04

MILITARY

Military clothing is essentially the pursuit of functionality productivity. These types of garments and gear have been developed for war, not peace. That calculated minimum look has become an essential fashion item. Because these items are mass-produced, they have made their way into the market as surplus that private individuals end up wearing.
It was the M-51 field jacket manufactured during the Korean War that drifted onto the markets sold at a low price. It was the catalyst marking a change in perception with people starting to view military clothing as fashion. Durable against the cold and dirt, the field jacket easily slips on so your suit doesn’t get dirty. It first gained popularity among a youth subculture known as the Mods in Britain in the 1950s and 60s.
Before long, the Vietnam War broke out in the 1960s and the hippie movement rose up celebrating a return to nature within the antiwar movement in the United States. Even so, military wear became a symbol of the antiwar movement and turned out to be quite popular among the younger generation who saw it as inexpensive outdoor gear.
The cloth as well as every component of a garment is there for a specific reason. Military wear is constantly being updated and improved. There are a variety of styles, from souvenir jackets to small items that soldiers have crafted to commemorate a post where they were stationed. Military wear is the thorough pursuit of functionality and productivity with fortitude and simplicity. In other words, it is the ultimate workwear and has also been called the original model for outdoor wear. For us at BOY, this is one category of clothing that we must have.

ITEMS
  • SOUVENIR SHIRT
  • HENLEY NECK
    T-SHIRT
  • SOUVENIR JACKET
  • SOUVENIR JACKET
  • CHINOS
  • OVERALLS
ITEMS
  • SOUVENIR SHIRT
  • HENLEY NECK
    T-SHIRT
  • SOUVENIR JACKET
  • SOUVENIR JACKET
  • CHINOS
  • OVERALLS
SOUVENIR SHIRT
Souvenir Shirt : TAILOR TOYO × BEAMS BOY ¥27,500 BUY
Vietnam Shirt : TAILOR TOYO × BEAMS BOY ¥27,500 BUY
SOUVENIR SHIRT
The BOY 25th anniversary collaboration with Tailor Toyo isn’t just about souvenir jackets. Although this item is not an actual relic of a bygone era, we visualized putting the souvenir and Vietnam jacket embroidery on a souvenir T-shirt. Using the pattern of the popular Alaska jacket with its lightning bolt and polar bear, we arranged the embroidery on a T-shirt design to souvenir jacket specifications by putting dogs on the sleeves instead of dogsleds. For the T-shirt embroidery modeled after the Vietnam jacket, we appropriated the idea of a map of Vietnam on the back and a tiger as well as the Chinese character for good fortune on the front, but made the Dragon on the sleeve a little smaller. Also, just as with the souvenir jacket, we wanted it to look as though it had aged from 25 years of wear. These T-shirts are special pieces for which there is no original source, so you won’t want to miss this limited opportunity!
Souvenir Shirt : TAILOR TOYO × BEAMS BOY ¥27,500 BUY
Vietnam Shirt : TAILOR TOYO × BEAMS BOY ¥27,500 BUY
HENLEY NECK
T-SHIRT
Henley Neck T-shirt : BEAMS BOY ¥9,680 *each item BUY
HENLEY NECK
T-SHIRT
A cut-and-sew Henley neck T-shirt is a BOY essential. We are very proud of our new spring/summer version. The inspiration for this creation is the overall-type military outerwear of the 1930s. You may have seen cut-and-sewn garments made from secondhand military wear. These T-shirts incorporate a similar concept, reconstructing materials into a cut-and-sew design. The Henley neck detail of one button is a holdover from the specifications of the original undergarment. As this is derived from military clothing, we, of course, use cat eye buttons. You’ll likely be able to feel how deep our attachment is to the Henley neck T-shirt once you see all five color variations we’ve prepared.
Henley Neck T-shirt : BEAMS BOY ¥9,680 *each item BUY
Just like the original, we used two types of stitching to re-create a slight difference in color.
We also kept the knitted ribbing on the sleeve.
In the design, we left the button slit around the hips so that it breaks off at about the waist.
SOUVENIR JACKET
Souvenir Jacket : TAILOR TOYO × BEAMS BOY ¥68,200 BUY
Vietnam Jacket : TAILOR TOYO × BEAMS BOY ¥52,800 BUY

ROOTS

The souvenir jacket got its start not long after the war when American soldiers stationed in Japan would stitch on their jackets the name of their unit and an oriental pattern displaying an eagle, tiger, dragon, or some other figure in part to commemorate their deployment. Kosho & Co., predecessor of Toyo Enterprise, was involved in those origins. During the postwar confusion, the company targeted soldiers wanting a souvenir of something traditionally Japanese such as a kimono or obi, and one of the items (souvenirs) that Kosho & Co. employees made was this jacket. Modeled after a baseball jacket, which was very familiar to Americans, Japanese craftsmen added oriental embroidery that the soldiers would like. At the time, it was difficult to come upon silk, so the tailors used acetate fabric, which had a silky appearance. Because they were sold around Yokosuka Naval Base, these jackets came to be called Sukajan in Japan. This collaboration with Japan’s world-class Tailor Toyo is the BOY 25th anniversary project. Our collection has taken the souvenir jacket and modified it into a compact size inspired by a rare vintage children’s jacket displayed next to a register at a secondhand clothing shop, which previously resonated so well with BOY fashion enthusiasts. We also aged it to make it look like it had been worn for 25 years.

