Original Kaitai Shinsho / 3. The Baker's T-shirt Edition

This series is a deep dive into product development, written by Haruka Hirata, the founder of Wazawaza and the developer of all original Wazawaza products. The theme is to unravel the thoughts and behind-the-scenes stories embedded in each original product, helping everyone gain a deeper understanding and affection for Wazawaza originals.

The third installment of this series focuses on the Baker's T-shirt, which was developed because I was troubled by T-shirts that would tear immediately while baking bread in a wood-fired oven. I will share the secret story of how we created a T-shirt that is sturdy enough to be worn for years and highly functional for work.

T-shirts that keep tearing

After feeling confident about our first original product, the wool socks, we clearly established a policy to create our own original products for things we wanted but couldn't find in the world. I think there is almost nothing left that doesn't exist in the world. However, it is common for things that exist to not quite fit me, like 'I don't like this part of that' or 'this part of that is hard to use.' I thought that developing such things is what Wazawaza's product development is all about.

In 2015, I was still baking bread in the bakery kitchen. The thing I was most troubled by was what to wear when baking bread. I basically wore a combination of easy-to-move-in bottoms, a T-shirt, and an apron, but the problem was that both the apron and the T-shirt would tear immediately. At Wazawaza, we bake bread in a wood-fired oven. Every morning, I would go to the kitchen at 5:00 AM, take out the firewood that had been put in the oven the day before to dry, and light the wood-fired oven. I would carry firewood, light the fire, knead the dough, shape it, let it ferment, and bake it. I would move around all day, get covered in heat, flour, and water, and do laundry. If you repeat that, the cuffs of your apron and T-shirt will tear immediately. I just wanted durability against heat.

I searched around for sturdy things and tried various ones, but they all tore immediately. If we were talking only about durability, synthetic fibers might have been good, but they were dangerous because they would melt in the fire. Also, the heat emitted from the wood-fired oven was deadly hot, and in the summer, the kitchen would exceed 40 degrees Celsius, so stuffiness was a concern. In that case, natural fibers like cotton, linen, or wool, which have breathability, are better. I think synthetic fibers are great in certain places, but I felt they didn't suit the work in our kitchen.

I couldn't find a shape that fit well either. Bakers use water frequently, but there is a risk of burns if the arms are not protected when baking in a wood-fired oven. You have to roll up your sleeves when using water, but if you wear short sleeves, you will get burned. I was really troubled by this. I wanted only my wrists to be exposed, but there were almost no T-shirts with such awkward sleeve lengths sold.

And there is frequent crouching. Taking firewood. Carrying flour and water. It's busy, standing up and crouching down, but there were no T-shirts on the market that were just long enough to cover my waist. Then, the body width is also important. I want a T-shirt that properly respects the body's range of motion. If you wear it for a long time, you get tired due to the body being restricted by the shape of the clothing. It's hard to raise your shoulders, hard to turn around, or it gets caught on something. Many people may not realize it, but sometimes your movement is surprisingly restricted by your clothing. Such things are not suitable as work clothes.

I searched and searched, but couldn't find it. After many times when I thought 'maybe this will work' and it tore, I thought I had no choice but to make it myself. I wondered, 'How should I make a T-shirt?' and after thinking about it, I decided to contact Mr. Shiramizu, the founder of Unagi no Nedoko. I think I heard there was a good person for an original brand of knit products. That was my encounter with Mr. Watanabe of yohaku.

A magician who turns cotton into clothes

2015 was the year I gave birth to my second child. I was going in and out of the kitchen until the month of my due date and started working again less than a month after giving birth (it's not something to be praised, but I had no choice at the time), so my memories of that time are vague, but I remember well taking my small baby to the first meeting at yohaku in Tokyo. I couldn't reserve a seat on the Shinkansen on the way back, so I couldn't sit when I chose a non-reserved seat, and I was worried that the baby would start crying while moving through the crowd, and I felt apologetic to my daughter, so I just kept apologizing and thanked my daughter for doing her best without crying.

Mr. Watanabe, whom I met for the first time, was very kind, and after showing me around the store, I think we talked endlessly about T-shirts and cotton at a coffee shop near yohaku. My memory has been hijacked by my daughter, and while I remember that it was very exciting, I only remember that Mr. Watanabe was extremely knowledgeable about cotton, and I learned that when you try to balance child-rearing and work, your memory gets hijacked by your children. I apologize to the readers who are reading this and to Mr. Watanabe.

