Four centuries ago, Japanese textile makers started manipulating cloth not with machines, but with minerals. Using nothing more than salt, water and heat, they found they could distort cotton and silk, permanently altering its texture and structure. Salt-shrinking became part of a broader family of elemental techniques designed to warp the surface of fabric.

The first salt-shrunk materials were immersed in seawater but this method was hard to control and produced inconsistent results. Our nylon is dyed and treated by one of Japan’s leading textile mills using a specially developed benzyl alcohol, a more chemically precise approach to salt-shrinking. The swelling of the fibres creates a denser fabric with a subtle ripple effect all over. 

Traditionally used on cotton, salt-shrinking works by disturbing the hydrogen bonds in cellulose fibres. The fabric is soaked in a concentrated saline solution, forcing it to swell. Heat is then applied to collapse and fix the new texture in place. While the most famous example is seersucker cotton, we’ve evolved the method to work on recycled nylon – producing a surface that’s tough, puckered, and radically modern.

Each Salt-Shrunk Jacket is built with a two-layered construction. Both layers use nylon, with the outer shell made from lightweight, fully recycled Japanese nylon. It’s enhanced with a process called salt-shrinking – a centuries-old textile treatment that causes fibres to swell, collapse, and lock into permanent crinkles.

The puckering created by salt-shrinking naturally increases the fabric’s density, making it harder for water to pass through. On top of that, we’ve added a C0 fluorocarbon-free DWR so light rain simply rolls off the surface.

Where traditional seersucker was light and loose for humid climates, the Salt-Shrunk Jacket is denser and more structured. But thanks to the air gaps created by the textured outer, the jacket is still breathable. Inside, we’ve added a lightweight lining made with a cotton-nylon blend for softness and wind resistance, without overheating.

The salt-shrinking process means that every jacket has a unique topography of tiny folds. Though only visible on close inspection, this molecular-level reprogramming means that no two jackets are alike. This folding also makes the fabric more durable and breathable.

The original M-65 field jackets came equipped with four functional pockets for storage – two chest pockets and two hip pockets. We’ve stayed true to that design, with two angled bellows pockets at the chest and two larger pockets lower down. All four pockets close securely with storm flaps and metal snap fasteners. You’ll also find an internal chest pocket with a zip, designed to hold your phone or wallet.

The jacket fastens down the centre with a two-way metal zipper protected by a storm flap that closes with metal press studs made by Riri, the historic Italian manufacturer famous for its high-spec metal components. The cuffs tighten around your wrists with the same metal snaps and two tightness settings to choose from.