Topman selvage – fitting

An email to Topman UK also reveals that there will be some shrinkage since it wasn’t washed as I guessed earlier. A 30 waist actually measure 33.5 which meant washing the pair of selvage might redered it unwearable as I am unsure how much it would shrink. So dry cleaning it will be, for the time being.

Topman black selvage denim

Little did I know there’s another source for selvage here in KL. These are basic and not to be compared with Japanese variant. If compared to Uniqlo, these are a little more stylish. Though they are in the lower price point I must admit the design (subjective), quality, detailing are pretty outstanding. For £45, its a bargain.

Specifications:

Brand: Topman

Color: Black

Fabric: Raw, White/Gold|Yellow/Cyan Selvage

Fit: Slim

Tab: Says – Slim fit with a longer rise. Lovingly cut from the finest raw denim. With premium trims and hand finished to the highest standard.

Other features: Cinch back, front and back coin pockets lined with selvage, colored inside pockets, rivets on the back pockets.

I’ll let the photos do the talking –

Back selvage coin pocket

Cinch back

Font selvage coin pocket

Right back pocket

Button fly

Stitched selvage hem

Raw selvage

Updates

Work has been great but that left me with very little time for others. Perhaps the following month would see a few new interesting posts. Cheers

Paul Smith Red Ear ~ Red Devil

I love the simplicity of the Red Devil.

Men’s Red Ear slim fit five pocket jean. Features Red Ear trims and button fly. 100% cotton, made in China. Not available to US customers.

Source: http://www.paulsmith.co.uk/

Paul Smith Red Ear ~ Nelson’s Glory

Nelson’s Glory

Men’s slim fit jeans from the Red Ear Collection in dark blue. Featuring two front pockets and two back patch pockets with contrast top stitching. The jean also features belt loop detailing and Red Ear branded rivets and trims. 100% cotton, made in China. Not available to US customers.

Source: http://www.paulsmith.co.uk/

Bears & dnj (Japanese)

DOWN　NORTH　JEANS、“DNJ1”、ルーズブーツカット！

児島×下北沢というBEARS’にとって最も縁の深い2つの土地から生まれたジ
ーンズです！

こちらのジーンズは現在BEARS’のみで手に取り見れるほぼBEARS’限定状態
です！

デニム生地は岡山県倉敷市児島の老舗ファクトリーに依頼し、旧式力織機で
丁寧に織られた13.75ozの赤耳デニムを使用。シルエットは適度なローライズで穿きやすいルーズブーツカットモデル。
膝の絞りを少し甘くし、裾幅を少し広げたラインは足のラインをきれいに長く見
せます。

本来のシルエットを崩さないよう全てのウエストサイズにレングスをR(レギュラ
ー)、L(ロング)の2種類を用意しています。

丈上げをしてシルエットが崩れることを嫌ったデザイナーの丈上げをせずにそ
のままのシルエットで穿きこなせるようにというこだわりが詰まってます！

また、ヒッポケットのステッチは2本のゆるやかなカーブが交差するデザイン。
こちらは交差した所にオレンジ糸でのカン止めを配しており、それは小田急線
と井の頭線が交わる下北沢をイメージしています。また、デザイナーのこだわりにより、財布を入れやすく、使いやすくするために
気持ち大きめに作られたヒップポケット。

ジッポ等を取り出しやすくするために気持ち大きめに作られたコインポケット。
フロントポケットに手を入れた時のライン、実用性などを考え、入り口を気持ち
広げるなど、実用性に富んだ機能性も兼ねております。

そんなこだわりのジーンズは先にもご紹介した通り、児島の老舗ファクトリーの
信頼できるベテラン職人達の手によって、生地から縫製まで一貫した製作体制
で膨大な時間と限りない愛情を注いで創り上げたジーンズです！

デニム生地もファクトリーの中でも最上級の種類を使用しており、色落ちは折り
紙つきです！

児島、下北沢というBEARS’にとっても、私田口を始め、スタッフ一同にとっても
特に愛すべき土地で生まれたこのジーンズを是非お試し下さい！！

※撮影中の会話※

モデル

・レングスを切らないで穿けるってのはすごい喜びですね(笑)

田口
・足の短い君には特にね(笑)でもさ、ストレートにしても、ブーツカット
にしても、レングスはみんな切るじゃない？それってパターン(シルエ
ット)を崩すってことなんだよね。でもこれは、それを嫌がって、この状
態でパターンを引いてるから、デザインそのままのシルエットを楽しめ
るんだよね。モデル
・それがいいんですよ、いつも裾切ってるから、もったいないなぁとも
思ってましたし(汗)田口
・このゆるめのブーツカットラインがすごいオシャレでいいよね。裾も
やや広がりでるテーパードが無いって感じのラインになっていいね。モデル
・このナチュラルなラフレアインがすごくいいですよ、穿き心地も楽で
すしね。Source: http://item.rakuten.co.jp/bears/downnorthjeans-dnj1/

Rampuya News Release

〈News Release〉April 2, 2007

RAMPUYA presents the collection of “Momotaro Jeans”  Those are the collection of jeans concentrated with the top notch quality of denim fabric and the techniques of artisans.

