June. 2026 The New Yoshida Times "God is in the details"

Hello everyone. This is Yoshida from milestone.

This time, following up on the previous entry where I talked a lot about clothes, this is the concluding part of the troublesome trivia. LOL
I'll be writing about what I consider when creating milestone apparel products, so please bear with me until the end if you like.

In the previous entry, I wrote that "every piece of clothing has a background and reason for its material and shape," which is something I learned through my experience with various types of clothing. This is especially true for outdoor wear, where each piece exists for a specific purpose (i.e., an outdoor activity).

When milestone's Nishioka and I met, it was around the time Nishioka had developed a cap to attach headlamps, then socks for running, and was finally starting to seriously consider developing apparel like tops and bottoms.

The development of milestone apparel begins by defining the activity for which the product will be worn. For the Natty Shorts and Onion Hoody that came later, we also firmly decided on the "purpose" of these garments during the planning stage, which led us to develop them specifically for "trail running."

Then, we select the materials to achieve that purpose and then consider the shape. From there, we repeatedly create samples, testing them in the field and refining the fine details and shape.

For example, regarding the three pockets on the waist of the Natty Shorts, has anyone noticed that the side zipper and the back front zipper pulls have different shapes?

The selection of these detailed parts is the result of thoroughly considering their respective positions and uses. We use rubberized parts on both zippers to make them as compact as possible and easy to open and close during activity.

At that time, I was still working for another company, so after work, I would routinely meet with Nishioka at a Starbucks in Osaka Castle Park to discuss samples, and then go for a run. The person in the middle is Hagi-san, the writer. LOL

For the Onion Hoody, we also repeatedly tested sample fabrics before coloring to select the most suitable fabric from many candidates. Finally, we used the chosen fabric on a journey of approximately 200km, including the entire Shin-etsu Trail, and gained confidence that this was the right fabric to use.

Now, if we delve further into the detailed manufacturing of apparel, we enter the realm of patterns. I believe that beautiful clothes are born when design (overall shape), material, pattern, parts, sewing thread, details like embroidery, and sewing techniques all work together. Therefore, refining the pattern to our satisfaction was an unavoidable path. However, patterns are a field for specialists called pattern makers, and it was a part that Nishioka and I, without such skills, could not easily enter.

Therefore, I reached out to Zunko-san, a former colleague pattern maker with whom I had teamed up during my previous job in children's clothing, and also a senior mountain climbing buddy who taught me mountaineering. She then joined us to supervise the sample pattern adjustments.

Before Milestone Teradacho was established, Nishioka, Zunko-san, and I often discussed patterns, deliberating back and forth, in the food court of a shopping mall near Zunko-san's workplace.

There is a special joy in creating each product that we believe in, wearing that product to a crucial race, and being supported by that product to complete it. Last year, when I challenged the Saitama 100-mile as the culmination of my trail running life, I was fortunate enough to be wrapped in milestone apparel that we developed ourselves and carried safely to the finish line. Incidentally, the pattern for the Doo-Bop Sleeveless T-Shirt I wore then was created from scratch by Zunko-san.

The meticulous attention to detail I've written about above might not be 100% conveyed to those who pick up our products. Nevertheless, we will continue to delve into every single detail when creating any item, and we intend to create products with reasons and convictions behind every choice we make.

I believe that this commitment will reflect in the product's demeanor and reach those who truly need its functions, and we will continue to develop new products with this in mind.

Reading it back myself, it sounds a bit intense. *sweat emoji*
Next time, I'd like to change the topic and write about the BAMBI100 from my perspective as one of the project members.

Your feedback, opinions, or topics you'd like us to cover would be greatly encouraging.
See you next month, farewell, farewell, farewell.