The very first pair of Japanese jeans ever made was the result of a three way partnership between an American mill, a Japanese sewing factory and a Japanese trading firm: In 1965, Maruo Clothing sewed the first Japanese jeans, branded “Canton”, using American denim made by Canton Mills and imported into Japan by Oishi Trading.
Masao Oishi, son of the founder of Oishi Trading Company, became an industry heavyweight in the ensuing decades and later on established his own jeans brand, Oni. Being a respected industry veteran, Mr. Oishi has the influence and know-how to create many weird and wonderful denims – fabrics which the conservative Japanese denim mills would never consider weaving, if not for his instructions.
So it is that since the beginning of the raw/selvedge denim revival, Oni’s jeans have consistently featured some of the world’s most interesting and cutting edge denims. Whilst other Japanese brands would variously focus on lifestyle (Iron Heart for motorcyclists, for example) or reproduction (Warehouse and friends), Mr. Oishi’s direction with regards to his own brand had always been to focus heavily on fabrics.
I remember back when I first became interested in Japanese denim over a decade ago, Oni jeans came in only two fits (Red & Blue), but close to a dozen fabric options. Over the past 10 years, Oni’s jeans have become more minimalist in appearance and more modern in fitting, yet the focus on fabrics has never shifted.
Indeed, one of the most important denims in recent years has been Oni’s Secret Denim, first launched in 2012. The 20 oz Secret Denim represented a significant upgrade in most aspects of fabric quality compared with its 18/19 oz predecessors such as the ‘devil armor’ and ‘devil spiral’ denims. The Secret Denim was more comfortable, more slubby, more natural, and more intense compared with most other heavy weight Japanese denims available, and till this day no other heavy weight denim comes close to matching its incredible softness or texture.
Oni has utilised a few different variations of the Secret Denim in the past five years, from a black version to a natural indigo Tanuki Inc. collaboration, but the physical structure of the denim itself remained mostly unchanged. Recently, however, after some further years of trial & error, Mr. Oishi has come up with Shin (‘new’, ‘true’) Secret Denim, the next major step in the evolution of Oni’s denims.
Today, I want to discuss this Shin Secret Denim. We’ll look at the entirety of these 122ZR-S relax tapered jeans of course, but the major focus will be on the fabric!
Fit
A long time ago Oni jeans only came in either stove-pipe or wide-leg fits, so I am very glad to see that Oni is producing many more modern cuts nowadays.
This relax tapered cut features a medium-low rise, relatively roomy hips & thighs, and a strong taper from the knee down, finishing in a 7 inch hem.
At 7 inches across, the hem width is on the narrow side for sure, relative to the size 35 waist. Due to the very long inseam length however, once rolled into a single or double cuff, the hem is closer to 7.5 inches, which is much more sensible.
These jeans come in one-wash after an industrial wash and shade drying, so there’s no guess work with regards to shrink-to-fit.
I managed to size down one to a size 35, and I could have gone down even further to a size 34 for a snug fit, but that’s not my style.
Due to the nature of this denim, break-in is very fast, and the range of motions from the hip down remain uninhibited despite the narrower legs and heavier fabric. Read on below to find out more!
Fabric
The Shin Secret Denim is very similar to the regular Secret Denim – both are 20 oz, both are woven with ultra-low tension and both have pure (synthetic) indigo rope-dyed warp and beige-dyed weft. Further, both denims are mildly hairy, mildly neppy, moderately rough & slubby, heavily variegated in texture and extremely knotty.
Due to the combination of heavy fabric and extremely loose weave, both the Shin Secret Denim and the regular Secret Denim are unbelievably soft (for 20 oz that is) and handle more like wool cloth rather than cotton twills.
The only visual difference I could readily discern is that the Shin Secret Denim has a stronger green-grey cast under certain lighting conditions compared with the older version.
What if I were to tell you that this Shin Secret Denim is actually a stretch denim containing 2% elastane?
Wait, what?! Stretch jeans on Indigoshrimp??? What???
In actual fact, making stretch selvedge denim that looks and feels exactly the same as regular pure cotton selvedge denim has been hot topic in the Japanese denim industry in the past couple of years, with many mills and many brands trying to create true stretch selvedge denim. The more experimental brands such as PBJ, Oni, Tanuki and Japan Blue Group are all in on the action, with the industry predicting some of the biggest growths will occur in more form fitting stretch jeans in the next few years, as far as the raw denim hobby goes.
I know, I know, outrageous right?
This concept hasn’t sunk in fully for me as yet either, but bear with me as I explore this topic a little bit.
The old Secret Denim is as cutting edge as it gets when it comes to shuttle-loomed, all cotton artisan denim. It’s the edge of the observable universe as far as Japanese denim is concerned – the hand feel and surface textures don’t get much better than this. But heavy weight artisan denim has its limits right? As a stiff cotton twill, denim does not drape well. Further, Japanese denim really aren’t the most comfortable, not compared with many other cotton fabrics such as terry cloth or corduroy. These two short-comings very much limit the fit and style of garments that Japanese denim could be used to make.
How could you make denim more comfortable and drape more naturally without sacrificing the beautiful colour tones and interesting hand-feel & surface appearance? This is the question that some of the forward thinking brands are asking, and Mr. Oishi’s answer was to recreate the Secret Denim with added 2% elastane in the weft yarns, so that the Shin Secret Denim would be indistinguishable in terms of aesthetics and texture compared with the old Secret Denim – warp threads still being pure cotton and rope dyed – but has the added advantages of increased comfort and the possibility of a more contoured fit.
The new secret here is not the added elastane however – stretch denim is nothing new after all. The trick is how to eliminate the plastic texture, artificial appearance and the dull fading that usually comes part and parcel with stretch denim. Restricting the elastane to only the weft has helped, and also the fact that during the manufacturing of the denim no heating processes have been used, as opposed to most stretch denim manufacturing. I’m sure there are others secrets to this Secret Denim…
As far as making a true stretch selvedge denim, I think the Shin Secret Denim has managed to do this very well, as, like I mentioned earlier, apart from a more pronounced green cast (unrelated to the elastane), I could not distinguish the stretch from the non-stretch based on visual appearance or finger tip feel. It is only when I pull the fabrics and wear the jeans that the differences are noticeable.
Further, Oni states that the Shin Secret Denim will actually be more durable than the older versions… I can’t vouch for this just yet, but in order to maximize the durability of this denim, strong heat must be avoided, so definitely avoid using the dryer.
Details
Similar to Oni’s other current offerings, the 122ZR-S features a very nice deerskin patch that washes and wears very nicely. The design of the patch is relatively understated compared with some of Oni’s patches in past years.
The leather has shrunk up a little and looks somewhat toasty with the industrial wash.
Like most Oni jeans since 2010/2011, we’ve got a woven tag on the inside of the waistband, directly behind the leather patch.
The Demon Spiral arcs are standard fair of course. Did you know the arcs have become slimmer and more streamlined over the years?
To be very honest, Oni’s arcs remain my least favourite aspect of their jeans, but the new arcs are much better looking than the ones on my older pairs (which I’ve removed or modified with seam rippers!)
The back-pockets are slanted so that they appear horizontally aligned when worn.
Oni has been upgrading it’s hardware in the past few years, and now, other than the hidden rivets, all the buttons and rivets are customised!
Featured on the button fly are very nicely textured doughnut buttons.
The punch through copper rivets are solid too, and are now further embossed.
The hidden rivets, whilst not customised, are high quality Universal’s which feature on pretty much every pair of high end Japanese jeans.
The belt loops are on the wider side, being rugged and sturdy.
If you look closely, you can see and feel the raised centre ridge of the loops, setting up for some vintage style wear & fade in the future.
Overall, the basic bells and whistles of high end Japanese denim are all there, but as these are not reproduction jeans, era specific combinations of vintage style detailing are not present – the overall presentation is fairly streamlined and, well, Japanese.
Construct
The sewing on the 122ZR-S is neat, dense and rather precise.
Keep in mind the photos you see here are of the jeans post-wash, so some distortions in the sewing in terms of straightness and visibility is natural.
Dual tone poly-core threading is featured throughout, the lemon-tea combo imparting a vintage feel.
Bar-tacks have been neatly placed at points of strain.
Even at the heaviest points of overlay, where four layers of 20 oz denim meet, the stitch-work remains clean and consistent.
It seems only two different thread sizes have been used, however, resulting in a overall more streamlined look.
Personally, I would have preferred thicker threads for the chain-stitching at the waist and hems. This is only a matter of aesthetics, however, as polyester-core threads are being used – there is no need, structurally, for the use of thicker threads given the inherent strength of polyester relative to cotton.
The chain-stitching, overall, is neatly done but a little wimpy.
Considering the jeans as a whole, the sewing is dense & neat, and there are no discernible flaws in construct.
Thoughts
Before discussing anything, I have to acknowledge that for me (and many others in this hobby), stretch denim is a rather controversial topic. Up until now, I haven’t seen any stretch selvedge denim done right, so in my opinion one would rightly be skeptical about stretch selvedge denim.
Ultimately, our raw denim hobby will continue to evolve as the years pass, such is the inevitable and unstoppable momentum of change. Thinking back on what our hobby had been like back when I first became interested in denim in the mid-2000’s, many aspects of denim are dramatically different now: Japanese brands doing tapered fits!? White Oak closing down!?
It’s hard to say what denim will look like in another 15 years time. Perhaps we’ll be 3D printing our own denims? Maybe denim will be made with an entirely new synthetic fibre that is superior to cotton in every way? I’m no futurist, so far be it for me to predict trends – I am certain only that things will change.
Stretch denim may very well represent one of the next steps in selvedge or raw denim.
Or it may not.
The success of Oni’s Shin Secret Denim will be a central thread in the stretch selvedge story, no doubt. From what I hear, these 122ZR-S jeans are flying off the shelves in Japan, though I do wonder whether its domestic success will be similarly matched in the Western markets.
For me, it comes down to the two ways of looking at a central question:
Why should I wear the Shin Secret Denim when I am perfectly happy with the old Secret Denim?
Why shouldn’t I wear the Shin Secret Denim if it’s just as good as the old Secret Denim, only more comfortable?
Now, I can’t fully answer these questions yet. I need a few more months to really wear in these Shin Secret Denim jeans, as there remain questions regarding durability and fading/aging potential that only time will tell.
At this point in time, however, I will say that Shin Secret Denim offers comfort and mobility that far surpasses pure cotton denim when combined with more modern fits. In my wardrobe, the only pants more comfortable than this pair of 122ZR-S jeans are my pajamas; this comfort factor alone is enough to make me open to the idea of wearing more stretch selvedge denims in the future.
Regardless of which side of this stretch debate you’re on, be prepared to see more and more stretch denims from your favourite Japanese denim brands. PBJ has already released one version of stretch, Tanuki also has one that’s ready for release this year, and no doubt you’ll see more and more Japan Blue models in stretch as well. I hear from industry folks that Samurai may be doing super heavy weight stretch very soon also.
So get ready! Like it or not, stretch is coming!
But will stretch denim be staying? We’ll have a better idea in the next one to two years.
Disregarding the fabric for a moment, the Oni 122ZR-S relax tapered jeans features a nice cut, fantastic details and represents a more fashion-forward version of Oni compared to my other Oni jeans which were made between 2009 and 2011. There are, of course, no flaws in the construct, though some vintage detailing such as varied thread sizes have been omitted for a more streamlined aesthetic.
Oni has certainly proved itself to be highly adaptable and forward thinking, and I admire this brand because of its focus in pushing the boundaries of Japanese denim. It’s brands like Oni and Tanuki that drive growth and innovation, and I find these trail-blazing makers to be infinitely more interesting compared to their reproduction-focused peers. Reproduction denim has its place of course, but for me, after more than 10 years into this hobby, 501 repops do taste a bit stale. Horses for courses, and trees for apes, and all that, though the focus on interesting fabrics and modern fits certainly mean that Oni Denim is more relevant for more people compared with many of its peers.
Anyway, don’t just take my word for it, check out the Shin Secret Denim in person as it’s rolled out at Oni retailers world wide. You’ll find the best pricing, and the world’s most extensive range of Oni jeans, at Denimio: these Shin Secret Denim jeans are offered at just USD $212 shipped worldwide, which is incredible value for Japanese denim of this calibre. Check it out here.
The very first pair of Japanese jeans ever made was the result of a three way partnership between an American mill, a Japanese sewing factory and a Japanese trading firm: In 1965, Maruo Clothing sewed the first Japanese jeans, branded “Canton”, using American denim made by Canton Mills and imported into Japan by Oishi Trading.
Masao Oishi, son of the founder of Oishi Trading Company, became an industry heavyweight in the ensuing decades and later on established his own jeans brand, Oni. Being a respected industry veteran, Mr. Oishi has the influence and know-how to create many weird and wonderful denims – fabrics which the conservative Japanese denim mills would never consider weaving, if not for his instructions.
So it is that since the beginning of the raw/selvedge denim revival, Oni’s jeans have consistently featured some of the world’s most interesting and cutting edge denims. Whilst other Japanese brands would variously focus on lifestyle (Iron Heart for motorcyclists, for example) or reproduction (Warehouse and friends), Mr. Oishi’s direction with regards to his own brand had always been to focus heavily on fabrics.
I remember back when I first became interested in Japanese denim over a decade ago, Oni jeans came in only two fits (Red & Blue), but close to a dozen fabric options. Over the past 10 years, Oni’s jeans have become more minimalist in appearance and more modern in fitting, yet the focus on fabrics has never shifted.
Indeed, one of the most important denims in recent years has been Oni’s Secret Denim, first launched in 2012. The 20 oz Secret Denim represented a significant upgrade in most aspects of fabric quality compared with its 18/19 oz predecessors such as the ‘devil armor’ and ‘devil spiral’ denims. The Secret Denim was more comfortable, more slubby, more natural, and more intense compared with most other heavy weight Japanese denims available, and till this day no other heavy weight denim comes close to matching its incredible softness or texture.
Oni has utilised a few different variations of the Secret Denim in the past five years, from a black version to a natural indigo Tanuki Inc. collaboration, but the physical structure of the denim itself remained mostly unchanged. Recently, however, after some further years of trial & error, Mr. Oishi has come up with Shin (‘new’, ‘true’) Secret Denim, the next major step in the evolution of Oni’s denims.
Today, I want to discuss this Shin Secret Denim. We’ll look at the entirety of these 122ZR-S relax tapered jeans of course, but the major focus will be on the fabric!
Fit
A long time ago Oni jeans only came in either stove-pipe or wide-leg fits, so I am very glad to see that Oni is producing many more modern cuts nowadays.
This relax tapered cut features a medium-low rise, relatively roomy hips & thighs, and a strong taper from the knee down, finishing in a 7 inch hem.
At 7 inches across, the hem width is on the narrow side for sure, relative to the size 35 waist. Due to the very long inseam length however, once rolled into a single or double cuff, the hem is closer to 7.5 inches, which is much more sensible.
These jeans come in one-wash after an industrial wash and shade drying, so there’s no guess work with regards to shrink-to-fit.
I managed to size down one to a size 35, and I could have gone down even further to a size 34 for a snug fit, but that’s not my style.
Due to the nature of this denim, break-in is very fast, and the range of motions from the hip down remain uninhibited despite the narrower legs and heavier fabric. Read on below to find out more!
Fabric
The Shin Secret Denim is very similar to the regular Secret Denim – both are 20 oz, both are woven with ultra-low tension and both have pure (synthetic) indigo rope-dyed warp and beige-dyed weft. Further, both denims are mildly hairy, mildly neppy, moderately rough & slubby, heavily variegated in texture and extremely knotty.
Due to the combination of heavy fabric and extremely loose weave, both the Shin Secret Denim and the regular Secret Denim are unbelievably soft (for 20 oz that is) and handle more like wool cloth rather than cotton twills.
The only visual difference I could readily discern is that the Shin Secret Denim has a stronger green-grey cast under certain lighting conditions compared with the older version.
What if I were to tell you that this Shin Secret Denim is actually a stretch denim containing 2% elastane?
Wait, what?! Stretch jeans on Indigoshrimp??? What???
In actual fact, making stretch selvedge denim that looks and feels exactly the same as regular pure cotton selvedge denim has been hot topic in the Japanese denim industry in the past couple of years, with many mills and many brands trying to create true stretch selvedge denim. The more experimental brands such as PBJ, Oni, Tanuki and Japan Blue Group are all in on the action, with the industry predicting some of the biggest growths will occur in more form fitting stretch jeans in the next few years, as far as the raw denim hobby goes.
I know, I know, outrageous right?
This concept hasn’t sunk in fully for me as yet either, but bear with me as I explore this topic a little bit.
The old Secret Denim is as cutting edge as it gets when it comes to shuttle-loomed, all cotton artisan denim. It’s the edge of the observable universe as far as Japanese denim is concerned – the hand feel and surface textures don’t get much better than this. But heavy weight artisan denim has its limits right? As a stiff cotton twill, denim does not drape well. Further, Japanese denim really aren’t the most comfortable, not compared with many other cotton fabrics such as terry cloth or corduroy. These two short-comings very much limit the fit and style of garments that Japanese denim could be used to make.
How could you make denim more comfortable and drape more naturally without sacrificing the beautiful colour tones and interesting hand-feel & surface appearance? This is the question that some of the forward thinking brands are asking, and Mr. Oishi’s answer was to recreate the Secret Denim with added 2% elastane in the weft yarns, so that the Shin Secret Denim would be indistinguishable in terms of aesthetics and texture compared with the old Secret Denim – warp threads still being pure cotton and rope dyed – but has the added advantages of increased comfort and the possibility of a more contoured fit.
The new secret here is not the added elastane however – stretch denim is nothing new after all. The trick is how to eliminate the plastic texture, artificial appearance and the dull fading that usually comes part and parcel with stretch denim. Restricting the elastane to only the weft has helped, and also the fact that during the manufacturing of the denim no heating processes have been used, as opposed to most stretch denim manufacturing. I’m sure there are others secrets to this Secret Denim…
As far as making a true stretch selvedge denim, I think the Shin Secret Denim has managed to do this very well, as, like I mentioned earlier, apart from a more pronounced green cast (unrelated to the elastane), I could not distinguish the stretch from the non-stretch based on visual appearance or finger tip feel. It is only when I pull the fabrics and wear the jeans that the differences are noticeable.
Further, Oni states that the Shin Secret Denim will actually be more durable than the older versions… I can’t vouch for this just yet, but in order to maximize the durability of this denim, strong heat must be avoided, so definitely avoid using the dryer.
Details
Similar to Oni’s other current offerings, the 122ZR-S features a very nice deerskin patch that washes and wears very nicely. The design of the patch is relatively understated compared with some of Oni’s patches in past years.
The leather has shrunk up a little and looks somewhat toasty with the industrial wash.
Like most Oni jeans since 2010/2011, we’ve got a woven tag on the inside of the waistband, directly behind the leather patch.
The Demon Spiral arcs are standard fair of course. Did you know the arcs have become slimmer and more streamlined over the years?
To be very honest, Oni’s arcs remain my least favourite aspect of their jeans, but the new arcs are much better looking than the ones on my older pairs (which I’ve removed or modified with seam rippers!)
The back-pockets are slanted so that they appear horizontally aligned when worn.
Oni has been upgrading it’s hardware in the past few years, and now, other than the hidden rivets, all the buttons and rivets are customised!
Featured on the button fly are very nicely textured doughnut buttons.
The punch through copper rivets are solid too, and are now further embossed.
The hidden rivets, whilst not customised, are high quality Universal’s which feature on pretty much every pair of high end Japanese jeans.
The belt loops are on the wider side, being rugged and sturdy.
If you look closely, you can see and feel the raised centre ridge of the loops, setting up for some vintage style wear & fade in the future.
Overall, the basic bells and whistles of high end Japanese denim are all there, but as these are not reproduction jeans, era specific combinations of vintage style detailing are not present – the overall presentation is fairly streamlined and, well, Japanese.
Construct
The sewing on the 122ZR-S is neat, dense and rather precise.
Keep in mind the photos you see here are of the jeans post-wash, so some distortions in the sewing in terms of straightness and visibility is natural.
Dual tone poly-core threading is featured throughout, the lemon-tea combo imparting a vintage feel.
Bar-tacks have been neatly placed at points of strain.
Even at the heaviest points of overlay, where four layers of 20 oz denim meet, the stitch-work remains clean and consistent.
It seems only two different thread sizes have been used, however, resulting in a overall more streamlined look.
Personally, I would have preferred thicker threads for the chain-stitching at the waist and hems. This is only a matter of aesthetics, however, as polyester-core threads are being used – there is no need, structurally, for the use of thicker threads given the inherent strength of polyester relative to cotton.
The chain-stitching, overall, is neatly done but a little wimpy.
Considering the jeans as a whole, the sewing is dense & neat, and there are no discernible flaws in construct.
Thoughts
Before discussing anything, I have to acknowledge that for me (and many others in this hobby), stretch denim is a rather controversial topic. Up until now, I haven’t seen any stretch selvedge denim done right, so in my opinion one would rightly be skeptical about stretch selvedge denim.
Ultimately, our raw denim hobby will continue to evolve as the years pass, such is the inevitable and unstoppable momentum of change. Thinking back on what our hobby had been like back when I first became interested in denim in the mid-2000’s, many aspects of denim are dramatically different now: Japanese brands doing tapered fits!? White Oak closing down!?
It’s hard to say what denim will look like in another 15 years time. Perhaps we’ll be 3D printing our own denims? Maybe denim will be made with an entirely new synthetic fibre that is superior to cotton in every way? I’m no futurist, so far be it for me to predict trends – I am certain only that things will change.
Stretch denim may very well represent one of the next steps in selvedge or raw denim.
Or it may not.
The success of Oni’s Shin Secret Denim will be a central thread in the stretch selvedge story, no doubt. From what I hear, these 122ZR-S jeans are flying off the shelves in Japan, though I do wonder whether its domestic success will be similarly matched in the Western markets.
