Hailing from the Enshu-Hamamatsu region, a hub for cotton weaving since the Edo period, Enshu textiles are renowned for their durability and rich texture.

What sets them apart is their unique division of labor: a specialized process where dyeing, weaving, and finishing are handled by different experts. This enhances the quality of each step, resulting in a distinct, high-quality fabric. A key part of this is the slow and deliberate weaving on old-style shuttle looms, which creates a natural, wrinkled texture and a crisp feel that becomes softer with wear.

We recently visited Enshu-Hamamatsu to document the finishing process for the popular corduroy fabric used in our Vintage Ivy autumn/winter collection.

The cutting of corduroy at Kanetaka Ishida requires a high level of craftsmanship. The finer the ridges, the more needles and cutters are needed. To avoid damaging the fabric, a skilled artisan carefully sets the needles and cuts with just the right amount of pressure. The corduroy used for Vintage Ivy has particularly fine ridges, requiring a meticulous and time-consuming setup before each careful cut.

Panta Sangyo is a finishing factory for velveteen and corduroy, located in a region historically rich in water sources and once home to many such factories. Today, it’s the only one of its kind in Japan.

The natural, soft texture of Japanese corduroy comes from the factory's unique water-based finishing process, which is done slowly and over a long period. The process begins with "hot water washing" in three pools to remove starch from the fabric, followed by "cold water washing" in nine pools to raise the corduroy's ridges. This extensive washing is the main reason for its unparalleled softness. The fabric is then "dried" and "singed" to prepare the nap. These four steps are repeated up to five times for velveteen and twice for corduroy, ensuring a carefully finished product.

The Vintage Ivy Corduroy Shirt combines a traditional shirt pattern with a fabric made using these old-fashioned techniques. We invite you to experience a warmth and texture that you won’t find in fabrics made for modern efficiency.

Hailing from the Enshu-Hamamatsu region, a hub for cotton weaving since the Edo period, Enshu textiles are renowned for their durability and rich texture.

What sets them apart is their unique division of labor: a specialized process where dyeing, weaving, and finishing are handled by different experts. This enhances the quality of each step, resulting in a distinct, high-quality fabric. A key part of this is the slow and deliberate weaving on old-style shuttle looms, which creates a natural, wrinkled texture and a crisp feel that becomes softer with wear.

We recently visited Enshu-Hamamatsu to document the finishing process for the popular corduroy fabric used in our Vintage Ivy autumn/winter collection.

The cutting of corduroy at Kanetaka Ishida requires a high level of craftsmanship. The finer the ridges, the more needles and cutters are needed. To avoid damaging the fabric, a skilled artisan carefully sets the needles and cuts with just the right amount of pressure. The corduroy used for Vintage Ivy has particularly fine ridges, requiring a meticulous and time-consuming setup before each careful cut.

Panta Sangyo is a finishing factory for velveteen and corduroy, located in a region historically rich in water sources and once home to many such factories. Today, it’s the only one of its kind in Japan.

The natural, soft texture of Japanese corduroy comes from the factory's unique water-based finishing process, which is done slowly and over a long period. The process begins with "hot water washing" in three pools to remove starch from the fabric, followed by "cold water washing" in nine pools to raise the corduroy's ridges. This extensive washing is the main reason for its unparalleled softness. The fabric is then "dried" and "singed" to prepare the nap. These four steps are repeated up to five times for velveteen and twice for corduroy, ensuring a carefully finished product.

The Vintage Ivy Corduroy Shirt combines a traditional shirt pattern with a fabric made using these old-fashioned techniques. We invite you to experience a warmth and texture that you won’t find in fabrics made for modern efficiency.