There’s nothing that beats Levi’s classic 506XX in my book and TCB Jeans interpretation don’t mess around. I’ve had my TCB 30’s jacket for a little over a year now since getting it from Göteborg Manufaktur. Now it’s really starting to take off.
For the 506XX repro Inoue-san used the same denim as for the TCB 20’s, the interpretation of 501’s from the 1920’s. A fabulous 12,5 oz fabric made of Memphis cotton. The lighter weight fabric makes it my top choice of summer jacket since my other denim jackets are slightly heavier.
Curious of how the fabric fades? Check out the latest update of my TCB 20’s. Since it’s using the same fabric you will get a hint. I got the jacket and jeans around the same time, but have washed the jeans countless times by now while the jacket has been washed four times during the past year of wear.
Update: Or even better, check out how the TCB 30’s jacket looks now after some more wear and washes.
The fit
Like TCB Jeans’ other jackets the 30’s jacket has a longer body than the original and slimmed sleeves. Perhaps not to everyones liking but I think it makes the jacket a great addition to a collection of denim jackets, giving me a more modern fit to turn to when I want it.
Details of TCB 30’s jacket
The jacket has some nice little details. From size 40 and up they use the T-back construction. If I’m not mistaken this construction was traditionally used on larger sizes because it left less waste of fabric when it was cut. The TCB 30’s jacket also rocks nice iron buttons that will rust with age and add great patina to the garment. Of course you’ll also have a cinchback since it’s a repro of the 506XX.
Wondering who made the custom patches on my jacket? Check out s.y.norrman on Instagram, embroideries done by Olof that runs Göteborg Manufaktur.
Vacation have slowed down the posting a bit, soon there’ll be more pace again. But here’s a quick update on my TCB 20’s contest jeans after another wash or two back in June. Some three months left now of the contest and they’re getting washed every two-three weeks now. Love these even more than the sample from the world tour!
Update: Head over here to see how the TCB 20’s ended up after 18 months of wear.
There’s no hiding I like what Shingo-san does with his brand Denimbridge. So when the chance presented itself to have a custom pair made by Shingo-san himself I had to give it a go. He calls the model Denimbridge S Antique.
I met Shingo-san way back in 2017 in Tokyo. We talked a lot about denim, which I suppose don’t come as a big surprise. Partly we spoke of his latest model, the S Antique, a wide straight model that Shingo sews himself in his workshop in Saitama. All single stitch goodness. You choose the details yourself: buttons, cinch, single or double stitched beltloops and of course also fabric. When I got home from the trip I wrote down the details I gunned for and shot Shingo-san an email. I also did a short interview with Shingo-san if you’ve missed that one.
Denimbridge S Antique – the fabric
For my pair of Denimbridge S Antique, I went with the second fabric Shingo-san had gotten his hands on, a deadstock 14 oz fabric that is very dark and soft to the touch. Shingo-san had found a large roll in a warehouse. Sadly he doesn’t know where it comes from and will only last until he runs out. Then it is finito, as far as I can remember.
I like it a lot so far, though I’m very intrigued by how it will change after the first wash. With this pair I decided to go again my usual washing regime and only soak it at first, so I’m sure there will be big changes. It bleeds like hell for now. No white tees with this pair.
The hardware
I had a harder time with the hardware choices. When I was due with my order I had gotten slightly into black coated buttons. Not my favorite back then. It still isn’t, but felt like a fun idea to make this pair even more unique in my little collection. So black it was, for the top button, suspender buttons and also the cinch buckle.
To go with the black buttons I chose brownish rivets which I think works well together with the black buttons. The S Antique is somewhat of a 20’s cut rocks with visible rivets on the backpockets and a crotch rivet.
Except choosing fabric, deciding on what kind of cinch buckle I wanted was probably the most fun decision. From my other pairs I’m used to ones with prongs that keeps the cinch in place. This time however I opted for a rounded buckle, which quite frankly has been somewhat useless. Instead I’m going full Inoue-san when I wear my pair and just keeps the cinch open, dangling around.
Felled seams, yummie!
Go fetch a pair of Denimbridge S Antique
In this saturated denim market that we have there’s plenty of “unique” jeans out there. But if you are looking for something different, made by a small denim brand, singlehandedly made by the owner himself, felled seams and all, I would definitely recommend giving Denimbridge S Antique a shot.
