A.PRESSE: The Complete Guide to This Japanese Menswear Brand
If you follow men’s fashion, you’ve probably seen the name A.PRESSE come up more and more over the past year. It isn’t a brand built on flashy logos or big ad budgets. It built its reputation the old-fashioned way, through fabric, fit, and word of mouth among people who care about how their clothes are actually made.
The brand name is sometimes typed without punctuation as apresse or a presse, especially in search bars, but the official styling is A.PRESSE. This guide covers what the label is, what makes its shirts, jackets, pants, hoodies, and sweatshirts different from typical workwear, and where shoppers in the United States can actually find it.
What Is A.PRESSE?
A.PRESSE is a Japanese menswear brand founded by designer Kazuma Shigematsu. He began developing the label in 2020, and the first full collection launched in fall/winter 2021. Shigematsu also directs DAIWA PIER39, an established Japanese outdoor-inspired brand, and previously ran his own apparel import business.
The brand’s home base is Tokyo, with a flagship store in the Jingūmae area of Shibuya and a second store in Kyoto. Rather than one head designer working alone, A.PRESSE clothing is developed by a small team of three designers who work almost like an editorial staff, discussing and refining each piece before it goes into production.
The idea behind the brand is simple: if you’re going to buy clothes, buy pieces that are genuinely worth keeping. That mindset shows up in the fabric sourcing, the fit, and the finishing on every item.
The Story Behind A.PRESSE Clothing
A Different Path Into Design
Kazuma Shigematsu didn’t take the usual route into fashion. Before launching his own label, he spent years in apparel sales and production, helping other Japanese brands get their products into stores at home and abroad. That background shaped how he built APRESSE, with steady, deliberate growth instead of chasing seasonal hype.
Vintage References, Modern Execution
A.PRESSE clothing draws heavily on American workwear, military surplus, and European vintage pieces. A single jacket might combine the body shape of a 1970s design with pocket details borrowed from the 1960s. The goal isn’t to copy old garments exactly. It’s to take a familiar shape and rebuild it with better fabric, a cleaner fit, and construction that holds up over years of wear.
Much of the fabric is developed specifically for the brand in Japan. Leather is one of the few materials sourced elsewhere, often from Spain.
A.PRESSE Clothing Categories Explained
A.PRESSE doesn’t build its collections around one seasonal “look.” Each item, whether it’s an a.presse shirt, an a presse hoodie, or a pair of a.presse pants, is designed to stand on its own so it can slot into almost any wardrobe.
A.presse Shirts
Shirting is one of the brand’s strongest categories. Expect camp-collar shirts, chambray work a.presse shirts, and checked shirts made from cotton-silk blends. The fabric often looks plain on a hanger and changes completely once worn, a theme that runs through the whole line.
A Presse Hoodie and A Presse Sweatshirt
The a.presse hoodie and sweatshirt offerings lean into heavyweight, vintage-washed cotton jersey. Zip-up hoodies, pullover hoodies, and half-zip sweatshirts are staples of the fleece lineup, usually finished with a lived-in texture rather than a crisp, brand-new look.
A.presse Pants
Trousers range from pleated wool a.presse pants to wide-leg denim and vintage-style chinos. A.presse jeans and work pants are especially popular with US buyers, often based on classic American five-pocket and utility silhouettes reworked with a fuller cut.
A.presse Jacket
Outerwear is where the brand’s craftsmanship shows the most. The range includes denim jackets, chore coats, coach jackets, silk-blend bombers, and leather jackets cut from Spanish leather. Some pieces use unexpected materials, like washed silk finished to look like cotton, which is part of why the label gets compared to quiet luxury menswear houses despite its workwear roots.
A.PRESSE Price Guide: What Does It Cost?
Because of the fabric development, small-batch production, and hand finishing involved, APRESSE pricing sits closer to premium contemporary labels than mass-market workwear brands. Prices shift by retailer and season, but here’s a general idea of what to expect in US dollars:
| Category | Typical Price Range (USD) |
|---|---|
| T-shirts | $250 – $300 |
| Shirts | $600 – $1,100 |
| Sweatshirts | $400 – $550 |
| Hoodies | $500 – $850 |
| Jeans and denim pants | $630 – $1,050 |
| Trousers (non-denim) | $950 – $1,200 |
| Fabric jackets (coach, bomber, gabardine) | $1,300 – $2,800 |
| Leather jackets | $3,700 and up |
Treat this table as a general guide rather than a fixed price list, since figures move between drops and stockists.
Where to Buy A.PRESSE in the USA
A.PRESSE does not run its own permanent online store. Shopping the brand mainly means visiting the Tokyo or Kyoto flagship, or buying through one of a small number of authorized A.presse stockists worldwide.
For US shoppers, that currently includes:
A.presse Clothing online
Because production runs are small, popular sizes and colorways on a.presse shirt, jacket, and pants styles tend to sell out within hours of a drop. If you’re after a specific piece, following a stockist’s restock alerts is the most reliable strategy.
Is A.PRESSE Worth the Price?
That depends on what you value in your wardrobe. A PRESSE isn’t trying to compete with fast fashion, or even most streetwear brands, on price. What you’re paying for is:
- Fabric developed specifically for the brand, much of it milled in Japan
- Small production runs instead of mass manufacturing
- A design process built around long-term wearability rather than seasonal trends
If you want a vintage workwear brand you can wear for years rather than one season, and you don’t mind paying a premium for that, A.PRESSE clothing is worth considering. On a tighter budget, it’s reasonable to start with a smaller piece, like a sweatshirt or shirt, before committing to a jacket.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is A PRESSE? A PRESSE is a Japanese menswear brand founded by Kazuma Shigematsu, known for reworking vintage American workwear and military styles using premium, often Japanese-developed fabrics.
How do you pronounce A PRESSE? It’s typically pronounced “ah-press,” styled with a period between the A and PRESSE.
Is APRESSE a Japanese brand? Yes. A.PRESSE is based in Tokyo, with flagship stores in Tokyo and Kyoto, led by designer Kazuma Shigematsu.
Where can I buy A.PRESSE in the USA? Union Los Angeles and HAVEN both carry APRESSE in the US, and APRESSE orders to the United States online.
Does APRESSE have its own online store? No. A.PRESSE does not currently operate a standalone e-commerce site. Shopping happens through its two Japanese flagship stores or a limited number of authorized retail partners.
Is A.PRESSE true to size? Sizing varies by category and season, since many pieces are designed with a relaxed, vintage-inspired fit. Checking the size chart provided by each stockist is the safest approach before ordering.
What is APRESSE known for? A PRESSE is best known for shirts, denim, hoodies, sweatshirts, and jackets that reinterpret classic American workwear using elevated, sometimes unexpected fabrics like washed silk and cashmere blends.
Final Thoughts
A PRESSE built its reputation without shortcuts. No heavy advertising, no oversized logos, just careful fabric choices and fit work behind every a presse shirt, jacket, hoodie, and pair of pants. That’s a big part of why this Japanese menswear brand has become one of the most talked-about names in the category.
