Kapital Fuji Smile Printed Jersey Tee

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—01. Garment washed.

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After years of wearing T-shirts with graphics, I got into the habit of avoiding shirts that made any sort of statement with an image at all. That time has passed and while I’m still leery about making grand exclamations with my T-shirt choices, I am definitely open to the idea of some small proclamation. This option from Kapital makes that a pretty easy transition, considering I, like many others, have always found the image of Mount Fiji to be a powerful one, and who can resist the beaming visage of the classic smiley face?

— Superdenim

Kapital Katsuragi Django Pea Coat

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—01. 100% cotton.

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Kapital’s restrained designs are the ones that always catch my eye, ranking alongside some of the best from any Japanese brand. This single breasted pea coat is certainly of that ilk, featuring an overall simplicity, free from any superfluous details. The shorter cut and option to button the lapel at the neck make it a good choice if you're looking for a unique, lightweight cotton version of the always classic naval style.

—Available from Blue Button Shop

Kapital Light Oz Denim Zip Work Shirt

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—01. 100% Cotton.

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The Zip Work Shirt is a standout design from Kapital filled with interesting details, making it a uniquely styled choice next to the rest of the vintage-inspired work shirts out there. The removable collar button strap is a nice touch alongside the heavy-duty zipper and lower buttoned placket. Constructed in a lightweight denim fabric it's as easy to wear as it is distinct.

—Available at Haven

Kapital Moleskin Ring Coat

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—01. 100% Cotton.

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The Moleskin Ring Coat is becoming a real staple in the Kapital Fall-Winter line-up. It seems really versatile, taking cues from the M-65, and definitely looks comfortable with its large enveloping hood and double breasted closure.

—Available at Blue in Green

Kapital Hunting Coverall

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—01. Made in Japan.

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This might be the simplest and most refined piece of outerwear that Kapital has manufactured in a while. Sometimes Kapital fabrics are a little too 'crazy quilt' for me, even though I know the construction is going to be incredible. In general I like mostly monochromatic pieces. This style of hunting jacket made of cotton moleskin, rarely seen in black, with the classic brown corduroy collar, is the best example I've seen. It's more modern than the caramel coloured vintage version but still a more traditional jacket than usual from Kapital.

—Available at Hickoree's

Kapital Kogin Socks

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—01. Navy.
—02. Bordeaux.

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Tres Bien have just taken stock of a few styles from the Kapital Spring-Summer '13 collection, and among the offering these Kogin socks caught my eye. Available in two colourways, Navy and Bourdeaux, they're made in Japan and feature a blocked knit pattern.

—Available at Tres Bien

Kapital Bandanas

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—01. Dragon fly black.
—02. Osechi navy.

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Japanese brand Kapital love their bandanas. The designer produced a beautiful book called Elephant Brand documenting his collection of bandanas. Kapital's own versions feature interesting graphics on beautiful selvage cottons.

—Available at Context

Elephant Brand

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—01. Kazuhiro Hirata's collection of bandanas is documented in Elephant Brand.

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Kazuhiro Hirata spent ten years bringing together an assortment of bandanas he wanted to wear. While in the beginning the Kapital frontman wasn't necessarily collecting them per se, a decade later and he had an impressive collection. After he'd amassed hundreds of them, mostly fast color ones, he catalogued them into this book Elephant Brand, which I finally managed to track down recently. The book gives a brief history of the cloth from all the way back in the 1600s and the Hindi origin of the word, through the American Gold Rush era up until it's prominence in Work and Western brands of the '40s and '50s. It's pretty much all in Japanese, with the exception of the amazing names Hirata has given each of his bandanas. Despite that though, the book is a fantastic visual reference of some amazing patterns and designs. It's an excellent addition for any coffee table.