  In the spring of 2007, RAMPUYA LTD (Address: Kurashiki city Okayama pref., Japan/ President of the company: Hisao Manabe) presents and begins to sell “Momotaro Jeans” which are born from Mr. Manabe’s firm intention for manufacture and creativeness.

 He made the high-grade denim fabric which was created with all the ingredients which he himself selected such as yarns, colors, and weaving patterns. And he used those fabrics to make the ultimate jeans with the special skills of sewing and washing finish. He named the jeans “Momotaro Jeans”, which he named after the ancient hero in the folktale of his home. In the folktale, Momotaro, or the peach boy beat devils and brought peace to the village.

  

 Mr. Manabe had been pursuing the real denim which remain for decades and finally made the high-grade denim fabric by using cotton from Zimbabwe. It is not a mere extension of denim as work wear, but it has been highly evaluated as a real material for fashion by some of the major super brands in Europe. Now it is reputed as a high-grade material for luxury jeans or premium jeans, which has established one of the categories as fashionable items. The denim fabric for “Momotaro Jeans” is made with the technology that has been developed in those processes of making high-grade denim fabric, and all the yarns of this denim fabric are made from Zimbabwe cotton. The whiteness and the length of filament make the texture of “Momotaro Jeans” soft and comfortable.

   The color of “Momotaro Jeans” is called “Japan Blue TM”, which is known for worldwide and remains for good. First Mr. Manabe wanted to make a color which did not existed in denim fabric and to make it a pride of Japan. He thought of an old Japanese cloth dyed with indigo and then he developed the greenish dark blue color, which he named it “Japan Blue TM”. When it was presented, it got a lot of good response. The first delivery of the fabric using the color flew the shelf at once, and continuing additional orders followed.

As a result he got the position as a manufacturer of high-grade denim fabric. After that he pursued “Japan Blue TM” and the color became “Japan Blue TM” of “Momotaro Jeans” which exceeds any blue colors ever existed.

  Mr. Manabe created the color, which is the most important part of denim, and the dying process of it for himself as an artisan. This blue color of Rampuya was selected by media to “The color of Japan” while “German color is the red color of Porsche.”

 This color of “Momotaro Jeans Gold Label” is dyed by hand as each hank of yarns in the atelier of his company. The yarns are dipped into the liquid of natural indigo by artisans of the atelier, dyed by rubbing of their hands, washed with water, and dried in the sun. The artisans repeat this process and the color will be fixed gradually. It needs a lot of days to dye yarns into dark colors because they have to repeat the process again and again. They can finish the color of “Momotaro Jeans Gold Label” by repeating the process for more than thirty times. Dying with Ai, natural indigo is a very sensible work because Ai is like a kind of living thing and it depends on its condition or the weather of the day. It takes three to six months to dye the amount of the warp used for a piece of fabric with the color of “Japan Blue TM” which is made for “Momotaro Jeans”.

  

 And the fabric used for “Momotaro Jeans” is woven by old fashioned strong machines called shuttle weaving machines. Compared with a cutting edge weaving machine, it is rather inefficient to use a shuttle weaving machine because it can weave only one piece of fabric per day. But the weft of fabric woven with it is very stiff, and there remains unevenness on the surface which can make you feel particularly good about it. As time goes by you can enjoy various expressions of it.

  

 The textile of “Momotaro Jeans Gold Label” finished after the process mentioned before is amazingly soft, smooth and comfortable to wear. Its texture is particularly good and the color does not fade. On the contrary, the color adds its vividness when it is washed for many times, and it reflects the various shades by different lightings. That’s the blue color of Rampuya, “Japan Blue TM” which can be expressed only by natural indigo from plants, not by synthetic indigo.

  

 Mr. Manabe also established a factory in Ajino district of Kojima city. He equipped various kinds of machines which can be used to sew the specification he wanted. In his factory, some of the parts of the jeans are sewn sturdily with the vintage machine of Union Special, and it can characterize antique taste of the jeans. Moreover he established the factory specializes in washing finfish of the jeans in Akazaki district of Kojima city, where he can freely express what he clings to.

