Which online stores can you buy Japanese jeans from? Japanese jeans: review of the best brands Japanese samurai jeans.

Today it is quite difficult to argue with this. Let’s try to figure out what is the advantage of Japanese denim and whether this stereotype is justified.

Story

The 70s of the last century were marked by a massive denim boom not only in Western countries, but also in Japan. It was during this period that the world's jeans manufacturers moved away from the usual production technology, abandoning the shuttle-type looms that were tirelessly chugging along in the workshops of Cone Mills (a large-scale denim manufacturer, including for). The alternative was new, more modern and cost-effective “progectile looms” machines. They made it possible to obtain much more fabric than before, and to significantly reduce the number of workers, which was also beneficial to the manufacturer. Thus, the denim production process has become cheaper, modern, and everyone is happy. But “that” vintage denim still does not leave the world community of denim connoisseurs indifferent.
So let's move on. Late 80s. Namely, 1988 was marked by the emergence of a new Japanese brand Denime. Its founder was a certain Yoshiyuki Hayashi, who was inspired by the idea of ​​bringing back to life those classic jeans of the 50s, maintaining all the traditions in their tailoring and fabric (hard, rough, dark denim was required). In search of a manufacturer, Yoshiyuki met Masahiro Sato, owner of the Shinya textile factory, who suggested he use the above-mentioned shuttle machine. Eventually, after restoring the pre-war equipment and a series of trials and errors, Sato provided Hayashi with exactly the right denim sample that Hayashi had dreamed of.

And if for several years in a row such denim was produced in small quantities for a certain narrow circle of admirers, then from the mid-90s it became the most popular material, not only in Japan, but also far beyond its borders. It is indicative that today it produces most of its products in Japan, trusting the special approach of the Japanese to denim and their high professionalism.

Fabric and technology.

Fabric is, in fact, the most important element of quality products. This is one of the aspects why Japanese denim is so highly regarded in the world. The fact is that cotton fibers come in very different lengths, so in the production of fabric such a pattern has formed that the longer the fiber, the better the quality of the fabric in the end. Japanese denim uses high-quality long-staple Zimbabwean cotton (approximately 30-70 mm). The result is a fabric that is denser and softer to the touch. Another secret of the density of Japanese denim is spindle (ring) spinning of cotton thread. Using special machines, cotton is pulled into a ribbon and twisted, which greatly strengthens the entire yarn. The result of such spinning is exactly that treasured Japanese denim, uneven in thickness, and this fact is successfully used for commercial purposes, turning disadvantages into advantages.

When we mention Japanese denim, we immediately mean such a definition as (some say “salvage”, some say “salvage”). This term refers to one of the features of high-quality denim. This is the same red edge that is present in the inseams of jeans. This edge of the fabric was obtained by working on old shuttle-type looms, which cut the fabric so that it would not unravel, creating a red edge. Such an element is today very highly valued among denim lovers and is to some extent a decorative element, which clearly indicates the quality of production. However, to this day, global jeans manufacturers use not only red selvedge, but also selvedges of other colors (Lee marked their products with blue or green, Wrangler with yellow).

Color
Another distinctive feature of Japanese jeans, as you may have guessed, is their unique color, which we call indigo. This specific shade is characterized by saturation and, in places, some unevenness. This heterogeneity in coloring is caused by the fact that natural white and dyed blue threads are randomly woven. It should be noted that in the production of Japanese denim it is the thread that is dyed, and not the finished denim fabric. The threads are twisted into ropes and lowered into large vats with paint diluted in them. Approximately 25-30 dip cycles are required for complete coloring. Denim is dyed directly with indigo itself. The name of the natural dye comes from a plant called “indigofera”, from the pigment of which indigo dye was actually extracted. The result was denim, the products from which were wiped during wear, forming individual abrasions.

And in conclusion.

Thus, this is more than just ordinary jeans. Its production is fraught with many years of Japanese experience, for whom high quality is the main definition of a good product. Vintage Japanese denim is, first of all, a huge amount of work combined with, which gives denim an aura of handicraft.