This is a specially-ordered series from Tailor Toyo that some might say is a BOY specialty. The souvenir jacket and Vietnam jacket, our 25th anniversary projects, come in black that has been aged as if worn for 25 years. The color selected for the souvenir jacket, which is based on the common Alaska jacket distinguished by its bolt of lightning and polar bear design, is ink black. This is a faded black, deliberately chosen to represent the character 墨, sumi meaning ink, from Sumida ward where Toyo Enterprises is headquartered. The Vietnam jacket, which emerged during the Vietnam War, re-creates the texture of the embroidery and fabric faded with wear and age to give the material a timeworn texture. Both jackets are of a quality and degree of perfection outshining vintage wear.
Souvenir Jacket :
TAILOR TOYO × BEAMS BOY
¥68,200 BUY
Vietnam Jacket :
TAILOR TOYO × BEAMS BOY
¥52,800 BUY
ROOTS
This style combines the short-length souvenir jacket and high-waisted denim jeans, and is inspired by the exquisite balance of the military wear that Marilyn Monroe wore in the 1950s. She is the exact role model for military wear dress that BOY aspires to.
ARRANGE
Although Yokosuka and Hawaii are far apart, the souvenir jacket and a Hawaiian shirt can of course be worn together. Both represent American casual style of the 1990s, so let’s bring them together. The souvenir jacket can also be reversed if you dare to desire that look.
ROOTS
We go for a straight military style, adorning chinos and “Military Apron DERBY” shoes with the Vietnam jacket. Although not really visible, we’re wearing a Henley neck T-shirt underneath. It’s a simple motif, but the kids-size jacket length and short sleeves are striking.
ARRANGE
Even if the roots of the items you’re wearing don’t coincide at all, the coordinate will work if the colors are in tune. Here the Vietnam jacket embroidery, yellow Aloha slacks, Ringer T-shirt piping, and green in the pattern of the slacks are intrinsically linked. This is what the BOY style color-game technique is all about.
MORE ITEMS

Check out our online shop for more inspirations

CHINOS
CHINOS
In the process of researching America during the 1970s, an important time period for BOY roots, what stood out were the many cut-off pants. We thought this probably wasn’t an intentional design feature, just people shortening the long legs to a length of their liking. However, it turned out this was somehow linked to the hippie mindset of the time and people were creating cut-off chinos. Of course, the original model was the Euro military chinos of the 1950s. If you’re suddenly rushing to the conclusion that these are Euro vintage chinos, well then, you might want to take a step back. Even in the United States at the time, there were many students wearing Euro military surplus. Let’s wear a pair of cut-off chinos, but not cuff the hems.
Thread kite string through the belt loops to emulate the detail at the time that helped chinos endure. The hip pockets are beaded on one side, a feature unique to military trousers.
A hewn hemline does, in fact, re-create the original chinos.
OVERALLS
OVERALLS
These overalls were inspired by the salvager trousers worn by US Navy seamen in the 1940s. At the time, the United States was in the middle of World War II, and materials were in such short supply that tailors couldn’t even attach buttons to the clothes, which led people to tie the shoulder straps to adjust the fit. Many of these overalls found among secondhand clothing are made of unbleached cloth. Denim would be a rare find for sure, so we decided to offer two colors: natural and black denim.
Because there is quite a bit more room around the waist, we used herringbone tape on the sides to adjust the sizing. These streamlined overalls stand out on account of their simple yet poignant design features.
Originally, there was only one flat pocket on the right thigh, but BOY added hip pockets. Not surprisingly, overalls need hip pockets.
MILITARY ALL ITEMS

Check out our online shop for more inspirations

ABOUT

Twenty-five years ago in 1998, the first BEAMS BOY shop opened in Harajuku.
The concept is simple. As expressed in the name, BEAMS BOY was created for boyish girls attracted to men’s clothing who want to blend it into their look.

What is it about essential men’s clothing that we are drawn to?
It’s the deep-rooted heritage.
Clothing with a well-defined genealogy carries a story in the enduring details and evokes a warmth produced from its unique fortitude and continuing embrace.
More particularly, those clothes were created for a specific purpose and continue to pass on their folklore along with meticulous craftsmanship.
And, we want to walk along our journey amidst those clothes.
That is our creed.

We have created our own unparalleled value in five core categories spanning heavy-duty items for work, military and sports that have always been dearly loved ever since their creation in addition to the Ivy League and Preppy looks exemplifying the American traditional style.
These five categories are the core of what it means to be BEAMS BOY.

Knowing where someone or something originally comes from, the roots planted before the heritage that we see, is part of the fun of the fashion story.
Moreover, with a knowledge of that background, we then produce our own arrangements.
Our hope here is to pen a bible of sorts for crafting your own style, a style that is encompassed by that heritage and focus.

If you see something that piques your interest, open to that page and discover.
The more we learn about heritage, the story behind an article of clothing, the fonder we become of it.
The coordinates that we find are a delightful joy.
“THE INDEX: BOY” is a stylebook that brings you a behind the scenes look at this history for a better understanding of BEAMS BOY clothes.

BEAMS BOY> THE INDEX:BOY> MILITARY