  

 Mr. Hisao Manabe is the recognized authority who has developed the techniques and workmanship in Okayama, which is now the production center of high-class denim of the world. “Momotaro Jeans” is the jeans Mr. Manabe himself created with his enthusiasm, in his own atelier and factory. And he clings to all the processes of making jeans from the selection of the cottons to washing finish.

  

 So one pair of “Momotaro Jeans” is made up of highest refinement that Mr. Hisao Manabe concentrates all his philosophy of “the traditional skill and the modern technology”, “the power of prominent skills”, and “the manufacturing  without stereotypes” into the color of Rampuya “Japan Blue TM” selected by the world.

  

 In the year of 2007 they sell “Momotaro Jeans” at about twenty shops, three of them located in Ajino, Nakaune, Okayama Pref. and Ebisu, Tokyo are under the direct management of Rampuya. The made-to-order jeans are also available at those three shops.

☆     You can also monitor this news release at the web page http://www.pressnetwork.ne.jp 

For more information about this news release and public relations,

Please contact:

O&O Inc. PR representative of Ramuya Ltd.

Ms. Keiko Ohta/ Mr. Shozaburo Fujita

TEL: 03-3304-0369/ FAX: 03-3304-0362

E-mail: peachboy@oando.co.jp

  

■     Company Profile

Name: RAMPUYA LTD.

Year Established: April 1996

Location: 4-61 Kojima-Ekimae Kurashiki City Okayama Pref., Japan

Capital: 3,000,000Japanese Yen

Annual Sales: 290,000,000Japanese Yen

Sites:

Atelier: “Ainozoki”, dying atelier using natural indigo

4-61 Kojima-Ekimae Kurashiki City Okayama Pref., Japan 711-0921

Factory: “Momotaro sewing factory” sewing denim jeans

1-12-17 Kojima-Ajino Kurashiki City Okayama Pref., Japan 711-0913

Factory: “Akazaki dying factory” dying and finishing

1-2-48 Komoike Kurashiki City Okayama Pref., Japan 711-0932

Shop: “Tsuru no kobo, Rampuya Ajino Shop & Atelier” direct management shop

1-12-16 Kojima-Ajino Kurashiki City Okayama Pref., Japan 711-0913

Opening hours: 10:00～19:00(Shop), 10:00～19:00(Atelier), closing on Mondays

Shop: “Denim House” direct management shop

175-2 Nakaune Okayama City Okayama Pref., Japan 701-0213

Opening hours: 11:00～20:00, closing on Wednesdays

Shop: “Rampuya Tokyo Shop” direct management shop and Press Room

1-1-17 Nakameguro Meguro Ward Tokyo, Japan 153-0061

Opening on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays: 12:00～19:00

Reservations needed to open Press Room/ TEL: 03-3304-036   

    

Board Members: President/ Mr. Hisao Manabe

Senior Managing Director/ Mr. Masahiro Suwaki

No. of Staff: 13

Affiliated Company: Collect co., ltd.

Product Range:

l         Products dyed with indigo

l         Denim garments

l         Material for special garments

Source: http://www.japanblue.co.jp/ 

Momotaro Jeans

 

Finally, I’d manage to sort out the formatting issue with wordpress. 

Now, major Japanese selvage denim costs between a humble \13,000 for a simple, affordable, good quality and yet classic pair to \30,000+ for a more elaborate pair with natural indigo and other special touches. And if that is consider cheap to you, try a buying a \60,000-\80,000+ limited edition pair of denim available only from selected labels.    

Momotaro label covers most price ranges and then came their \178,500 super exclusive denim. \178,500 which equates to roughly $1550, just for a pair of denim? You must be out of your mind to spend that kind of cash on a pair of trousers in my own term. 

For the price you are paying, you’ll get exclusivity, the selvage denim fabric alone takes a whooping one year to get ready. 

Katsuya Kimura of Denim House was very helpful with my enquiries and here you’ll find details of Momotaro’s selvage denim line up. 

■     MOMOTARO JEANS

The collection of Momotaro Jeans is made up of four different labels. High-end class is “Momotaro Jeans Gold Label”. Only the topnotch materials and traditional skills of artisans are concentrated to make “Momotaro Jeans Gold Label”.

Then “Momotaro Jeans Copper Label” for　upper class, “Momotaro Jeans Red Label” which they recreate the jeans of good old days, and “Momotaro Jeans Blue Label” as jeans of the future are created with some arrangements from basic jeans.  

G001-T〈GOLD LABEL〉   

Jeans of all hand-made from natural indigo.