For me, it comes down to the two ways of looking at a central question:
Why should I wear the Shin Secret Denim when I am perfectly happy with the old Secret Denim?
Why shouldn’t I wear the Shin Secret Denim if it’s just as good as the old Secret Denim, only more comfortable?
Now, I can’t fully answer these questions yet. I need a few more months to really wear in these Shin Secret Denim jeans, as there remain questions regarding durability and fading/aging potential that only time will tell.
At this point in time, however, I will say that Shin Secret Denim offers comfort and mobility that far surpasses pure cotton denim when combined with more modern fits. In my wardrobe, the only pants more comfortable than this pair of 122ZR-S jeans are my pajamas; this comfort factor alone is enough to make me open to the idea of wearing more stretch selvedge denims in the future.
Regardless of which side of this stretch debate you’re on, be prepared to see more and more stretch denims from your favouriate Japanese denim brands. PBJ has already released one version of stretch, Tanuki also has one that’s ready for release this year, and no doubt you’ll see more and more Japan Blue models in stretch as well. I hear from industry folks that Samurai may be doing super heavy weight stretch very soon also.
So get ready! Like it or not, stretch is coming!
But will stretch denim be staying? We’ll have a better idea in the next one to two years.
Disregarding the fabric for a moment, the Oni 122ZR-S relax tapered jeans features a nice cut, fantastic details and represents a more fashion-forward version of Oni compared to my other Oni jeans which were made between 2009 and 2011. There are, of course, no flaws in the construct, though some vintage detailing such as varied thread sizes have been omitted for a more streamlined aesthetic.
Oni has certainly proved itself to be highly adaptable and forward thinking, and I admire this brand because of its focus in pushing the boundaries of Japanese denim. It’s brands like Oni and Tanuki that drive growth and innovation, and I find these trail-blazing makers to be infinitely more interesting compared to their reproduction-focused peers. Reproduction denim has its place of course, but for me, after more than 10 years into this hobby, 501 repops do taste a bit stale. Horses for courses, and trees for apes, and all that, though the focus on interesting fabrics and modern fits certainly mean that Oni Denim is more relevant for more people compared with many of its peers.
Anyway, don’t just take my word for it, check out the Shin Secret Denim in person as it’s rolled out at Oni retailers world wide. You’ll find the best pricing, and the world’s most extensive range of Oni jeans, at Denimio: these Shin Secret Denim jeans are offered at just USD $212 shipped worldwide, which is incredible value for Japanese denim of this calibre. Check it out here.
ONI baru saja merilis fabrik SHIN terbaru yang sangat innovatif. Kami sangat beruntung untuk menghadirkan Mike, yang Anda kenal sebagai indigoshrimp di instagram atau dari blog menakjubkannya, untuk mengulas denim spesial ini!
Jeans Jepang yang pertama kali diproduksi merupakan hasil kerja sama dari pabrik Amerka, pabrik penjahitan Jepang dan pabrik perdagangan Jepang: Pada tahun 1965, Maruo Clothing menjahit jeans Jepang yang pertama, bermerek “Canton”, yang menggunakan denim Amerika yang dihasilkan oleh pabrik Canton dan diimpor ke Jepang oleh Oishi Trading.
Masao Oishi, anak laki-laki dari pendiri perusahaan Oishi Trading, memiliki peran penting dalam industri selama beberapa dekade dan selanjutnya ia membina merek jeans tersendiri, Oni. Sebagai seseorang yang berpengalaman dalam industri, Tuan Oishi memiliki pengaruh besar dan mengetahui berbagai cara dalam menciptakan berbagai denim yang unik dan menakjubkan – fabrik yang pabrik denim konservatif Jepang tidak akan pernah produksi tanpa instruksi khusus darinya.
Jadi sejak kebangkitan raw/selvedge denim, Oni’s jeans secara konsisten memfiturkan beberapa denim paling menarik Jepang. Ketika merek Jepang lainnya memfokuskan pada lifestyle (Iron Heart pada pengendara motor, sebagai contoh) atau reproduksi (Warehouse and friends), langkah yang diambil oleh Tuan Oishi dengan mereknya selalu memfokuskan elemen fabrik.
Saya ingat ketika pertama kali saya tertarik kepada denim Jepang lebih dari satu dekade yang lalu, Oni jeans hanya hadir dalam dua fit (Merah & Biru), namun dengan berbagai pilihan fabrik. Selama lebih dari 10 tahun, Oni jeans tampil lebih minimalis dan modern dalam hal fitting, namun selalu fokus pada fabrik.
Tentu saja, salah satu denim yang paling penting dalam beberapa tahun terakhir ini yaitu Oni Secret Denim, yang pertama kali dihadirkan pada tahun 2012. Secret Denim 20oz menampilkan peningkatan kualitas yang signifikan dalam aspek kualitas fabrik dibandingkan dengan koleksi 18/19 oz sebelumnya seperti ‘devil armor’ dan ‘devil spiral’ denim. Secret Denim merupakan koleksi yang lebih nyaman, slubby, alami dan lebih intens dibandingkan dengan kebanyakan denim Jepang berat lainnya yang tersedia di pasar, dan hingga hari ini, tidak ada denim berat lainnya yang dapat menyaingi kelembutan dan tekstur menakjubkan denim ini.
Oni menggunakan berbagai variasi yang berbeda pada Secret Denim selama 5 tahun terakhir ini, dari versi hitam hingga kolaborasi indigo alami Tanuki Inc., namun struktur fisik denim ini tidak berubah. Kini, setelah melalui berbagai eksperimen, Tuan Oishi berhasil menghadirkan koleksi Shin (‘baru’, ‘sejati’) Secret Denim, sebuah langkah penting dalam evolusi Oni denim.
Hari ini, saya ingin membahas ulasan mengenai Shin Secret Denim ini. Tentu saja, kita akan simak segala aspek 122ZR-S relax tapered jeans ini, namun fokus utama kita akan terpusat kepada elemen fabrik!
Fit
Beberapa waktu yang lalu, Oni jeans hanya hadir dalam fitting stove-pipe atau wide-leg fit, sehingga saya sangat senang memperhatikan bahwa Oni kini telah memproduksi berbagai cutting modern.
Cutting relax tapered ini memfiturkan rise medium-low, bagian pinggul dan paha yang memiliki cukup ruang, dan desain meruncing dari bagian lutut ke bawah, dilengkapi dengan hem 7 inci.
Dengan ukuran 7 inci, kelebaran hem memiliki desain sempit, dengan pinggang berukuran 35. Dikarenakan oleh bagian inseam yang sangat panjang, setelah digulung menjadi single atau double cuff, bagian hem berukuran mendekati 7.5 inci, yang jauh lebih masuk akal.
Jeans ini hadir dalam versi one-wash setelah melalui proses pencucian dan pengeringan industri, jadi tidak dipungkiri dapat lagi mengenai kebaikan kualitas jeans koleksi shrink-to-fit ini.
Saya melakukan size down satu ukuran ke ukuran 35, dan saya masih dapat melakukan size down satu ukuran lagi ke ukuran 34 untuk fitting yang benar-benar pas, namun ini bukan merupakan tipe style yang saya inginkan.
Dengan karakter alami denim, proses break-in dapat diproses dengan sangat cepat, dan bentuk jeans dari bagian pinggul ke bawah masih menawarkan cukup ruang walaupun menawarkan desain menyempit dan fabrik yang berat. Baca di bawah ini untuk mengetahui lebih banyak!
Fabrik
Shin Secret Denim sangat serupa dengan Secret Denim reguler – mereka memiliki bobot 20 oz, ditenun dengan teknik ultra-low tension dan memiliki pewarnaan rope-dyed warp indigo murni (sintetik) dan weft berwarna beige. Selanjutnya, kedua denim tersebut memiliki kesan hairy, neppy, kokoh & slubby yang sedang, dengan tekstur berat yang sangat rumit.
Dengan kombinasi fabrik berat dan penenunan yang longgar, Shin Secret Denim dan Secret Denim reguler sangatlah lembut (untuk denim berat 20 oz) dan terasa seperti kain wool daripada twills kapas.
Satu-satunya perbedaan visual yang dapat saya lihat yaitu Shin Secret Denim menampilkan sebuah cast hijau kelabu di bawah kondisi lighting tertentu dibanding dengan versi sebelumnya.
Bagaimana jika saya memberitahukan kepada Anda bahwa Shin Secret Denim ini sebenarnya merupakan denim stretch yang terbuat dengan 2%bahan elastane?
Tunggu dulu, apa?! Stretch jeans yang dikenakan oleh Indigoshrimp??? Apa???
Kenyataannya, produksi stretch selvedge denim yang terlihat dan terasa sama dengan kapas murni selvedge denim merupakan topik populer dalam industri denim Jepang dalam beberapa tahun terakhir ini, dimana berbagai pabrik dan merek mencoba menghasilkan stretch selvedge denim. Merek seperti PBJ, Oni, Tanuki dan Japan Blue Group juga selalu bereksperimen, dimana peningkatan trend fitting stretch jeans diprediksi oleh industri dalam beberapa tahun ke depan, selama hobi raw denim berlangsung.
Saya tahu, sungguh menakjubkan, bukan?
Konsep ini belum sepenuhnya saya kuasai, namun ekplorasilah topik ini bersama saya dalam ulasan ini.
Secret Denim yang sebelumnya memiliki cutting edge yang diproduksi dengan teknik shuttle-loomed, artisan denim kapas. Bagian tepi ini merupakan fokus penting denim Jepang – tekstur tangan dan permukaannya sangat berkualitas baik. Namun denim artisan berat ini memiliki batas. Ketika cotton kaku tersebut mengalami proses twill, denim tidak diselesaikan dengan baik. Ditambah lagi, denim Jepang bukanlah koleksi yang paling nyaman, dibandingkan dengan fabrik kapas lainnya seperti kain terry atau corduroy. Kedua kekurangan ini membatasi fit dan gaya garmen yang seharusnya dapat dihasilkan pada denim Jepang.
Bagaimanakah Anda menghasilkan denim yang lebih nyaman dan diselesaikan secara alami tanpa mengorbankan nuansa indah dan sentuhan permukaan yang menarik? Ini merupakan pertanyaan yang pikirkan oleh berbagai merek denim Jepang yang terdepan, dan jawaban Tuan Oishi yaitu menghasilkan Secret Denim dengan 2% bahan elastane pada benang weft, jadi Shin Secret Denim tampil berbeda dalam segi estetik dan tekstur dibandingkan dengan Secret Denim yang sebelumnya – benang warp merupakan kapas murni dan rope dyed – namun dengan peningkatan kenyamanan dan fit yang lebih berkontur.
Namun, rahasia denim ini bukanlah penambahan bahan elastane – stretch denim bukanlah sebuah koleksi terbaru. Trik yang diperlukan yaitu bagaimana cara mengeliminasi tekstur plastik, tampilan artifisial dan fading kusam yang biasanya dihasilkan oleh stretch denim. Membatasi penggunaan bahan elastane hanya di bagian weft dapat membantu, dan juga tidak menggunakan panas dalam proses produksi denim, yang berbeda dibandingkan dengan proses produksi stretch denim pada umumnya. Saya yakin, masih ada rahasia lain dalam memproduksi Secret Denim ini…
Dalam memproduksi stretch selvedge denim, saya rasa Shin Secret Denim telah berhasil memproduksi karya yang bagus, seperti yang saya bahas sebelumnya, selain green cast yang lebih jelas (tidak berhubungan dengan bahan elastane), saya tidak dapat membedakan stretch dari versi non-stretch berdasarkan dengan penampilan visual ataupun melalui sentuhan jari. Saya hanya dapat memperhatikan perbedaan jeans ini dengan cara penarikan fabrik dan pengenaan jeans.
Ditambah lagi, Oni mengatakan bahwa Shin Secret Denim memiliki ketahanan yang lebih lama dibandingkan dengan versi sebelumnya… saya belum bisa menjamin pernyataan ini, namun untuk memaksimalkan ketahanan lama denim ini, panas yang berlebih perlu dihindari, jadi jangan gunakan dryer dalam merawat denim ini.
Detail
Serupa dengan penawaran Oni terkini lainnya, model 122ZR-S memfiturkan kulit rusa tampil sangat indah. Desain patch ini tidak terlalu menonjol dibandingkan dengan patch Oni lainnya pada beberapa tahun yang lalu.
Bagian kulit sedikit menyusut dan tampil toasty setelah melalui pencucian industri.
Seperti Oni jeans lainnya sejak tahun 2010/2011, kami menawarkan tag yang ditenun pada bagian dalam waistband, secara langsung pada bagian belakang patch kulit.
Arcs Demon Spiral tentunya merupakan standar. Apakah Anda mengetahui bahwa bagian arcs telah didesain semakin ramping dan sederhana seiring tahun?
Sejujurnya, desain arcs Oni bukanlah bagian favorit saya dalam koleksi jeansnya, namun arcs baru ini tampil lebih bagus dibandingkan dengan jeans lama kepemilikan saya yang lainnya (yang telah saya hapus atau which I’ve removed or modifikasikan dengan jahitan rippers!)
Bagian saku belakang memiliki desain miring sehingga tampak sejajar horizontal saat dipakai.
Oni telah meningkatkan bagian hardware dalam beberapa tahun terakhir, dan kini, selain bagian hidden rivets, semua kancing dan rivet telah di customise!
Kancing doughnut bertekstur indah difiturkan pada bagian button fly.
Punch pada bagian rivets tembaga juga terlihat padat, dan sekarang timbul lebih jelas.
Bagian hidden rivets, walau tidak dicustomise, merupakan model Universal berkualitas tinggi yang difiturkan hampir pada setiap jeans premium Jepang.
Bagian belt loops memiliki model lebar, rugged dan kokoh.
Apabila Anda perhatikan secara seksama, Anda akan dapat melihat dan merasakan loops yang meningkat pada bagian tengah, menampilkan gaya vintage & potensi fade di masa depan.
Secara keseluruhan, semua ciri khas denim premium Jepang ditampilkan disini, namun mereka bukanlah jeans reproduksi dan tidak mengkombinasi era spesifik seperti detail gaya vintage – penampilan keseluruhan jeans ini cukup sederhana dan, tentu saja, bergaya Jepang.
Konstruksi
Penjahitan pada 122ZR-S sangat rapi, padat dan tepat.
Perhatikanlah bahwa foto yang Anda simak disini merupakan foto jeans yang telah dicuci, jadi beberapa distorsi penjahitan dalam kelurusan dan visibilitas merupakan hasil yang alami.
Benang bernada dual poly-core difiturkan dalam warna combo lemon-tea yang memberikan nuansa vintage.
Bar-tacks ditempatkan secara rapi pada titik ketegangan
Bahkan pada titik terberat overlay, di mana empat lapisan denim 20 oz bertemu, hasil penjahitan tampil bersih dan konsisten.
Tampaknya hanya ada dua ukuran benang berbeda yang telah digunakan, namun menghasilkan tampilan keseluruhan yang lebih sederhana.
Secara pribadi, saya lebih memilih benang tebal untuk chain-stitching di pinggang dan hems. Ini hanya masalah estetik, karena badanya penggunakan poliester pada bagian inti benang – secara struktural, tidak diperlukan benang tebal mengingat kekuatan bahan poliester yang relatif terhadap kapas.
Chain-stitching, secara keseluruhan, dilakukan dengan rapi tapi sedikit wimpy.
Mengingat jeans ini, penjahitan terasa padat & rapi, dan tidak ada kekurangan pasti dalam hal konstruksi.
Pendapat
Sebelum membahas mengenai denim ini, saya akui bahwa bagi saya sendiri (dan banyak penghobi denim lainnya), stretch denim merupakan topik yang sedikit kontroversial. Sampai sekarang, saya belum melihat adanya stretch selvedge denim yang dihasilkan dengan bagus, jadi menurut saya setiap orang tentunya akan merasa skeptis terhadap stretch selvedge denim.
Pada akhirnya, penghobi raw denim terus berkembang seiring waktu, begitulah momentum perubahan yang tak terelakkan. Mengingat kembali mengenai hobi kita sebelumnya ketika saya pertama kali tertarik kepada denim pada pertengahan tahun 2000an, banyak aspek denim yang berbeda secara dramatis sekarang: Merek Jepang memproduksi tapered fits!? White Oak ditutup!?
Sulit mengatakan bagaimana denim dalam waktu 15 tahun ke depan. Mungkin kita akan melakukan 3D printing untuk mencetak denim? Mungkin denim akan dibuat dengan serat sintetis baru yang lebih unggul dari kapas biasanya? Saya bukanlah seorang futuris, sejauh ini saya memprediksi tren – dan saya yakin hanya setiap hal akan berubah.
Stretch denim dapat dikatakan sebagai langkah terbaru dunia selvedge atau raw denim.
Ataupun tidak.
Kesuksesan Oni Shin Secret Denim tidak dipungkiri lagi, akan menjadi pusat fokus sejarah stretch selvedge. Dari apa yang saya dengar, jeans 122ZR-S ini terjual laris dari Jepang, walau saya bertanya-tanya apakah keberhasilan dalam negeri ini akan sama cocok di pasar Barat.
Bagi saya, hal ini menawarkan dua pertanyaan:
Mengapa saya harus mengenakan Shin Secret Denim ketika saya sangat senang dengan Secret Denim yang lama?
Mengapa saya tidak memakai Shin Secret Denim apabila ia sama baik dengan Secret Denim yang sebelumnya, hanya karena ia lebih nyaman?
Kini, saya belum bisa menjawab pertanyaan ini sepenuhnya. Saya perlu beberapa bulan lagi untuk benar-benar mengenakan jeans Shin Secret Denim ini, karena masih ada beberapa pertanyaan mengenai daya tahan dan fading/potensi aging yang hanya akan diketahui setelah waktu.
Pada saat ini, bagaimanapun, saya akan mengatakan bahwa Shin Secret Denim menawarkan kenyamanan dan mobilitas yang jauh melampaui denim kapas murni bila dikombinasikan dengan gaya yang lebih modern. Di lemari pakaian saya, satu-satunya celana yang lebih nyaman dari celana jeans 122ZR-S ini adalah piyama saya; faktor kenyamanan ini saja sudah cukup membuat saya terbuka terhadap ide memakai perekat selvedge lebih stretch di masa depan.
Terlepas dari sisi mana yang Anda pilih dalam perdebatan stretch ini, bersiaplah untuk melihat lebih banyak koleksi stretch denim dari merek denim Jepang favorit Anda. PBJ telah merilis satu denim versi stretch, Tanuki juga merilis satu versi yang siap diluncurkan pada tahun ini, dan tidak diragukan lagi bahwa Anda akan melihat semakin banyak model Japan Blue dalam model stretch. Saya mendengar dari kalangan industri bahwa Samurai mungkin juga segera memproduksi denim stretch berat.
Jadi bersiaplah! Suka atau tidak, trend stretch telah tiba!
Namun apakah trend stretch denim akan bertahan? Kita akan mengetahui mengenai hal ini dalam waktu satu atau dua tahun selanjutnya.
Selain sisi fabrik, Oni 122ZR-S relax tapered jeans memfiturkan cutting yang bagus, detail fantastik dan menampilkan versi fashion yang lebih terkini dari Oni dibandingkan dengan jeans Oni lainnya yang diproduksi di antara tahun 2009 dan 2011. Mereka, tentu saja, sempurna dalam konstruksi, walaupun beberapa detail vintage seperti ukuran benang yang berbeda ditiadakan untuk tampilan estetik yang lebih sederhana.
Oni telah membuktikan dirinya sendiri sebagai merek yang sangat mudah beradaptasi dan berpikir ke depan, dan saya mengagumi merek ini karena ia memfokuskan diri dalam mendorong batas denim Jepang. Merek-merek seperti Oni dan Tanuki yang mendorong pertumbuhan dan inovasi, menjadi pelopor yang sangat menarik dibandingkan dengan rekan-rekan yang berfokus pada jeans reproduksi. Reproduksi denim memang populer, tapi bagi saya, setelah lebih dari 10 tahun mendalami hobi ini, 501 repops terasa sedikit basi. Fokus kepada kain yang menarik dan modern fit tentunya berarti bahwa Oni Denim menawarkan koleksi lebih relevan untuk lebih banyak orang dibandingkan dengan merek lainnya.
Kesimpulannya, jangan hanya mendengarkan kata-kata saya, simak Shin Secret Denim secara langsung saat dirilis oleh pengecer Oni di seluruh dunia. Anda akan dapat menemukan harga terbaik, dan jeans Oni yang paling beragam di dunia, di Denimio: jeans Shin Secret Denim ini ditawarkan hanya dengan harga USD $212 dan dikirim ke seluruh dunia, merupakan nilai luar biasa untuk denim bahasa Jepang ini. Simak disini.
