These motifs remain to this day as common designs on sukajan. The original sukajan combined the two countries’ symbols like cherry blossoms, dragons, geishas, and eagles. His fellow servicemen followed suit as soon as they laid their eyes on this creative beauty. When American occupation drew to a close, he had the brilliant idea of taking his normal bomber jacket to the local tailor to have it embroidered, converting something that was regarded as a symbol of war into a priceless souvenir. In fact, there was one specific American serviceman who started it all. American GIs are basically the original creators of this distinctive embroidered style. Let’s travel back in time to the era of World War II - Yokosuga in Kanagawa Prefecture of Japan was the first few naval bases in Japan. Put it all together and you get “suka-jan”. The term is believed to be a portmanteau - it combines the end half of the name of the naval base city, Yokosuka, with the first half of the Japanese katakana translation for “jumper” which is just “jan”. In fact, just the name itself will give you a brief insight into where it came from. Like most popular fashion designs, sukajan has a long, rich, cultural origin. Image credit: wdstore_16 on Instagram Origins of Sukajan At least, that was how it began - and also how a lot of sukajan wearers are using it for. This puffy and loose, ribbed-collared and cuffed-sleeved, cropped and embroidered jacket is a fashion piece that’s both a staple and a trend, casual and dressy - and is more than just a bold fashion statement it’s a piece that retells your Japan experience. You probably would’ve seen the sukajan if you’ve watched the 2011 film, Drive, with Ryan Gosling donning a similar one - a white silk quilted bomber jacket with an embroidered golden scorpion on the back. And Japan is quite obsessed with baseball, so it’s no surprise that this style of clothing caught on. Silhouette-wise, they’re based on the classic American baseball jackets popularized by 1930svarsity teams. The Japanese bomber jacket is basically a type of outerwear, usually made of silk, that combines a typical varsity jacket style with dramatic embroidery of Japanese motifs including tigers, eagles, and of course, cherry blossoms. If you’ve never heard of the term “sukajan”, maybe you know it by its alternative names - does “souvenir jacket” or “rebel jacket” ring a bell? And when fashion enthusiasts (and even those who are not) find themselves in Japan, snagging a Japanese bomber jacket is basically senseless - it’s the perfect fashion souvenir. True enough, this style of outerwear has been blowing up the streets and Instagram feeds. It’s a piece that men wear every day, and it’s something I would wear for any occasion.” Canadian singer, The Weeknd, once said, “ For my generation, the bomber jacket is like a replacement for the suit jacket.
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