don’t call it a comeback. denim is having a moment right now thanks to a handful of fledgling brands putting their own spin on the pants we don’t know how to quit. unlike previous iterations during denim last boom that reached as far back as the gold mining days for inspiration, a new crop of designers take their cues from more recent history: the nineties. it ain’t no anchor blue but all the faded stone washes and straight legs will have you thinking back in the days when I was young I'm not a kid anymore but some days I sit and wish I was a kid again.
don’t call it a comeback. denim is having a moment right now thanks to a handful of fledgling brands putting their own spin on the pants we don’t know how to quit. unlike previous iterations during denim last boom that reached as far back as the gold mining days for inspiration, a new crop of designers take their cues from more recent history: the nineties. it ain’t no anchor blue but all the faded stone washes and straight legs will have you thinking back in the days when I was young I'm not a kid anymore but some days I sit and wish I was a kid again.
launched in fw19 with masakazu arasawa at the helm, ciota, the in-house brand of okayaman garment manufacturer, shiota, has in three short seasons (as of this post) cultivated an enthusiastic following amongst industry heads. and while there are a dime a dozen denim labels that call okayama home, ciota’s approach skews more towards fashion as opposed to homage. that’s not to say that ciota’s pieces are design heavy, as they aren’t. in fact, they‘re simple and unadorned. as a factory brand with manufacturing capability in it’s back pocket, ciota does what standalone denim brands can’t, sourcing the highest quality textiles to create the ultimate jeans. the suvin cotton straight leg denim is that jean. using the iconic 1966 levi’s 501 silhoutte as the base, arasawa makes a significant upgrade by opting for the highly coveted indian suvin cotton for the weft threads. considered the king of cotton, this long-staple cotton is a smooth as silk and as supple as cashmere. the warp threads are rope dyed with genuine indigo that lends a naturalistic hue to each pair that gets better with wear. the waist is a little cinched, giving way to a slightly ballooned hip. it’s recommended to size up one or two sizes and let the jeans sit on the hip bones. coming in all the standard colors and washes at 13.5 oz, if you ever wondered what the ceiling for jeans were these are the pair to get for that upgrade. if you can get your hands on them that is.
herill’s pull lies in their subtle ability to upgrade and update basic essentials you want to actually wear. case in point the 15oz denim tack 4pk looks like a straight forward pair of jeans until you examine the details. for these jeans they use 100% giza87 cotton that is bleached into an exquisite fade with a crisp exterior and a soft interior. to give the jeans more of a trouser-like drape, the traditionally available coin pocket is removed to make way for a single pleat tuck that gives a nice vertical drape. the rise is taken out while the inseam is taken in for better wearability.
This addition to Warehouse & Co's much loved '2nd Hand' range is a brilliantly authentic vintage feel jean. The 12oz denim of this loose straight model has been aged to vintage perfection, the kind of effect which would take half a decade of wear to achieve. These incredible fades are complimented by the classic 1101 shape which has been cut a little short in the leg in true vintage style. This model features a paper patch and distressed arcuates, along with a yellow line selvedge id. It is like owning a real pair of 50's 501XX jeans, at a fraction of the price.
