Since the brand was launched, new items have been added to the tops range, which has previously only offered T-shirts.
It's called "OVERSIZE SHIRT."
The name is quite simple, but of course it's not just an oversized shirt.
The image I had in mind was a well-worn dress shirt that you see in European vintage shops.
It looks neat, but there is something about it that feels loose.
It looks casual, but has a certain elegance to it.
"Although it has outlived its role as a dress shirt, its aging and slightly worn appearance have made it into a casual shirt to wear privately."
Kimura said he wanted to create a shirt that would evoke such a story.
By finding a fabric that matched that image and thoroughly considering the addition and subtraction of small details to incorporate it into the world of mù_ , a shirt was born that expresses "an elegant oversized look that adults can wear."
-Why did you choose shirts as a new item?
Kimura: Until now, I only wore T-shirts as tops, so when I tried to coordinate outfits within the brand, the feel was inevitably very casual.
So for the next tops I'm releasing, I'm thinking of something that will be a bit different from my previous image. Sweatshirts would be good, but while that would change the atmosphere a bit, I felt that the casual feel wouldn't change much.
I created this shirt with the aim of bringing out a different appeal in existing bottoms, and thinking about how bottoms would look different when the casual feel was removed.
-What kind of fabric did you have in mind when searching for it?
Kimura: I wanted to use a fabric that resembled a dress shirt, but if I simply chose a formal fabric it would end up looking too stiff.
So I imagined a dress shirt that has been worn for many years, that has outlived its role as a dress shirt, but has started to be worn with casual outfits in private.
In European second-hand clothing stores, you can often find dress shirts like these that have been worn for many years, and although they look neat, they have a relaxed feel to them, and seem to go well with casual wear. When you actually pair them with casual clothes, they do have a certain elegance to them.
I searched for a fabric that had a relaxed feel, yet somehow elegant, that would convey this story.
-What are the characteristics of the fabric you found this time?
Kimura: Originally this I had been thinking about shirts ever since I started the brand mù_ , so I was looking for a fabric with the image I mentioned earlier.
The fabric used this time is usually made white from the raw fabric (fabric before it is dyed or processed) and then colored. However, this time the fabric is kneaded many times at this raw fabric stage before being dyed, so it has a unique washed look that is different to the wrinkled look of regular product washing (the final washing stage after sewing is completed).
The fabric itself is called typewriter, and is made by weaving thin threads at a high density, giving it a stiff, firm and elegant feel, but by kneading it at the raw fabric stage, it loses its stiffness and takes on a soft texture like that of old clothes.
-Not only is it soft, but it also has a unique feel to it.
Kimura: During the final washer processing, we use chemicals that give the material a slightly bouncy, unique feel in the hand.
This gives it a somewhat elegant look rather than just a rough, washed-out feel.
-What are the design features?
Kimura: As with our previous items, the premise is that it is an "elegant oversized piece that adults can wear."
Although the overall size, such as the width and length, is made larger, we did not simply make a regular shirt into an XXL size and say it's large.
The parts that we want to look big are made big, and the parts that we don't want to look sloppy are kept small. Furthermore, we add and subtract various things to supplement the parts that are lacking with details in the design, resulting in an oversized but elegant shirt that is a little bit unique.
-At what point do you start thinking about adding and subtracting various things?
Kimura: I basically start by drawing a design sketch by hand. At that point, I think about which movements will make it look elegant while still fulfilling the definition of oversized, and I also include the approximate dimensions at the same time as drawing the design sketch.
As I look at what I've drawn, if I think I want to carve out a certain part a little more, I revise the design drawing and adjust the dimensions at the same time. Once I have it more or less solidified in my mind, I then talk with the craftsman and we create a prototype sample.
This isn't just true for this shirt, it's true for everything.
-Please tell us the specific elements that were added and subtracted when making this shirt.
Kimura: The oversized clothing we often see these days isn't just about the width and length of the garment, it also has dropped shoulders and a large neckline, but I believe that an oversized look can be expressed if the three areas - sleeve width, width of the garment, and length - are large.
Once these three areas are decided, the other parts can be decided according to the usual proportions, but that would just make the shirt too big, so from here we will subtract something to make it look more elegant.
To give a simple example, if the shoulder position, sleeve length, and neck circumference are too large, it will look sloppy, so we adjust these to make it look elegant.
But the most important thing here is comfort.
We make fine adjustments while looking at the overall balance, taking into consideration the structure and movement of the human body.
-How do you supplement this with your designs?
Kimura: Up to this point, we have simply played around with the numbers to create a shape that makes an oversized shirt look elegant, so from here we will think about how to bring out the brand's unique personality.
The first thing that stands out is the large chest pocket.
The width of the body is large, but the shoulders and neck are not that wide, which means that the chest area looks too slim.
By making the chest pocket larger, we create a visual impact.
To put it more simply, the small collar compared to the large chest pocket makes the contrast even more apparent, and by making the collar smaller, the distance from the shoulders appears greater, so even if the shoulders are not actually dropped that much, it gives the impression that they are slightly dropped.
As for the back, the yoke is positioned quite low, creating a loose feeling as if the shoulders are slightly relaxed, and the in-box pleats under the yoke create a silhouette that flares out towards the hem.
-What else did you pay attention to?
Kimura: This fabric is a little transparent, so we thought about how we could turn that transparency into something more interesting, and added embroidery on the inside of the yoke on the back so that it can be seen through.
This embroidery is The mù_ logo is designed to resemble a sports team, and I use it as an active element.
We also added a logo embroidered on the chest pocket using a snap closure, like those used on work shirts, to give it a slightly more casual look.
-again What did you pay attention to when matching it with mù_ items?
Kimura: For example, with EASY TROUSERS, if you pair it with a simple shirt it looks very elegant, but if you pair it with a large shirt it looks unbalanced, so we calculate even the smallest details so that the slightly casual feel of each piece harmonizes with each other.
When paired with the PIN TUCK DENIM TROUSERS, the characteristic of these denim pieces, which look like slacks when viewed from the front, is further accentuated, and when paired with the CLOWN PANTS, the silhouette becomes more casual, but also adds a touch of elegance.
of course I think that these items will easily fit into not only mù_ items, but everyone's wardrobe, and we've made sure to create a relaxed fit, so I hope you enjoy them.
OVERSIZE SHIRT
Colour: WHITE
Size: S/M/L/XL
Price: ¥26,400
▼Product page here
OVERSIZE SHIRT WHITE