Masao Oishi 身为Oishi的二代经营者，不但成为业界重量级人物，甚至多年以后他创立的自己的牛仔品牌，就是你我熟知的「Oni」也成为受到同行相当爱戴的厂牌之一，不只如此Oishi桑的影响性，深深的在日本牛仔裤业界打下知识基础、更创造出差异性和非常美好的丹宁材质-布料。保守的日本丹宁厂如果没有他的指示，根本无从制作至今日本牛仔裤仅有的风味。
这也是日牛的再生与崛起，Oni一直以来在世界上扮演著最有趣、最前卫的丹宁品牌。其他日本品牌也多元的呈现不同的生活风格（例如IH特别针对骑士族群）或是复刻(Warehouse and friends)Oishi桑很明确的希望自己的品牌能著重在布料。
回想起大约十年前，我开始对日牛产生兴趣，Oni出了两种剪裁，Red和Blue，但是是接近十二种布料选择。十年后，Oni牛仔裤成为剪裁最简约也最贴近现代的模样，追求布料的创意创新倒是完全热情不减
近年来，最重要的丹宁布之一就是Oni的 秘密丹宁Secret Denim， 2012年首次发售以来， 20oz的秘密单宁提升了品牌品质的境界，这也是继18/19oz的’devil armor’和’devil spiral’以后的最新系列。秘密单宁更加舒适、感受的到更多竹节感、更自然，且磅数更高，其他品牌也有雷同磅数的裤子，但在舒适和触感上是绝对无法比拟的。
过去五年，Oni常时以秘密单宁布料做变化，从黑色版本到与Tanuki布料合作的限量裤款，但实体上的布料结构没有改变过。当然，经过无限的尝试与失败，Oishi桑终于推出「Shin」（新、真实）宣告Oni的下个世代来临。
今天，我想要讨论这个Shin Secret Denim, 我们会仔细地讨论这件 122ZR-S relax tapered jeans尤其著重在布料上！
剪裁 Fit
很久以前，Oni只有排烟管或是称为宽腿的剪裁，我现在很高兴Oni开始推出更多现代剪裁
This relax tapered 剪裁和中偏低腰，在大腿和臀部相对宽松，膝盖以下开始明显缩腿，裤脚以七英寸结尾。
相对于35寸的腰围，七寸的裤脚确实显得非常修饰，非常长的内长，只要反折一到两次就可以有约7.5寸的裤脚，相当合适与合理。
这款裤子是官脱后，带有风乾后的落色，所以不用玩缩率的游戏。
我刻意选小 一个尺寸35，我大可以选择34得到一个更加修身的剪裁，但是那不是我的风格。
因为丹宁本身的特质，活动空间一下就被创造出来，不只能蹲，尽管磅数偏重，我还是很快在腿部就能伸展。
Fabric
The Shin Secret Denim 和原本的秘密单宁相当雷同 都是20oz，两者都是相对低密度织法、天然绳染的纬线与麻布色的经线。两者都有粗糙的纤毛、中等粗遭与竹节感，还有明显的出结触感。
因为重磅布料与低密度的织法，Shin 秘密单宁与先前的秘密单宁都呈现非常舒适，好似羊毛衣著般的样子。
如果我告诉你实际上Shin 秘密单宁含有2%的弹性纤维呢
等等，什么？！Indigoshrimp竟然穿上伸缩牛仔裤？？不可置信？？
事实上，要让伸缩牛仔裤看起来、摸起来都跟一般百分之百纯棉的原牛一样，一直是日牛产业过去面临的大挑战。许多厂家像是PBJ, Oni, Tanuki和Japan Blue集团都不断的想要挑战，因为市场正预测，随著穿著习惯改变，合身剪裁的紧身牛仔裤将会是快速成长的商品。
冷静、冷静，我知道这听起来有些不太对劲？
这个概念我也迟迟不能接受，但让我继续纤说下去吧。
先前的秘密布料，特殊在于随时间过去会延伸，成为棉料的艺术性。日牛界开始期待是否会有比这更加创新的单宁。但总觉得重磅单宁有著天生的限制？再说，日本单宁绝对不是最舒适的布料，在与其他棉料比较。这两种异军突起的布料，只是代表日本单宁自己业界可以如何活用棉制作丹宁。
要如何在不牺牲色调和触感下，还能创造舒适感和美感，这一直是许多人心中的疑问。Mr. Oishi的答案用突破秘密布料，加入2%的弹力纤维在经线上，如此一来，就可以与前一代的秘密单宁做出区隔，纬线依然是用天然的棉料与绳染方式，要让舒适度和剪裁更加进步。
新的秘密不是弹力纤维，伸缩单宁也不是新把戏。重头戏在于要如何剔除塑胶质感、人造的视觉感，还有无法创造落色的危险因子。这些都在于Oni选择在经线上添加，不更改纬线的制作因子。但我相信，秘密单宁一定还有其他不为人知之处…
再说了，Oni声称Shin秘密布料比老版本更加耐穿，我现在还不能替这个做证，但是一直以来为了保持这种布料的历久性，高温烘乾绝对是必须避免的，所以千万不要放进烘乾机。
Details
与Oni其他款式雷同，122ZR-S有著非常好看的皮标，且官脱后有相当具有艺术感的视觉效果，标牌的设计与其他款式相对起来沉稳。
皮标有些缩水，看起来很有层次感由于官脱的关系。
和Oni jeans 从 2010/2011年左右开始的款式比，腰围内部会看见缝上的布标，就在皮标的正后方。
Demon Spiral 拱型样式是基本要素，有发现拱型随著时间更加细致且具流线感。
老实说，Oni的拱型图案一直都不是我最欣赏的地方，但是新出的图案确实改善了不少，也减少了我想要自己重新车缝的意愿了。
后口袋刻意倾斜设计是为了穿上后呈现对齐。
Oni在金属件也渐渐升级，除了隐藏的扣子所有的钮扣和铆钉都采用特制化。
带扣拉鍊使用非常有触感的甜甜圈钮扣。
布料穿过铆钉更显得坚固和特色。
隐藏的铆钉虽说非特制，也是使用高品质的 Universal生产之铆钉，几乎每个高品质的日牛都皆采用。
腰带环也是在宽边牢固且坚实的车缝上。
如果你近一点看，腰带环还经过特别设计，经过洗涤与穿著后，会因为落色而有所复刻的风格演变。
整体来说，日牛最基本与最高级的细节都已经在此呈现，因为不是复刻款裤子，可能少了许多你想像的细节，但是整体的流动感与样貌就是日本职人的最佳表现。
结构Construct
122ZR-S 的车缝线非常整齐、仔细且精准。
记得你在这里看到的照片已经是官脱的版本，有些扭股的情形，或是你想要的直线与不整齐感属于正常的。
双车线的方式，牢固的车在布料的边际上。
Bar-tacks 整齐的在交界处牢固交叠处。
尽管在最多布料重叠的地方，四层的20oz布料，车缝功法非常简洁且一致。
看起来只有两种不同宽度的线材被采用，这也让牛仔裤子更加有整洁与流线感。
个人来说，我喜欢较厚重的车缝线，尤其是在腰部和裤脚，这是一种美学的感受，但是，以聚酯纤维为中心的车缝线，就不必特别强调此点，因为他们不用特别粗缝也能很好的支撑棉布。
这款是的 Chain-stitching整体来说简洁，却看上去有些弱
考量到裤子整体的样子，这个车缝工的呈现可说是相当洽当且不抢戏
想法 Thoughts
在进一步讨论任何细节以前，我了解伸缩丹宁算是一个有争议（以穿著习惯来说），但是就我的观察而言，从来没有看过有人可以把伸缩原牛做的如此精致，所以我的意见里可能还是会带有一点怀疑主义看到伸缩原牛。
当然试著想想，我们的穿著习惯不也随著时代改变，像是2000年中期，我们怎么会知道变化的如此神速，像是日本品牌竟然也出缩腿款？或是你想像的到White Oak已经关闭？
非常难说未来十五年，究竟日牛会变什么样子，搞不好我们还会有3D 列印来创造我们自己要的裤子，或是单宁会完全采用人造纤维取代棉料。我也不是个预测解，只是我很清楚时代会变、生产方式和制作方式也一定会随之改变。
伸缩单宁也许会在原牛占有一席之地。
当然也可能不会。
Oni的Shin秘密系列，当然是给伸缩原牛一个很大的想像空间与成功的案例。至少我知道122ZR-S销量不错，国内销量好通常国际市场也会有不错的成绩。
我提出两个问题作为总结的发想:
我为何需要一件Shin秘密单宁裤款，如果我实际上很喜欢就款的裤子呢？Why should I wear the Shin Secret Denim when I am perfectly happy with the old Secret Denim?
我为什么不应该穿上Shin秘密单宁，如果他只是稍微比旧款舒服一些？ Why shouldn’t I wear the Shin Secret Denim if it’s just as good as the old Secret Denim, only more comfortable?
我目前還没有办法正面回答这两个问题，要给我几个月的时间，多与这件裤子相处，当我看见他落色和时间历练的潜能，我才能多分享一些。
此刻，我能说的是Shin秘密丹宁确实有更加舒适感和能够活动的空间，是和先前纯棉的裤子不同的事情。目前比122ZR-S更舒服的，大概只有我的睡衣了，这件裤子的舒适性，让我会对伸缩单宁想要尝试更多。
无论你对伸缩单宁持什么力场，对于不同日本品牌即将推出更多伸缩款式，做好准备吧！PBJ已经开售自有的伸缩版本、Tanuki今年也会推出伸缩款式、Japan Blue的款式也会有更多伸缩的款式，我也听说Samurai也许已经准备好要出重磅的牛仔裤款式。
不管喜欢不喜欢，赶紧做好心理准备才是真的。
但是，伸缩款式会就一直存在著吗，我们在接下来的两年也许看的出端倪。
不谈论布料本身，这款Oni 122ZR-S relax tapered 表现了好看的剪裁、让人惊艳的细节，还有走在潮流的Oni版本，相较于2009和2011年我所购入的版本，结构上没有瑕疵，有些复古的细节也许为了流畅度而被忽略的。
Oni 绝对证实了自己随著时代适应与新潮的想法，我非常欣赏品牌愿意在日牛的界线上挑战不同的尝试与创新，Oni和Tanuki一直在成长与创新之间找寻品牌价值，和其他寻求在复刻款式找寻变化的产业夥伴不同，也许这就像是赛马与跑道、大猩猩与大树那样的存在，彼此相生相掌，舞台也需要出演者才精采。
不管怎样，用你的行动力亲身体验这款Shin Secret Denim 在各大 Oni 零售商都可以买的到，当然在Denimio可以找到最实惠的价格: 只要 USD $212 还可享有全球免运费这在日牛界根本所向无敌。 这里有更多相关信息。
ONI just released a brand new, highly innovative SHIN fabric. We have the pleasure of having Mike, who you might now as who you might know as indigoshrimp on instagram or from his amazing blog, to review this very special piece of denim!
The very first pair of Japanese jeans ever made was the result of a three way partnership between an American mill, a Japanese sewing factory and a Japanese trading firm: In 1965, Maruo Clothing sewed the first Japanese jeans, branded “Canton”, using American denim made by Canton Mills and imported into Japan by Oishi Trading.
Masao Oishi, son of the founder of Oishi Trading Company, became an industry heavyweight in the ensuing decades and later on established his own jeans brand, Oni. Being a respected industry veteran, Mr. Oishi has the influence and know-how to create many weird and wonderful denims – fabrics which the conservative Japanese denim mills would never consider weaving, if not for his instructions.
So it is that since the beginning of the raw/selvedge denim revival, Oni’s jeans have consistently featured some of the world’s most interesting and cutting edge denims. Whilst other Japanese brands would variously focus on lifestyle (Iron Heart for motorcyclists, for example) or reproduction (Warehouse and friends), Mr. Oishi’s direction with regards to his own brand had always been to focus heavily on fabrics.
I remember back when I first became interested in Japanese denim over a decade ago, Oni jeans came in only two fits (Red & Blue), but close to a dozen fabric options. Over the past 10 years, Oni’s jeans have become more minimalist in appearance and more modern in fitting, yet the focus on fabrics has never shifted.
Indeed, one of the most important denims in recent years has been Oni’s Secret Denim, first launched in 2012. The 20 oz Secret Denim represented a significant upgrade in most aspects of fabric quality compared with its 18/19 oz predecessors such as the ‘devil armor’ and ‘devil spiral’ denims. The Secret Denim was more comfortable, more slubby, more natural, and more intense compared with most other heavy weight Japanese denims available, and till this day no other heavy weight denim comes close to matching its incredible softness or texture.
Oni has utilised a few different variations of the Secret Denim in the past five years, from a black version to a natural indigo Tanuki Inc. collaboration, but the physical structure of the denim itself remained mostly unchanged. Recently, however, after some further years of trial & error, Mr. Oishi has come up with Shin (‘new’, ‘true’) Secret Denim, the next major step in the evolution of Oni’s denims.
Today, I want to discuss this Shin Secret Denim. We’ll look at the entirety of these 122ZR-S relax tapered jeans of course, but the major focus will be on the fabric!
Fit
A long time ago Oni jeans only came in either stove-pipe or wide-leg fits, so I am very glad to see that Oni is producing many more modern cuts nowadays.
This relax tapered cut features a medium-low rise, relatively roomy hips & thighs, and a strong taper from the knee down, finishing in a 7 inch hem.
At 7 inches across, the hem width is on the narrow side for sure, relative to the size 35 waist. Due to the very long inseam length however, once rolled into a single or double cuff, the hem is closer to 7.5 inches, which is much more sensible.
These jeans come in one-wash after an industrial wash and shade drying, so there’s no guess work with regards to shrink-to-fit.
I managed to size down one to a size 35, and I could have gone down even further to a size 34 for a snug fit, but that’s not my style.
Due to the nature of this denim, break-in is very fast, and the range of motions from the hip down remain uninhibited despite the narrower legs and heavier fabric. Read on below to find out more!
Fabric
The Shin Secret Denim is very similar to the regular Secret Denim – both are 20 oz, both are woven with ultra-low tension and both have pure (synthetic) indigo rope-dyed warp and beige-dyed weft. Further, both denims are mildly hairy, mildly neppy, moderately rough & slubby, heavily variegated in texture and extremely knotty.
Due to the combination of heavy fabric and extremely loose weave, both the Shin Secret Denim and the regular Secret Denim are unbelievably soft (for 20 oz that is) and handle more like wool cloth rather than cotton twills.
The only visual difference I could readily discern is that the Shin Secret Denim has a stronger green-grey cast under certain lighting conditions compared with the older version.
What if I were to tell you that this Shin Secret Denim is actually a stretch denim containing 2% elastane?
Wait, what?! Stretch jeans on Indigoshrimp??? What???
In actual fact, making stretch selvedge denim that looks and feels exactly the same as regular pure cotton selvedge denim has been hot topic in the Japanese denim industry in the past couple of years, with many mills and many brands trying to create true stretch selvedge denim. The more experimental brands such as PBJ, Oni, Tanuki and Japan Blue Group are all in on the action, with the industry predicting some of the biggest growths will occur in more form fitting stretch jeans in the next few years, as far as the raw denim hobby goes.
I know, I know, outrageous right?
This concept hasn’t sunk in fully for me as yet either, but bear with me as I explore this topic a little bit.
The old Secret Denim is as cutting edge as it gets when it comes to shuttle-loomed, all cotton artisan denim. It’s the edge of the observable universe as far as Japanese denim is concerned – the hand feel and surface textures don’t get much better than this. But heavy weight artisan denim has its limits right? As a stiff cotton twill, denim does not drape well. Further, Japanese denim really aren’t the most comfortable, not compared with many other cotton fabrics such as terry cloth or corduroy. These two short-comings very much limit the fit and style of garments that Japanese denim could be used to make.
How could you make denim more comfortable and drape more naturally without sacrificing the beautiful colour tones and interesting hand-feel & surface appearance? This is the question that some of the forward thinking brands are asking, and Mr. Oishi’s answer was to recreate the Secret Denim with added 2% elastane in the weft yarns, so that the Shin Secret Denim would be indistinguishable in terms of aesthetics and texture compared with the old Secret Denim – warp threads still being pure cotton and rope dyed – but has the added advantages of increased comfort and the possibility of a more contoured fit.
The new secret here is not the added elastane however – stretch denim is nothing new after all. The trick is how to eliminate the plastic texture, artificial appearance and the dull fading that usually comes part and parcel with stretch denim. Restricting the elastane to only the weft has helped, and also the fact that during the manufacturing of the denim no heating processes have been used, as opposed to most stretch denim manufacturing. I’m sure there are others secrets to this Secret Denim…
As far as making a true stretch selvedge denim, I think the Shin Secret Denim has managed to do this very well, as, like I mentioned earlier, apart from a more pronounced green cast (unrelated to the elastane), I could not distinguish the stretch from the non-stretch based on visual appearance or finger tip feel. It is only when I pull the fabrics and wear the jeans that the differences are noticeable.
Further, Oni states that the Shin Secret Denim will actually be more durable than the older versions… I can’t vouch for this just yet, but in order to maximize the durability of this denim, strong heat must be avoided, so definitely avoid using the dryer.
Details
Similar to Oni’s other current offerings, the 122ZR-S features a very nice deerskin patch that washes and wears very nicely. The design of the patch is relatively understated compared with some of Oni’s patches in past years.
The leather has shrunk up a little and looks somewhat toasty with the industrial wash.
Like most Oni jeans since 2010/2011, we’ve got a woven tag on the inside of the waistband, directly behind the leather patch.
The Demon Spiral arcs are standard fair of course. Did you know the arcs have become slimmer and more streamlined over the years?
To be very honest, Oni’s arcs remain my least favourite aspect of their jeans, but the new arcs are much better looking than the ones on my older pairs (which I’ve removed or modified with seam rippers!)
The back-pockets are slanted so that they appear horizontally aligned when worn.
Oni has been upgrading it’s hardware in the past few years, and now, other than the hidden rivets, all the buttons and rivets are customised!
Featured on the button fly are very nicely textured doughnut buttons.
The punch through copper rivets are solid too, and are now further embossed.
The hidden rivets, whilst not customised, are high quality Universal’s which feature on pretty much every pair of high end Japanese jeans.
The belt loops are on the wider side, being rugged and sturdy.
If you look closely, you can see and feel the raised centre ridge of the loops, setting up for some vintage style wear & fade in the future.
Overall, the basic bells and whistles of high end Japanese denim are all there, but as these are not reproduction jeans, era specific combinations of vintage style detailing are not present – the overall presentation is fairly streamlined and, well, Japanese.
Construct
The sewing on the 122ZR-S is neat, dense and rather precise.
Keep in mind the photos you see here are of the jeans post-wash, so some distortions in the sewing in terms of straightness and visibility is natural.
Dual tone poly-core threading is featured throughout, the lemon-tea combo imparting a vintage feel.
Bar-tacks have been neatly placed at points of strain.
Even at the heaviest points of overlay, where four layers of 20 oz denim meet, the stitch-work remains clean and consistent.
It seems only two different thread sizes have been used, however, resulting in a overall more streamlined look.
Personally, I would have preferred thicker threads for the chain-stitching at the waist and hems. This is only a matter of aesthetics, however, as polyester-core threads are being used – there is no need, structurally, for the use of thicker threads given the inherent strength of polyester relative to cotton.
The chain-stitching, overall, is neatly done but a little wimpy.
Considering the jeans as a whole, the sewing is dense & neat, and there are no discernible flaws in construct.
Thoughts
Before discussing anything, I have to acknowledge that for me (and many others in this hobby), stretch denim is a rather controversial topic. Up until now, I haven’t seen any stretch selvedge denim done right, so in my opinion one would rightly be skeptical about stretch selvedge denim.
Ultimately, our raw denim hobby will continue to evolve as the years pass, such is the inevitable and unstoppable momentum of change. Thinking back on what our hobby had been like back when I first became interested in denim in the mid-2000’s, many aspects of denim are dramatically different now: Japanese brands doing tapered fits!? White Oak closing down!?
It’s hard to say what denim will look like in another 15 years time. Perhaps we’ll be 3D printing our own denims? Maybe denim will be made with an entirely new synthetic fibre that is superior to cotton in every way? I’m no futurist, so far be it for me to predict trends – I am certain only that things will change.
Stretch denim may very well represent one of the next steps in selvedge or raw denim.
Or it may not.
The success of Oni’s Shin Secret Denim will be a central thread in the stretch selvedge story, no doubt. From what I hear, these 122ZR-S jeans are flying off the shelves in Japan, though I do wonder whether its domestic success will be similarly matched in the Western markets.
For me, it comes down to the two ways of looking at a central question:
Why should I wear the Shin Secret Denim when I am perfectly happy with the old Secret Denim?
Why shouldn’t I wear the Shin Secret Denim if it’s just as good as the old Secret Denim, only more comfortable?
Now, I can’t fully answer these questions yet. I need a few more months to really wear in these Shin Secret Denim jeans, as there remain questions regarding durability and fading/aging potential that only time will tell.
At this point in time, however, I will say that Shin Secret Denim offers comfort and mobility that far surpasses pure cotton denim when combined with more modern fits. In my wardrobe, the only pants more comfortable than this pair of 122ZR-S jeans are my pajamas; this comfort factor alone is enough to make me open to the idea of wearing more stretch selvedge denims in the future.
Regardless of which side of this stretch debate you’re on, be prepared to see more and more stretch denims from your favouriate Japanese denim brands. PBJ has already released one version of stretch, Tanuki also has one that’s ready for release this year, and no doubt you’ll see more and more Japan Blue models in stretch as well. I hear from industry folks that Samurai may be doing super heavy weight stretch very soon also.
So get ready! Like it or not, stretch is coming!
But will stretch denim be staying? We’ll have a better idea in the next one to two years.
Disregarding the fabric for a moment, the Oni 122ZR-S relax tapered jeans features a nice cut, fantastic details and represents a more fashion-forward version of Oni compared to my other Oni jeans which were made between 2009 and 2011. There are, of course, no flaws in the construct, though some vintage detailing such as varied thread sizes have been omitted for a more streamlined aesthetic.
Oni has certainly proved itself to be highly adaptable and forward thinking, and I admire this brand because of its focus in pushing the boundaries of Japanese denim. It’s brands like Oni and Tanuki that drive growth and innovation, and I find these trail-blazing makers to be infinitely more interesting compared to their reproduction-focused peers. Reproduction denim has its place of course, but for me, after more than 10 years into this hobby, 501 repops do taste a bit stale. Horses for courses, and trees for apes, and all that, though the focus on interesting fabrics and modern fits certainly mean that Oni Denim is more relevant for more people compared with many of its peers.
Anyway, don’t just take my word for it, check out the Shin Secret Denim in person as it’s rolled out at Oni retailers world wide. You’ll find the best pricing, and the world’s most extensive range of Oni jeans, at Denimio: these Shin Secret Denim jeans are offered at just USD $212 shipped worldwide, which is incredible value for Japanese denim of this calibre. Check it out here.
ONI just released a brand new, highly innovative SHIN fabric. We have the pleasure of having Mike, who you might now as who you might know as indigoshrimp on instagram or from his amazing blog, to review this very special piece of denim!
