MONPE Plain Basic (6 colors) / Blue / Eel bed

Japanese Jeans "MONPE

MONPE" took root after the war as agricultural work clothes. The shape was large around the hips and had a loose silhouette. The local cultural trading company Eel's Bedroom developed a new "MONPE" in response to requests from local people who wanted to make one out of fabrics they had unraveled from antiques and kimonos that had been left in their wardrobes. As a result of simplified design while saving cloth, a slim MONPE was created while maintaining the functionality of the MONPE.

Characteristics of Kurume Kasuri

In the Chikugo region of southern Fukuoka Prefecture, the traditional craft of Kurume Kasuri still remains. The fabric for monpe has been woven in this region for centuries, using an old-fashioned shuttle loom that is more than 60 years old, so the weaving speed is slower than modern looms, but the slower weaving means that the threads are not overloaded and a soft, textured fabric can be woven. The following fabrics are available.

Plain Basic

Basic is a yarn count of 40/2 warp and 20/- weft, the thickness often used in Kurume Kasuri. It is light, airy, and comfortable to wear. The more you use it, the more comfortable it becomes and the more it absorbs water and dries quickly, making it especially useful in summer!

Shimokawa Orimono (Textiles, Kurume Kasuri/Yame City, Fukuoka Prefecture)

Founded in 1948, Shimokawa Orimono is the only remaining Kurume Kasuri weaver in Yame City. With the postwar shift to Western-style clothing, the demand for small cloth for kimono shaku (kimono length cloth) declined sharply, and Tomiya Shimokawa, the second generation weaver, began full-scale production of plain fabrics for Western-style clothing in addition to patterned fabrics. Currently, the third generation, Mr. Tsuyoshi Shimokawa, is experimenting with his own techniques, such as yarn texture and dyeing methods. In recent years, his works have been produced through exchanges with Finland, Sweden, and other foreign countries. Based on the belief that weavers need to evolve with the times, Kurume Kasuri continues to convey the appeal of Kurume Kasuri as a weaver by using SNS to disseminate information and conducting studio tours.

Understanding the differences in sizes and fabrics

［Click here to see how to choose MONPE.

Like denim jeans, which were originally used as work pants for miners and then transformed into daily wear, the Japanese "monpe" started out as farm work and has the potential to transform into daily wear.