Retail Price: \178,500

l  The fit is a little roomy, straight legs with higher rise.

l  The material of cotton is extremely fine as it is used for the fabrics of dress shirts. Natural indigo from plant is used for hand-dying the warp, and the fabric is hand loomed.

l  This one does not fade, but it has beautiful thick and thin color.

l  The leather patch is made of steer hide with the illustration of Momotaro gilded on it.

l  The pocketing fabric is also dyed with natural indigo.

l  The quantity of production is limited because it needs more than a year from dying yarns to finish garments. This is the best and the ultimate you can buy.

 

G003-A〈GOLD LABEL〉 

Jeans made of hand-dyed yarns with natural indigo.

Retail Price: \81,900

l  The fit is a little roomy, straight legs with higher rise.

l  The material of cotton is extremely fine as it is used for the fabrics of dress shirts. The warp of the fabric is hand-dyed with natural indigo.

l  This one does not fade, but it has beautiful thick and thin color.

l  The fabric of back pockets is woven with a hand loom using hand-dyed warp yarns with natural indigo.

l  The leather patch is made of steer hide with the illustration of Momotaro gilded on it.

 

G003-O〈GOLD LABEL〉

Jeans made of hand-dyed yarns with indigo.

Retail Price: \37,800

l  The fit is a little roomy, straight legs with higher rise.

l  The yarns are blended of three different types of organic cottons, which reflect the look of ancient times.

l  The warp of the fabric is hand-dyed with indigo.

l  The fabric of back pockets is woven with the warp hand-dyed with natural indigo.

l  The leather patch is made of steer hide with the illustration of Momotaro gilded on it.
 

 

G003-M〈COPPER LABEL〉  

Classic Jeans made of yarns dyed with indigo.

Retail Price: \23,100

l  The fit is a little roomy, straight legs with higher rise.

l  The fabric is made from Zimbabwe cotton which is soft, glossy, and superior in whiteness.

l  The leather patch is made of saddle leather branded with the illustration of Momotaro on it.

l  The original buttons are used for front closure.

MVPA01〈RED LABEL〉

14.7oz Old Blue Jeans 1st type.

Retail Price: \23,940

l  This model is made of the denim woven by most experienced artisans and sewn with persistence to the details. l  The fabric is made from Zimbabwe cotton which is heavy and strong but easy to fit your skin.l  The color is the recreation of the denim they began to make for the first time in Japan.

l  The fabric is woven carefully, and only one piece can be finished a day. And the raw fabric is used for this model in order to make full use of the good texture it has by nature. After wearing repeatedly, the expression of jeans becomes more and more peculiar by the character of raw twill fabrics.

l  This is the ultimate jeans for daily wearing. The more you wear it, the more you like it.

Source: http://www.japanblue.co.jp/ 

dnj’s philosophies (Japanese)

長い間……
下北沢の街から何かをインディーズ的に発信したいと思い、ずっと考えてきました。
そして、演出の仕事と同じ位好きなジーンズを作ってみたい、
ハイクオリティのジーンズを世の中に出したいと強く思うようになりました。ダウンノースジーンズ＜dnj＞にとっての下北沢の原風景……
それは70年代に見かけたさりげない日常です。
南口から北口へ抜ける踏切で通過する小田急線を待つロックミュージシャン、
ジョニー吉長と金子マリの『肩を組みジーンズを穿いた後ろ姿』です。
二人ともまだ若くて自由で最高にかっこよかった！あの時見かけた記憶…。
ジーンズ＝ブーツカットを最高の形で再構築したい…
記憶との戦いからdnjは2006年春スタートしました。ジーンズを作るなら最高の技術を持つ職人たちと組みたい……
dnjは旧知でもあった岡山県・児島の老舗ファクトリーに生地制作・縫製等を依頼。
快諾して頂き信頼できる制作体制を整えることができました。
運が良かったとしかいいようがありません。
さらに、友人たちの手助けと尽力でステキなスタッフが集まり
2007年に発表するにふさわしい一本のジーンズが誕生しました。
プロダクト名 Southside Bootcut (O/W)。自由で世間の常識に縛られない……
この街を往くミュージシャンをイメージしたジーパンです。
皆様が、このジーンズを穿いてシモキタの街のカフェで語らい、眠亭で飯を食い、
トラブルピーチで酒に酔い、スズナリや屋根裏で芝居や音楽を楽しむ……そんなことを夢見てdnjは２００７年小さな一歩を踏み出します。

Dir. Muramoto

Source: http://www.downnorth.jp/htmls/about/about.html   

A personal take from Taishi Muramoto(dir.) of dnj

The reason why I wanted to make jeans is written in my web site. Other than what I wrote on the web site,

I wanted to create something I can touch by hand. On the other hand, I strongly feel that “I would like to give a shape to something invisible” This my sound a little bit emotional though…

Dir. Muramoto

Original dialogue in Japanese. Japanese text translated by: Yukiyo Yamanaka