Looking for the perfect summer jeans? Look no further than TCB Seamens Trousers. There’s no hiding my TCB fanboyism. Ever since I picked up my pair of TCB 50’s I’ve been part of the cult following of Inoue-san’s work. His work with repros of American workwear is right up my alley and when my dear friends at Göteborg Manufaktur got the Seamens Trousers last summer I had to try them on. It was an instant love story.
The TCB Seamens Trousers is a reproduction of USN Navy deck pants from the 1940’s that Inoue-san has in his collection. A really wide pair of pants, with even higher waist and super neppy and hairy 10 oz fabric. The perfect pair for summer pants and a denim classic.
Best part about it is definitely the fabric. First and foremost the light weight combined with the wide fit makes it ideal for summer wear. Then you have the crazy neppy and hairy texture that one can stare at for a long time. My Evisu No.1 jeans are the only pair that comes even close to this hairiness. Can’t wait to see how the fabric evolves with wear and what I will like about it then.
Details to love with the Seamens trousers
There’s three details that I enjoy the most: The stenciled logo and size over the right backpocket, the slash frontpockets and the US Navy buttons. Low key stuff. It doesn’t need to be more complicated than this. Just let the fabric speak for itself. I mean, have you even seen Inoue-sans own wickedly worn-in pair?
Not like I’m close to Inoue-san’s pair but there’s an update on my TCB Seamens trousers to see and I like how they are coming along.
Then again, there’s more details to enjoy. The felled seams and square-shaped backpockets that you can hardly see at first because there’s no contrast stitching what so ever. Lovely little details that makes this hobby worthwhile.
But perhaps you’re interested in getting to know some more about our good friends that will make the jeans for you? Let’s go on a ride behind the scene.
From the last visit att Shingo-sans workshop
Say hello to Shingo-san of Denim Base
Shingo-san is a massive denimhead, or denim-baka like he says himself. Baka translating to “nerd” in Japanese. For many years he has run the denim blog Denimba.com. Back then he used to work in the harbor, just another denim aficionado wanting to share his love of denim with his peers.
On our way to Shingo-san’s workshop
Five years ago he started his own brand Denimbridge and has released five models so far (six with our collab included), ranging from classic wide straight cuts to slim straights but also single needle pairs of which you can choose your own details and Shingo-san sews himself in his denim base in Saitama, one hour outside of Tokyo.
If you want to know more about Shingo-san, I did an interview when I first met Shingo-san in 2017.
Kuniyoshi-san sewing backpockets on the GBG001 jeans
Say hello to Kuniyoshi-san of Double Volante
Our one man-show that will sew the jeans is a veteran in the game. In 2008 he started his own brand Double Volante and is working out of his workshop on Okinawa. I got interested in Kuniyoshi-sans work through his work for Studio D’Artisan and Denimbridge but he also does tailored jeans to customers specifications.
Coinpocket in the making
Before moving to Okinawa however he already had 10 years in the business under his belt, working in a sewing factory in Okayama, doing work for brands like Denime, Kapital and Samurai.
It definitely feels great to have one of the best in the business sewing our jeans.
Say hello to Sai-san, the pattern maker
Sai-san is a good friend of Shingo and our pattern maker. Previously Sai-san used to work for Edwin Lee and also was a part of the old Warehouse x Lee collection. Feels pretty fitting, don’t you think? With parts of our GBG001 jeans being inspired by old Lee models and all.
Photo credit: All about Japan
Say hello to Sakamoto denim
Have you read the nice story about Big John’s Rare jeans on their website? It’s definitely worth a read but for now we’ll stick to the part about Sakamoto denim, the dyeing factory that we’re using for our fabric. Being founded all the way back in 1892 in Hiroshima and working with indigo dyeing since then it is easy to say they know their craft very well.
But Sakamoto denim is not only about their immense heritage. They are one of the companies that have played a big part in the evolution of indigo dyeing in Japan, for example being the first company in Japan to mechanize the rope-dyeing technique and is pushing the industry in regards to sustainability, using electrolyzed water to dye in room temperature and have a sludge process to minimize the waste.
Hopefully you enjoyed this little peek behind the scenes and getting to know the team behind the collab jeans GBG001. We’re getting closer to the final deadline of preorders which closes on June 15th. Don’t sleep on it and join in on the fun.