Denimio store - authentic Japanese jeans at Japanese prices

Currently, Japanese denim has long ceased to be some kind of hard-to-find exotic. However, to this day passions and discussions on various Internet resources about which denim is “the most correct” and authentic do not subside. Still, there is some special magic in jeans that has made such a product a cult product for many years. Currently, classic ones made from raw denim, having experienced a peak of interest in the mid-2000s, exist quite successfully in their niche outside of any fashion trends and trends, as an independent and, most importantly, absolutely original and self-sufficient phenomenon.

Whether someone likes it or not, the products of most American classic brands have now completely gone into the “world of ideas”, inspiring manufacturers on a completely different geographical continent. As for the mass product produced by these brands, it often cannot claim the status of a legend, attracting buyers only with extremely low prices.

The phenomenon of “Japanese denim” itself began once upon a time with the collection of vintage American jeans, items of work clothing and parts of military uniforms. Then the first productions began to appear, striving to reproduce “the same Levi's of the 40s and 50s.” All this was created by enthusiasts, collectors, artisans who were truly in love with the work they were doing. As a result, a product began to appear that , having noticeable details and elements inherited from the American classics, was noticeably superior to it in quality. The characteristic Japanese painstaking work with any small details, details and the desire to achieve results not in the cheapest, but in the best way, ultimately bore fruit in the form of an extremely interesting one. , but in essence a paradoxical product - Japanese jackets, vintage-style sports knitwear and replicas of military uniforms were much closer in spirit to history and at the same time had a much higher quality than modern products of American brands.

It is safe to say that it was Japanese denim in the world that returned people’s interest in jeans in their classic and original form. A fairly stable interest in jeans made from raw denim, which individually change color over the years (the specific term is “fading”) in an individual way and become a reflection of the life of its owner, would now be impossible without the Japanese “jean school”. So what is valuable and unique about modern Japanese denim culture? I'll try to formulate this briefly:

• Careful and respectful attitude towards the denim classics of the past, careful work with archival materials
• Emphasis on the combination of originality and classics (the reproduction of historical jeans itself inherently has understandable limitations)
• Extremely careful attention to the production of the material (i.e. denim) using authentic equipment
• Careful selection of raw materials for a particular type of denim (for example, long-staple cotton is good for smooth and soft denim, short-staple cotton is better for denim with an expressive and heterogeneous slubby texture)
• Using different types of dyeing (rope method, skein method, manual dyeing method)
• The use of various dyes (pure synthetic indigo, indigo with various additives to give the desired shade, natural vegetable dye)
• Very painstaking work with various details, many of which can be almost invisible to the owner himself

In recent years, a lot of manufacturers have appeared producing from selvedge denim. Once again, it is worth recalling that selvedge is just an uncut edge on a roll of denim and in no way can speak about the quality of the denim itself, much less the quality of the final product. In the Japanese denim tradition, as a rule, we will not find any excessive fixation on the fact that it is selvedge denim that is used. This is just one of the details that indicates a classic approach to the production of jeans. As a rule, there is no deliberate focused attention on this aspect - this is a self-evident element, certainly important, but it is only one of many, no less important.

It’s worth saying right away that the need for such a Japanese store, which would be focused on international consumers, has been brewing for a long time. From about the mid to late 2000s, people interested in Japanese denim purchased products from authentic Japanese brands either in Western stores (usually 30-40% higher than local Japanese prices) or were forced to resort to the services of intermediaries, buying original Japanese goods at Japanese sites. It is worth saying that initially not many Japanese traders were willing to send their goods directly abroad. Not to mention the possibility of an English-speaking support service, the possibility of returning goods and many other aspects without which modern online commerce is unthinkable.

Thus, in 2009, a very interesting project arose in Kanagawa Prefecture, which is practically a small family business. Initially, the Denimio store had a different name and sold only 3-4 brands.

However, the project was initially unique in that it was aimed not at domestic, but at international consumers, selling goods at domestic Japanese prices, deducting consumption tax from the price for foreign buyers and providing the opportunity to receive free express EMS delivery.
At that time, few people even tried to combine all these advantages in one small store.

The beetle was chosen as the symbol of Denimio. His image, stylized in a “denim” manner, can be found on the store’s website itself and on some collaborations with various brands.

The beetle is small in size, but it is very strong and powerful. The beetle can move loads that significantly exceed its own size. In addition, the beetle is a tireless worker. Thus, this sign symbolizes the tireless work of the store and the desire to complete the most difficult tasks.

