A.PRESSE
A guide to A.PRESSE, the Japanese menswear label reworking vintage workwear: its history, fit, fabrics and quality, plus this season's pieces at The Garbstore.
When you see so many clothes, it comes down to attention to detail, down to the minutiae - that's what really starts to set things apart. A.PRESSE creates items that feel amazing in hand, with distressing in all the right places. Many of the pieces are tried and tested silhouettes, upgraded through new techniques and luxurious fabrics that will last even longer, making them definitive purchases, worthy of their price. There was enough mystery around the brand for it to feel enticing.
The Brand
A.PRESSE is a Japanese menswear brand founded in 2021 by Kazuma Shigematsu. It's known for reworking classic American and French vintage workwear, military and tailored pieces, using fabrics developed in Japan and finishing done by hand.
Shigematsu describes A.PRESSE as a "clothing editorial department" - rather than designing from scratch, the brand picks garments that have already proved themselves and refines them. "There is too much information, too much influence," he has said, "and people want to go back to something iconic, simple, well made." That thinking sits behind the brand's guiding idea: understatement = unnoticed aesthetics. Many Japanese reproduction labels aim for an exact copy of a vintage original, but A.PRESSE keeps what works in an old garment and updates the rest, refining the fit for today with a deeper rise, a shorter body or a wider leg, and remaking it in premium, sometimes unexpected fabrics.
Construction & Fit
A.PRESSE's quality comes from its fabrics, its finishing and the way each piece is cut. Every fabric apart from leather is developed in Japan, from super 180 wool flannel to a cotton and silk blend woven with spun silk in the warp. Artisans add the colour variation, fading and distressing by hand, so no two pieces age in quite the same way, and trims such as original horn buttons, Riri zips and Fiocchi snaps are chosen with the same care.
That care carries through to the fit, which is generally relaxed. Workwear jackets have an easy body and a slightly shorter length. Tailoring sits closer, with a lower sleeve head for ease through the body. Sweatshirts, hoodies and T-shirts have dropped shoulders and a shorter length, and trousers are relaxed or wide in the leg. By reworking proven vintage designs and making them to last, A.PRESSE makes clothes to be worn for years rather than seasons.
This Season
One of the things A.PRESSE does so well is luxurious, definitive basics. We've tried to build out a core of these, primarily shirts, sweats and denim, as a matter of introduction. Having that core in place creates room for the truly special pieces: silk down jackets, beautiful blazers and perfect repro trousers that will be the standout in anybody's wardrobe. The showroom reflects the brand. It's a remarkable room with high Parisian ceilings in a Renaissance building, complete with a state-of-the-art hi-fi system, beautiful frescos and lampshades that blend the old and the new. The collection is massive, so every trip there is an adventure through hundreds of different styles, giving us total freedom to build a selection that we think best reflects The Garbstore. We'd pair it with Wanze, ssstein, Kaptain Sunshine and Still By Hand.
A.PRESSE Vintage Half Zip Sweatshirt
Made in Japan from cotton, the Vintage Half Zip Sweatshirt has a relaxed fit with a rounded silhouette, perfect for layering. There are no shoulder seams, an authentic vintage detail, and artisans add subtle colour variation and signs of age by hand, so each one differs slightly. It's finished with a half zip closure.
A.PRESSE No.37 Washed Wide Denim Pants
The No.37 Washed Wide Denim Pants are based on the 1937 501XX and cut from 13oz red selvedge indigo denim made in Japan. A.PRESSE deepens the rise slightly and spaces the back pockets further apart, which creates a small asymmetry that's easy to miss. Original iron tack buttons and hand-applied wash treatments give them the worn-in character of vintage denim from the first wear.
FAQ
Why did we pick A.PRESSE - what sold us on the brand?
It comes down to attention to detail, down to the minutiae. A.PRESSE pieces feel amazing in hand, with distressing in all the right places, and they take tried and tested silhouettes and upgrade them through new techniques and luxurious fabrics.
Who founded A.PRESSE?
Kazuma Shigematsu founded A.PRESSE in 2021. The brand reworks classic American and French vintage clothing in fabrics developed in Japan, with much of the finishing done by hand.
What does A.PRESSE do differently from other Japanese workwear brands?
A.PRESSE doesn't make exact reproductions. It keeps what works in a vintage original and updates the rest, refining the fit for today and remaking it in premium, sometimes unexpected fabrics that will last even longer.
What makes A.PRESSE special?
It's in the fabric and the finish. All of A.PRESSE's fabrics apart from leather are developed in Japan, and artisans add the fading and distressing by hand, making each piece a definitive purchase that will last for years.
How does A.PRESSE fit?
A.PRESSE generally has a relaxed fit. Workwear jackets have an easy body and a slightly shorter length; sweatshirts have dropped shoulders and trousers are relaxed or wide in the leg; tailoring sits closer.
What A.PRESSE do you stock?
We've built out a core of luxurious, definitive basics, primarily shirts, sweats and denim, as a matter of introduction. Alongside these are the truly special pieces: silk down jackets, beautiful blazers and perfect repro trousers.
What should I wear with A.PRESSE?
We'd pair A.PRESSE with Wanze, ssstein, Kaptain Sunshine and Still By Hand. Its core of shirts, sweats and denim also works as a base for the rest of your wardrobe.
Where can I buy A.PRESSE in the UK?
Couverture & The Garbstore is one of a small number of UK stockists of A.PRESSE, with the current season available in our store and online.
