When we first got Ten C at our store, now more than 10 years ago the first style that was available was the Field Jacket, a style we still carry today. A pure product with a simple premise. One fabric. Four colours. Seven jackets. Forever.
A lot has changed since, and Ten C has introduced more models, colours and also went on to use more than just the Original Japanese Jersey fabric but it's still very much the basis of the brand. A hard wearing shell jacket that can be worn year-round whenever the weather turns foul, machine washed when needed and combined with any Ten C liner of the same size to add that extra warmth when it gets colder. A timeless jacket meant to last a lifetime.
The Orginal Japanese Jersey is knitted fabric made from polyester micro fibre/nylon yarn cloth that was originally developed for the sailing industry. It's one of the most complicated and difficult to fabricate fabrics in the world and Ten C is still the only brand that is willing to take on the challenge and the problems associated with garment dyeing such a fabric because it believes that the resulting feel, touch and quality is worth it.
We often compare the fabric as that of a nice pair of Japanese jeans, a bit stiff at the start but they only get softer over time with washing and wearing, the jeans really become yours. Like the jeans the waterproof OJJ fabric will mold to your body and get it's own patina over years of use.
For the fall season of 2023 we wanted to reintroduce some icons of the Ten C collection.
The Field Jacket
The one that started it all for us, the Field jacket has always been a staple in our collection as it's the perfect high-low piece worn big over a blazer or just on your favorite pair of jeans. Based on the classic M-65 jacket, this version, with its front zip, press stud closure, drawstring waist and rolled up hood in the collar pocket is close to the model used from 1965 onwards, it has all the same utalitarian qualities we love about the original. When we first presented the jacket all those years back we did that with the orange liner, hinting at it's military past where the green was often paired with a bright orange lining. Now all those years later we still love the combination and have the liner available with and without a hood.
The Parka
The Parka by Ten C is a classic fishtail parka, one of their most iconic models to date. Originally designed for heavy weather protection in the 50's for the Korean war it was adapted by counter culture groups not long after, most notably Mod culture in the 60's. Post-war the parka's were cheap, warm, relatively waterproof and just great for riding a Vespa. The parka has had many more connotations and uses through the years and has long transcended it's military past. Ten C's version is a timeless iteration featuring a removable hood, a tuckable fishtail, enough room for layering and a hood that fends of all the nasty weather. It's an icon and we believe it will be for many years to come.
The Tempest Anorak
The shorter Tempest Anorak is a combination of vintage military field jackets and modern hunting smocks. A big storm flapped hood and the double flapped storm placket make sure no wind or water gets into the jacket and the big flapped cargo pockets make storing stuff really comfortable.
The Artic Down Parka
Another staple in the Ten C collection, is a high-end water-resistant down jacket, suitable for the colder months thanks to a dependable water-resistant white duck down insulated fill for added warmth. The jacket finds, like most other Ten C jackets in a military jacket, the N-3B heavy flight jacket more commonly known as the "Snorkel Parka", which was originally issued in the 50's as the answer to ultra-cold, windy environments some U.S. Flight Crews faced. The jacket was actually more suited to carrier flight decks than cramped cockpits and gained a wider popularity outside of the military due to it's amazing qualities as a winter jacket.
This jacket has been crafted with a special nylon Tactel fabric from the Tactel family of Nylons. First developed in the 1980’s by ICI and then Dupont, the idea was to have all the advantages of a synthetic fibre but with the look and feel of a natural one. Whilst giving faster drying times and increased strength and durability. As it is impossible to garment dye cotton and down together, this Tactel derivation is ideal. It's one of the best down jackets we ever had and a favorite among the staff and clients.
SHOP THE TEN C COLLECTION
