It's the winter solstice of 2023.
This is Sakemaru.
The winter solstice is the day with the shortest hours of daylight in the year.
It's about 5 hours different from the summer solstice.
No wonder it's cold.
So...last night I enjoyed a nice, relaxing soak in a yuzu bath. 
We have a yuzu tree at our house.
It bears plenty of fruit every year, but...
The other day, in the Onishi (a strong western wind typical of this time of year),
A lot of yuzu have fallen from the trees.
Thinking this was a blessing, I floated it in the bathtub and went to paradise.
It's warming!
Now.
This will be the final post on my blog for 2023!
Tada! 
Sorry for the long wait, everyone!
This is the one I put the most effort into this season...
Single leather sports jacket! 
Black and 
Available in two brown colors!
The back style looks like this. 
The waist is switched with a belt,
There are action pleats on both sides. 
And from now on,
Horsehide has names like these!
In fact, for a long time,
I tried and tested many different things to create this shape.
More than 30 years ago, when Dry Bones was still a vintage shop,
The prototype of this style is a leather jacket.
Found at a thrift store in Fresno, California.
This is it. 
Single-breasted leather jacket with three front pockets.
And it's horsehide.
I personally like it,
It's truly a treasured item that I've been hiding away, wanting to make someday.
It’s really cool, but…
There is quite a bit of paint staining,
Moreover, the lining is also torn to shreds...
The first problem is,
The zipper tape is made of cotton and has ripped.
Also, as is typical of sports jackets from this era...
The chest pocket is horizontal.
This was what was called a "cigar pocket" at the time.
Space to put cigarettes in and take them out of your pocket with your right hand.
But now, the smoking rate among Japanese people is 19%.
Rather than a pocket for cigarettes,
I would like to make the pocket a little bigger so that I can put my smartphone in and take it out.
So I used this vintage as a reference. 
The chest pocket has a diagonal zipper, which is super cool.
For some reason, the bottom pocket is a box pocket (sweat)
Also, I wanted to make the pattern a little easier to wear,
I also used this leather jacket as a reference. 
Made in West Germany in the 1950s with leopard lining.
The shoulder line is quite slanted,
This allows more room for the front to drop,
It suddenly becomes easier to wear.
As expected, it is made in Europe, the home of men's clothing.
So, while mixing these three types well,
The first thing I tried to make that was closer to the horsehide one was,
This is the leather jacket we're looking at!
As proof, this leather jacket has this name on it: 
Genuine horsehide name.
I used this as a rough draft to draw the name.
There were other details that we paid special attention to as well.
Chest pocket at exactly the same angle as the waist pocket.
And the location is perfectly central.
By doing this,
It is easy to take things in and out of the left pocket with your right hand.
The front is slightly longer than the back,
It has an exquisite curve.
While protecting your internal organs when riding a motorcycle,
The zipper is positioned so that it is easy to open and close.
While keeping your shoulders back to ensure activity around your chest,
Action pleats at the back make it easy to move.
In addition, the action pleats themselves are subtly curved to add distance.
The material is horsehide,
Brown dyed lacquer finish.
The black and brown colors that are most visible on the surface are
It is finished with lacquer.
So as it wears down over time,
The tea heart inside will come out. 
This is a different product number, made of the same material.
I've had this leather jacket for almost 10 years.
It has some flavor, right?
This is a typical horsehide color from the 1950s.
I've had a hard time these past few years with the coronavirus and all that...
Why not give someone the gift of a "dream leather jacket" that has been made with so much care?
I…
If they have your size by the end of January when everyone else has finished buying,
I would like to purchase it.
It seems we're already running out of sizes.
Please come early.
Now.
As a present to myself for this hard year...
I went to the National Museum of Japanese History in Sakura City, Chiba Prefecture.
(Check out my Instagram for more details)
What a great item to photograph there. 
The zodiac sign for next year, 2024, is Dragon.
There is a legend that if you display the zodiac animal of the year at your front door, you will be protected from misfortune.
It seems to have been around since the Edo period.
This photo,
A little gift for everyone who reads my blog.
There was a lot going on in 2023,
Thank you very much for all your help.
Let's have fun dressing up again in 2024!
Thank you.
Well, I hope you have a happy new year.