Denimio exists as a small cozy store on a quiet street. In fact, there are a lot of stores in Japan that sell similar products offline. However, its online activities currently cover almost the entire world. Every morning, an EMS courier crosses the store threshold and takes delivery of precious orders that customers around the world are waiting for.

This is what a typical store day looks like:

Store Features

Each online store has its own operating scheme, its own features and advantages. Denimio also has its own unique features.

Wide selection of products

The store offers a wide selection of products. Among them are brands such as , etc., which have already proven themselves well among lovers of Japanese denim, as well as local brands that are practically unknown abroad, for example (producing exceptionally high-quality loopwheeled knitwear, and relatively inexpensively for its niche), ( producing very high-quality sneakers from high-quality leather), (this brand is an artisan workshop that produces custom-made leather goods).
Some of the products presented are available in the store’s own warehouse; some, when ordered, are delivered directly from the manufacturer’s warehouses (this takes some additional time, but allows you to significantly increase the range of available goods at very reasonable prices).

Price policy

The main idea of ​​Denimio has always been to be able to provide customers with products at prices close to the Japanese domestic market, and in some cases the product when purchased by international buyers comes out at a lower price than for local buyers (due to free shipping, consumption tax deduction and periodic discounts for various market segments).

If you are not yet very familiar with the product presented in Denimio, and it seems very expensive to you, then you can always compare the prices for such a product with Western stores. For example, Samurai, which can cost 180-220 USD in Denimio, in Western stores can already cost 300-350 USD (sometimes more).

Delivery and return of goods

Often it is the inconvenience of the delivery service that is the stumbling block for many initially attractive purchases. As a rule, Japanese online stores deliver goods via EMS express service. When working with the CIS market, Denimio also uses this delivery service as optimal for many regions. For example, if you live in a small town where commercial express carriers do not deliver packages, EMS can easily deliver your package to your local post office. The average delivery time in Russia is about 7 days from the date of dispatch.

Delivery of goods worth more than 15,000 yen (about 9,300 rubles at the moment) is free. Thus, the store already provides a discount to the buyer in the amount of delivery costs (on average, delivery of 1 package weighing about 1 kg from Japan costs 3,500 JPY (about 2,100 rubles)

Some items that are purchased from manufacturers' warehouses or are sold out in a store's stock size may require additional waiting time (4 to 7 days).

As for the return, using the same EMS service it is very easy to process within 5-7 minutes. The approximate cost of returning one pair of jeans to Japan is 1800-2000 rubles. In some cases, the store may reimburse the cost of returning goods. For example, if there is a discrepancy between the measurements of goods provided by the support service and the actual measurements or when selling a “complex” product - for example, shoes (the possibility of this must be immediately agreed upon with the support service). In addition, if you prefer to pay for goods using the Paypal payment system, then you can also always use the service provided by the payment system (the service must be activated in your Paypal account before the transaction is completed). In this case, Paypal will compensate the costs of returning the goods in the amount of up to 1,500 rubles.

Helpful tip: Sign up for the Free Returns service in your Paypal account (this is very useful when making purchases in a variety of online stores).

Discount system

In general, free delivery and discounts are not entirely typical for Japanese stores. In addition, you should definitely take into account the specifics of the goods. As a rule, this is the “local” price, and in Japanese stores it is very rarely significantly reduced. Moreover, many brands are categorically against discounts (this is a very principled position). However, since the Denimio store operates on the international market, it makes it possible to buy goods cheaper.

• Bonus points system for completed purchases

If you made a purchase from Denimio, after your order has been shipped, you can see "pending" points in your customer account (for every 100JPY spent you receive 5 points). After two weeks, these points become available for use automatically. If you received the item and you don't plan to return it, you can always ask customer service to manually add points to you ahead of time. Thus, by making purchases and accumulating points, you can give yourself discounts on your next orders.

In addition, points can be added with various promotions. For example, there are promotions that award double and even triple bonus points when purchasing a certain product or brand. Various quizzes and competitions are also periodically held, where you can also earn points for discounts. All points have different expiration dates, so if you plan to use them for a discount, you should carefully track their expiration dates in your customer account.

Helpful Hint: If you "lower the price" using points below the 15,000JPY threshold, you will still be eligible for free shipping.