The very first pair of Japanese jeans ever made was the result of a three way partnership between an American mill, a Japanese sewing factory and a Japanese trading firm: In 1965, Maruo Clothing sewed the first Japanese jeans, branded “Canton”, using American denim made by Canton Mills and imported into Japan by Oishi Trading.
Masao Oishi, son of the founder of Oishi Trading Company, became an industry heavyweight in the ensuing decades and later on established his own jeans brand, Oni. Being a respected industry veteran, Mr. Oishi has the influence and know-how to create many weird and wonderful denims – fabrics which the conservative Japanese denim mills would never consider weaving, if not for his instructions.
So it is that since the beginning of the raw/selvedge denim revival, Oni’s jeans have consistently featured some of the world’s most interesting and cutting edge denims. Whilst other Japanese brands would variously focus on lifestyle (Iron Heart for motorcyclists, for example) or reproduction (Warehouse and friends), Mr. Oishi’s direction with regards to his own brand had always been to focus heavily on fabrics.
I remember back when I first became interested in Japanese denim over a decade ago, Oni jeans came in only two fits (Red & Blue), but close to a dozen fabric options. Over the past 10 years, Oni’s jeans have become more minimalist in appearance and more modern in fitting, yet the focus on fabrics has never shifted.
Indeed, one of the most important denims in recent years has been Oni’s Secret Denim, first launched in 2012. The 20 oz Secret Denim represented a significant upgrade in most aspects of fabric quality compared with its 18/19 oz predecessors such as the ‘devil armor’ and ‘devil spiral’ denims. The Secret Denim was more comfortable, more slubby, more natural, and more intense compared with most other heavy weight Japanese denims available, and till this day no other heavy weight denim comes close to matching its incredible softness or texture.
Oni has utilised a few different variations of the Secret Denim in the past five years, from a black version to a natural indigo Tanuki Inc. collaboration, but the physical structure of the denim itself remained mostly unchanged. Recently, however, after some further years of trial & error, Mr. Oishi has come up with Shin (‘new’, ‘true’) Secret Denim, the next major step in the evolution of Oni’s denims.
Today, I want to discuss this Shin Secret Denim. We’ll look at the entirety of these 122ZR-S relax tapered jeans of course, but the major focus will be on the fabric!
Fit
A long time ago Oni jeans only came in either stove-pipe or wide-leg fits, so I am very glad to see that Oni is producing many more modern cuts nowadays.
This relax tapered cut features a medium-low rise, relatively roomy hips & thighs, and a strong taper from the knee down, finishing in a 7 inch hem.
At 7 inches across, the hem width is on the narrow side for sure, relative to the size 35 waist. Due to the very long inseam length however, once rolled into a single or double cuff, the hem is closer to 7.5 inches, which is much more sensible.
These jeans come in one-wash after an industrial wash and shade drying, so there’s no guess work with regards to shrink-to-fit.
I managed to size down one to a size 35, and I could have gone down even further to a size 34 for a snug fit, but that’s not my style.
Due to the nature of this denim, break-in is very fast, and the range of motions from the hip down remain uninhibited despite the narrower legs and heavier fabric. Read on below to find out more!
Fabric
The Shin Secret Denim is very similar to the regular Secret Denim – both are 20 oz, both are woven with ultra-low tension and both have pure (synthetic) indigo rope-dyed warp and beige-dyed weft. Further, both denims are mildly hairy, mildly neppy, moderately rough & slubby, heavily variegated in texture and extremely knotty.
Due to the combination of heavy fabric and extremely loose weave, both the Shin Secret Denim and the regular Secret Denim are unbelievably soft (for 20 oz that is) and handle more like wool cloth rather than cotton twills.
The only visual difference I could readily discern is that the Shin Secret Denim has a stronger green-grey cast under certain lighting conditions compared with the older version.
What if I were to tell you that this Shin Secret Denim is actually a stretch denim containing 2% elastane?
Wait, what?! Stretch jeans on Indigoshrimp??? What???
In actual fact, making stretch selvedge denim that looks and feels exactly the same as regular pure cotton selvedge denim has been hot topic in the Japanese denim industry in the past couple of years, with many mills and many brands trying to create true stretch selvedge denim. The more experimental brands such as PBJ, Oni, Tanuki and Japan Blue Group are all in on the action, with the industry predicting some of the biggest growths will occur in more form fitting stretch jeans in the next few years, as far as the raw denim hobby goes.
I know, I know, outrageous right?
This concept hasn’t sunk in fully for me as yet either, but bear with me as I explore this topic a little bit.
The old Secret Denim is as cutting edge as it gets when it comes to shuttle-loomed, all cotton artisan denim. It’s the edge of the observable universe as far as Japanese denim is concerned – the hand feel and surface textures don’t get much better than this. But heavy weight artisan denim has its limits right? As a stiff cotton twill, denim does not drape well. Further, Japanese denim really aren’t the most comfortable, not compared with many other cotton fabrics such as terry cloth or corduroy. These two short-comings very much limit the fit and style of garments that Japanese denim could be used to make.
How could you make denim more comfortable and drape more naturally without sacrificing the beautiful colour tones and interesting hand-feel & surface appearance? This is the question that some of the forward thinking brands are asking, and Mr. Oishi’s answer was to recreate the Secret Denim with added 2% elastane in the weft yarns, so that the Shin Secret Denim would be indistinguishable in terms of aesthetics and texture compared with the old Secret Denim – warp threads still being pure cotton and rope dyed – but has the added advantages of increased comfort and the possibility of a more contoured fit.
The new secret here is not the added elastane however – stretch denim is nothing new after all. The trick is how to eliminate the plastic texture, artificial appearance and the dull fading that usually comes part and parcel with stretch denim. Restricting the elastane to only the weft has helped, and also the fact that during the manufacturing of the denim no heating processes have been used, as opposed to most stretch denim manufacturing. I’m sure there are others secrets to this Secret Denim…
As far as making a true stretch selvedge denim, I think the Shin Secret Denim has managed to do this very well, as, like I mentioned earlier, apart from a more pronounced green cast (unrelated to the elastane), I could not distinguish the stretch from the non-stretch based on visual appearance or finger tip feel. It is only when I pull the fabrics and wear the jeans that the differences are noticeable.
Further, Oni states that the Shin Secret Denim will actually be more durable than the older versions… I can’t vouch for this just yet, but in order to maximize the durability of this denim, strong heat must be avoided, so definitely avoid using the dryer.
Details
Similar to Oni’s other current offerings, the 122ZR-S features a very nice deerskin patch that washes and wears very nicely. The design of the patch is relatively understated compared with some of Oni’s patches in past years.
The leather has shrunk up a little and looks somewhat toasty with the industrial wash.
Like most Oni jeans since 2010/2011, we’ve got a woven tag on the inside of the waistband, directly behind the leather patch.
The Demon Spiral arcs are standard fair of course. Did you know the arcs have become slimmer and more streamlined over the years?
To be very honest, Oni’s arcs remain my least favourite aspect of their jeans, but the new arcs are much better looking than the ones on my older pairs (which I’ve removed or modified with seam rippers!)
The back-pockets are slanted so that they appear horizontally aligned when worn.
Oni has been upgrading it’s hardware in the past few years, and now, other than the hidden rivets, all the buttons and rivets are customised!
Featured on the button fly are very nicely textured doughnut buttons.
The punch through copper rivets are solid too, and are now further embossed.
The hidden rivets, whilst not customised, are high quality Universal’s which feature on pretty much every pair of high end Japanese jeans.
The belt loops are on the wider side, being rugged and sturdy.
If you look closely, you can see and feel the raised centre ridge of the loops, setting up for some vintage style wear & fade in the future.
Overall, the basic bells and whistles of high end Japanese denim are all there, but as these are not reproduction jeans, era specific combinations of vintage style detailing are not present – the overall presentation is fairly streamlined and, well, Japanese.
Construct
The sewing on the 122ZR-S is neat, dense and rather precise.
Keep in mind the photos you see here are of the jeans post-wash, so some distortions in the sewing in terms of straightness and visibility is natural.
Dual tone poly-core threading is featured throughout, the lemon-tea combo imparting a vintage feel.
Bar-tacks have been neatly placed at points of strain.
Even at the heaviest points of overlay, where four layers of 20 oz denim meet, the stitch-work remains clean and consistent.
It seems only two different thread sizes have been used, however, resulting in a overall more streamlined look.
Personally, I would have preferred thicker threads for the chain-stitching at the waist and hems. This is only a matter of aesthetics, however, as polyester-core threads are being used – there is no need, structurally, for the use of thicker threads given the inherent strength of polyester relative to cotton.
The chain-stitching, overall, is neatly done but a little wimpy.
Considering the jeans as a whole, the sewing is dense & neat, and there are no discernible flaws in construct.
Thoughts
Before discussing anything, I have to acknowledge that for me (and many others in this hobby), stretch denim is a rather controversial topic. Up until now, I haven’t seen any stretch selvedge denim done right, so in my opinion one would rightly be skeptical about stretch selvedge denim.
Ultimately, our raw denim hobby will continue to evolve as the years pass, such is the inevitable and unstoppable momentum of change. Thinking back on what our hobby had been like back when I first became interested in denim in the mid-2000’s, many aspects of denim are dramatically different now: Japanese brands doing tapered fits!? White Oak closing down!?
It’s hard to say what denim will look like in another 15 years time. Perhaps we’ll be 3D printing our own denims? Maybe denim will be made with an entirely new synthetic fibre that is superior to cotton in every way? I’m no futurist, so far be it for me to predict trends – I am certain only that things will change.
Stretch denim may very well represent one of the next steps in selvedge or raw denim.
Or it may not.
The success of Oni’s Shin Secret Denim will be a central thread in the stretch selvedge story, no doubt. From what I hear, these 122ZR-S jeans are flying off the shelves in Japan, though I do wonder whether its domestic success will be similarly matched in the Western markets.
For me, it comes down to the two ways of looking at a central question:
Why should I wear the Shin Secret Denim when I am perfectly happy with the old Secret Denim?
Why shouldn’t I wear the Shin Secret Denim if it’s just as good as the old Secret Denim, only more comfortable?
Now, I can’t fully answer these questions yet. I need a few more months to really wear in these Shin Secret Denim jeans, as there remain questions regarding durability and fading/aging potential that only time will tell.
At this point in time, however, I will say that Shin Secret Denim offers comfort and mobility that far surpasses pure cotton denim when combined with more modern fits. In my wardrobe, the only pants more comfortable than this pair of 122ZR-S jeans are my pajamas; this comfort factor alone is enough to make me open to the idea of wearing more stretch selvedge denims in the future.
Regardless of which side of this stretch debate you’re on, be prepared to see more and more stretch denims from your favouriate Japanese denim brands. PBJ has already released one version of stretch, Tanuki also has one that’s ready for release this year, and no doubt you’ll see more and more Japan Blue models in stretch as well. I hear from industry folks that Samurai may be doing super heavy weight stretch very soon also.
So get ready! Like it or not, stretch is coming!
But will stretch denim be staying? We’ll have a better idea in the next one to two years.
Disregarding the fabric for a moment, the Oni 122ZR-S relax tapered jeans features a nice cut, fantastic details and represents a more fashion-forward version of Oni compared to my other Oni jeans which were made between 2009 and 2011. There are, of course, no flaws in the construct, though some vintage detailing such as varied thread sizes have been omitted for a more streamlined aesthetic.
Oni has certainly proved itself to be highly adaptable and forward thinking, and I admire this brand because of its focus in pushing the boundaries of Japanese denim. It’s brands like Oni and Tanuki that drive growth and innovation, and I find these trail-blazing makers to be infinitely more interesting compared to their reproduction-focused peers. Reproduction denim has its place of course, but for me, after more than 10 years into this hobby, 501 repops do taste a bit stale. Horses for courses, and trees for apes, and all that, though the focus on interesting fabrics and modern fits certainly mean that Oni Denim is more relevant for more people compared with many of its peers.
Anyway, don’t just take my word for it, check out the Shin Secret Denim in person as it’s rolled out at Oni retailers world wide. You’ll find the best pricing, and the world’s most extensive range of Oni jeans, at Denimio: these Shin Secret Denim jeans are offered at just USD $212 shipped worldwide, which is incredible value for Japanese denim of this calibre. Check it out here.
ONI just released a brand new, highly innovative SHIN fabric. We have the pleasure of having Mike, who you might now as who you might know as indigoshrimp on instagram or from his amazing blog, to review this very special piece of denim!
The very first pair of Japanese jeans ever made was the result of a three way partnership between an American mill, a Japanese sewing factory and a Japanese trading firm: In 1965, Maruo Clothing sewed the first Japanese jeans, branded “Canton”, using American denim made by Canton Mills and imported into Japan by Oishi Trading.
Masao Oishi, son of the founder of Oishi Trading Company, became an industry heavyweight in the ensuing decades and later on established his own jeans brand, Oni. Being a respected industry veteran, Mr. Oishi has the influence and know-how to create many weird and wonderful denims – fabrics which the conservative Japanese denim mills would never consider weaving, if not for his instructions.
So it is that since the beginning of the raw/selvedge denim revival, Oni’s jeans have consistently featured some of the world’s most interesting and cutting edge denims. Whilst other Japanese brands would variously focus on lifestyle (Iron Heart for motorcyclists, for example) or reproduction (Warehouse and friends), Mr. Oishi’s direction with regards to his own brand had always been to focus heavily on fabrics.
I remember back when I first became interested in Japanese denim over a decade ago, Oni jeans came in only two fits (Red & Blue), but close to a dozen fabric options. Over the past 10 years, Oni’s jeans have become more minimalist in appearance and more modern in fitting, yet the focus on fabrics has never shifted.
Indeed, one of the most important denims in recent years has been Oni’s Secret Denim, first launched in 2012. The 20 oz Secret Denim represented a significant upgrade in most aspects of fabric quality compared with its 18/19 oz predecessors such as the ‘devil armor’ and ‘devil spiral’ denims. The Secret Denim was more comfortable, more slubby, more natural, and more intense compared with most other heavy weight Japanese denims available, and till this day no other heavy weight denim comes close to matching its incredible softness or texture.
Oni has utilised a few different variations of the Secret Denim in the past five years, from a black version to a natural indigo Tanuki Inc. collaboration, but the physical structure of the denim itself remained mostly unchanged. Recently, however, after some further years of trial & error, Mr. Oishi has come up with Shin (‘new’, ‘true’) Secret Denim, the next major step in the evolution of Oni’s denims.
Today, I want to discuss this Shin Secret Denim. We’ll look at the entirety of these 122ZR-S relax tapered jeans of course, but the major focus will be on the fabric!
Fit
A long time ago Oni jeans only came in either stove-pipe or wide-leg fits, so I am very glad to see that Oni is producing many more modern cuts nowadays.
This relax tapered cut features a medium-low rise, relatively roomy hips & thighs, and a strong taper from the knee down, finishing in a 7 inch hem.
At 7 inches across, the hem width is on the narrow side for sure, relative to the size 35 waist. Due to the very long inseam length however, once rolled into a single or double cuff, the hem is closer to 7.5 inches, which is much more sensible.
These jeans come in one-wash after an industrial wash and shade drying, so there’s no guess work with regards to shrink-to-fit.
I managed to size down one to a size 35, and I could have gone down even further to a size 34 for a snug fit, but that’s not my style.
Due to the nature of this denim, break-in is very fast, and the range of motions from the hip down remain uninhibited despite the narrower legs and heavier fabric. Read on below to find out more!
Fabric
The Shin Secret Denim is very similar to the regular Secret Denim – both are 20 oz, both are woven with ultra-low tension and both have pure (synthetic) indigo rope-dyed warp and beige-dyed weft. Further, both denims are mildly hairy, mildly neppy, moderately rough & slubby, heavily variegated in texture and extremely knotty.
Due to the combination of heavy fabric and extremely loose weave, both the Shin Secret Denim and the regular Secret Denim are unbelievably soft (for 20 oz that is) and handle more like wool cloth rather than cotton twills.
The only visual difference I could readily discern is that the Shin Secret Denim has a stronger green-grey cast under certain lighting conditions compared with the older version.
What if I were to tell you that this Shin Secret Denim is actually a stretch denim containing 2% elastane?
Wait, what?! Stretch jeans on Indigoshrimp??? What???
In actual fact, making stretch selvedge denim that looks and feels exactly the same as regular pure cotton selvedge denim has been hot topic in the Japanese denim industry in the past couple of years, with many mills and many brands trying to create true stretch selvedge denim. The more experimental brands such as PBJ, Oni, Tanuki and Japan Blue Group are all in on the action, with the industry predicting some of the biggest growths will occur in more form fitting stretch jeans in the next few years, as far as the raw denim hobby goes.
I know, I know, outrageous right?
This concept hasn’t sunk in fully for me as yet either, but bear with me as I explore this topic a little bit.
The old Secret Denim is as cutting edge as it gets when it comes to shuttle-loomed, all cotton artisan denim. It’s the edge of the observable universe as far as Japanese denim is concerned – the hand feel and surface textures don’t get much better than this. But heavy weight artisan denim has its limits right? As a stiff cotton twill, denim does not drape well. Further, Japanese denim really aren’t the most comfortable, not compared with many other cotton fabrics such as terry cloth or corduroy. These two short-comings very much limit the fit and style of garments that Japanese denim could be used to make.
How could you make denim more comfortable and drape more naturally without sacrificing the beautiful colour tones and interesting hand-feel & surface appearance? This is the question that some of the forward thinking brands are asking, and Mr. Oishi’s answer was to recreate the Secret Denim with added 2% elastane in the weft yarns, so that the Shin Secret Denim would be indistinguishable in terms of aesthetics and texture compared with the old Secret Denim – warp threads still being pure cotton and rope dyed – but has the added advantages of increased comfort and the possibility of a more contoured fit.
The new secret here is not the added elastane however – stretch denim is nothing new after all. The trick is how to eliminate the plastic texture, artificial appearance and the dull fading that usually comes part and parcel with stretch denim. Restricting the elastane to only the weft has helped, and also the fact that during the manufacturing of the denim no heating processes have been used, as opposed to most stretch denim manufacturing. I’m sure there are others secrets to this Secret Denim…
As far as making a true stretch selvedge denim, I think the Shin Secret Denim has managed to do this very well, as, like I mentioned earlier, apart from a more pronounced green cast (unrelated to the elastane), I could not distinguish the stretch from the non-stretch based on visual appearance or finger tip feel. It is only when I pull the fabrics and wear the jeans that the differences are noticeable.
Further, Oni states that the Shin Secret Denim will actually be more durable than the older versions… I can’t vouch for this just yet, but in order to maximize the durability of this denim, strong heat must be avoided, so definitely avoid using the dryer.
Details
Similar to Oni’s other current offerings, the 122ZR-S features a very nice deerskin patch that washes and wears very nicely. The design of the patch is relatively understated compared with some of Oni’s patches in past years.
The leather has shrunk up a little and looks somewhat toasty with the industrial wash.
Like most Oni jeans since 2010/2011, we’ve got a woven tag on the inside of the waistband, directly behind the leather patch.
The Demon Spiral arcs are standard fair of course. Did you know the arcs have become slimmer and more streamlined over the years?
To be very honest, Oni’s arcs remain my least favourite aspect of their jeans, but the new arcs are much better looking than the ones on my older pairs (which I’ve removed or modified with seam rippers!)
The back-pockets are slanted so that they appear horizontally aligned when worn.
Oni has been upgrading it’s hardware in the past few years, and now, other than the hidden rivets, all the buttons and rivets are customised!
Featured on the button fly are very nicely textured doughnut buttons.
The punch through copper rivets are solid too, and are now further embossed.
The hidden rivets, whilst not customised, are high quality Universal’s which feature on pretty much every pair of high end Japanese jeans.
The belt loops are on the wider side, being rugged and sturdy.
If you look closely, you can see and feel the raised centre ridge of the loops, setting up for some vintage style wear & fade in the future.
Overall, the basic bells and whistles of high end Japanese denim are all there, but as these are not reproduction jeans, era specific combinations of vintage style detailing are not present – the overall presentation is fairly streamlined and, well, Japanese.
Construct
The sewing on the 122ZR-S is neat, dense and rather precise.
Keep in mind the photos you see here are of the jeans post-wash, so some distortions in the sewing in terms of straightness and visibility is natural.
Dual tone poly-core threading is featured throughout, the lemon-tea combo imparting a vintage feel.
Bar-tacks have been neatly placed at points of strain.
Even at the heaviest points of overlay, where four layers of 20 oz denim meet, the stitch-work remains clean and consistent.
It seems only two different thread sizes have been used, however, resulting in a overall more streamlined look.
Personally, I would have preferred thicker threads for the chain-stitching at the waist and hems. This is only a matter of aesthetics, however, as polyester-core threads are being used – there is no need, structurally, for the use of thicker threads given the inherent strength of polyester relative to cotton.
The chain-stitching, overall, is neatly done but a little wimpy.
Considering the jeans as a whole, the sewing is dense & neat, and there are no discernible flaws in construct.
Thoughts
Before discussing anything, I have to acknowledge that for me (and many others in this hobby), stretch denim is a rather controversial topic. Up until now, I haven’t seen any stretch selvedge denim done right, so in my opinion one would rightly be skeptical about stretch selvedge denim.
Ultimately, our raw denim hobby will continue to evolve as the years pass, such is the inevitable and unstoppable momentum of change. Thinking back on what our hobby had been like back when I first became interested in denim in the mid-2000’s, many aspects of denim are dramatically different now: Japanese brands doing tapered fits!? White Oak closing down!?
It’s hard to say what denim will look like in another 15 years time. Perhaps we’ll be 3D printing our own denims? Maybe denim will be made with an entirely new synthetic fibre that is superior to cotton in every way? I’m no futurist, so far be it for me to predict trends – I am certain only that things will change.
Stretch denim may very well represent one of the next steps in selvedge or raw denim.
Or it may not.
The success of Oni’s Shin Secret Denim will be a central thread in the stretch selvedge story, no doubt. From what I hear, these 122ZR-S jeans are flying off the shelves in Japan, though I do wonder whether its domestic success will be similarly matched in the Western markets.
