The brand name UNDECORATED itself embodies the concept of being "unadorned." To allow the wearer to "experience the subtle luxury of the material," we approach clothing production by "first selecting the material, then designing for that material," striving for meaningful material creation and garment construction. This journal is a series that introduces the key stories of the brand, from material creation to designこだわり (meticulous attention to detail).

In this issue, we will introduce UNDECORATED's staple material, "Recycle Organic Cotton Compact Terry," which offers a unique wearing comfort as if it contains air.

This is an original material developed by knitting the back side into a compact pile, with the utmost pursuit of comfort when the fabric touches the skin. We visited a knitter and a dyeing and finishing factory in Wakayama Prefecture to observe the process of how the fabric is made.



While typical fleece is knitted at a density of about 18 gauge, this fabric is knitted at a high gauge using a 32-gauge knitting machine, of which there are only a few in Japan, to achieve a beautiful surface and soft texture. Due to the high gauge, the knitting speed is slow, and even with full-day operation, only about two rolls can be knitted, making it a material that is not very production-efficient.





We were also very particular about the raw materials used for this fabric. The surface yarn is recycled organic cotton yarn, and the back side, which touches the skin, uses Suvin cotton, an extra-long staple cotton that is rich in oil and has a moist feel. The process of setting the yarn on the knitting machine also requires time and effort.





The goal for this fabric was to create a material with a beautiful surface while maintaining the plumpness of a fleece. To prevent the inclusion of dust and lint, a vinyl barricade was created to prevent contact with other knitting machines, and an air circulation machine was also installed nearby.



The carefully knitted fabric is then put through an inspection machine to check for uneven knitting or the inclusion of debris. Any holes are hand-sewn and repaired. The inspection process involves shining a light on the fabric and checking it piece by piece with the human eye. It is truly a craftsman's skill. The finished fabric is then transported to a dyeing factory for dyeing and processing.



At the dyeing factory, the fabric undergoes desizing, dyeing, washing, finishing, and inspection. Desizing takes 2 hours, dyeing takes 3 hours, and finishing takes 2 hours, for a total of about 8 hours for one complete process.







We wanted to achieve a voluminous texture, so this fabric was dyed in a jet dyeing machine. In jet dyeing, the fabric is circulated in a rope-like state and dyed at a temperature of about 90 degrees Celsius. This method minimizes stress on the fabric's tension, allowing for a voluminous texture. Even during the drying process of the dyed fabric, dehydration is kept short to avoid stressing the fabric as much as possible, and then it is slowly dried on a belt conveyor-like dryer without pulling the fabric.



The dyed fabric is again meticulously checked one by one on an inspection machine to ensure there is no uneven dyeing or inclusion of debris.



Precisely because it is such a simple material, there is a great deal of dedication from both the craftsmen and the brand. When a material is created that provides a sense of happiness that only the wearer can secretly enjoy, we too feel very happy.

The product introduced this time is available here