WORKERS Deluxe Tote Bag/ Navy Body x Red Handle

Deluxe Tote, second edition. It's plain, but there's one change. The tape for the handles has changed from acrylic to a thicker cotton/spun rayon tape made on a power loom, even thicker than before. As usual, after a long search, I found a manufacturer. I finally understood what I couldn't understand from the trim suppliers before. Even though it's simply called "tape," the texture changes quite a bit depending on the equipment and the yarn. Even within the "same" range at a trim supplier, the looms are actually different. This tape is the gnarliest yet. The "spun" in "cotton/spun rayon" is short for "staple fiber," and it refers to "spun rayon" or "short-fiber rayon." The size is 34cm wide / 16cm deep / 31cm high. This is what's called a medium size. The handles are short, for hand-carrying only. I considered a long handle, but the handle width is narrow, so no matter how long it was, it would be cramped. So, it's just short handles for hand-carrying. I also thought about adding an outer pocket, but again, the space between the handles is narrow. Forcibly adding one there would make it difficult to use as a pocket, so in the end, I decided against it. The handles are a contrasting color to the body. The same fabric as the bottom is sewn onto the tape. This part is also done with a two-needle sewing machine, folding the fabric on both sides and positioning it precisely in the center of the tape. Equipment is everything! So, this time, I went to a factory in northern Kanto. Of course, it's made in Japan. After all, no matter how many samples you show people for these kinds of details, I'm not satisfied unless I explain them myself. The side seams are folded and sewn so that the fabric edges are staggered. This forms the backbone of the bag body, allowing it to stand on its own even when empty. The body is made of #6 canvas. In ounces, that's 18.9 oz. The bottom and the part that goes over the tape are #11 canvas. In ounces, that's 12 oz. The weight is about 472-475g. Is the body slightly lighter than the original? However, the Japanese JIS standard canvas and the original canvas (duck) have different specifications, so if you were to try to make something perfectly identical, you'd probably have to start by making the yarn itself. When I developed a certain D-river-style oxford with a fabric store before, the yarn count was something not generally circulated in Japan. America likely uses Tex, while Japan uses yarn count. Since the standards are different, common yarn counts in Japan don't have an equivalent Tex in America. Conversely, common Tex in America doesn't have an equivalent yarn count in Japan... or so it seems. In the end, the D-river style was made from an unusual yarn count, called "end count," thanks to the fabric store's economies of scale. For this tote bag, I don't want to make it exactly the same as the original; I want to "create something that approaches the original, and in some cases surpasses it, using Japanese standards." I think the neatness of the stitching completely surpasses the original. As expected from a Japanese sewing factory. The fabric weave is also beautiful. The tape is pliable and easy to hold. However, the original has its own rough and tough qualities in the fabric and parts. The sewing is "good enough as long as it doesn't break" rough. And that has its own charm. Different countries, different finishes. Please see the difference for yourself. Authentic replica wear born from an overwhelming passion for vintage clothing. WORKERS is a menswear manufacturer based in Okayama, focusing on workwear, traditional wear, and military wear. Takashi Tateno, the representative who appreciates the unique atmosphere of vintage clothing, researches actual vintage pieces. He even visits the manufacturers that made those products and existing buildings to research history and materials, using them as inspiration for product development. All products are Made in Japan, and he understands the processes himself. Production is only carried out at factories equipped with specialized machinery for each process. Not only from Japan, but also from globally recognized companies like J.CREW and INVENTORY, the brand has garnered significant attention.