• Regular discount

There is a special section where the list of 20 products that are sold with discounts from 5% to sometimes 25% is updated weekly. When you combine such discounted products with accumulated bonus points, you can get an even larger discount. Keep in mind that if you see a certain product in a section, it may never appear there again. The products in this section are not always repeated.

• Discounts on promotions

From time to time, the store offers discounts on certain brands or product groups. For this purpose, promotional codes are sent to customers. You should take into account the specifics of the goods: a 10% discount is already good, 15% is very good, and 20% discounts are given quite rarely and, as a rule, on a very limited list of goods.
Helpful advice: try to subscribe to news and read them, periodically you come across very interesting offers.

Support

As a rule, high-quality customer service is the “eyes and ears” of the client, helping him navigate products and sizes. Especially considering the specificity of the product, since often purchased items are “revealed” only through personal experience. In photos in stores, things often look quite simple.
You should also keep in mind the specifics of choosing sizes for jeans. The fact is that, as a rule, size tables from manufacturers are used. by definition they are a “living” product. There may be differences in actual measurements from lot to lot and even within the same lot.

Therefore, when purchasing any item and studying the size tables, it always makes sense to additionally ask the support service to measure the item “live”. The most important thing is to adhere to a common measurement methodology with the seller. There is quite a lot for this.

You can also watch a very useful video tutorial on how to measure.

Brands and products

In this section I will try to briefly and succinctly outline the essence of some brands and their features. Of course, we can talk about this almost endlessly, but I will outline the main nuances, adding a list of some key products for the brand, so that you can have an idea.

If a person is looking for his first Japanese ones and gets lost in the variety of models, density of denim, dyeing methods and in general... often at first everything looks simply like “blue trousers”, Japan Blue is just the manufacturer you should pay attention to, if the goal is to get real authentic high-quality Japanese ones in a basic design, modern style, but without sacrifice in terms of quality. On average, a pair of jeans from this brand costs around $120-150.

In general, Japan Blue is essentially the “younger brother” of an older, reputable and well-known brand of the same owners, Momotaro, which will be discussed below.
The features of all brands belonging to Japan Blue Group include the full production cycle, from processing raw materials to installing fittings. The company has its own weaving unit, Collect Mills, as well as a dyeing unit, Rampuya. Thanks to such features, it became possible to create a relatively budget brand that has quite convincing quality.

The manufacturer uses various varieties of cotton, including American, Australian, and long-staple cotton from Zimbabwe. In addition, Japan Blue supports small farms from Ivory Coast, where very good quality organic cotton is produced. For example, for every pair of jeans made from such cotton sold, 1% of the profit goes to support farmers.

Here are a couple of models typical for this brand.

One of Japan Blue's flagship models. It combines a modern and comfortable silhouette with a tapered leg, roomy hips and a relatively high rise. The denim here is medium weight, woven from American cotton varieties. A classic red thread is woven into the selvedge denim.

The monster selvage series is somewhat “richer” compared to the basic JB products; it uses denser 16.5OZ denim and a thicker dark brown leather patch.

However, at their core, these are also modern, high-quality ones with a relatively reasonable price (relative to their niche).

One of the most famous and reputable brands among Japanese manufacturers of quality jeans. As mentioned above, the brand is the “big brother” of the simpler and more youth-oriented brand Japan Blue. With Momotaro, everything is more solid, conservative, with all the attention to the smallest details and with a more obvious influence of the old American denim tradition.

This brand is based on an ancient Japanese legend about the boy Momotaro, who defeated evil demons; the symbolism of the peach blossom is very noticeable in almost every detail.

To have an idea of ​​how this brand is produced, it will be interesting to watch a video from the production of Momotaro Jeans:

There are three main lines that represent the Momotaro collection for the Japanese market:

One of the most mysterious Japanese brands. Oni still does not have their own website, and the founder of the brand himself usually avoids any publicity. However, Oni is currently one of the most prominent brands in the Japanese denim industry.

One of the most noticeable models made from the famous Secret Denim, which is distinguished by an extremely heterogeneous texture (slubby) and characteristic light inclusions of weft thread, which are clearly visible from the front side. Despite the stated density of 20OZ, this denim is very comfortable to wear even in the warm season due to its somewhat loose texture. Also, such denim has a very unusual color with a slightly greenish tint, while the weft thread (the purl thread, which is usually not dyed) has a beige tint.