For me, it comes down to the two ways of looking at a central question:
Why should I wear the Shin Secret Denim when I am perfectly happy with the old Secret Denim?
Why shouldn’t I wear the Shin Secret Denim if it’s just as good as the old Secret Denim, only more comfortable?
Now, I can’t fully answer these questions yet. I need a few more months to really wear in these Shin Secret Denim jeans, as there remain questions regarding durability and fading/aging potential that only time will tell.
At this point in time, however, I will say that Shin Secret Denim offers comfort and mobility that far surpasses pure cotton denim when combined with more modern fits. In my wardrobe, the only pants more comfortable than this pair of 122ZR-S jeans are my pajamas; this comfort factor alone is enough to make me open to the idea of wearing more stretch selvedge denims in the future.
Regardless of which side of this stretch debate you’re on, be prepared to see more and more stretch denims from your favouriate Japanese denim brands. PBJ has already released one version of stretch, Tanuki also has one that’s ready for release this year, and no doubt you’ll see more and more Japan Blue models in stretch as well. I hear from industry folks that Samurai may be doing super heavy weight stretch very soon also.
So get ready! Like it or not, stretch is coming!
But will stretch denim be staying? We’ll have a better idea in the next one to two years.
Disregarding the fabric for a moment, the Oni 122ZR-S relax tapered jeans features a nice cut, fantastic details and represents a more fashion-forward version of Oni compared to my other Oni jeans which were made between 2009 and 2011. There are, of course, no flaws in the construct, though some vintage detailing such as varied thread sizes have been omitted for a more streamlined aesthetic.
Oni has certainly proved itself to be highly adaptable and forward thinking, and I admire this brand because of its focus in pushing the boundaries of Japanese denim. It’s brands like Oni and Tanuki that drive growth and innovation, and I find these trail-blazing makers to be infinitely more interesting compared to their reproduction-focused peers. Reproduction denim has its place of course, but for me, after more than 10 years into this hobby, 501 repops do taste a bit stale. Horses for courses, and trees for apes, and all that, though the focus on interesting fabrics and modern fits certainly mean that Oni Denim is more relevant for more people compared with many of its peers.
Anyway, don’t just take my word for it, check out the Shin Secret Denim in person as it’s rolled out at Oni retailers world wide. You’ll find the best pricing, and the world’s most extensive range of Oni jeans, at Denimio: these Shin Secret Denim jeans are offered at just USD $212 shipped worldwide, which is incredible value for Japanese denim of this calibre. Check it out here.
ONI just released a brand new, highly innovative SHIN fabric. We have the pleasure of having Mike, who you might now as who you might know as indigoshrimp on instagram or from his amazing blog, to review this very special piece of denim!
The very first pair of Japanese jeans ever made was the result of a three way partnership between an American mill, a Japanese sewing factory and a Japanese trading firm: In 1965, Maruo Clothing sewed the first Japanese jeans, branded “Canton”, using American denim made by Canton Mills and imported into Japan by Oishi Trading.
Masao Oishi, son of the founder of Oishi Trading Company, became an industry heavyweight in the ensuing decades and later on established his own jeans brand, Oni. Being a respected industry veteran, Mr. Oishi has the influence and know-how to create many weird and wonderful denims – fabrics which the conservative Japanese denim mills would never consider weaving, if not for his instructions.
So it is that since the beginning of the raw/selvedge denim revival, Oni’s jeans have consistently featured some of the world’s most interesting and cutting edge denims. Whilst other Japanese brands would variously focus on lifestyle (Iron Heart for motorcyclists, for example) or reproduction (Warehouse and friends), Mr. Oishi’s direction with regards to his own brand had always been to focus heavily on fabrics.
I remember back when I first became interested in Japanese denim over a decade ago, Oni jeans came in only two fits (Red & Blue), but close to a dozen fabric options. Over the past 10 years, Oni’s jeans have become more minimalist in appearance and more modern in fitting, yet the focus on fabrics has never shifted.
Indeed, one of the most important denims in recent years has been Oni’s Secret Denim, first launched in 2012. The 20 oz Secret Denim represented a significant upgrade in most aspects of fabric quality compared with its 18/19 oz predecessors such as the ‘devil armor’ and ‘devil spiral’ denims. The Secret Denim was more comfortable, more slubby, more natural, and more intense compared with most other heavy weight Japanese denims available, and till this day no other heavy weight denim comes close to matching its incredible softness or texture.
Oni has utilised a few different variations of the Secret Denim in the past five years, from a black version to a natural indigo Tanuki Inc. collaboration, but the physical structure of the denim itself remained mostly unchanged. Recently, however, after some further years of trial & error, Mr. Oishi has come up with Shin (‘new’, ‘true’) Secret Denim, the next major step in the evolution of Oni’s denims.
Today, I want to discuss this Shin Secret Denim. We’ll look at the entirety of these 122ZR-S relax tapered jeans of course, but the major focus will be on the fabric!
Fit
A long time ago Oni jeans only came in either stove-pipe or wide-leg fits, so I am very glad to see that Oni is producing many more modern cuts nowadays.
This relax tapered cut features a medium-low rise, relatively roomy hips & thighs, and a strong taper from the knee down, finishing in a 7 inch hem.
At 7 inches across, the hem width is on the narrow side for sure, relative to the size 35 waist. Due to the very long inseam length however, once rolled into a single or double cuff, the hem is closer to 7.5 inches, which is much more sensible.
These jeans come in one-wash after an industrial wash and shade drying, so there’s no guess work with regards to shrink-to-fit.
I managed to size down one to a size 35, and I could have gone down even further to a size 34 for a snug fit, but that’s not my style.
Due to the nature of this denim, break-in is very fast, and the range of motions from the hip down remain uninhibited despite the narrower legs and heavier fabric. Read on below to find out more!
Fabric
The Shin Secret Denim is very similar to the regular Secret Denim – both are 20 oz, both are woven with ultra-low tension and both have pure (synthetic) indigo rope-dyed warp and beige-dyed weft. Further, both denims are mildly hairy, mildly neppy, moderately rough & slubby, heavily variegated in texture and extremely knotty.
Due to the combination of heavy fabric and extremely loose weave, both the Shin Secret Denim and the regular Secret Denim are unbelievably soft (for 20 oz that is) and handle more like wool cloth rather than cotton twills.
The only visual difference I could readily discern is that the Shin Secret Denim has a stronger green-grey cast under certain lighting conditions compared with the older version.
What if I were to tell you that this Shin Secret Denim is actually a stretch denim containing 2% elastane?
Wait, what?! Stretch jeans on Indigoshrimp??? What???
In actual fact, making stretch selvedge denim that looks and feels exactly the same as regular pure cotton selvedge denim has been hot topic in the Japanese denim industry in the past couple of years, with many mills and many brands trying to create true stretch selvedge denim. The more experimental brands such as PBJ, Oni, Tanuki and Japan Blue Group are all in on the action, with the industry predicting some of the biggest growths will occur in more form fitting stretch jeans in the next few years, as far as the raw denim hobby goes.
I know, I know, outrageous right?
This concept hasn’t sunk in fully for me as yet either, but bear with me as I explore this topic a little bit.
The old Secret Denim is as cutting edge as it gets when it comes to shuttle-loomed, all cotton artisan denim. It’s the edge of the observable universe as far as Japanese denim is concerned – the hand feel and surface textures don’t get much better than this. But heavy weight artisan denim has its limits right? As a stiff cotton twill, denim does not drape well. Further, Japanese denim really aren’t the most comfortable, not compared with many other cotton fabrics such as terry cloth or corduroy. These two short-comings very much limit the fit and style of garments that Japanese denim could be used to make.
How could you make denim more comfortable and drape more naturally without sacrificing the beautiful colour tones and interesting hand-feel & surface appearance? This is the question that some of the forward thinking brands are asking, and Mr. Oishi’s answer was to recreate the Secret Denim with added 2% elastane in the weft yarns, so that the Shin Secret Denim would be indistinguishable in terms of aesthetics and texture compared with the old Secret Denim – warp threads still being pure cotton and rope dyed – but has the added advantages of increased comfort and the possibility of a more contoured fit.
The new secret here is not the added elastane however – stretch denim is nothing new after all. The trick is how to eliminate the plastic texture, artificial appearance and the dull fading that usually comes part and parcel with stretch denim. Restricting the elastane to only the weft has helped, and also the fact that during the manufacturing of the denim no heating processes have been used, as opposed to most stretch denim manufacturing. I’m sure there are others secrets to this Secret Denim…
As far as making a true stretch selvedge denim, I think the Shin Secret Denim has managed to do this very well, as, like I mentioned earlier, apart from a more pronounced green cast (unrelated to the elastane), I could not distinguish the stretch from the non-stretch based on visual appearance or finger tip feel. It is only when I pull the fabrics and wear the jeans that the differences are noticeable.
Further, Oni states that the Shin Secret Denim will actually be more durable than the older versions… I can’t vouch for this just yet, but in order to maximize the durability of this denim, strong heat must be avoided, so definitely avoid using the dryer.
Details
Similar to Oni’s other current offerings, the 122ZR-S features a very nice deerskin patch that washes and wears very nicely. The design of the patch is relatively understated compared with some of Oni’s patches in past years.
The leather has shrunk up a little and looks somewhat toasty with the industrial wash.
Like most Oni jeans since 2010/2011, we’ve got a woven tag on the inside of the waistband, directly behind the leather patch.
The Demon Spiral arcs are standard fair of course. Did you know the arcs have become slimmer and more streamlined over the years?
To be very honest, Oni’s arcs remain my least favourite aspect of their jeans, but the new arcs are much better looking than the ones on my older pairs (which I’ve removed or modified with seam rippers!)
The back-pockets are slanted so that they appear horizontally aligned when worn.
Oni has been upgrading it’s hardware in the past few years, and now, other than the hidden rivets, all the buttons and rivets are customised!
Featured on the button fly are very nicely textured doughnut buttons.
The punch through copper rivets are solid too, and are now further embossed.
The hidden rivets, whilst not customised, are high quality Universal’s which feature on pretty much every pair of high end Japanese jeans.
The belt loops are on the wider side, being rugged and sturdy.
If you look closely, you can see and feel the raised centre ridge of the loops, setting up for some vintage style wear & fade in the future.
Overall, the basic bells and whistles of high end Japanese denim are all there, but as these are not reproduction jeans, era specific combinations of vintage style detailing are not present – the overall presentation is fairly streamlined and, well, Japanese.
Construct
The sewing on the 122ZR-S is neat, dense and rather precise.
Keep in mind the photos you see here are of the jeans post-wash, so some distortions in the sewing in terms of straightness and visibility is natural.
Dual tone poly-core threading is featured throughout, the lemon-tea combo imparting a vintage feel.
Bar-tacks have been neatly placed at points of strain.
Even at the heaviest points of overlay, where four layers of 20 oz denim meet, the stitch-work remains clean and consistent.
It seems only two different thread sizes have been used, however, resulting in a overall more streamlined look.
Personally, I would have preferred thicker threads for the chain-stitching at the waist and hems. This is only a matter of aesthetics, however, as polyester-core threads are being used – there is no need, structurally, for the use of thicker threads given the inherent strength of polyester relative to cotton.
The chain-stitching, overall, is neatly done but a little wimpy.
Considering the jeans as a whole, the sewing is dense & neat, and there are no discernible flaws in construct.
Thoughts
Before discussing anything, I have to acknowledge that for me (and many others in this hobby), stretch denim is a rather controversial topic. Up until now, I haven’t seen any stretch selvedge denim done right, so in my opinion one would rightly be skeptical about stretch selvedge denim.
Ultimately, our raw denim hobby will continue to evolve as the years pass, such is the inevitable and unstoppable momentum of change. Thinking back on what our hobby had been like back when I first became interested in denim in the mid-2000’s, many aspects of denim are dramatically different now: Japanese brands doing tapered fits!? White Oak closing down!?
It’s hard to say what denim will look like in another 15 years time. Perhaps we’ll be 3D printing our own denims? Maybe denim will be made with an entirely new synthetic fibre that is superior to cotton in every way? I’m no futurist, so far be it for me to predict trends – I am certain only that things will change.
Stretch denim may very well represent one of the next steps in selvedge or raw denim.
Or it may not.
The success of Oni’s Shin Secret Denim will be a central thread in the stretch selvedge story, no doubt. From what I hear, these 122ZR-S jeans are flying off the shelves in Japan, though I do wonder whether its domestic success will be similarly matched in the Western markets.
For me, it comes down to the two ways of looking at a central question:
Why should I wear the Shin Secret Denim when I am perfectly happy with the old Secret Denim?
Why shouldn’t I wear the Shin Secret Denim if it’s just as good as the old Secret Denim, only more comfortable?
Now, I can’t fully answer these questions yet. I need a few more months to really wear in these Shin Secret Denim jeans, as there remain questions regarding durability and fading/aging potential that only time will tell.
At this point in time, however, I will say that Shin Secret Denim offers comfort and mobility that far surpasses pure cotton denim when combined with more modern fits. In my wardrobe, the only pants more comfortable than this pair of 122ZR-S jeans are my pajamas; this comfort factor alone is enough to make me open to the idea of wearing more stretch selvedge denims in the future.
Regardless of which side of this stretch debate you’re on, be prepared to see more and more stretch denims from your favouriate Japanese denim brands. PBJ has already released one version of stretch, Tanuki also has one that’s ready for release this year, and no doubt you’ll see more and more Japan Blue models in stretch as well. I hear from industry folks that Samurai may be doing super heavy weight stretch very soon also.
So get ready! Like it or not, stretch is coming!
But will stretch denim be staying? We’ll have a better idea in the next one to two years.
Disregarding the fabric for a moment, the Oni 122ZR-S relax tapered jeans features a nice cut, fantastic details and represents a more fashion-forward version of Oni compared to my other Oni jeans which were made between 2009 and 2011. There are, of course, no flaws in the construct, though some vintage detailing such as varied thread sizes have been omitted for a more streamlined aesthetic.
Oni has certainly proved itself to be highly adaptable and forward thinking, and I admire this brand because of its focus in pushing the boundaries of Japanese denim. It’s brands like Oni and Tanuki that drive growth and innovation, and I find these trail-blazing makers to be infinitely more interesting compared to their reproduction-focused peers. Reproduction denim has its place of course, but for me, after more than 10 years into this hobby, 501 repops do taste a bit stale. Horses for courses, and trees for apes, and all that, though the focus on interesting fabrics and modern fits certainly mean that Oni Denim is more relevant for more people compared with many of its peers.
Anyway, don’t just take my word for it, check out the Shin Secret Denim in person as it’s rolled out at Oni retailers world wide. You’ll find the best pricing, and the world’s most extensive range of Oni jeans, at Denimio: these Shin Secret Denim jeans are offered at just USD $212 shipped worldwide, which is incredible value for Japanese denim of this calibre. Check it out here.
ONI 는 새롭고 혁신적인 SHIN 패브릭을 출시했습니다. Mike 는 그의 블로그에서 인스타그램에서 Indigoshirimp로 알려져있는데요, 저희 Denimio는 그와 함께 특별한 데님 리뷰를 할 수 있는 기회를 갖게 되었습니다!
처음으로 만들어진 일본 청바지는 미국 제재소와 일본 재봉 공장 및 일본 무역회사 간의 3대 파트너십의 결과였습니다. 1965년에 Maruo Clothing 은 “Canton” 브랜드의 첫 번째 일본 청바지를 Canton 제재소에서 미국 데님을 Oishi Trading 에서 일본으로 수입하여 제작하였습니다.
Oishi Trading 설립자의 아들인 Masao Oishi는 그 후 수십 년 동안 업계의 중요인사가 되었고, 그 이후 자신의 청바지 브랜드인 Oni를 설립하였습니다. 업계에서 베테랑으로 인정받고 존경받던 Mr. Oishi 는 일본 데님 공장에서는 직조를 고려하지 않는 패브릭도 사용하여 개성적이면서도 멋진 데님을 만드는 노하우로 업계에 많은 영향을 주고 있습니다.
Oni Jeans 는 꾸준히 세계에서 가장 흥미롭고 최첨단의 데님을 선보였고, 이로서 raw/셀비지 데님의 부활이 시작된 거죠. 다른 일본 브랜드들은 라이프스타일 (오토바이매니아를 위한 라인 등) 또한 복제품 (웨어하우스와 친구) 에 초점을 맞추는 동안, Mr. Oishi 의 자신의 브랜드를 위해 언제나 패브릭에 집중하였습니다.
저는 10년전에 처음으로 일본 데님에 대해 관심이 생겼을 때를 아직도 기억하고 잇는데, Oni Jeans 는 오직 두가지 (레드 & 블루) 로 출시되었지만, 1가지 패브릭 옵션에 가깝습니다. 지난 10년간, Oni 의 청바지는 점점 심플해지고 현대적인 스타일로 변모해 왔지만, 패브릭에 집중하는 점은 결코 변하지 않았습니다.
사실, 최근 몇 년 동안 가장 중요한 데님 중 하나는 2012년에 처음 출시된 Oni의 Secret Denim 입니다. 20 oz Secret Denim 은 “Devil Armor” 와 “Devil Spiral” 데님과 같았던 18/19 oz와 비교하였을 때 패브릭 퀄리티가 현저하게 업그레이드 되었습니다. 이 Secret Denim은 다른 무거운 일본 데님들과 비교해보면 더욱 편안하고 자연스러우며 강렬합니다. 그리고 오늘날까지 다른 무거운 일본 데님들보다 부드러움이나 질감 면에서 뛰어납니다.
Oni 는 블랙 버전에서 네츄럴한 인디고 Tanuki Inc. 공종 작업에 이르기까지 지난 5년간 Secret Denim의 몇 가지 변형을 활용했지만, 데님 자체의 물리적인 구조는 거의 변경되지 않았습니다. 최근 몇 년간의 시행 착오 끝에 Mr. Oishi 는 Oni 데님의 새로운 진화를 의미하는 Shin (“새로운”, “진정한”) 이라는 Secret Denim 을 제안하게 됩니다.
오늘, 저는 Shin Secret Denim 에 대해 이야기하고 싶습니다. 물론 122ZR-S relax tapered jeans 전체를 살펴볼 것이나, 주요 초점은 패브릭이 될 것입니다.
Fit
아주 오래전에는 Oni Jeans는 직선형의 바지나 통핏의 바지만을 제작하였으나, 요즘은 Oni가 현대적인 컷들의 청바지들을 만들어내고 있어 매우 기쁩니다.
이 relax tapered 컷은 미듐로우 라이즈로, 상대적으로 넓은 엉덩이와 허벅지, 무릎 밑으로는 강력한 테이퍼까지 7인치 단으로 마무리가 되었습니다.
가로 세로 7인치에서, 밑단 너비는 허리 사이즈 35에 비해 좁은 면이 확실합니다. 그러나 매우 긴 바지 길이로 인해 한번 혹은 두번 접은 경우, 단은 7.5인치에 가까워 훨씬 보기 좋습니다.
이 청바지는 원-워시로 한번 산업용 세탁하여 그늘 건조한 후에 제공되기 때문에, 추후 수축되었을 때의 사이즈에 대해 고민할 필요가 없습니다.
저는 한사이즈 줄여 35를 입었습니다. 사이즈 34를 입을 수도 있었지만, 제 스타일이 아닙니다.
이 데님의 특성때문에, 길들임은 매우 빠른 편이며, 비록 다리 폭이 좁아지고 무거운 패브릭을 사용했었더라도, 엉덩이 아래 부분의 움직일 수 있는 범위는 그대로 유지됩니다. 자세한 내용은 아래를 참고하세요!
Fabric
Shin Secret Denim 은 일반 Secret Denim 과 유사합니다. 둘 다 20oz 이며, 매우 낮은 텐션으로 직조되었습니다. 또한, 순수 (합성) 인디고 로프 염색과 베이지 염색 위사가 되어 있습니다. 더욱이, 두 데님은 약간의 털이 있고, 부드러우면서도 적당히 거친 편이며, 매듭이 촘촘하여 질감이 풍부합니다.
무거운 패브릭과 매우 누슨한 짜임새의 조합으로 인해, Shin Secret Denim 과 일반 Secret Denim은 믿을 수 없을 정도로 부드럽습니다 (20oz 용). 또한, 면 직물보다는 양모 천으로 더 다뤄집니다.
제가 가장 쉽게 구별할 수 있는 유일한 시각적 차이점은 Shin Secret Denim 이 이전 버전과 비교하였을 때 특정 조명에서 더 강한 녹회색을 가지고 있다는 것입니다.
이 Shin Secret Denim이 실제로 2% 엘라스틴을 함유한 스트레치 데님이라고 하면 어떨 것 같나요?
잠깐만요, 이게 뭐죠? Indigoshrimp 에 Secret Jeans ??? 이게 뭐죠???
사실, 스트레치 셀비지 데님을 만드는 것은 마치 순수한 코튼 셀비지 데님과 똑같이 보이고 느껴진다는 것은 지난 몇 년 동안 일본 데님 업계에서 화제가 되어왔습니다. 많은 공장과 많은 브랜드들은 진정한 스트레치 셀비지 데님을 제작하기 위해 노력하고 있죠. 실험 정신이 강한 PBJ, Oni, Tanuki, Japan Blue 와 같은 브랜드들 모두 업계에서 향후 몇 년 동안 스트레치 청바지가 더 많은 형태로 성장할 것으로 예측을 하고 있습니다.
알아요, 저도 알아요, 되게 충격적이죠?
제게는 아직 잘 안 받아들여지는 내용이지만, 저와 함께 이 주제에 대해서 좀 더 알아봅시다.
