HYUUMiL Creation Story

Ten years of buying all kinds of silk products in search of the ideal underwear

I have sweaty, cold, sensitive skin," said Kohsaka, who has suffered from skin problems since she was in her 20s. She became severely stressed while working as a counselor at a cosmetic surgery center, and her skin became itchy and rough. The first thing she noticed something different was that her synthetic fiber underwear no longer fit her body. So he switched to 100% cotton underwear, but when he sweated, it clung to his skin, and the cotton that absorbed sweat significantly took away his body heat. The rough texture was also very stressful for Kohsaka. Next, he turned his attention to underwear made of silk. He ordered expensive silk products from overseas, and when he tried them on, his previous worries and stresses disappeared like a lie.
The good thing about silk is that it feels smooth and silky to the touch, and no matter how much you move around, it doesn't feel stiff and is comfortable to wear. It never gets stuffy or cold, and it never feels hot or cold, no matter what the season.

After this eye-opening experience, Kohsaka became so impressed with the comfort of silk that he began to buy more and more silk underwear. From expensive foreign brands to inexpensive products, he bought whatever caught his eye without hesitation. To his surprise, however, they did not feel as comfortable or pleasant to wear as the first products he purchased. This is true even if the product is from a major luxury brand. What is the difference between the two products, even though they are underwear made of the same silk? The reason lies in an unexpected place.
I found out after purchasing a variety of underwear that the quality of the same silk can be completely different depending on how it is knitted," says Kohsaka. As Mr. Kabusaka says, the texture, feel, and elasticity of fabrics made from the same yarn vary greatly depending on the knitting method.
Generally, "jersey knitting" is used in many apparel products. It can be made from any type of yarn, such as cotton or polyester, is easy to process, and is cost-effective due to the small amount of yarn used. On the other hand, it is said to have the disadvantages of having two sides to the fabric and being prone to fluffing. On the other hand, "smooth knitting" uses twice the amount of yarn. There is no two sides to the fabric, and there is also a significant difference in the feel of the fabric.

No, not this!" Unparalleled The difference is in the smooth knitting

The first silk underwear I bought was made of smooth knitting. I couldn't believe that it was the same silk material and it felt so good against my skin that I began to prefer smooth-knit products," says KASAKA. He has continued to use silk products ever since, but he has always had some dissatisfaction with any of them. For example, the size and design. For example, the width of the garment was too wide, or the design was such that he could never show the garment in public. With such problems, he searched for the ideal silk underwear for 10 years since he was in his 20s.
A turning point for Ms. Kohsaka was the remote work that spread with the Corona disaster. He began to have too much time on his hands after finishing his regular work, and he gradually became concerned about his future. I don't know if I can keep doing what I'm doing now. I want to try something new, but I don't know what I can do. But I don't know what I can do. When he was talking about this with a friend, he said, "Then, why don't you try making your own underwear? You've been worried about it for a long time, haven't you?

If you don't have the underwear you want, you can make it yourself. That was the first step toward launching an original brand. Naturally, he had no experience in apparel planning or manufacturing. Although I am an amateur, I am sure that there must be people who have the same skin problems as I do. Although there may not be many of them, I decided that I wanted to make products for people who really need them.
The needs are narrow and niche, but that is why there must be people who want the real thing. However, this unprecedented project was not going to be an easy one. The first obstacle was the fact that there were no smooth-knit silk fabrics available in Japan. Kohsaka compiled a list of fabric wholesalers and called them one by one, asking if he could procure smooth-knit silk. However, the answer from all of the suppliers was no. This is because smooth knitting uses twice as much yarn as usual, which means doubling the number of needles set in the production equipment and doubling the amount of yarn applied to all the work. After the work is done, the company returns to normal production, which makes every process more complicated. Smooth knitting is said in the industry to "make craftsmen cry. It was thought that it would be difficult to achieve.
The first time I ordered a sample, I was told, "Even if you don't use smooth knitting, you can make a good one using jersey knitted silk. The first sample he ordered was a big disappointment to Mr. Kohsaka. It's not the same at all. It's not like this. The quality I wanted could only be achieved with smooth knitting. His desire to have the quality he wanted only became stronger and stronger, but he could not find a single supplier who could meet his expectations.

