People who have been interested in Japanese denim for a long time probably know that it is the Japanese approach to jeans production that characterizes the beauty of a weave of denim. The difference of denim is what makes every pair of jeans unique.
The beauty and unlikeness of denim from two different brands (and even from different models and series of the same manufacturer) often force us to go on experiments again and again just to search for the perfect fade of a perfect pair.
For those who are just beginning to get interested in Japanese jeans, let’s give you a simple example. What’s the difference between a Momotaro pair of jeans and an Oni denim? The slubbiness. This is the texture, the groove, the lines of fabric that define the denim of the jeans.
Japanese manufacturers make excellent jeans using both smooth denim and slubby denim. There is no point in arguing what is better or worse. Most likely, having bought one pair of jeans from an equal denim, you will want to try both to find out the best texture you like.
Today’s article discusses slubby denim and its features.
Features of slubby denim
So what is slubby denim? If you picked up some jeans, look at the texture of denim and notice the irregularities: the “bumps”, “knots”, and “stripes” — if this denim reminds you of a hand woven – it’s slubby denim. This “surface roughness” can range from barely noticeable to rough and bumpy. It all depends on the particular type of denim. Remember that slubby is not related to the density (oz), as this characteristic refers only to the texture of denim. Of course, all the beauty of this denim will be “revealed” gradually. Most of all, it will be noticeable when the jeans start to acquire fading (approximately, in six months or a year).
How are jeans made? From denim, which is made from cotton. For the production of slubby denim, cotton with medium and short fiber is best suited (very often it is American and Australian cotton). When the thread is twilled, it will result in a very long thread that might be uneven in the process. In addition, the degree of “unevenness” of the denim texture also depends on the settings of the loom. For example, a thread on a loom can be intentionally weakened. With very slow work of the machine, we will get a denim with the same uneven slubby texture, which we are now talking about. Of course, there are a lot of ways and secrets to get such a feature from each manufacturer. Therefore, the denim of one brand almost never looks like a denim of another brand.
We hope that you now understand what slubby denim is. Now we will give you ten examples of jeans with a similar beautiful texture. By selecting any of them, you will get a unique and beautiful denim, which in time will become even better.
Samurai Jeans uses different denim in their collections. There are jeans made of denim with almost equal texture, and there are jeans that are definitely slubby.
S5000VX ZERO MODEL SLIM STRAIGHT
This is one of the classic models of Samurai Jeans. This model uses a 17OZ Zero Denim (marking of jeans has VX in the title). Denim weaving from cotton with short rigid fibers make up noticeable rough and uneven textures, which makes it extremely slubby (despite the fact that it is not ultra-pronounced).
S0511XX 15OZ SELVEDGE DENIM TAPERED
As is known, Samurai makes jeans not only from heavy denim, but also from denim of medium density. 15OZ Otokogi denim has a very unusual texture. It has noticeable vertical bands, which in time will be more prominent. You can also find some small light blobs (similar to snowflakes). These are “nep” elements, which represent an uneven weft thread (this is also a very interesting feature of such denim).
When it comes to slubby denim, this brand just can not be ignored, as their denim is the iconic example for this texture.
546ZR 20OZ SECRET DENIM TIGHT STRAIGHT
546 is one of the most popular Oni models. Secret Denim is one of the most famous materials of this manufacturer. Jeans that are made from this denim have, in their name the marking ZR. The density of such denim is 20OZ. Such material has a very expressive slubby texture, a very noticeable unevenness, as well as nep elements of weft threads (slubby and nappy). This kind of denim has an initially slightly greenish indigo tint, and the weft thread has a beige color.
ONI-676GC-KHN 16OZ GREEN CAST KIHANNEN
Kihannen denim (labeled as KHN) has a density of 16OZ. Its texture is a large vertical strip of different thickness. From the outside, it looks as if a denim was woven from threads of different thicknesses. The color of this denim also has a slightly greenish tinge.
ONI-622NXX 17OZ NEW XX LOW TENSION SLUB
Denim jeans NXX have a density of 17OZ and a very saturated dark indigo color. Denim has a noticeable slubby texture with short vertical “stripes” that resemble raindrops. When the jeans get fading, it looks especially beautiful.
ONI-536LWZR 12.5OZ NATURAL INDIGO TIGHT STRAIGHT
If you think that slubby texture is inherent only on denim of medium and higher density, then you are mistaken. 536 Oni model is made of very light denim with a density of 12OZ. Such jeans will be an excellent choice for a hot summer. This texture allows the air to circulate freely, so these jeans will be good for hot weather. And finally, it is worth noting that the threads of these jeans are painted with natural indigo, which makes them more valuable for many denimheads.
Also, like Oni Denim, this brand pays extreme attention to jeans from slubby denim. To focus all the attention of the owner on the material, its texture, and color, PBJ only use the most basic details of jeans.
XX-007 DEEP INDIGO SHRUNK TO FIT SLIM STRAIGHT
One of the most famous models of Pure Blue Japan. In addition to a very expressive and beautiful slubby texture, it should be noted that the warp thread and weft thread here are colored with indigo color.
Without this brand, the story of slubby denim would be incomplete. The Strike Gold uses modern styles of jeans and at the same time a very unusual denim that does not look like anything else. And each series of TSG has its own type of denim. In addition, the use of interesting details (for example, rivets with a steel core) makes these jeans a unique product.
SG5105 15OZ TIGHT STRAIGHT JEANS
Straight slim fit jeans from 15OZ denim. This denim, apart from having a very unusual texture, (you can see a transverse “wave”), the fades also are a beautiful piece of work.
SG7104 17OZ SUPER SLUBBY SERIES REGULAR TAPERED STRAIGHT
A more spacious fit, with a slightly tapering shape of the leg. This is a denser 17OZ denim. The color is a very saturated dark indigo. It is downy soft and has a beautiful slubby texture. Figuratively, this could be compared to a Persian handmade carpet;)
This brand generalizes much of what the Japanese denim craftsmen love and appreciate throughout the world. The creators of Tanuki are experienced craftsmen, who set out to combine carefully thought-out modern styles and the best types of Japanese denim.
IDT INDIGO X INDIGO 15OZ TAPERED
Here we also see denim 15OZ, the warp thread and the weft yarn of which is colored in a saturated indigo color. Also worth noting is that there is a very expressive slubby texture, which will look amazing when the jeans start fading.
Conclusion
The world of Japanese denim is extremely diverse, its color and texture are truly unique. The more you wear your pair of jeans, the more slubby the texture will be visible and you can get a real aesthetic pleasure 🙂
Enjoy the shopping!