Ten years have passed since then, and the history of conversations I have had with Mr. Watanabe through product development has accumulated, and he has become a friend I meet and talk to from time to time. Mr. Watanabe is like a cotton magician. I think he would like to be called a researcher, but I feel that 'cotton becomes clothes' is just like magic. Clothes are made through various processes, but cotton is undoubtedly an agricultural product. Recently, Mr. Watanabe has also been working on cultivating cotton in-house and commercializing it.

I wonder how many people have ever felt that the clothes they are wearing are agricultural products. When vegetables grown in a field are cooked and eaten, it is easy to imagine that vegetables are agricultural products. But cotton is certainly grown in a field. I feel that the process of harvested cotton being spun into thread, turned into fabric, and then into clothing to be worn is being forgotten. Mr. Watanabe is trying to express all of those processes, and I respect him very much.

What I wanted to do was decided. A T-shirt that is sturdy and easy to move in, no matter what. There are countless T-shirts, but there are not many T-shirts made with a focus on durability. I thought that was the T-shirt a bakery should make. I wanted to incorporate Mr. Watanabe's knowledge into that and aim for a T-shirt that would be a long-seller.

To all working people

I wanted to incorporate the following five points into the baker's T-shirt to resolve the aforementioned concerns.

1. It must be durable.

2. There should be no need to roll up the sleeves when working with water.

3. The back should not be visible when bending over.

4. The clothing should not get in the way during rotational movements.

5. It should be wearable by anyone, regardless of gender.

After discussing with Mr. Watanabe, we decided to make the T-shirt from scratch using an ultra-high-density fabric (meaning the weave is extremely tight) to address the first point of durability. The fabric for the baker's T-shirt is woven at a factory in Wakayama Prefecture and has a shrinkage rate of 0%. It does not shrink at all even after washing. Because the weave is so tight, it is resistant to both friction and heat, making it difficult to tear.

For the second point, the need to roll up sleeves during water work, we decided on 3/4 length sleeves. This keeps the wrists exposed, eliminating one extra movement when using water. For points 3, 4, and 5, after many discussions, we decided to use raglan sleeves. Raglan sleeves do not fix the shoulder position, which reduces the issue of the fit not matching different shoulder widths. It doesn't feel tight regardless of the wearer's shoulder width, and it increases the range of motion for the arms, making it easy to move. We also had the pattern made with a wider body width and a slightly flared hem.

In line with that, we adjusted the neckline significantly. The boat neck and raglan sleeves didn't pair well, and depending on the body type, it caused issues like the neck feeling constricted and uncomfortable. We decided to open up the neckline slightly and advise those concerned about the gap to wear a T-shirt or turtleneck underneath.

Currently, it is available in sizes 1 through 6, catering to people from 150cm to 180cm in height, and is loved by many. It is excellent for wearing in the kitchen, and it has been adopted as a uniform not only in our own kitchen but also in many restaurants and cafes, becoming a product loved by everyone who works.

An incredible 12,266 units produced since its release in October 2016!

Thanks to your support, 12,266 baker's T-shirts have been produced and sold over the 9 years since sales began in October 2016. New colors are added every year, and with the cooperation of Takarajima Senko and Kanai Kogei, we also regularly release plant-dyed models. At our annual re-dyeing event, we have also re-dyed baker's T-shirts that have aged over time. Because the fabric and stitching are durable, they look great even after many years.

It is currently available in 9 colors, and the peach color that started last year is also doing well. We make it with the hope that many people will love it, and we want to cater to the preferences of as many people as possible in both color and shape.

It's hard to believe that nine years have passed, but some of the items we made nine years ago are still in active use. I feel like they are almost too durable, but sometimes I get tired of them and they sleep in the dresser, and then occasionally I feel like wearing them again after a long time, pull them out, and they feel just right.

Next year, I'm planning to introduce the striped version I've been longing for. I've wanted to do it for a long time, but I had given up because raglan sleeves and stripes don't go well together. However, I've found the optimal solution and am currently developing the product, so please look forward to it!

When I wear the Bakery T-shirt, it puts me in the mood to work. Lately, I prefer a slightly larger size, and I'm thinking of buying a size 3 in oatmeal again after a long time. I really think we made a great, timeless T-shirt. Please take a look and try it on.

Written by: Haruka Hirata
Photography: Hiroyuki Wakana