Most of us have a dream pair of jeans. For me it’s Ooe Yofukuten OA02XX. The two man-show of married couple Ryo and Hiro has become quite the niche legends in the business with their impeccable craftsmanship and attention to details. There are a lot of information about them out there now, for instance this great interview by Mr Randal on Denimbro. Later on I might do a longer piece about them and my visit to their workshop in Ichinomiya. But for now, let’s focus on the jeans!
Visiting Ryo & Hiro of Ooe Yofukuten in 2017
Ooe Yofukuten OA02XX jeans
The OA02XX is their interpretation of Levi’s classical 60’s cut but with a slight taper. It makes it a neat cut with a pretty high rise and smart silhouette that’s neither too wider or too slim for my liking. Using a 13,5 oz loomstate fabric with American cotton they’re comfy pretty much from the start. Plus, they work all year around here in Sweden.
While the blog has been down I’ve worn these quite a bit. Putting a little over one year of wear into them with loads of washes. They just fit so damn good. It wasn’t very often that I felt like wearing anything else. Fact is I like them so much I have stached away a new pair on the shelf.
The details
Since it’s a 60’s inspired pair you will find a couple of 60’s details we know quite well: paper patch, aluminum backsides of the rivets and a centered beltloop in the back. This pair however has a V-stitch and hidden rivets, details that were still there in 1963 Levi’s 501’s. They also have a coinpocket with a peek-a-bo selvedge, a detail that’s not there on my other pair of OA02 and not time correct as far as I know. Either way, it’s a bloody well made pair of jeans and I couldn’t recommend them enough. And basing the cut of my very own jeans off the OA02XX is perhaps the greatest testament of all.
The 1960’s jeans deserve a renaissance. As much as I’m a sucker for cinchbacks and 50’s cuts there’s something special with the 1960’s jeans that I adore. Time to throw a punch for the paper patch-era. Paper patch evolution is just as sweet as that of a leather patch in my opinion. Down below you’ll see some other features, or lack there of, from typical 60’s jeans.
But first, let’s have a look at some of that paper patch evolution.
Maybe the most intriguing example is when comparing the two patches below from Ooe Yofukuten. Most probably using the same paper. One pretty much new, the other battered after 1,5 years of wear. Seeing how it has twisted, creaked and begun to tear with wear is denim bliss.
An interesting take in our modern age is the use of leather vs paper for the patch when thinking of animals wellfare. Do we really need a leather patch? When designing my own jeans, the answer was “no”.
Part of what I like about the 1960’s jeans is, though it might sound odd, that some of the neat features of earlier eras are no longer there. The V-stitch is gone, coinpocket selvedge is gone, hidden rivets are gone, backside of the rivets are changed to aluminum. One added feature is that the waistband gets a double chainstitch instead of just one of the seams. Below you see some examples of the features from my Denime 66 and TCB 60’s.
No coinpocket selvedgeNo V-stitch or hidden rivetsAluminium backsides of the rivetsDouble chainstitched waistband
Finally, the Indigo Veins x Göteborg Manufaktur x Denim Base collab jeans GBG001 are here! Like I mentioned a few weeks ago I’ve designed my very own jeans together with my good friends at Göteborg Manufaktur and Shingo Oosawa that runs Denimbridge and now also has the brand Denim Base together with Kuniyoshi-san of Double Volante fame.
It all started in Tokyo
A trip to Tokyo in 2017 paved the way for the endeavour. During the trip I got to know Shingo Oosawa, founder of the small scale denim brand Denimbridge. A few months later we set the project into motion. The planning started for the new partnership with Göteborg Manufaktur, Indigo Veins and Shingo’s new brand Denim-Base. Denim-Base is a brand Shingo-san runs together with Kuniyoshi-san, mostly known for his own one man-brand Double Volante and sewing of Studio D’Artisan’s Champloo series, and Kana-san that runs denim brand El Canek.
Family made GBG001 jeans
The jeans are made by small family businesses all the way, from the dyeing factory in Hiroshima to Kuniyoshi-san that sew all the jeans himself on Okinawa, is also an important piece of the puzzle that connects Japanese heritage and craftsmanship.
Cool kids on the block with GBG001 jeans. One pair worn in, one pair newly washed
The inspiration
A big source of inspiration for the GBG001 collab was jeans of the 60’s. The fit is smart with a mid high waist and enough room in the thighs. But still, it drapes down in a nice way giving the jeans a slim look.
