore, the placement of the pockets is also important. The abdomen is one of the warmest parts of the body, making it the ideal place to warm your hands. You can also keep your stomach warm by putting a towel or a hand warmer in the kangaroo pocket. Furthermore, you can use your body heat to make cold meals (hiking meals that don't require gas). You can use it however you like: put a water bottle in your pocket to carry to a water source that's a bit far away, or use the water bottle to cool yourself down...the possibilities are endless. While some companies might cut costs by using a different fabric for the pockets, we prioritized warmth and insisted on using wool for all parts.

Specs & Materials / スペック・素材