The answer you were looking for,I found it in China, the home of silk.

We can do smooth knitting at our factory in China. We have over 30 years of experience with local factories, so we can accept any order. Mr. Kohsaka continued to inquire at fabric wholesalers and received the answer he had hoped for. The fabric wholesaler is a long-established company based in Chiba Prefecture. They have a factory in China and can flexibly handle smooth knitting. However, what came to Kohsaka's mind was the need for domestic production. He wanted to stick to domestic production, which offered superior quality to that of China. However, upon further research, he realized that this idea was fundamentally wrong.
Originally, silk came to Japan from China. China, which has been dealing with silk since much earlier than Japan, has the world's highest technology. Furthermore, in China, smooth knitting is the standard when it comes to silk, and jersey knitting is rarer. The phenomenon was completely opposite to that in Japan. This is why smooth-knit silk fabrics can be obtained with reliable technology while costs are kept low, and sewing can be entrusted with peace of mind. The reversal of the idea that "we should not compromise with Chinese production, but insist on Chinese production because it is silk" will be the key to a comeback.

They were very particular about not only the texture of the fabrics, but also the sewing and design details, and ordered all of them from a Chinese factory. The local factories were accustomed to the detailed orders from Europe and Japan, where there are many world-class apparel makers, and they were the ones to whom the client could feel secure in requesting production. First of all, we were particular about the sewing process to flatten the seams between the fabrics. We asked for a special sewing method that would not have any seams standing up, so as not to interfere with the smooth feel of the silk. In addition, only the highest quality silk was carefully selected as the material for the garment to ensure that no compromises were made.
The design was also refined into a unique product based on the concepts of "no tightness," "no bulging," and "Simple is Best. Kohsaka was particularly particular about the "design that does not get in the way of fashion. Let us introduce the ingenuity that went into each of the "HYUUMiL" tops, bottoms, and camisoles.

Does not interfere with fashion Exquisite design

First of all, the tops have been calculated to an exquisite length so that the undergarments will not be visible through the sleeves of the jacket. The collar part is also designed to be just on the edge of not being excessively open, not to mention not sticking out even when a crew-neck jacket is worn. The piping at the collar seam is also flat, so the seam is not noticeable even when wearing a sweater or cut-and-sew garment. The sleeves are also ingenious, tapering from the shoulders to the wrists, so they do not slip down when the arms are rolled up.
Next, the bottoms are sewn flat, so the crotch area does not irritate the skin. By making them slightly high-waisted, they cover the stomach area well, and the hips also feel comfortable as if they were wrapped around the body. While the length is not visible through the ankle pants, the hems of the bottoms can be tucked into socks during the cold season. Both the top and bottoms feature a simple design that can be worn by both men and women.

As for the newly released camisoles, Kohsaka says, "We are particular about designs that do not look childish. The design is based on the development concept of "camisoles for adults," and is calculated to show the lines of the chest and back beautifully even when seen through a T-shirt. The slightly deeper curve of the neckline expresses femininity, and although it is underwear, it does not look like underwear. The thin shoulder straps are also used to give the garment a more mature look, just as the concept suggests.
All products are machine washable. If you want to treat them more delicately, hand washing is recommended, but you can treat them like regular clothes by putting them in a net, setting the washing mode to "Teinei Wash" and using a fashionable detergent (neutral detergent). However, the use of a dryer is not allowed. By drying in the shade, the texture will be preserved for a long enough period of time.
At the end of the interview, he told us, "Once you try it, you will never be able to wear other underwear again. Please give it a try. The product, which took three years to develop from the conception, is filled with confidence and the creator's passion.