Koiguchi Shirt "Circular Window"

DS-2686 Koiguchi shirt "Circular window"

100% Cotton

Koiguchi shirts have long been worn in Japan as work clothes for craftsmen and as costumes for festivals.

It is called koiguchi because the opening of the sleeve narrows like a carp's mouth.

Originally, it was an item worn as a set with a belly wrap and hakama, but in postwar Japan it came to be worn as a casual Japanese-style shirt.

In addition to festival attire, koiguchi shirts have also been worn as uniforms at izakayas. In recent years, they have come to be coordinated with denim as well, as they go well with indigo-dyed belly wraps and other items.

The shoulders are connected directly from the back to form the front.

The stitching makes use of the straight lines unique to Japanese clothing, and since there are no seams around the shoulders, it seems to have been an ideal costume for carrying a mikoshi (portable shrine).

This koiguchi shirt is made of cotton sheeting.

The enclosure is modeled after the circular windows often found in Japanese teahouses, and is decorated with traditional Japanese patterns such as yagasuri and checkered patterns.

It can be worn with traditional Japanese items such as geta and setta sandals to create a "Japanese summer" look, or worn as an inner layer under a leather jacket, as seen by postwar gamblers.