All of us love vintage details but we never set out to make a 100 % reproduction. We’ve taken the details we love and thought could work well together in order to make a modern pair of jeans that still has the essence of times past. For instance, the jeans feature olive herringbone pocket fabrics, something you found during the 40’s. Lee’s backpockets from the 40’s was another inspiration. And the lack of hidden rivets and a paper patch stems from the 60’s.
The fabric is woven on a Toyoda shuttle loom by Yamaashi mill in Okayama
The details of GBG001
There are many geeky details on this pair. For starters, Yamaashi mill in Okayama weaves the 14 oz fabric on a Toyoda shuttle loom. It’s a unsanforized (loomstate) fabric that Shingo developed exclusively for his brand. He strived to get as close as possible to the vintage vibes of old Cone denim and I think he got close. The fabric is a tightly woven twill made of blended American cotton. It gives the vertical falling you see on for example vintage Levi’s. At first it looks even but once washed the fabric crocks and you get more texture from the warp threads that pops.
The special 14 oz denim fabric being wovenThe GBG001 in all its gloryBackside of the GBG001 jeans
The very light pink selvedge-ID is another geeky detail. The ID is not located in the same place on both ends. On one end it is in the center and on the other one it is dead close to the indigo threads. You can in rare cases find it on vintage jeans.
Mismatched selvedge-ID
Wo chose an olive herringbone fabric for the pocketbags. It is my favorite of the different materials that were used during the 1940’s, when companies had to use whatever was at hand.
Olive herringbone pocketbags
They will also rock specially made Denim Base top buttons made of iron and copper rivets.
Specially made iron buttons
One of my favorite tiny details is the coinpocket. Instead of the usual shape we went with a small spade pocket, like the backpockets. Something no one will notice except the wearer himself.
Spade shaped coinpocketThe paper patch of GBG001
The paper patch
The GBG001 collab jeans feature a specially designed paper patch with the harbor cranes from Gothenburg. The design choice has a deeper meaning with Gothenburg having Swedens largest harbor, connecting us with the rest of the world. Much like a bridge and what Shingo-san wants to accomplish with his brand Denimbridge.
All the way back to the early 18th century trade ships travelled the globe to Asia before returning to the harbor of Gothenburg. For Japan, the trading between the countries began in 1886. So for us it makes sense with Gothenburgs historical connections to Japan and our harbor.
Enjoying the sun and new jeans
Where to kop?
If you want a pair for yourself, the pre-order is up via Göteborg Manufaktur. Hopefully you’ll like them as much as we do, because I can’t think of anything I would like to do differently!
Have a look to see how the GBG001 jeans turned out after maybe a year of wear so far.
Yeah, Instagram sure has made sticking your nose into the denim scene very easy but I’m definitely not the only one who thinks that it has a lot of depth to it. Thankfully we can get dive deeper into the indigo dreams of denim in other forms: you have forums like Superfuture and Denimbro but of course there are some amazing books about denim out there. Here’s a shortlist of 7 great books about denim that are some of my own favorites.
The 501 XX: A collection of vintage jeans
Like you might have guessed this book sticks around Levi’s classic the 501XX and its iterations throughout the years. Yutaka Fujihara and Naoki Kawamata has with help from their friends made the ultimate picture book for vintage denim lovers. Written in both Japanese and English they go through the tiny differences that helps us date how old the vintage 501’s are, all accompanied with both full shots and detail pictures.
Ametora – How Japan saved American style
W. David Marx has written an excellent compressed story of Japans love story for American style and how it has changed and influenced each other. The books kick of in the early 20th century and takes us on a journey all the way to modern day Japan. Of course the trends of vintage denim, how the Japanese denim industry came to be and Osaka5 play their respective parts in the book.
Jeans of the old west: A history
Need to update your knowledge of the history of jeans, the very first American brands and what was happening in the 19th century of the denim scene? Michael Harris book is a staple piece in my book. If you want to understand what the brands are doing today I’d recommend to read up on denim history – this is where a lot of the boys fetch their inspiration.
True Fit – A collected history of denim
Swedish denim dude Viktor Fredbäck has one of the most unique denim collections in the world. In the book he tells the stories of his vintage pieces spanning over a 100 year period from the 1870’s to the 1960’s while also brushing up on the history of the classic denim brands and where it all started. All in all a great peak into denim history and one fine collection. You can read my interview with Viktor from a few years back to learn more about it.