Even the shortest story about Japanese denim brands would be incomplete without such an iconic manufacturer as Samurai. At a time when many manufacturers were still trying to produce their “improved versions of American jeans,” Samurai relied on originality and being different from anything else. Like many others, paying homage to American workwear and denim, Samurai pioneered the use of very thick and heavy denim. It would seem that the density of 17OZ, 19OZ, 21OZ and even 24OZ may look somewhat threatening, especially since many of these jeans can easily be “put in a corner”, so much so that they will not fall. However, the “magic” of this brand is that such seemingly “samurai armor”, having barely begun to be worn, often become your favorite jeans over time, and not a trace remains of the former “inflexibility of denim” - they become very pliable and comfortable. Over time, most Samurai jeans acquire a very beautiful and noticeable fade, emphasizing the beauty of this denim.

Also, Samurai can hardly be called “minimalist” jeans. The products of this manufacturer usually have many interesting details, many of which were both inspired by American classics (for example, noticeable arches in the Levi's style and red tab), and have purely local origins (symbols from Japanese drums, sakura symbols and the silver thread itself, woven into the selvedge, which symbolizes the strength and sharpness of the samurai blade).

Conclusion

I hope that this short tour of the assortment of this store will be of interest to many. Of course, the format of this material allows us to look at everything very briefly, without going into even a tenth of all the existing features. However, if visitors to the resource are interested in this topic, it will be possible to reveal many nuances in more detail and in detail.

Enjoy the shopping!

Today this series is supplemented by material about Japanese jeans, which, unfortunately, are not very well known among Russian buyers.

Story

Jeans production in Japan began to actively develop only after World War II. As Derek Guy writes, the most common theory is that jeans came to Japan with American soldiers who decided to stay in this country after the end of World War II (see). At that time, jeans had already begun to be perceived not only as work wear, but also as a fashion item, as they appeared in several popular Hollywood films of the 1950s.

At first, Japanese firms imported American jeans (including second-hand ones), but quickly discovered that their cut did not suit the Japanese figure very well. Redesigning American models, the Japanese carefully studied their design, and over time began to produce their own jeans. Thus, one of the most famous Japanese denim brands today, Edwin, offered jeans of its own production in 1961.

In 1965, jeans began to be produced by Maruo Clothing - although not yet using American denim from Canton Textile Mills Inc. (and under the Canton brand). A little later, in 1967, Maruo Clothing launched its own jeans brand, Big John. For their production, denim from the famous American company Cone Mills, which still exists today, was used.

The Japanese managed to establish the production of their own high-quality denim only in the early 1970s. There is information that the pioneer was the Kurabo company, which developed the KD-8 brand denim in 1972... however, another Japanese company, Kuroki, claims to have started producing denim in the 1960s. Kaihara reports the start of denim production in 1970, but Henrik Brand notes that this company has been producing denim only since 1994 (see). In 1985, the famous company Nihon Menpu introduced its first denim to the market.

The theory that the Japanese allegedly actively imported old looms from the United States deserves separate discussion. Henryk Brand, as well as Paul Trynka, casts great doubt on this theory. Brand, in particular, notes that the machines for the production of selvedge fabrics were made by the Japanese themselves (Toyoda - since 1924), and that Kurabo - the pioneers in the world of Japanese selvedge denim - used Toyota machines, and not equipment imported from the USA. Paul Trynka received confirmation from Kurabo, and in addition, he discovered that the American company Cone Mills, one of the leading denim manufacturers, in the 1980s sent most of its old machines not for export, but for scrap metal (link to book).

Interestingly, in the 1970s, Japanese consumers preferred pre-washed jeans. Derek Guy believes this was due to American second-hand jeans, which were not as stiff as the new raw denim jeans. However, in the 1980s in Japan there was an interest in old, authentic models made from raw denim. Japanese manufacturers began to produce “reproductions” of old classic American models, and some companies are still actively doing this, reproducing even the smallest details. However, a significant part of buyers remained interested in pre-washed models, so some companies continued to work in this direction. Thus, the Edwin brand invented the so-called stone washing in the 1980s, and over time this technology was introduced by many other manufacturers (not only Japanese ones).

