Up for sale here is a cardigan from Japanese label UES. UES is yet another of those Japanese “American casual” style brands, producing in very limited quantities what are often vintage sports and workwear inspired designs. This is a label that is very much undiscovered for the most part outside of Japan. They’re currently only stocked in a handful of stores outside of Japan, although they cast a long shadow domestically.
Even though they’re not well known abroad, these guys have been putting in some crazy detail on their clothes for a while now. The basic idea behind UES is to produce their clothing on vintage machines – using old shuttle looms, sewing machines and the like, to make unique things that will age well. The aging is actually really important to the brand, where the clothes are designed with fading and aging in mind. All of their stuff is intended to develop over time, evolving and ultimately looking better the more wear you put into it.
So that’s what we’ve got here. Ues consistently make some really nice pieces, this sweater being no exception. I would consider this one a medium weight knit, definitely not a heavy winter sweater, but more of a year-round piece. This is the kind of old-school knit you would expect from Ues, where on the detailed shots hopefully you can see the pleasantly uneven weave of the material here. No corners are cut, and like the Flat Head, Ues do extremely well with textures. Design references vintage ivy-style cardigans, although the fit is more relaxed. Details include various tags on the neck and interior, as well as two side pockets and vegetable ivory buttons.
Size is labeled a 4 with a relaxed fit and ideal for a large. I measure the chest at 23.5” / 59cm, shoulders at 21” / 53cm, length at 28” / 70cm, and sleeves at 23.5” / 59cm. The sweater comes in lightly used, generally good shape. There is some fading on back of the left sleeve, but otherwise no holes, tears or stains. Made in Japan.
Shipping from Japan to anywhere will be $26.
