Hello! This is Ame-ko from the Americajean select shop HELICE.
"Workwear" such as overalls and work jackets are essential to "Americajean."
This time, it's the latter half of the history of workwear's birth!
＜Table of Contents＞
Part 1: How Americajean was born in America
Chapter 1: What is Americajean?
Chapter 2: The Pioneer Era and the Birth of Jeans
Chapter 3: The Golden Age of Workwear Part 1 & 2 ← Here!
Chapter 4: The Birth of Military Wear
Chapter 5: Movies, Music, and Youth Culture
Chapter 6: Ivy, Preppy, and Hippie Culture
Part 2: How Americajean became a culture in Japan
Chapter 7: GHQ and the Inflow of American Culture
8: VAN and the Ivy Boom
9: Shibuya Casual and Vintage Clothing Boom
10: Magazines that Fostered Americajean Culture
Part 3: Japan becomes the world's leading Americajean nation
11: Okayama Denim and Kojima
Chapter 12: The Birth of Replica Brands
Chapter 13: The Philosophy of Japanese Americajean Brands
Chapter 14: "Made in Japan" Appreciated Worldwide
Final Chapter HELICE's Message on Americajean Culture
Men working hundreds of meters underground ── Miners
From the late 19th century to the early 20th century, "coal" was the most important energy source supporting America's development.
Coal was indispensable for running steam locomotives, operating factories, and making iron in steel mills.
And it was the miners who dug out that coal.
Their workplace was deep underground.
It was a harsh environment where sunlight couldn't reach, the air was damp, and coal dust flew around.
They would crouch, rub their bodies against the rock face, and swing pickaxes all day long.
Their clothes would chafe against the rocks, tear, and become stained black with mud and sweat every day.
Pockets were large enough to hold tools.
Seams were double or triple-stitched so they wouldn't tear easily. Rivets were driven into areas that needed reinforcement.
They favored overalls.
Men confronting giant trees ── Lumberjacks
Meanwhile, in the forest regions of the West Coast and the North,
there were men felling enormous trees that had lived for hundreds of years.
The forests of America contained many giant trees over 50 meters tall.
Lumberjacks used huge saws and axes to cut them down.
Felling even one was a life-threatening task.
Misjudging the direction of the fall could lead to a major accident.
The weather in the mountains was changeable; it was not uncommon for it to be warm in the morning, rainy by noon, and cold by evening.
Therefore, "layering" was fundamental in forestry.
Heavy wool shirts.
Warm jackets.
Easy-to-move-in work pants.
And sturdy logger boots on their feet.
The clothes favored in forestry prioritized "warmth" and "durability" above all else.
People tilling the earth ── Farmers
Even with railroads and more factories, people cannot live without food.
Vast farmlands stretched across the American Midwest, where many farmers worked.
Farming involved crouching, standing, and moving around all day.
They got dirty with soil, wet with water, and dealt with livestock.
Therefore, farmers preferred overalls that allowed for easy movement.
The bib design was convenient as a pocket, allowing them to store tools, notepads, and small items.
Supported by shoulder straps, they also had the advantage of being less tiring than belts for long hours of work.
Different jobs, different clothes
Railroad workers had railroad worker clothes.
Miners had miners' clothes.
Lumberjacks had lumberjack clothes.
Farmers had farmers' clothes.
The functionalities required in each field gradually accumulated, and workwear evolved.
And the era moved from the Industrial Revolution to World War
And at the end of the 19th century into the 20th century, America underwent even greater changes.
From the age of steam to the age of electricity and oil.
The "Second Industrial Revolution" arrived, with giant factories being built one after another and the automotive industry rapidly developing,
and then the era shifted to the World Wars.
Military uniforms born in World War II.
In the next chapter, we will introduce the story of how masterpieces connecting to modern Americajean were born from military uniforms!