The development of Japanese jeans production and the growth of their exports continued in the 1990s, when the brands Evisu (1991), Fullcount (1992), The Flat Head (1996), Blue Blue Japan (1996), Samurai (1997) were founded year). Even later, in the 2000s, other brands appeared - for example, Iron Heart, Momotaro and.

Japanese jeans in detail

Currently, Japanese brands produce both rather ordinary and “pop” jeans, as well as high-end jeans. Here we will consider the second option, because “pop” Japanese jeans differ little from jeans from brands from other countries.

Let's start with the fabric. The Japanese prefer either heavy denim (heavy - sometimes up to 25 or even 32 oz.), or medium-weight denim (medium; read more about the weight of fabrics). Ideally, denim should be woven in Japan - and, of course, on high-quality selvedge machines. Classic models are made of 100% cotton denim, and natural dyes are often used for dyeing. Some companies (for example, Fullcount) use Zimbabwean cotton as raw material.

There are several famous denim manufacturers in Japan: Kurabo, Kuroki, Nihon Menpu, Nisshinbo, Kaihara, Yoshikawa Orimono. It should be remembered that some Japanese companies have production facilities in other countries: for example, Kurabo has enterprises in Thailand, China and Indonesia. Accordingly, “Japanese denim” is a rather vague concept today.

It is worth noting that Japanese jeans made from raw unsanforized denim are highly respected, which can be tailored to fit your body (however, it is important to choose the right size!), and which acquire a unique patina over time. However, the Japanese also produce jeans from sanforized denim, including pre-washed models, with various treatments. We can talk not only about color effects, but also about scuffs and holes. As a rule, the Japanese try to make them more or less realistic, asymmetrical, and natural.

The legs of Japanese jeans are hemmed at the bottom using a chain-stitching seam.

The stitch density on some seams can be high (for jeans) - say, 5 stitches per centimeter versus 2.5-3 stitches per centimeter for mass-market brands.

The back pockets of high-quality Japanese jeans are equipped with hidden metal rivets for added durability. Rivets are usually made of copper.

The belt loops are slightly embossed and voluminous thanks to the use of special machines produced many years ago. The central part of such loops fades faster than the edges.

The “bold” seam on the waistband reaches the very edge (this, like the details mentioned above, can be considered one of signs of high quality jeans; I talked about these signs in detail).

Fastener – metal bolts on wide “legs” and/or YKK zipper. Sometimes these bolts can undergo special treatment to create the impression that the jeans are already of respectable age.

Some brands of Japanese jeans

• Big John
• Blue Blue Japan
• Chimala (brand based in the USA, but founded by a Japanese, made in Japan)
  
• Edwin (a significant part of the assortment is made in China or Tunisia and is quite mediocre in level)
• Evisu (a noticeable part of the range is made in China and is quite mediocre in level)
• Fullcount
• Iron Heart
• Japan Blue
• Kapital
• Kuro
• Momotaro
• Oni Denim
• Pure Blue Japan
• Samurai
• Studio d'Artisan
• Sugar Cane & Co.
• The Flat Head
• Uniqlo (Chinese production and clearly not the highest level, although a very worthy player in its price segment)

Japanese jeans are a cult item for every fashionista. Where does all the excitement and relatively high price for these trousers come from? The thing is that Japanese denim is of high quality and therefore is the most expensive. So Japan is famous not only for sakura and high technology. The Japanese are still leaders in the world of denim fashion. In this article we will talk about the best Japanese jeans. We will also talk about the technology of manufacturing expensive and high-quality Japanese denim.

Journey into history

Almost every fashionista knows that the era of denim fashion was founded by the American Strauss. Everyone is familiar with his brand Levi's. When denim clothing became more popular, he radically changed the approach to making denim. He decided to make production easier and jeans more affordable. As a result, everything in factories is automated, all manufacturing processes are simplified, and cheaper raw materials are used.

At the same time, the Japanese are very interested in shuttle machines for denim production. Strauss easily agrees to sell them. The Japanese, accustomed to honoring traditions and real quality, decided that this was a real find, and began to produce vintage American jeans, observing all the canons. The first designer who had the opportunity to work with these machines was Yoshiyuki Hayashi. His creations quickly gained popularity, first in Japan and then abroad. This is how expensive Japanese jeans came into fashion.