오래된 Secret Denim은 셔틀 직기의 모든 면화 장인의 데님과 마찬가지로 최첨단입니다. 일본 데님에 관해서는 손에서 느껴지는 촉감과 텍스쳐의 표면은 그 어떤 것보다 좋을 수 없을 정도로 가장자리를 통해 식별이 가능합니다. 그러나 장인의 무거운 데님에는 한계가 있습니다. 뻣뻣한 목화 직물로 데님은 잘 걸쳐지지 않습니다.또한, 일본의 데님은 실제로테리 천이나 코듀로이 같은 다른 면직물과 비교하였을 때 가장 편한 편이 아닙니다. 이 두가지 단점은 일본 데님이 만들 수 있는 의복 스타일과 핏을 제한하게 됩니다.
아름다운 색조와 흥미로운 촉감과 표면을 희생하지 않고서 어떻게 편안하고 걸치기 쉬운 데님을 만들 수 있을까요? 이것은 앞으로 깨어있는 브랜드들의 일부가 묻게 되는 질문입니다. 그리고 Mr.Oishi 의 대답은 Secret Denim 에 미적 감각과 질감 면에서 구별이 되지 않도록 씨실에 2% 엘라스틴이 첨가하여 데님을 재창조하는 것 이었습니다. 이전의 Secret Denim의 경사 실은 여전히 순수한 면과 로프로 염색되어 있었지만, 편안함이 증가하고, 윤곽을 살릴 수 있을 가능성이 있다는 장점이 있습니다.
하지만, 새로운 비밀은 여기에 추가된 엘라스틴이 아니고, 신축성 있는 스트레치 데님은 전혀 새로운게 아니죠. 여기서 알아야할 점은 어떻게 플라스틱 텍스쳐, 인위적인 와관 및 보통한 페이딩을 제거하고 스트레치 데님으로 소포하느냐 입니다. 엘라스틴을 위사에만 한정하여, 데님을 제조하면서 가열 공정이 사용되지 않았기 때문에, 대부분의 신축성있는 스트레치 데님 제조와는 대조적이죠. 저는 이 Secret Denim에게 다른 비밀이 있다고 생각합니다…
진정한 스트레치 셀비지 데님을 만드는 한, 제가 앞에서 언급한 것처럼 그린 캐스트 (엘라스틴과는 무관) 를 제거하고는 Shin Secret Denim은 이걸 아주 잘 할 수 있었다고 생각합니다. 저는 손가락 끝에서 느껴지는 촉감이나 시각적인 외관으로 전혀 스트레치를 구분할 수 없었습니다. 오직 패브릭을 당기고 입음으로서 그 차이점을 알 수 있었습니다.
또한, Oni는 Shin Secret Denim 이 이전 버전보다 내구성이 더 우수하다고 합니다. 저는 아직 확신할 수 없지만 이 데님의 내구성을 극대화하기 위해서는 반드시 강한 열을 피해야 하니, 건조기는 사용할 수 없습니다.
Details
Oni 의 다른 현재 제공품과 마찬가지로 122ZR-S는 매우 멋진 사슴 가죽 패치를 사용하고 있습니다. 패치의 디자인은 지난 몇 년 동안 일부 Oni 패치에 비해 상대적으로 절제되어 있습니다.
가죽은 약간 줄어들었고, 산업용 세탁으로 더 튼튼해 보였습니다.
2010/2011년 이후, 대부분의 Oni 청바지처럼 가죽 패치 바로 뒤 허리띠 안쪽에 짠 태그가 있습니다.
Demon Spiral arcs 는 물론 표준입니다. Arcs가 몇 년간 점점 더 가늘어지고, 간소화되어 있다는 것을 알고 계셨나요?
솔직하게 말하면, Oni의 arcs 는 개인적으로 청바지에서 가장 좋아하는 부분이 아닙니다. 그러나 새로운 arcs 는 저의 예전 청바지(제가 실따개로 제거해버렸죠!)보다 훨씬 보기 좋습니다.
백 포켓은 바지를 착용시 수평으로 정렬되도록 기울어져 있는게 특징입니다.
Oni 는 지난 몇 년 동안 하드웨어를 업그레이드 해 왔으며, 현재는 숨겨진 리벳 이외에도 모든 버튼과 리벳이 커스터마이즈 되었죠!
버튼 플라이에는 매우 정교하게 짜여진 도넛 버튼이 있습니다.
구리 리벳을 통과하는 편치마저도 견고하여, 이제 더 양각으로 처리되었습니다.
숨겨진 리벳은 커스마이즈가 되지 않은 한편, 모든 하이 엔드 일본 청바지가 갖춘 고품질 Universal 제품입니다.
벨트 루프는 폭이 넓고 견고하며 강인합니다.
가까이서 살펴보면, 루프의 중심 부분은 빈티지 스타일과 페이딩을 미리 대비할 수 있도록 처리되어있습니다.
전반적으로, 일본의 하이 엔드 데님의 기본이 갖춰져 있지만, 재생산 청바지가 아니기 때문에 시대별 빈티지 스타일의 디테일은 존재하지 않습니다. 그러나 전반적인 프리젠테이션은 상당히 간결하고 잘 짜여진 일본 스타일입니다.
Construct
122ZR-S의 봉제는 깔끔하게 밀집되어 있으며 정교합니다.
여기에서 볼 수 있는 사진은 청바지 세척 후의 사진으로, 직선과 가시성 측변에서의 바느질은 매우 재연스럽다는 것을 알 수 있습니다.
듀얼 톤 폴리 코어 스레딩이 전체적으로 선보여졌으며, 빈티지 느낌을 주는 Lemon-tea 콤보입니다.
바 압정은 스트레인에 깔끔하게 배치되었습니다.
20oz 데님의 4개의 레이어가 만나는 가장 무거운 지점에서도 스티치 작업은 깨끗하고 일관성을 유지합니다.
그러나 두 개의 서로 다른 스레드 크기만 사용된 것으로 보이므로 전반적으로 간소화되어 보입니다.
개인적으로, 저는 허리와 단에서 체인 스티칭을 위해 두꺼운 실을 선호했을 것입니다. 그러나 이것은 폴리에스터 코어 스레드가사용됨에 따라 결국 미적인 문제일 뿐입니다. 구조적으로 폴리에스터 본래의 면 강도에 비해 두꺼운 실을 사용할 필요가 없기 때문이죠.
전반적으로 체인 스티칭은 깔끔하게 마무리되어 있지만 조금은 약한 것 같습니다.
청바지 전체를 고려할 때 바느질은 고밀도로 깔끔하며 구조상 식별할 수 있는 결함은 없습니다.
Thoughts
어떤 것을 논의하기 전에, 저는 저와 (같은 취미를 가지고 있는 많은 사람들에게) 스트레치 데님이 다소 논쟁의 여지가 있는 주제라는 것을 인정해야 합니다. 지금까지, 저는 어떤 스트레치 셀비지 데님도 제대로 된 것을 본적이 없습니다. 그래서 제 생각에 저는 스트레치 셀비지 데님에 대해 회의적이었던 것 같습니다.
궁극적으로, 우리는 Raw 데님 취미는 몇 년이 지나도 계속 진화할 것이며, 그러한 변화는 필연적이고 멈출 수 없는 모멘텀이 될 것입니다. 과거 2000년대 중반에 데님에 처음 관심을 가지게 되었을 때 취미가 무엇이었는지 생각해보면, 데님의 많은 면이 지금과는 완전히 다릅니다.
데님이 15년 후에 어떤 모습이 될지 말하기는 어렵습니다. 아마도 3D 인쇄로 데님을 인쇄하고 있을지도 모르죠? 어쩌면 데님은 모든 면에서 우수한 완전히 새로운 합성 섬유로 만들어질 지도 몰라요. 저는 미래지향적인 사람이 아니며 트렌드를 예측할 수 있는 사람도 아닙니다. 저는 그저 변화가 있을 거라고 확신할 뿐이죠.
스트레치 데님은 셀비지 혹은 Raw 데님으로 그 다음 단계의 청바지로 나타낼 수 있을 것 같습니다.
그렇지 않을 수도 있죠.
Oni의 Shin Secret Denim 의 성공은 스트레치 셀브리지 스토리의 중심 스토리가 될 것입니다. 의심의 여지는 전혀 없죠. 제가 들었던 일본에서 날고 있다는 122ZR-S 청바지는 서구 시장에서도 비슷한 성공을 거둘 수 있을지는 궁금합니다.
저에게는, 이 질문을 두 가지 방향으로 바라보고 있습니다.
제가 왜 예전 Secret Denim 에도 만족하고 있는데 Shin Secret Denim을 입어야 할까요?
Shin Secret Denim이 예전 Secret Denim 만큼 좋고, 편안하면 왜 Shin Secret Denim을 입지 않나요?
자, 저는 이런 질문들에 아직 완전하게 대답할 수 없습니다. 몇달동안 세가지 Shin Secret Denim 청바지를 입어보고 시간이 지남에 따라 내구성 및 변색 / 노화 가능성에 대한 질문에 대답할 수 있을 때까지의 대답이 필요합니다.
그러나 지금은 Shin Secret Deinim 이 보다 현대적인 착용감과 결합하면서도 순수한 면 데님을 능가하는 편안함과 이동성을 제공한다고 말할 수 있습니다. 제 옷장에 있는 이 122ZR-S 청바지보다 편안한 바지는 잠옷 뿐입니다. 이 편안하다는 요소만으로도 앞으로 저는 더 많은 스트레치 셀비지 데님을 착용할 수 있을 것 같습니다.
이 스트레치 토론의 어느 쪽에도 관계없이 일본 데님 브랜드에서 점점 더 많은 데님들을 볼 준비를 하세요. PBJ는 이미 스트레치 버전을 출시하였으며, Tanuki 는 올해 출시 준비 예쩡이며, 점점 더 많은 Japanese Blue 모델들이 늘어나는 것을 볼 수 있을 겁니다. 저는 이 산업계 사람들로부터 Samurai 가 초 중량급 스트레치 바지 작업 중이라는 것이라고 들었습니다.
이제 준비하셔야 합니다. 스트레치 바지는 점점 더 여러분에게 다가오고 있으니까요!
그러나, 스트레치가 계속 머무를까요? 이 질문에 대한 대답은 앞으로의 1-2년을 지켜봐야 알 수 있을 겁니다.
옷감을 잠시 무시한 Oni 122ZR-S relax tapered 청바지는 멋진 커팅과 환상적인 디테일을 특징으로 하며, 2009년에서 2011년 사이에 제작된 다른 Oni 청바지와 비교하여도 더욱 세련된 버전의 Oni를 보이고 있습니다. 물론, 구조물의 결함은 없지만 다양한 스레드 크기와 같은 일부 빈티지 디테일은 보다 간소화되었고, 미학을 위해 생략이 되었습니다.
Oni 는 확실히 적응력이 풍부하고 진취적인 브랜드로 입증되었으며, 일본 데님의 경계를 넓히는 데 중점을 두고 있기 때문에 이 브랜드에 감탄할 수 밖에 없었습니다. Oni와 Tanuki와 같은 브랜드가 성장과 혁신을 주도하고 있습니다. 또한 저는 이런 제작자들과 복제에 중점을 준 제작사들을 비교할 때 상당히 흥미롭게 생각하고 있습니다. 재생산된 데님은 물론 그 자리를 지키고 있지만, Oni Denim은 흥미진진한 패브릭과 모던한 느낌에 초점을 두었지만, 결국은 사람들에게 초점을 맞추고 있음이 분명합니다.
어쨌든, Shin Secret Denim 는 제가 말하는 그 어떠한 표현보다, 직접 전세계의 Oni 매장에서 확인해보시면 단번에 알 수 있습니다. Denimio에서는 세계에서 가장 광범위한 Oni 청바지를 구매할 수 있는 곳 입니다. 이 Shin Secret Denim 청바지는 전세계에 USD$212로 판매 및 배송됩니다. 이 일본 데님은 정말 엄청난 가치를 지닌 데님입니다. 여기에서 더 확인해보세요!
ONI baru sahaja mengeluarkan fabrik SHIN yang inovatif terkini. Kami sangat bertuah untuk membawa Mike, yang Anda kenali sebagai indigoshrimp di instagram atau dari blog menakjubkan, untuk mengkaji semula denim khas ini!
Jeans Jepun pertama dihasilkan oleh kerjasama kilang Amerka, kilang jahit Jepun dan kilang perdagangan Jepun: Pada tahun 1965, Maruo Clothing menjahit jins Jepun yang pertama, berjenama “Canton”, yang menggunakan denim Amerika yang dihasilkan oleh kilang Canton dan diimport ke Jepun oleh Oishi Trading.
Masao Oishi, anak pengasas syarikat Oishi Trading, mempunyai peranan penting dalam industri selama beberapa dekad dan kemudian membina seluar jeansnya sendiri, Oni. Sebagai seseorang yang berpengalaman dalam industri, En. Oishi mempunyai pengaruh yang besar dan mengetahui cara membuat pelbagai jenis denim yang unik dan luar biasa – sebuah kilang yang kilang denim konservatif Jepun tidak akan menghasilkan tanpa arahan darinya.
Jadi sejak kebangkitan raw/selvedge denim, seluar jeans Oni secara konsisten memaparkan beberapa denim yang paling menarik di Jepun. Apabila jenama Jepun yang lain menumpukan perhatian pada gaya hidup (Iron Heart pada pengendara motor, contohnya) atau pembiakan (Gudang dan rakan), langkah-langkah yang diambil oleh Mr.Oishi dengan jenamanya sentiasa memfokuskan elemen fabrik.
Saya masih ingat apabila saya mula berminat dengan denim Jepun lebih daripada satu dekad yang lalu, seluar jeans Oni hanya terdapat dalam dua fit (Red & Blue), tetapi dengan pelbagai fabrik. Selama lebih dari 10 tahun, seluar jeans Oni kelihatan lebih minimalis dan moden dari segi fitting, tetapi sentiasa memberi tumpuan kepada kilang.
Sudah tentu, salah satu denim yang paling penting dalam tahun-tahun kebelakangan ini adalah Oni Secret Denim, yang mula-mula dibentangkan pada tahun 2012. Secret Denim 20oz memaparkan peningkatan kualiti yang signifikan dalam aspek kualiti fabrik berbanding dengan koleksi sebelumnya 18/19 oz seperti ‘devil armor’ dan ‘devil spiral’ denim. Secret Denim adalah koleksi yang lebih selesa, slubby, semulajadi dan lebih sengit berbanding dengan kebanyakan denim Jepun yang lain yang terdapat di pasaran, dan hingga ke hari ini, tiada denim berat yang lain dapat menyaingi kelembutan dan tekstur denim yang menakjubkan ini.
Oni menggunakan variasi berbeza pada Secret Denim sejak 5 tahun lalu, dari versi hitam kepada kerja sama indigo asli Tanuki Inc., tetapi struktur fizikal denim ini tidak berubah. Kini, selepas pelbagai eksperimen, Encik Oishi telah berjaya menyampaikan koleksi Denim Rahsia Shin (‘baru’, ‘benar’), satu langkah penting dalam evolusi denim Oni.
Hari ini, saya ingin membincangkan kajian mengenai Shin Secret Denim ini. Sudah tentu, kita akan melihat semua aspek 122ZR-S relax tapered jeans ini menghiris seluar jeans tirus, tetapi fokus utama kami adalah pada elemen fabrik!
Fit
Beberapa waktu yang lalu, Oni jeans hanya terdapat dalam fitting stove-pipe atau wide-leg fit, jadi saya sangat senang memperhatikan bahwa Oni kini telah menghasilkan pelbagai cutting modern.
Cutting relax tapered ini menonjolkan bahagian menengah, bahagian pinggul dan paha yang mempunyai ruang yang cukup, dan reka bentuk tirus dari lutut ke bawah, dilengkapi dengan hem 7 inci.
Dengan saiz 7 inci, lebar hem mempunyai reka bentuk yang sempit, dengan saiz pinggang 35. Oleh kerana bahagian inseam yang sangat panjang, selepas dilancarkan ke dalam satu atau dua belenggu, bahagian pinggang hampir 7.5 inci, yang lebih masuk akal.
Jeans ini datang dalam versi one-wash selepas melalui proses mencuci dan mengeringkan industri, jadi tidak syak lagi lagi mengenai kebaikan kualiti jeans koleksi shrink-to-fit ini.
Saya melakukan size down satu saiz ke saiz 35, dan saya masih dapat melakukan size down satu saiz lagi ke saiz 34 untuk fitting yang benar-benar pas, namun ini bukan adalah tipe style yang saya mahu.
Dengan sifat semula jadi denim, proses break-in boleh diproses dengan cepat, dan bentuk seluar jeans dari pinggul ke bahagian bawah masih menawarkan ruang yang cukup walaupun menawarkan reka bentuk sempit dan fabrik berat. Baca di bawah untuk mengetahui lebih lanjut!
Fabrik
Shin Secret Denim sangat mirip dengan Secret Denim biasa – mereka mempunyai berat 20 oz, ditenun dengan teknik ultra-low tension dan mempunyai warna rope-dyed warp indigo tulen (sintetik) dan weft beige. Selain itu, kedua-dua denim mempunyai kesan yang berbulu, neppy, kukuh dan slubby, dengan tekstur berat yang sangat rumit.
Dengan gabungan berat dan tenunan longgar, Shin Secret Denim dan Secret Denim biasa sangat lembut (untuk berat 20 oz denim) dan merasa seperti kain wool daripada twills kapas.
Satu-satunya perbezaan visual yang saya dapat lihat ialah Shin Secret Denim yang memaparkan cast hijau kelabu di bawah keadaan pencahayaan tertentu berbanding dengan versi sebelumnya.
Bagaimana jika saya memberitahu anda bahawa Shin Secret Denim ini sebenarnya adalah denim stretch yang dibuat dengan bahan elastane 2%?
Tunggu sebentar, apa? Jeans regang yang dipakai oleh Indigoshrimp ??? Apa ???
Malah, penghasilan selvedge stretch denim yang kelihatan dan dirasai sama seperti kapas tulen selvedge denim adalah topik popular dalam industri denim Jepun dalam beberapa tahun kebelakangan ini, di mana pengeluar dan jenama cuba menghasilkan selvedge stretch denim. Jenama seperti PBJ, Oni, Tanuki dan Jepun Blue Group juga sentiasa bereksperimen, di mana trend yang semakin meningkat untuk pemasangan seluar jeans yang diramalkan oleh industri dalam beberapa tahun akan datang, selagi trend raw denim berlaku.
Saya tahu, itu hebat, bukan?
Konsep ini belum dikuasai sepenuhnya, tetapi jom teroka topik ini bersama saya dalam kajian ini.
Secret Denim yang sebelum ini mempunyai cutting edge yang dihasilkan dengan teknik shuttle-loomed, denim kapas artisan. Kelebihan ini adalah tumpuan utama denim Jepun – tekstur tangan dan permukaannya adalah kualiti yang hebat. Bagaimanapun denim yang berat ini mempunyai had. Apabila kapas tegar dipintal, denim tidak diselesaikan dengan betul. Plus, denim Jepun bukanlah koleksi yang paling selesa, berbanding fabrik kapas lain seperti fabrik terry atau corduroy. Kedua-dua kekurangan ini menghadkan gaya fit dan pakaian yang harusnya dapat dihasilkan dalam denim Jepun.
Bagaimanakah Anda menghasilkan denim yang lebih selesa dan semula jadi tanpa mengorbankan nuansa yang indah dan sentuhan permukaan yang menarik? Ini adalah soalan yang difikirkan oleh jenama denim Jepun terkemuka, dan jawapan Encik Oishi adalah untuk menghasilkan Secret Denim dengan elastane 2% pada benang weft, jadi Shin Secret Denim melakukan secara berbeza dari segi estetika dan tekstur berbanding dengan Secret Denim sebelumnya – benang warp adalah kapas tulen dan tali yang dicelup – tetapi dengan keselesaan yang lebih tinggi dan lebih sesuai dengan kontur.
Walau bagaimanapun, rahsia denim ini bukan penambahan bahan elastane – stretch denim bukan koleksi terbaru. Trick yang diperlukan ialah cara menghilangkan tekstur plastik, paparan tiruan dan pudar kurang yang biasanya dihasilkan oleh stretch denim. Mengehadkan penggunaan bahan elastane hanya di bahagian kain boleh membantu, dan juga tidak menggunakan panas dalam proses pengeluaran denim, yang berbeza daripada proses pengeluaran stretch denim secara umumnya. Saya pasti, masih terdapat rahsia lain dalam menghasilkan Secret Denim ini…
Dalam menghasilkan denim selvedge stretch, saya rasa Shin Secret Denim telah berjaya menghasilkan karya-karya yang baik, seperti yang telah dibincangkan sebelumnya, sebagai tambahan kepada cast hijau yang lebih jelas (tidak berkaitan dengan bahan-bahan elastane), saya tidak dapat membezakan peregangan dari versi bukan regangan berdasarkan penampilan visual atau melalui sentuhan jari. Saya hanya boleh memberi perhatian kepada perbezaan jeans dengan menarik kain dan memakai seluar jeans.
Ditambah lagi, Oni mengatakan bahwa Shin Secret Denim memiliki ketahanan yang lebih lama berbanding dengan versi sebelumnya… saya tidak bisa menjamin kenyataan ini, namun untuk memaksimumkan ketahanan denim ini, panas yang berlebih perlu dielakkan, jadi jangan gunakan pengering dalam menjaga denim ini.
Detail
Sama seperti tawaran Oni baru-baru ini, model 122ZR-S mempunyai kulit rusa yang indah. Reka bentuk patch ini tidak menonjol berbanding dengan patch Oni lain dalam beberapa tahun yang lalu.
Bahagian kulit sedikit menyusut dan tampil toasty setelah melalui pencucian industri.
Seperti Oni jeans lain sejak tahun 2010/2011, kami menawarkan tag yang ditenun pada bahagian dalam waistband, secara langsung pada bahagian belakang patch kulit.
Arcs Demon Spiral memang standard. Adakah Anda tahu bahawa bahagian arka telah direka untuk menjadi lebih ramping dan lebih streamlined selama bertahun-tahun?
Sejujurnya, reka bentuk arcs Oni bukanlah bahagian kegemaran saya dalam koleksi seluar jeans, tetapi arc baru melakukan lebih baik daripada harta benda saya yang lain (yang telah saya hapuskan atau yang telah saya hapus atau diubahsuai dengan jahit rippers!)
