Keep it long, treasure it long.

Gauze clothing that creates a natural and soft impression

Gauze clothes are pleasant to wash. After being washed thoroughly and dried in the sun, gauze clothes have a natural expression. This unique gauze look and feel creates a smooth texture and leads to a comfort that makes you want to wear it for a long time. The balloon sleeve pullover has a distinctive design with fluffy sleeves. The use of gauze fabric creates a soft impression without being too tight. It is a piece that can be worn relaxedly and without any tension in the shoulders.

Airy and light

Gauze is a fabric made by loosely twisting cotton yarns and weaving them in alternating lengthwise and crosswise directions. It absorbs moisture well, dries quickly, and has good air permeability. Gauze has a strong image of summer because it absorbs sweat well, but gauze with two or three layers has a layer of air between the two layers, making it surprisingly warm. Another charm of gauze is its lightness and softness, as if it is covered with air.

Ao gauze is made in such a way as to fully preserve the "softness of cotton itself," which tends to be lost. In order to make clothes with a gentle touch, we reviewed the process from yarn to fabric, and as a result, we found that the soft touch of cotton itself can be preserved by not removing unnecessary oil, processing, or glueing. However, the use of unprocessed raw fabrics has the advantage of giving a good texture, but it also means that the fabrics shrink when washed, making them difficult to handle. ao has solved this problem by always washing or dyeing the fabrics and modifying the patterns to account for shrinkage. The shrinkage is reduced by this elaborate process, which can only be done at our own factory.

The Balloon Sleeve Pullover is a top made of slub double gauze, which is gauze woven with fine threads on the surface and coarse gauze on the reverse side. The texture and luster are different on the front and back sides. In addition, the fabric is woven using uneven yarns, giving it a unique slightly uneven look. The length of the garment is just above the hips, and the collar is elegantly open, just enough to hide the collarbone. There is one cute little shell button on the back. The balloon sleeves with volume and picot-cut cuffs add glamour to the elegant look, making it a useful piece for formal occasions as well.

From a sewing factory in Niigata
ao is a factory brand launched by a sewing factory in Itoigawa City, Niigata Prefecture. Using the skills as a sewing factory cultivated over many years, they make clothes using gauze, which is a tricky material to sew. They are particular about the comfort to the skin, and pay attention to the smallest details of each item, such as sewing down the seam allowance, folding down the seam, and sewing in a bag-like shape.

We also believe in the potential of gauze and are actively developing original gauze fabrics, such as coarse double gauze, single-layered gauze for a sense of transparency, and dyed fabrics that do not look like gauze at first glance.