The Short Noragi: Mid-Showa Striped Cotton, Hand-Stitched for Work and Remake
Not all noragi are long. This one sits at 65 cm at the back — a shorter silhouette that sits closer to the hip, moves more freely, and layers differently from the longer workwear jackets of the same era.
It comes from the mid-Showa period — the 1950s to 1960s — a time when Japan was rebuilding and rural workwear was still being made by hand, from cotton, in the same way it had been made for generations. This piece is part of that continuity.
Striped Cotton: The Fabric of Mid-Showa Work
The stripe on this noragi is the stripe of mid-Showa rural Japan — woven into the warp of the cloth, running vertically through the garment. It is not a fashion stripe. It is a weaver's stripe: the natural result of alternating threads on a loom, chosen because it was durable, because it was available, and because it worked.
The cotton has aged into a softness that only decades of use can produce. The color has settled into the cloth rather than sitting on top of it. This is the difference between new fabric and fabric that has lived.
Hand-Stitched, with Miyatsuguchi
The construction is entirely hand-stitched — each seam placed by hand, each stitch a small decision made by the person doing the sewing. The result is a garment with a particular quality of presence: not uniform, not mechanical, but consistent in its own way.
The Miyatsuguchi — the traditional side-body vents at the underarm — are present. This detail, found in noragi made within the full tradition of Japanese workwear construction, allows freedom of movement and gives the garment its characteristic ease when worn open.
Details, Condition, and What to Do With It
Size: back length approx. 65 cm / 25.6 in, chest approx. 58 cm / 22.8 in, shoulder width approx. 60 cm / 23.6 in, sleeve length approx. 31 cm / 12.2 in.
Signs of wear, staining, and age-related damage consistent with its vintage origin. Laundered twice prior to listing. A faint vintage scent may remain. This is a piece for buyers who understand antique textiles — and who see in their condition not a problem, but a history.
The shorter length makes this noragi particularly adaptable: it layers well over denim or trousers without overwhelming the silhouette, and the hand-stitched striped cotton offers excellent material for handmade and remake projects — pouches, patchwork, boro repairs, or careful repurposing of the cloth itself.
One piece. One story. No two alike.