Bahagian poket belakang mempunyai reka bentuk yang miring agar kelihatan sejajar apabila dipakai.
Oni telah meningkatkan bahagian perkakasan dalam beberapa tahun kebelakangan ini, dan sekarang, sebagai tambahan kepada rivet tersembunyi, semua butang dan rivet telah disesuaikan!
Butang doughnut bertekstur indah didatangkan pada bahagian button fly.
Punch pada bahagian rivets tembaga juga terlihat kukuh, dan sekarang timbul lebih jelas.
Bahagian hidden rivets, walau tidak dicustomise, adalah model Universal berkualiti tinggi yang diberikan hampir pada setiap jeans premium Jepun.
Bahagian belt loops mempunyai model lebar, rugged dan kukuh.
Apabila Anda perhatikan secara seksama, Anda akan dapat melihat dan merasakan loops yang meningkat pada bahagian tengah, memberikan gaya vintage & potensi fade di masa depan.
Secara keseluruhannya, semua ciri denim premium Jepun dipaparkan di sini, tetapi mereka tidak menghasilkan seluar jeans dan tidak menggabungkan era tertentu seperti terperinci gaya vintaj – penampilan keseluruhan seluar jeans ini agak mudah dan, tentu saja, gaya Jepun.
Pembinaan
Penjahitan pada 122ZR-S sangat kemas, padat dan tepat.
Perhatikan bahawa foto yang Anda lihat di sini adalah foto jeans yang telah dibasuh, jadi beberapa penyelewengan jahitan dalam hal kelurusan dan penglihatan adalah hasil semula jadi.
Benang bernada dual poly-core dipaparkan dalam warna combo lemon-teh yang memberikan rasa vintaj.
Bar-tacks ditempatkan secara kemas pada titik ketegangan.
Walau pada titik terberat overlay, di mana empat lapisan denim 20 oz bertemu, hasil penjahitan kelihatan bersih dan konsisten.
Nampaknya terdapat hanya dua saiz thread berbeza yang telah digunakan, tetapi ia menghasilkan penampilan keseluruhan yang lebih mudah.
Secara peribadi, saya lebih suka benang tebal untuk jahitan rantai di pinggang dan hems. Ini hanya merupakan masalah estetik, kerana penggunaan poliester dalam inti benang – secara strukturnya, tidak semestinya benang tebal mengingat kekuatan bahan poliester berbanding kapas.
Chain-stitching, secara keseluruhan, dilakukan dengan kemas dan agak sedikit wimpy.
Memandangkan seluar jeans ini, jahitan merasakan pepejal & rapi, dan tidak ada kekurangan pasti dari segi pembinaan.
Pendapat
Sebelum membincangkan denim ini, saya mengakui bahawa untuk diri saya (dan banyak denimists lain), stretch denim adalah topik yang agak kontroversi. Sehingga sekarang, saya tidak nampak apa-apa selvedge stretch terbuat dari denim, jadi saya fikir semua orang akan ragu-ragu dengan selvedge denim seluar.
Akhirnya, penggemar raw denim terus berkembang dari masa ke masa, itulah momentum perubahan yang tidak dapat dielakkan. Mengimbas kembali hobi kami yang terdahulu apabila saya mula berminat pada denim pada pertengahan tahun 2000-an, banyak aspek denim berbeza secara dramatik sekarang: Jenama Jepun menghasilkan tirus!? White Oak ditutup!?
Sukar untuk mengatakan bagaimana denim dalam 15 tahun akan datang. Mungkin kita akan melakukan percetakan 3D untuk mencetak denim? Mungkin denim akan dibuat dengan gentian sintetik baru yang lebih tinggi daripada kapas biasanya? Saya bukan futurist, sejauh ini saya meramalkan trend itu – dan saya pasti hanya perkara yang akan berubah.
Stretch denim boleh dianggap sebagai langkah terbaru dunia selvedge atau raw denim.
Ataupun tidak.
Kejayaan Oni Shin Secret Denim tidak dapat dinafikan, akan menjadi pusat sejarah selvedge stretch. Dari apa yang saya dengar, seluar jeansZZ-S ini menjual baik dari Jepun, walaupun saya tertanya-tanya apakah kejayaan negara ini sama seperti yang sesuai di pasaran Barat.
Bagi saya, hal ini menawarkan dua pertanyaan:
Mengapa saya harus memakai Shin Secret Denim semasa saya sangat senang dengan Secret Denim yang lama?
Mengapa saya tidak memakai Shin Secret Denim apabila ia sama baik dengan Secret Denim yang sebelum, hanya kerana ia lebih selesa?
Sekarang, saya tidak dapat menjawab soalan ini sepenuhnya. Saya memerlukan beberapa bulan lagi untuk memakai seluar jeans Shin Secret Denim ini, kerana masih terdapat beberapa soalan mengenai ketahanan dan pudar/potensi penuaan yang hanya akan diketahui selepas masa.
Pada masa ini, bagaimanapun, saya akan mengatakan bahawa Shin Secret Denim menawarkan keselesaan dan mobiliti jauh di luar denim kapas tulen apabila digabungkan dengan gaya yang lebih moden. Di almari pakaian saya, seluar hanya yang lebih selesa jeans 122ZR-S ini adalah baju tidur saya; faktor keselesaan ini semata-mata cukup untuk menjadikan saya terbuka kepada idea mengenakan pelekat selvedge lebih lama pada masa akan datang.
Terlepas dari sisi mana yang Anda pilih dalam perdebatan ini, bersiaplah untuk melihat lebih banyak koleksi peregangan denim dari jenama denim Jepun kegemaran Anda. PBJ telah mengeluarkan versi regangan denim, Tanuki juga mengeluarkan versi yang bersedia untuk melancarkan tahun ini, dan tidak syak lagi bahawa anda akan melihat lebih banyak model Jepun Blue dalam model regangan. Saya dengar dari kalangan industri bahawa Samurai mungkin juga akan menghasilkan denim panjang yang berat.
Jadi bersiaplah! Suka atau tidak, trend stretch telah tiba!
Tetapi sama ada peregangan denim trend akan bertahan? Kita akan tahu mengenai ini pada satu atau dua tahun depan.
Selain sisi fabrik, Oni 122ZR-S relax tapered jeans mendatangkan cutting yang bagus, terperinci fantastik dan memaparkan versi fashion yang lebih terkini dari Oni berbanding dengan jeans Oni lain yang dihasilkan di antara tahun 2009 dan 2011. Mereka, tentu saja, sempurna dalam pembinaan, walaupun beberapa butiran vintaj seperti saiz thread yang berbeza dihapuskan untuk kelihatan estetik yang lebih mudah.
Oni telah membuktikan dirinya sendiri sebagai jenama yang sangat mudah menyesuaikan diri dan berfikir ke depan, dan saya mengagumi jenama ini kerana ia memfokuskan diri dalam mendorong batas denim Jepun. Jenama seperti Oni dan Tanuki yang menggalakkan pertumbuhan dan inovasi, menjadi pelopor yang sangat menarik berbanding dengan rakan-rakan lain yang memberi tumpuan pada jeans repro. Repro denim memang popular, tapi bagi saya, setelah lebih dari 10 tahun mendalami hobi ini, 501 repops terasa sedikit basi. Tumpuan pada fabrik yang menarik dan moden pastinya bermakna bahawa Oni Denim menawarkan lebih banyak koleksi yang berkaitan untuk lebih ramai orang daripada jenama lain.
Sebagai kesimpulan, jangan hanya mendengar kata-kata saya, lihat Shin Secret Denim secara langsung apabila dikeluarkan oleh peruncit Oni di seluruh dunia. Anda akan dapat mencari harga terbaik, dan jeans Oni yang paling pelbagai di dunia, di Denimio: jeans Shin Secret Denim ini ditawarkan hanya dengan harga USD $212 dan dihantar ke seluruh dunia, merupakan nilai luar biasa untuk denim bahasa Jepun ini. Semak disini.
ONI just released a brand new, highly innovative SHIN fabric. We have the pleasure of having Mike, who you might now as who you might know as indigoshrimp on instagram or from his amazing blog, to review this very special piece of denim!
The very first pair of Japanese jeans ever made was the result of a three way partnership between an American mill, a Japanese sewing factory and a Japanese trading firm: In 1965, Maruo Clothing sewed the first Japanese jeans, branded “Canton”, using American denim made by Canton Mills and imported into Japan by Oishi Trading.
Masao Oishi, son of the founder of Oishi Trading Company, became an industry heavyweight in the ensuing decades and later on established his own jeans brand, Oni. Being a respected industry veteran, Mr. Oishi has the influence and know-how to create many weird and wonderful denims – fabrics which the conservative Japanese denim mills would never consider weaving, if not for his instructions.
So it is that since the beginning of the raw/selvedge denim revival, Oni’s jeans have consistently featured some of the world’s most interesting and cutting edge denims. Whilst other Japanese brands would variously focus on lifestyle (Iron Heart for motorcyclists, for example) or reproduction (Warehouse and friends), Mr. Oishi’s direction with regards to his own brand had always been to focus heavily on fabrics.
I remember back when I first became interested in Japanese denim over a decade ago, Oni jeans came in only two fits (Red & Blue), but close to a dozen fabric options. Over the past 10 years, Oni’s jeans have become more minimalist in appearance and more modern in fitting, yet the focus on fabrics has never shifted.
Indeed, one of the most important denims in recent years has been Oni’s Secret Denim, first launched in 2012. The 20 oz Secret Denim represented a significant upgrade in most aspects of fabric quality compared with its 18/19 oz predecessors such as the ‘devil armor’ and ‘devil spiral’ denims. The Secret Denim was more comfortable, more slubby, more natural, and more intense compared with most other heavy weight Japanese denims available, and till this day no other heavy weight denim comes close to matching its incredible softness or texture.
Oni has utilised a few different variations of the Secret Denim in the past five years, from a black version to a natural indigo Tanuki Inc. collaboration, but the physical structure of the denim itself remained mostly unchanged. Recently, however, after some further years of trial & error, Mr. Oishi has come up with Shin (‘new’, ‘true’) Secret Denim, the next major step in the evolution of Oni’s denims.
Today, I want to discuss this Shin Secret Denim. We’ll look at the entirety of these 122ZR-S relax tapered jeans of course, but the major focus will be on the fabric!
Fit
A long time ago Oni jeans only came in either stove-pipe or wide-leg fits, so I am very glad to see that Oni is producing many more modern cuts nowadays.
This relax tapered cut features a medium-low rise, relatively roomy hips & thighs, and a strong taper from the knee down, finishing in a 7 inch hem.
At 7 inches across, the hem width is on the narrow side for sure, relative to the size 35 waist. Due to the very long inseam length however, once rolled into a single or double cuff, the hem is closer to 7.5 inches, which is much more sensible.
These jeans come in one-wash after an industrial wash and shade drying, so there’s no guess work with regards to shrink-to-fit.
I managed to size down one to a size 35, and I could have gone down even further to a size 34 for a snug fit, but that’s not my style.
Due to the nature of this denim, break-in is very fast, and the range of motions from the hip down remain uninhibited despite the narrower legs and heavier fabric. Read on below to find out more!
Fabric
The Shin Secret Denim is very similar to the regular Secret Denim – both are 20 oz, both are woven with ultra-low tension and both have pure (synthetic) indigo rope-dyed warp and beige-dyed weft. Further, both denims are mildly hairy, mildly neppy, moderately rough & slubby, heavily variegated in texture and extremely knotty.
Due to the combination of heavy fabric and extremely loose weave, both the Shin Secret Denim and the regular Secret Denim are unbelievably soft (for 20 oz that is) and handle more like wool cloth rather than cotton twills.
The only visual difference I could readily discern is that the Shin Secret Denim has a stronger green-grey cast under certain lighting conditions compared with the older version.
What if I were to tell you that this Shin Secret Denim is actually a stretch denim containing 2% elastane?
Wait, what?! Stretch jeans on Indigoshrimp??? What???
In actual fact, making stretch selvedge denim that looks and feels exactly the same as regular pure cotton selvedge denim has been hot topic in the Japanese denim industry in the past couple of years, with many mills and many brands trying to create true stretch selvedge denim. The more experimental brands such as PBJ, Oni, Tanuki and Japan Blue Group are all in on the action, with the industry predicting some of the biggest growths will occur in more form fitting stretch jeans in the next few years, as far as the raw denim hobby goes.
I know, I know, outrageous right?
This concept hasn’t sunk in fully for me as yet either, but bear with me as I explore this topic a little bit.
The old Secret Denim is as cutting edge as it gets when it comes to shuttle-loomed, all cotton artisan denim. It’s the edge of the observable universe as far as Japanese denim is concerned – the hand feel and surface textures don’t get much better than this. But heavy weight artisan denim has its limits right? As a stiff cotton twill, denim does not drape well. Further, Japanese denim really aren’t the most comfortable, not compared with many other cotton fabrics such as terry cloth or corduroy. These two short-comings very much limit the fit and style of garments that Japanese denim could be used to make.
How could you make denim more comfortable and drape more naturally without sacrificing the beautiful colour tones and interesting hand-feel & surface appearance? This is the question that some of the forward thinking brands are asking, and Mr. Oishi’s answer was to recreate the Secret Denim with added 2% elastane in the weft yarns, so that the Shin Secret Denim would be indistinguishable in terms of aesthetics and texture compared with the old Secret Denim – warp threads still being pure cotton and rope dyed – but has the added advantages of increased comfort and the possibility of a more contoured fit.
The new secret here is not the added elastane however – stretch denim is nothing new after all. The trick is how to eliminate the plastic texture, artificial appearance and the dull fading that usually comes part and parcel with stretch denim. Restricting the elastane to only the weft has helped, and also the fact that during the manufacturing of the denim no heating processes have been used, as opposed to most stretch denim manufacturing. I’m sure there are others secrets to this Secret Denim…
As far as making a true stretch selvedge denim, I think the Shin Secret Denim has managed to do this very well, as, like I mentioned earlier, apart from a more pronounced green cast (unrelated to the elastane), I could not distinguish the stretch from the non-stretch based on visual appearance or finger tip feel. It is only when I pull the fabrics and wear the jeans that the differences are noticeable.
Further, Oni states that the Shin Secret Denim will actually be more durable than the older versions… I can’t vouch for this just yet, but in order to maximize the durability of this denim, strong heat must be avoided, so definitely avoid using the dryer.
Details
Similar to Oni’s other current offerings, the 122ZR-S features a very nice deerskin patch that washes and wears very nicely. The design of the patch is relatively understated compared with some of Oni’s patches in past years.
The leather has shrunk up a little and looks somewhat toasty with the industrial wash.
Like most Oni jeans since 2010/2011, we’ve got a woven tag on the inside of the waistband, directly behind the leather patch.
The Demon Spiral arcs are standard fair of course. Did you know the arcs have become slimmer and more streamlined over the years?
To be very honest, Oni’s arcs remain my least favourite aspect of their jeans, but the new arcs are much better looking than the ones on my older pairs (which I’ve removed or modified with seam rippers!)
The back-pockets are slanted so that they appear horizontally aligned when worn.
Oni has been upgrading it’s hardware in the past few years, and now, other than the hidden rivets, all the buttons and rivets are customised!
Featured on the button fly are very nicely textured doughnut buttons.
The punch through copper rivets are solid too, and are now further embossed.
The hidden rivets, whilst not customised, are high quality Universal’s which feature on pretty much every pair of high end Japanese jeans.
The belt loops are on the wider side, being rugged and sturdy.
If you look closely, you can see and feel the raised centre ridge of the loops, setting up for some vintage style wear & fade in the future.
Overall, the basic bells and whistles of high end Japanese denim are all there, but as these are not reproduction jeans, era specific combinations of vintage style detailing are not present – the overall presentation is fairly streamlined and, well, Japanese.
Construct
The sewing on the 122ZR-S is neat, dense and rather precise.
Keep in mind the photos you see here are of the jeans post-wash, so some distortions in the sewing in terms of straightness and visibility is natural.
Dual tone poly-core threading is featured throughout, the lemon-tea combo imparting a vintage feel.
Bar-tacks have been neatly placed at points of strain.
Even at the heaviest points of overlay, where four layers of 20 oz denim meet, the stitch-work remains clean and consistent.
It seems only two different thread sizes have been used, however, resulting in a overall more streamlined look.
Personally, I would have preferred thicker threads for the chain-stitching at the waist and hems. This is only a matter of aesthetics, however, as polyester-core threads are being used – there is no need, structurally, for the use of thicker threads given the inherent strength of polyester relative to cotton.
The chain-stitching, overall, is neatly done but a little wimpy.
Considering the jeans as a whole, the sewing is dense & neat, and there are no discernible flaws in construct.
Thoughts
Before discussing anything, I have to acknowledge that for me (and many others in this hobby), stretch denim is a rather controversial topic. Up until now, I haven’t seen any stretch selvedge denim done right, so in my opinion one would rightly be skeptical about stretch selvedge denim.
Ultimately, our raw denim hobby will continue to evolve as the years pass, such is the inevitable and unstoppable momentum of change. Thinking back on what our hobby had been like back when I first became interested in denim in the mid-2000’s, many aspects of denim are dramatically different now: Japanese brands doing tapered fits!? White Oak closing down!?
It’s hard to say what denim will look like in another 15 years time. Perhaps we’ll be 3D printing our own denims? Maybe denim will be made with an entirely new synthetic fibre that is superior to cotton in every way? I’m no futurist, so far be it for me to predict trends – I am certain only that things will change.
Stretch denim may very well represent one of the next steps in selvedge or raw denim.
Or it may not.
The success of Oni’s Shin Secret Denim will be a central thread in the stretch selvedge story, no doubt. From what I hear, these 122ZR-S jeans are flying off the shelves in Japan, though I do wonder whether its domestic success will be similarly matched in the Western markets.
For me, it comes down to the two ways of looking at a central question:
Why should I wear the Shin Secret Denim when I am perfectly happy with the old Secret Denim?
Why shouldn’t I wear the Shin Secret Denim if it’s just as good as the old Secret Denim, only more comfortable?
Now, I can’t fully answer these questions yet. I need a few more months to really wear in these Shin Secret Denim jeans, as there remain questions regarding durability and fading/aging potential that only time will tell.
At this point in time, however, I will say that Shin Secret Denim offers comfort and mobility that far surpasses pure cotton denim when combined with more modern fits. In my wardrobe, the only pants more comfortable than this pair of 122ZR-S jeans are my pajamas; this comfort factor alone is enough to make me open to the idea of wearing more stretch selvedge denims in the future.
Regardless of which side of this stretch debate you’re on, be prepared to see more and more stretch denims from your favouriate Japanese denim brands. PBJ has already released one version of stretch, Tanuki also has one that’s ready for release this year, and no doubt you’ll see more and more Japan Blue models in stretch as well. I hear from industry folks that Samurai may be doing super heavy weight stretch very soon also.
So get ready! Like it or not, stretch is coming!
But will stretch denim be staying? We’ll have a better idea in the next one to two years.
Disregarding the fabric for a moment, the Oni 122ZR-S relax tapered jeans features a nice cut, fantastic details and represents a more fashion-forward version of Oni compared to my other Oni jeans which were made between 2009 and 2011. There are, of course, no flaws in the construct, though some vintage detailing such as varied thread sizes have been omitted for a more streamlined aesthetic.
Oni has certainly proved itself to be highly adaptable and forward thinking, and I admire this brand because of its focus in pushing the boundaries of Japanese denim. It’s brands like Oni and Tanuki that drive growth and innovation, and I find these trail-blazing makers to be infinitely more interesting compared to their reproduction-focused peers. Reproduction denim has its place of course, but for me, after more than 10 years into this hobby, 501 repops do taste a bit stale. Horses for courses, and trees for apes, and all that, though the focus on interesting fabrics and modern fits certainly mean that Oni Denim is more relevant for more people compared with many of its peers.
Anyway, don’t just take my word for it, check out the Shin Secret Denim in person as it’s rolled out at Oni retailers world wide. You’ll find the best pricing, and the world’s most extensive range of Oni jeans, at Denimio: these Shin Secret Denim jeans are offered at just USD $212 shipped worldwide, which is incredible value for Japanese denim of this calibre. Check it out here.
Самая первая, когда-либо сделанная, пара японских джинсов была результатом партнерства трех компаний: American mill, японской швейной фабрики и японской торговой фирмы: в 1965 Маруо Clothing сшила первые фирменные японские джинсы, фирменные “Canton”, с использованием американского денима, сделанного Canton Mills и импортированого в Японию Oishi Trading.
Masao Oishi, сын основателя торговой компании Oishi, стал тяжеловесом в индустрии и в последующие десятилетия основал свою собственную марку джинсов Oni. Будучи уважаемым ветераном в промышленности, г-н Oishi имеет влияние и знает, как создавать многие удивительные и замечательные джинсовые ткани, которые консервативные японские производители денима никогда бы не рассматривали для ткачества, если бы не его идеи.
С самого начала использования необработанного денима и денима с кромкой в джинсах, Oni отличались как самые интересные и передовые производители джинс в мире. В то время, как другие японские бренды различно сосредоточиваются на своем индивидуальном стиле (Iron Heart для мотоциклистов, например) или репродукциях (Warehouse and friends), г-н Оиси, в отношении его собственного бренда, всегда был сосредоточен на ткани.
Я помню что, когда я впервые заинтересовался японским джинсом более десяти лет назад, джинсы Oni были только в двух вариациях (Red & Blue), но имели около дюжины вариантов ткани. За последние 10 лет джинсы Oni обрели более минималистский внешний вид и более современную посадку, но акцент на ткани никогда не смещается.
Одним из самых важных денимов последних лет был Secret Denim от Oni, впервые выпущенный в 2012. Secret Denim 20oz значительно улучшен по качеству ткани по сравнению с его 18/19 oz предшественниками, такими как “devil armor” и “devil spiral” денимами. Secret Denim был более удобным, более неоднородным, более естественным и более выразительным по сравнению с большинством других доступных японских тяжелых денимов. До сих пор никакой другой плотный джинс не приближается к его невероятной мягкости или текстуре.
