long vowel mark (usually only used in katakana)

mountain field:

As the owner and buyer of one of the best vintage stores in Japan, "BERBERJIN," Mr. Yamada has been exposed to many vintage "BIG YANK" shirts. He participated in the last "The Third Edition," but the item he planned was surprisingly a B.D. shirt, not a work shirt. For this second edition, he changed the material and produced an updated B.D. shirt. We asked him about the details.

I wanted to make B.D. shirts that I would want to wear.

You participated in the "BIG YANK" "The Third Edition" last time, how did you feel about it?

mountain field: I made B.D. shirts, and I actually wear them myself a lot. I have about 5 or 6 shirts in stock in different colors, and I wear them all the time. I make shirts based on what I want to wear, so of course they are good, and I like them.

It was unexpected that you would plan a B.D. shirt. Please tell us again why you came up with this project.

mountain fieldI often see B.D. shirts from the 1960s or so when I go to the U.S. to buy. I was interested in them and bought some of them, but to be honest, I didn't wear them myself. So I wanted a B.D. shirt with a sizing I could wear and details I liked.

What did you pay attention to when designing the product?

mountain fieldI am not a designer, so I don't pay much attention to that. I designed the shirts with only one thing in mind: whether or not I would want to wear them. I was a little concerned about the shape of the first shirt when I tried it on, so I revised it for this second project and made something I was more satisfied with.

B.D. shirts with a well-balanced fusion of Ivy and work tastes

What exactly was it that you didn't agree with?

mountain fieldI tried on the last one, and first of all, I was concerned that the armholes and torso were a little big. Also, the length was a little short. In short, the silhouette was all over the place (laughs). The armholes and torso are sharpened, and the hem is set at a length that is just right when the shirt is taken outside. It's completely adapted to my body (laughs). Thanks to this, the silhouette is perfect. Also, the collar was a little small, so I made the tip of the sword a little longer to make the collar larger, so that it would roll nicely when the first button is undone.

Do you have a B.D. shirt that you are targeting or an era that you are imagining?

mountain field: As for the B.D. shirt, it's inspired by the 60's. This was the era of the Ivy League. The collar shape I mentioned earlier, the button closure on the back of the collar, hanger loops, box pleats, and other Ivy details have been retained. The width of the placket is narrower than that of a regular "Big Yank" shirt, and the spacing between stitches is also narrower.

And yet you can also feel the atmosphere of the work.

mountain fieldWe are also conscious of incorporating details that are typical of Big Yank and work brands. For example, the silhouette is not the shaped waist seen in B.D. shirts from the 1960s, but rather a work-brand silhouette with a drop from the sides to the hem. Also, the sleeves are made in the same way as Big Yank chambray shirts from the 1930s. These were made in the metal button era. However, these sleeves do not have storm cuffs, but I dared to add them because they are cool. The pitch of the stitches on the lapels (the part of the sleeve where the edge of the sleeve is cut) is different in some parts, and the design of the front placket has a pentagonal decorative design at the second button position from the hem. I also mixed these details and ages.

What is the reason why you selected seersucker as the fabric for the second edition?

mountain fieldSeersucker: There are not many good looking shirts made of seersucker. You don't see it even in vintage shirts. That's why we decided to make this shirt. The material is 100% cotton seersucker, and I selected two colors: white and indigo. I thought it would be fine if I wore only white, but at the suggestion of Thirty Five Summers (Big Yank's distributor), I added indigo as well. I think the color will fade after washing and the ridges will have a nice bite to them. I would like to see how it turns out.

Creation of satisfactory products in the eyes of vintage buyers.

When you were designing the product, were there any points that you kept in mind or paid attention to in terms of "Big Yank"?

mountain fieldAmong the many details of "BIG YANK", I especially like the "gachapoke" (ed. note: asymmetrical breast pockets, the left breast is a cigar pocket in the photo above). The left breast pocket is the cigar pocket shown in the photo above). If I had to choose between a mountain pocket and a gachapoke, I would choose the gachapoke. That's why this B.D. shirt also has a gachapoke cigar pocket. However, if both pockets are used, the shirt will have a strong work taste and look like a replica, so I dared to use only one pocket on the left chest. To make it more practical, we have made it a little larger than the previous version so that a cigarette will fit snugly in it. Then there are the storm cuffs. You can already tell it's a "Big Yank" shirt just by looking at it, can't you?

From the perspective of an expert on vintage, did you encounter any difficulties with the project?

mountain field: Thirty Five Summers has a great knowledge and understanding of vintage, so that wasn't a problem. It was very easy to talk to him because he just had to explain things orally and he swallowed it. The first sample was almost perfect. I only had to say, "Like this," and he understood to a certain extent and gave me a shape.

The details and sewing are also very well made.

mountain fieldThe inline shirts made by Thirty-Five Summers are really well made. From a vintage buyer's point of view, the shirts are so well made that they could be mistaken for originals after two or three washes. If it weren't for the cankles on the hem gussets, you wouldn't be able to tell (laughs).

Just out of personal interest, when was the last time you bought a vintage "Big Yank" in the U.S.?

mountain fieldI'm still finding very few of them in the U.S. as usual. The last time I bought a vintage "Big Yank" from Berberzin was last year, a FLYER-tagged wool shirt. It was a chinstrap with vents. I also remember a dead stock chambray with a mess pocket, size 15, the year before last, which was perfect. But you really can't find "Big Yanks" in the market. That's why they are still popular in the vintage market.

Last but not least, if you were to wear this shirt yourself, how would you style it?

mountain field: A little bit more beautiful, perhaps. I usually only wear corduroy pants, but I would probably wear slash pocket, slim pants like the ones I am wearing today with a white shirt. Sneakers or boots would be fine on my feet.