Exclusive raw materials and high-quality equipment

In order to obtain high-quality Japanese jeans, you need more than just vintage American equipment and Strauss' secret technologies. High-quality Japanese jeans are made from special fabric. Raw cotton is used to make it. It consists of seeds and fibers in a ratio of 60%/40%. The quality of the canvas also depends on the length of the fibers that envelop the seeds. A special type of cotton (raw cotton) is used to produce fabric. It is grown specially and in small quantities, since caring for this plant is an art. Made from Barbadian cotton and Zimbabwean cotton. Cotton thread is made from this raw material in factories.

Manufacturing stages

During the production process, cotton goes through several stages:

• loosening;
• cleaning;
• mixing;
• chattering.

The cotton mass is sent to carding machines. There it is thinned out and low-quality short hairs are removed. After all, the longer the fiber, the higher the quality of the product. This is only the first stage of production. After that, the raw material is sent to special machines (draw frames) and transformed into roving. This is the name of a very thick, strong thread.

Coloring

During the spinning process, thread dyeing also occurs in parallel. When spinning, dyed and natural threads are mixed. This is the secret of the uneven color of Japanese jeans. This creates the notorious indigo shade that fans love so much. This color is somewhere between purple and blue.

In Japan, jeans are only dyed in indigo. Previously, only natural dyes were used for this. Nowadays dyes are synthesized in chemical laboratories. But still, many brands do not abandon the natural method of dyeing. And for good reason, since this way a more durable and uneven shade is obtained. It is these Japanese gins that beautifully change color over time and fade when abraded.

What is denim?

This material belongs to a variety of twill. The material has a diagonal weave. By the way the threads are arranged, one can judge the quality of the raw materials. Thanks to twill weaving, the manufacturer gets a different pattern. If you pick up a pair of jeans and stretch them, you can see the direction of the threads. It is from them that an exclusive drawing is obtained.

Exclusive seams

Some manufacturers use vintage sewing machines when sewing. After all, only they can create types of seams that modern machines are not capable of. Moreover, there are parts that are stitched by hand. Traditionally, the edges of Japanese jeans are finished with a chain stitch.

After the model is completely stitched, some manufacturers use post-processing to give the products an unusual look. For this purpose, in some cases, chemicals are used:

• bleach;
• acid;
• enzymes.

Mechanical processing is also used. Friction with sandpaper, pumice. Jeans are also washed in a special washing machine with stones.

Dry denim

Most of all, fashionistas are hunting for dry denim. During the production of these trousers, the material was never washed. Also, trousers are not washed after all stages of sewing are completed. At the very end, in order to prevent the item from “shrinking”, it is subjected to a process such as sanforization.

Manufacturers warn buyers that it is advisable not to wash such items for at least a year. Then they will acquire individual markings and a unique pattern. These are creases and abrasions.

While reading this article, it becomes clear why fashionistas love Japanese jeans so much. The high price is also due to expensive raw materials and a complex manufacturing process. At many stages, manual labor is used. Therefore, such things are exclusive and elite.

Neighborhood

These are pants that age gracefully and uniquely. This denim shade is not available outside of Japan.

The ideological inspirer of the brand is Shinsuke Takizawa. This is a designer who was previously involved in popularizing vintage types of motorcycles. He made a great contribution to the development of motorcycle culture in Japan. When he started sewing jeans, he simply transferred motorcycle and military themes here. The brand is now at the peak of its popularity and is expanding its lines.

Samurai

The brand's slogan: “We try to make jeans as strong as a samurai blade, that is, durable and reliable.” These pants change color over the course of several months. After this, they acquire an absolutely exclusive look.

The trademark appeared in 1997. The brand decided to stand out by not only repeating the iconic models and manufacturing processes of classic American jeans, but also bringing something original to each collection.

Fashionistas know that the models repeat the silhouettes of Lee and Levi’s. But if you look at the trousers in more detail, you can note the exclusive stitching on the back pockets. They become visible only at the moment when the trousers are thoroughly rubbed and lose their original color. The jeans are decorated with fittings with Japanese symbols:

• sakura;
• drums;
• other symbols of Japanese culture.

This brand is distinguished by the fact that it produces gins in several shades of blue. They range from dark blue to azure.