All about vintage denim
Are you thinking of getting into the vintage hunting game? Better start studying then! If you’re only looking for Levi’s 501’s then you’re ready to soar if you pick up The 501XX: A collection of vintage jeans I mentioned earlier. But if you’re thinking of picking up something else. Maybe a chambray shirt from Hercules or a chorecoat from Lee? Then I highly recommend this comprehensive little book from Japanese Lightning Magazine. They go into differences on labels, hardware and have pictures from different eras. A perfect start to get you started in vintage paradise.
Denim dudes
One of the things I enjoy about denim is the warm community. Amy Leverton was kind enough to give out a book where you get to meet some of these denim dudes. A very nice and personal kind of book that differs from what I’ve read before.
Blue Blooded
Thomas Stege Bojer, perhaps mostly known for his blog Denimhunters, released Blue Blooded a couple of years ago. If you compare Blue Blooded to the books already mentioned here, Thomas takes a wider grip on the denim scene in his book. He has incorporated history, interviews with brand profiles but also – and to my enjoyment – a chunk about denim production. Definitely worth adding to your stack of denim litterature.
What are your favorite books about denim?
There you have it, 7 books about denim to boost the denim craze to another level. What are your favorites? Shoot a comment below.
Sometimes luck simply shines your way. I recently had the opportunity to buy a vintage Levi’s 507XX from late 1950’s. For me this has long been a grail piece. As I’m very interested in the denim reproduction scene and loads of my favorite jeans are based on the Cone denim Levi’s used during the 1950’s I’ve always craved the real deal. Having visited BerberJin, Marvin’s and all the other amazing vintage stores in Tokyo I knew it was good. But it sure is something else being able to scrutinize and compare the fabrics of Warehouse, TCB, Roy, Denime, Evisu etc. with the original.
Levi’s 507XX in all its glory
No surprise, but the vintage Levi’s 507XX needs some loving repairs on one sleeve to be worn again and will probably get some sashiko repairs by my good friend Johan that runs Dye for Indigo.
One of the ways to date the jacket is the yellow bartacks on the chestpockets. On the earlier versions of the 507XX the bartack is black. I’ve also had a discussion over on Denimbro with Dr Heech over the pock marks on the rivets. From 1953 Levi’s started stamping rivets and you often find “17” stamped on the 507XX. Going by the word of Doc we don’t know much about the pock marks except it has mostly been seen on pieces around the late 50’s and early 60’s.
Small pock marks have been stamped instead of the usual numbers or letters.Two-sided red tabThread color on the waistband is another telltale of how old the 507XX is.
A year has gone of the TCB 20’s contest after the reboot. And boy are we seeing some great looking jeans. Check out the contest thread if you haven’t. I really really like the 50’s denim Inoue-san and his crew makes but man, I think he surpassed himself when he made the fabric which he uses on the TCB 20’s contest jeans and his type I-jacket. Loads of character, a nice more lightweight denim that suits a reproduction of Levi’s from the 20’s.
Since I was neglecting the blog for so long, there’s been a ton of little updates on the progress of my TCB 20’s contest jeans. Not gonna post them all, but you can find them over on my Instagram. I’ll just leave you with the latest update for now with something like a year of wear and 4-5 washes.
Best part of the TCB 20’s contest jeans?
A year of wear now. And I love them. But what is the best parts?
The fabric plays a really big part of course. I mentioned it at the start of the post but this hits the nail for me. Lots of marbling, vertical falling that is not too pushy and so so soft. It has character but doesn’t brag about it. Class act.
The iron buttons are also starting to shine more and more. Or less, might be more accurate. They are beginning to rust, adding another layer of patina to the jeans.
I’m also a big fan of the desintigrating arcurate stitches. The joy of Inoue-sans cats ear-stitches works best when they’re coming apart.
Update: Head over here to see how the TCB 20’s ended up after 18 months of wear.
Visiting Shingo Oosawa, owner of Denimbridge, in hos workshop in Saitama in 2018
Hello denim blog. It’s been way too long. But it’s time to resurrect this little tomb of denim craze. I have so much to tell, so much to share and I can’t wait to get back to it. Exciting new projects, like my very own collab jeans I’m making with Denim-Base (Shingo, in the picture above, is part of it) and my friends at Göteborg Manufaktur, and loads of more jeans and jackets to geek out about.
Paper patch for the collab jeans, more info to come!
Make sure to drop back soon to read more on the new collab jeans, a few new vintage additions, Ooe Youfukuten, Conners Sewing Factory and much much more. The denim blog walks yet again.
