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Back to 100% Cotton! What Makes MUJI's "Warm Cotton Innerwear" Different?
Previously, I introduced "Cool Cotton Innerwear" as a hit product for summer from MUJI. At that time, what became clear was the overwhelming trust in "cotton". And now, this season, the winter item "Warm Cotton Innerwear" has been updated, with the phrase "This year, it's 100% soft cotton" being promoted.
"100% Cotton." This truly reflects the company's philosophy and is what consumers expect the most. Therefore, we spoke with Iori Takagaki from the Clothing & Goods Department and Ryo Oyamada from the Production Development Department to discuss the power of "cotton" and the appeal of "Warm Cotton Innerwear."
PROFILE
Iori Takagaki
Ryohin Keikaku Co., Ltd.
Clothing & Goods Department Innerwear Manager
PROFILE
Ryo Oyamada
Ryohin Keikaku Co., Ltd.
Production Development Department
Conveying the Excellence of Cotton
Can you tell us about the background of the development of Warm Cotton Innerwear?
TakagakiWe started selling heat-generating innerwear in 2011. At that time, we had about five types, but we couldn’t grow them into items representative of MUJI's seasonal innerwear. So, in 2022, we decided to sell the "Warm Cotton Series" as our flagship product for fall and winter innerwear, shifting the focus to conveying the excellence of cotton.
MUJI’s clothing products often feature natural materials like cotton and linen, which can be considered one of our strengths. We have received strong support from customers, and thus we have been developing products to maximize the features of cotton, which is the fundamental material for innerwear.
While general functional innerwear often consists of synthetic fibers and the market is competitive, our goal is to expand within the market using natural fiber cotton.
Please reiterate the excellence of cotton.
OyamadaCotton has been used since ancient times and is a very familiar material to us. The functions that cotton possesses include moisture absorption, hygroscopicity, thermal insulation due to its hollow structure, elasticity, stretchability, and biodegradability, among many others.
Cotton is gentler on the skin compared to synthetic fibers. On the other hand, sebum plays a role in preventing skin dryness. Synthetic fibers tend to bond easily with sebum, pulling necessary oils from the skin and making it prone to dryness. Additionally, cotton retains moisture better than synthetic fibers, providing a soft skin feel and reducing static electricity, which is a cause of skin itching.
Enhanced Moisture Absorption & Heat Generation Technology
What differences exist between general "cotton" and "Warm Cotton"?
OyamadaCotton generates warmth through moisture absorption, while "Warm Cotton" increases the molecules that bind moisture in cotton, enhancing the ability to absorb water, and thus improving heat generation performance.
Moreover, because the binding occurs at the molecular level, this function persists even after repeated washes, which is a significant feature.
Was this modification technology developed specifically for Warm Cotton?
OyamadaThe modification is applied to the cotton itself, and we have specially developed yarn specifically for Warm Cotton using the modified cotton. There are three types of Warm Cotton Innerwear, each made from different yarn. It took several tens or hundreds of prototypes to finally arrive at the current form.
The True Value of the 100% Cotton "Warm Cotton Innerwear"
The Warm Cotton Series has now become 100% cotton. What aspects are you particular about?
TakagakiMUJI’s clothing and innerwear products have received substantial support from customers who appreciate cotton. For the fall and winter seasons of 2022 and 2023, we incorporated rayon to enhance smoothness and thinness. However, feedback from customers indicated that they preferred innerwear made solely from cotton more than we had anticipated.
Therefore, by developing innerwear that maximizes the use of cotton, we aim to meet customer expectations, and we believe achieving this will become a unique strength that sets us apart from other companies.
What challenges did you face to achieve 100% cotton?
OyamadaTo create stretch and fit, typical innerwear contains a small amount of polyurethane. For instance, it might be 97% cotton and 3% polyurethane. However, our company did not compromise on that 3% and continued product development.
Overcoming this required a complete review of everything, leading to significant changes in threads, knitting techniques, sewing, and patterns.
This season, we can finally sell a series made of 100% cotton, mainly due to innovations in warm cotton materials, alongside the changes in threads, knitting, sewing, and patterns.
Please tell us about the lineup of “Warm Cotton Innerwear” and their individual features.
TakagakiWith a desire for customers to wear items suited to their living environments, we prepared three types.
“Warm Cotton” is designed for chilly days, offers a wide variety, and emphasizes fit, even while being 100% cotton. We revised the knitting technique to rib knitting, ensuring the sewing allowances are less likely to touch the skin.
For outdoor enthusiasts, we have “Warm Cotton Heavyweight,” which incorporates a slight brushing to provide even more warmth and features a design that can be worn as a single layer.
Finally, for those in extremely cold regions like heavy snow areas, we offer a wool-blend version called “Warm Cotton Wool.” We use a very fine wool of 17.5 microns for a soft touch. By brushing the inside, it has the thickest layer in the Warm Cotton series and can also be worn alone.
Aside from “Warm Cotton Wool,” almost all items have become 100% cotton［1］, so I believe that customers who previously purchased products and those who have long awaited 100% cotton will be able to enjoy these items for a long time.
You mentioned significant changes in fabric and knitting; are there differences between men’s and women’s items?
TakagakiSince 70% of our customers are women, we have a wider variety of women’s options, but the basic fabric and sewing are the same for both men’s and women’s items, using organic cotton.
The specifications around the neckline differ between men’s and women’s. The men’s items have a casual t-shirt vibe, while the women’s are designed by our designers to pair beautifully with tops. Particularly for Warm Cotton, we have a delicate finish that doesn’t show through the outer wear.
How has the response been from customers now that it is 100% cotton?
TakagakiOnline reviews frequently mention, “It’s the best with 100% cotton” and “I’m so glad it’s 100% cotton,” and we receive high praise.
Although there are still few reviews, I hope that as winter progresses, more reviews for “Warm Cotton” will appear, which would make us very happy.
What future developments can we expect for “Warm Cotton”?
TakagakiThe “Warm Cotton” material is expanding its use beyond innerwear as a winter cotton that feels warm. This season, we have started selling new men’s chino pants made from Warm Cotton. We also added “Warm Cotton Socks” last year, which incorporate features to suppress odors from sweat due to winter moisture. Additionally, we offer bedding items like duvet covers made from Warm Cotton material.
OyamadaWe aim to not only increase the variety of products using “Warm Cotton” but also to explore more effective applications of cotton modification technology.
As we feel the changing climate during each season, we will continue to create products suited to summer and winter and respond to customer needs, so we believe the image of “MUJI as a cotton brand” will become more widespread.
This season's “Warm Cotton” series has updated some items to 100% cotton. We hope you will experience this comfort for yourself.
《Note》
［1］Some items are excluded
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