Mizra

The jeans are made at a factory in Okayama, but then they are sent to the brand's own factory in Kyoto. There they are processed in a special way. After this process, this fabric acquires exclusive properties. The design of these trousers also includes elements of kimono fabric. Original patterns of ancient clothing are used here. They were created back in 1912-1926. Kimono fabrics are dyed using technology that dates back to the 17th century. It is called "yuzen-zome". This is a dyeing method that allows you to produce special, very subtle graphic designs on fabric.

45rpm

The company was founded in 1977. It produces some of the most expensive Japanese jeans. The cost of a pair is from $300 or more. There are premium models: Sorahiko and Jomon. Their cost is close to a thousand dollars. These expensive models are not sold in online stores as a matter of principle.

The developers are very meticulous in choosing materials for collections. The brand makes jeans only from Suvin hybrid cotton and Zimbabwean raw materials.

Oikawa Denim

A brand that does not need advertising. All the world's celebrities wear trousers from this brand. You can buy Japanese Oikawa Denim jeans in Moscow in an online store that has entered into an agreement with the brand and is an exclusive partner. Such trading platforms provide a guarantee of the authenticity of the products.

Japanese jeans stores

Looking for where to order Japanese denim? You can purchase the coveted pair here:

• Denimio.com;
• OkayamaDenim.com;
• Rakuten.com;
• Evisu.com;
• Uniqlo.com;
• Samurai-jeans.co.jp;
• Dartisan-onlineshop.com;
• JapanBlueJeans.com.

Japanese jeans sizes

The size chart of Japanese denim trousers fully corresponds to the American and European size chart.

You can take any pair of jeans that fit you perfectly and take measurements based on it. To avoid mistakes, everything should be measured step by step. You should start by measuring the waist and finish with the width.

To take your waist measurement, simply fasten the top button and lay the jeans on a flat surface. Next you need to take a measurement called “front rise”. We measure the distance from the crotch to the top point at the waist.

Next, measure your hip. The measurement should be taken from the point in the crotch to the outside of the trouser leg in the hip area. Now proceed to taking the knee measurement. Place 31cm of tape from crotch to knee. Mark this point. Now measure the width of the pant leg in this area. Next, you need to find out the half-girth of the hem of the trousers. Just above you see a table by which you can determine your Japanese jeans size. It fully corresponds to the European one.

The history of jeans in the form in which we are accustomed to seeing them goes back to the distant 1873. It was then that the industrialist and entrepreneur Loeb Strauss, better known in America as Levi Strauss, decided to patent practical and durable work pants, thanks to which the brand “ Levi's"gained worldwide fame.

In this article we will tell you in more detail about the history of Japanese denim, famous for its unsurpassed quality.

It all started in the 60-70s of the 20th century, when the United States, due to the growing demand for jeans, decides to improve the denim production process, making it faster and cheaper: automatic machines appear, the speed of which is, of course, several times faster, and the fabric produced is smoother and much wider. And American factories sell old shuttle machines to Japan, where an economic boom was observed during this period.

Japanese designer Yoshiyuki Hayashi dreams of recreating American classic heavy jeans, the quality of which was higher, although they were more expensive. And he succeeds. He visited a large number of textile factories, until at one of them he met Masahiro Sato, who proposed using old American shuttle machines for this purpose. A series of experiments began, as a result of which Sato managed to obtain exactly the dense material that Hayashi needed. This is how a new brand appeared " Denime", and machines decommissioned in the USA found a new life in Japan.

Until the mid-90s, the Japanese brand did not have too many fans. Basically, it was bought by the Japanese themselves. However, literally 15 years later, denim from the land of the rising sun has gained wild popularity throughout the world.

Until now, the quality of American jeans is in many ways inferior to Japanese ones. It is curious that even the company " Levi's"sews its vintage collection in Japan.

The center of attraction for all fans of Japanese denim is a kind of denim mecca - the city Kojima, prefecture Okayama, this is where most of the factories where denim is produced are located.

The city even has a developed denim tourism - the museum opens its doors to everyone. Betty Smith Jeans, dedicated to the history of denim.

In addition, you can book a tour of the factories and see with your own eyes the entire jeans production process. But, of course, most of all tourists are attracted by the numerous shops that sell real Japanese jeans - the dream of many fashionistas.