В последние пять лет Oni использовали несколько различных вариаций Secret Denim, (от черной версии до натурального индиго в сотрудничестве с Tanuki Inc.), но физически структура самого денима оставалась в основном неизменной. В последнее время, после нескольких лет проб и ошибок, г-н Oishi придумал Shin («новый», «истинный») Secret Denim, следующий крупный шаг в эволюции джинсов Oni.
Сегодня я хочу обсудить этот Shin Secret Denim. Мы рассмотрим полноту 122ZR-S relax tapered jeans но, конечно, основное внимание будет на ткани!
Посадка
Когда-то эти джинсы были только прямыми или широкими в ноге, поэтому я очень рад видеть, что в настоящее время Oni производят гораздо больше современных моделей.
Этот классический свободный покрой выражает особенности низкого и среднего роста. Относительно просторный вверху ноги и в бедрах, так же он сужается от колена вниз, где ширина составляет 7 дюймов.
7ми дюймовая ширина низа достаточно узка относительно талии 35-го размера. Благодаря тому, что джинсы очень длинные , их можно подвернуть один или два раза, и в результате силуэт смотрится гармоничнее за счет 7,5 дюймового низа джинсов.
Эти джинсы типа one-wash идут после промышленной стирки и сушки в тени, так что у них нет свойства усаживаться по фигуре.
Я примерил 35-й размер, мог бы подойти и 34-й, но тогда джинсы сидели бы очень плотно, а это не мой стиль.
Благодаря качеству этого денима, они разнашиваются очень быстро и не сковывают движения, несмотря на зуженый силуэт и плотную ткань. Читайте дальше, чтобы узнать больше!
Производство
Shin Secret Denim очень похож на обычный Secret Denim – оба 20 oz, оба сплетены с ультра-слабым натяжением нити и оба имеют чистый (яркий) окрас нитей цвета Индиго и бежевый окраc утка. Кроме того, оба денима слегка пушистые, мягко-ворсистые, умеренно грубые и неоднородные по цвету.
Несмотря на то, что для изготовления денима используется толстая нить, благодаря свободному плетению Shin Secret Denim и Secret Denim невероятно мягкие (как для 20oz) и ведут себя больше как шерстяная ткань, а не хлопковая.Сравнение видов синего индиго.
Единственная очень заметная разница, которую я увидел, это то, что Shin Secret Denim имеет более сильный серо-зеленый оттенок при определенном освещении по сравнению с предыдущей версией.
А что, если я бы вам сказал, что Shin Secret Denim это стрейч-джинс, содержащий 2% эластана?
Подожди, что?! Стрейч-джинс или Indigoshrimp??? Что???
На самом деле, создание джинса со стрейч кромкой, который выглядит и ощущается точно так же, как обычный деним с чистой хлопковой кромкой, было острой темой в японской джинсовой промышленности. В последние пару лет многие производители и многие бренды пытаются создать настоящие стрейч кромки у джинса. Более экспериментальные бренды (такие как PBJ, Oni, Tanuki и Japan Blue Group) все вместе прогнозируют, что в ближайшие несколько лет стрейч-кромка будет использоваться все чаще, наравне с натуральным денимом.
Я знаю, я знаю, возмутительно не так ли?
Эта концепция пока не затонула меня в полной мере, но оставайтесь со мной, пока я изучу эту тему немного.
Старый Secret Denim, обрезанный по краю челночным ткацким станком, являлся ремесленным джинсом. Это качество в производстве японского денима беспокоит – тактильные ощущения и текстура поверхности не стали гораздо лучше в этом случае. Но плотный ремесленный джинс имеет ограничения, он не драпируется. Кроме того, японский деним действительно не самый удобный, по сравнению со многими другими хлопчатобумажными тканями, такими как махровые ткани или вельвет. Эти два недостатка довольно сильно ограничивают посадку и стиль одежды на производстве, где может быть использован японский деним.
Как можно сделать деним более мягким и удобным без ущерба для цвета, тактильных ощущений и внешнего вида? Это вопрос, которым задались смотрящие вперед бренды. Идея г-на Оиси была пересоздать Secret Denim с добавлением 2% эластана в уточную нить, так что Shin Secret Denim будет неотличим с точки зрения эстетики и текстуры по сравнению от старого Secret Denim (нити основы все из чистого хлопка и с окрашенными волокнами), но будет иметь дополнительные преимущества в виде повышенного комфорта и возможности создания более эргономичной посадки.
Новый секрет здесь это не добавление эластана, ведь стрейч джинс это не ново, в конце концов. Хитрость заключается в том, как устранить пластиковую текстуру, искусственный внешний вид и тусклое выцветание, что обычно происходит со стрейч джинсом. Помогло использование эластана только в утке, а также тот факт, что во время производства джинса не были использованы процессы нагрева, в отличие от большинства промышленного стрейч джинса. Я уверен, что есть и другие секреты этого секретного денима…
Что касается создания настоящей стрейчевой кромки джинса, я думаю, что в Shin Secret Denim удалось это сделать очень хорошо. Помимо более ярко выраженного зеленого оттенка (не связанного с эластаном), я не смог отличить стрейч от неэластичного материала визуально или наощупь. Я понял, что различия заметны только тогда, когда я одел и начал носить джинсы,
Кроме того, Oni заявляет, что Shin Secret Denim на самом деле будет более долговечным, чем старые версии … Я еще не могу ручаться за это, но для того, чтобы максимально увеличить долговечность этой джинсовой ткани, следует избегать слишком высоких температур, поэтому обязательно избегайте использования сушилки.
Детали
Подобно другим предложениям от Oni, 122ZR-S имеют очень красивый лейбл, который хорошо моется и приятно выглядит. Дизайн лейбла немного упрощен по сравнению с некоторыми другими решениями Oni в прошлые годы.
Кожа слегка усела и выглядит немного подгорелой после промышленной стирки.
Как и у большинства джинсов Oni с 2010/2011 года, у них есть тканевая бирка на внутренней стороне пояса, прямо за кожаным лейблом.
Разумеется, дуга Demon Spiral является стандартной. Знаете ли вы, что за эти годы дуги стали более изящными?
Если быть предельно честным, то дуги Oni остаются моим наименее любимым аспектом их джинсов, но новые дуги смотрятся гораздо лучше, чем те, что на моих старых парах (которые я удалил или модифицированный с помощью дополнительных швов!)
Задние карманы наклонены так, что они выравниваются горизонтально при ношении.
В последние несколько лет Oni занимались модернизацией своего производства, и теперь, кроме скрытых заклепок, все кнопки и заклепки сделаны на заказ!
Кольцевые кнопки очень красиво текстурированы.
Ударные медные заклепки так же крепкие и в настоящее время дополняются тиснением.
Скрытые заклепки универсальны и сделаны из высококачественного материала, который является особенностью на почти каждой паре хороших японских джинсов.
Шлевки находятся на более широкой стороне, надежные и прочные.
Если вы посмотрите внимательно, вы можете увидеть и почувствовать что центр шлевки выпуклый и он создаст некоторую винтажную потертость в будущем.
В целом, присутствуют все основные мелочи хороших японских джинсов, но, так как это не репро-джинсы, винтажной детализации нет – общая презентация довольно универсальная, ну и японская.
Конструкция
Швы у 122ZR-S довольно аккуратные, плотные и достаточно ровные.
Имейте в виду, что фотографии, которые вы видите здесь, были сделаны после стирки джинсов, поэтому естественно видны некоторые искажения на швах.
Двойной тон разных нитей смотрится выиграшно, лимонно-чайное сочетание придает старинный вид.
Заклепки установлены в местах наибольшей нагрузки.
Даже в самых толстых местах, где встречаются четыре слоя из денима в 20 унций, стежки остаются равномерными.
Использованы только два вида строчки, а в целом вид аккуратный.
Лично я предпочел бы более толстые нити для цепного шва на талии и снизу. Но это только вопрос эстетики. Так как используется полиэстеровая нить, нет необходимости использовать более толстые хлопковые нити с учетом присущей полиэстеру прочности относительно хлопка.
Цепной шов, в целом сделан, аккуратно, но немного слабоват.
Рассматривая джинсы в целом, швы плотные и аккуратные и нет никаких заметных изъянов в производстве.
Мысли
Прежде чем обсуждать что-либо, я должен признать, что для меня (и многих других в этом увлечении) стрейч деним является довольно спорной темой. До сих пор я не видел ни одной стрейчевой кромки джинсов сделанной правильно, так что, по моему мнению, можно было бы по праву скептически относятся стрейч кромкам денима.
В конечном счете наше увлечение джинсом будет продолжаться многие годы, но перемены неизбежны. Вспоминая, что нам нравилось в джинсах середины 2000х, я вижу, что многое меняется. Японские бренды делают зауженные джинсы! !? White Oak закрыт!?
Трудно сказать, как будет выглядеть деним через следующие 15 лет. Может быть, мы будем печатать их в 3D? Может быть, деним будет сделан из совершенно нового синтетического волокна, которое превзойдет хлопок во всех свойствах? Я не футурист, что бы предсказывать тенденции, я только уверен, что все изменится.
Стрейч это один из следующих шагов в производстве кромки или сырого денима.
Или нет.
Успех джинса Shin Secret от Oni без сомнения станет центральным трендом в создании стрейч кромки. Из того, что я слышу, джинсы 122зр-S улетают с полок в Японии, хотя я задаюсь вопросом, будет ли такой же спрос на западном рынке, как и на внутреннем.
Поэтому есть два главных вопроса:
Почему я должен носить Shin Secret Denim, когда я совершенно счастлив со старым Secret Denim?
Почему бы мне не носить Shin Secret Denim, если с ним все так же хорошо, как старым Secret Denim, только он более комфортен?
Сейчас я не могу с уверенностью полностью ответить на эти вопросы. Мне нужно еще несколько месяцев, чтобы действительно поносить Shin Secret Denim, так как остаются вопросы относительно долговечности и скорости выцветания/старения, ответы на которые я узнаю только со временем.
На данный момент, однако, я скажу, что Shin Secret Denim предлагает комфорт и свободу, которые далеко превосходят джинс из чистого хлопка в сочетании с более современными подходами. В моем гардеробе есть только одни брюки удобнее, чем эта пара джинс 122зр-S – это моя пижама. Этого комфорта достаточно, чтобы сделать меня открытым для ношения джинсов со стрейч кромкой в будущем.
Независимо от того, на какой стороне этого дебата вы находитесь, будьте готовы видеть все больше и больше стрейч джинса от ваших любимых японских джинсовых брендов. PBJ уже выпустила одну версию стрейч, Tanuki так же имеют один готовый к выпуску в этом году, и, несомненно, вы увидите все больше и больше стрейчевых моделей Japan Blue. Я слышал от производителей, что Samurai может так же в скоре сделать супер плотный стрейч.
Так что готовьтесь! Нравится это или нет, но стрейч идет!
Но останется ли стрейч джинс? Мы сможем сказать больше в ближайшие один-два года.
Если Игнорировать качество ткани, конические свободные джинсы Oni 122ZR-S отличаются хорошим кроем, фантастическими деталями и представляют собой моду будущего по сравнению с другими моими джинсами Oni, которые были сделаны между 2009 и 2011. В них, конечно, нет недостатков в конструкции, хотя некоторые детали отделки, такие как различные размеры строчки, были использованы для лучшего эстетичского восприятия.
Oni, безусловно, зарекомендовали себя как высокотехнологичная компания, которая имеет дальновидное мышление, и я восхищаюсь этой маркой из-за ее акцента в раздвижении границ японской джинсовой ткани. Такие бренды, как Oni или Tanuki, которые лидируют в росте и инновациях, я нахожу более интересными по сравнению с их сверстниками, которые занимаются воспроизводством. Воспроизведение джинсов имеет свое место, конечно, но для меня, после более чем 10 лет увлечения, репро 501 выглядят немного черство. Все, на чем делается акцент в данный момент, безусловно, означает, что Oni Denim более актуален для большего числа людей по сравнению со многими его сверстниками.
Во всяком случае, не просто пользуйтесь моим мнением, а проверьте Shin Secret Denim лично, ведь они представлены в розничной торговле по всему миру. Вы найдете лучшие цены, и самый широкий спектр в мире в джинсов Oni в Deminio: цены на Shin Secret Denim начинаются всего от USD $212 и они продаются по всему миру, что является невероятной ценностью для японского джинса такого калибра. Проверьте это здесь.
ONI เพิ่งจะออกรุ่นใหม่ที่ผลิตจากผ้าสุดล้ำหรือที่เรียกว่าผ้า SHIN เรามีความยินดีที่จะนำเสนอการรีวิวจากคนที่ท่านน่าจะรู้จักดีในชื่อ indigoshrimp บน instagram หรือจากบล็อคที่ ยอดเยี่ยม ของเขา!
นี่เป็นกางเกงยีนส์ตัวแรกของญี่ปุ่นที่เป็นผลมาจากการจับมือกันระหว่างโรงงานทอผ้าจากสหรัฐอเมริกา โรงงานตัดเย็บผ้าจากญี่ปุ่น และบริษัทเทรดดิ้งจากญี่ปุ่น: เมื่อปี ค.ศ. 1965 Maruo Clothing เย็บยีนส์ญี่ปุ่นตัวแรกมีแบรนด์ที่ชื่อว่า “Canton” ที่ใช้ผ้ายีนส์จากสหรัฐอเมริกาจากโรงงานทอ Canton และนำเข้ามาที่ญี่ปุ่นโดย Oishi Trading
Masao Oishi ลูกชายของผู้ก่อตั้งบริษัท Oishi Trading กลายเป็นผู้นำของอุตสาหกรรมที่จะสามารถคงมาตรฐานไว้ถึงระดับทศวรรษและหลังจากนั้นก่อตั้งแบรนด์ของตนเอง Mr. Oishi เองได้รับการยอมรับจากทั้งอุตสาหกรรม เขามีความเป็นผู้นำและมีความรู้เพียงพอในการสร้างยีนส์ที่แปลกและมีความสวยงาม – ผ้าที่มีความเป็นญี่ปุ่นดั้งเดิมจากโรงทอของญี่ปุ่นเองจะทอผ้าตามรูปแบบและวิธีการที่ได้รับจากเขาเท่านั้น
และนั่นคือการเริ่มต้นของการคืนชีพของยีนส์ ผ้าดิบ/ผ้าริม ยีนส์จาก Oni มัดจะมีสิ่งที่โลกให้ความสนใจและผ้าที่มีความเป็นตัวของตัวเอง ในขณะที่แบรนด์ญี่ปุ่นแบรนด์อื่นๆมักจะพุ่งเป้าไปที่ไฟล์สไตล์ (เช่น Iron Heart เป็นแบรนด์สำหรับนักบิด) หรือการนำมาผลิตใหม่ (Warehouse และผองเพื่อน) เป้าหมายของ Mr. Oishi คือการสร้างแบรนด์ของตนเองซึ่งจะมีเป้าหมายสำคัญคือลักษณะของผ้า
ผมเองยังจำได้เมื่อตอนแรกที่ผมเริ่มให้ความสนใจกับยีนส์ของญี่ปุ่นเมื่อประมาณทศวรรษที่แล้ว Oni มีเพียง 2 ทรงเท่านั้น (แดงและน้ำเงิน) และมีผ้าให้เลือกเกินโหล เมื่อประมาณ 10 ปีที่แล้ว Oni กลายเป็นแบรนด์ที่มีความน้อยในเรื่องของการมีอยู่และรูปทรงที่โมเดิร์นกว่า การพุ่งเป้าไปที่เนื้อผ้าอย่างเดียวยังคงไม่เปลี่ยนแปลง
แน่นอนว่า หนึ่งในยีนส์ที่มีความสำคัญที่สุดเมื่อปีๆที่ผ่านมาก็คือเจ้า Oni’s Secret Denim ออกมาเผยโฉมให้ชาวโลกเห็นครั้งแรกในปี ค.ศ. 2012 ด้วยผ้า 20oz Secret Denim นำเสนอการอัพเกรดที่สำคัญของคุณภาพผ้ายีนส์โดยเทียบกับผ้า 18/19oz ก่อนหน้านี้ของพวกเขา เปรียบเสมือนเป็น “เกราะป้องกัน” ของปีศาจ และ “ยีนส์ลายของปีศาจ” Secret Denim มีความนุ่มนวลกว่า slubby กว่า และเป็นธรรมชาติกว่า และยังมีความสุดโต่งมากกว่าหากเทียบกับผ้ายีนส์ญี่ปุ่นอื่นๆในน้ำหนักระดับเดียวกันในตลาด จนถึงทุกวันนี้ยังไม่มียีนส์ที่น้ำหนักในระดับเดียวกันเข้ามาได้ใกล้เคียงถึงความนุ่มนวลหรือแม้แต่เนื้อผ้าเอง
Oni ได้พัฒนารูปแบบของ Secret Denim ออกมาหลายแบบด้วยกันในช่วง 5 ปีที่ผ่านมา ตั้งแต่สีดำจนถึงสีครามธรรมชาติในการร่วมงานกับ Tanuki Inc. แต่ลักษณะโครงสร้างทางกายภาพของตัวผ้ายีนส์เองยังคงเหมือนเดิม มาถึงตอนนี้ อีกไม่กี่ปีถัดมากับการลองผิดลองถูก Mr. Oishi ได้สิ่งใหม่ออกมาสู่สายตาชาวโลกอีกครั้งกับ Shin (“ใหม่” และ “จริง”) Secret Denim อีกหนึ่งขั้นถัดมาสำหรับการวิวัฒนาการของ Oni Denim
ในวันนี้ ผมอยากจะพูดถึง Shin Secret Denim เราจะมาดูทั้งหมดเลยของ 122ZR-S relax tapered jeans และแน่นอน เราจะมุ่งเป้าหลักไปที่เนื้อผ้า!
รูปทรง
A long time ago Oni jeans only came in either stove-pipe or wide-leg fits, so I am very glad to see that Oni is producing many more modern cuts nowadays.
เมื่อนานมาแล้ว Oni มาเพียงทรงกางเกงที่เป็นแบบกระบอกใหญ่หรือทรงใหญ่เท่านั้น กระผมเลยดีใจมากที่ได้เห็น Oni ผลิตรูปทรงโมเดิร์นๆออกมาในปัจจุบัน
นี่คือ relax tapered cut ที่จะมีเอวต่ำและมีพื้นที่มากบริเวณสะโพกและต้นขา ปลายขาจะแคบลงอย่างมากตั้งแต่เข่าลงไป และจบด้วยความกว้างปลายขาที่ 7 นิ้ว
ด้วยความกว้าง 7 นิ้ว แน่นอนว่าความกว้างของปลายขาอยู่ในข้างแคบ สำหรับขนาดเอว 35 อย่างไรก็แล้วแต่เมื่อความยาวค่อนข้างมากและพับขาขึ้นประมาณ 2 ทบ ปลายขาก็จะใกล้เคียง 7.5 นิ้วซึ่งมีความสมเหตุสมผลมากกว่า
ยีนส์ตัวนี้มาในแบบ one-wash ภายหลังจากการล้างน้ำโดยเครื่องจักรอุตสาหกรรมและผึ่งให้แห้งในที่ร่ม จึงไม่ได้มีปัญหากับการต้องมาดูเรื่องความหดของกางเกง
ผมลดไซส์ลง 1 ไซส์มาสู่ไซส์ 35 และผมอาจจะลดอีกจนเหลือ 34 ก็ยังได้สำหรับการใส่แบบเข้ารูป แต่นั่นไม่ใช่สไตล์ของผม
ผ้า
Shin Secret Denim ค่อนข้างจะมีความเหมือนกับ Secret Denim รุ่นมาตรฐาน – ทั้งคู่เป็นยีนส์น้ำหนัก 20oz และทั้งคู่ถูกทอขึ้นด้วยการทอแบบแรงดันต่ำ ทั้งคู่ถูกย้อมด้วยครามบริสุทธิ์ (มีสารสังเคราะห์) ย้อมแบบ rope-dyed ด้านบนและ beige-dyed ด้านใน นอกจากนี้ผ้าทั้งสองชนิดยังเป็นผ้าที่มีความขนฟู มี neps และมีความหยาบสูง
ด้วยการรวมตัวกันของผ้าที่มีน้ำหนักมากและการทอแบบหลวม Secret Denim ทั้งสองรุ่นมีความนุ่มนวลมาก (สำหรับผ้าน้ำหนัก 20oz) และมีสัมผัสที่เหมือนกับผ้าวูลมากกว่าผ้าที่มาจากการทอฝ้าย
สิ่งเดียวทีสามารถเห็นถึงความแตกต่างได้คือ Shin Secret Denim จะสะท้อนเป็นสีเขียวเทามากกว่าเมื่อเจอแสงมากหากเทียบกับรุ่นเดิม
แล้วถ้าผมจะบอกว่าเจ้า Shin Secret Denim เป็นผ้ายีนส์ที่ผสมผ้ายืดเข้าไป 2% ล่ะ?
เดี๋ยวก่อน อะไรนะ? ยีนส์ผ้ายืดหรอ Indigoshrimp??? มันคืออะไร???
ในความเป็นจริงแล้ว การสร้างยีนส์ผ้าริมที่ผสมผ้ายืดที่ดูภายนอกและสัมผัสเหมือนกับยีนส์ฝ้ายล้วนไม่ได้เป็นสิ่งใหม่ในอุตสาหกรรมการผลิตยีนส์ของญี่ปุ่นเมื่อหลายปีที่ผ่านมา มีผู้ผลิตและโรงทอผ้ามากมายที่สร้างผ้ายีนส์แบบผสมผ้ายืดและเป็นผ้าริมด้วย แบรนด์ที่มีประสบการณ์มากมายเช่น PBJ, Oni, Tanuki, Japan Blue Group ทั้งหมดนี้เคยผลิตหมด และด้วยอุตสาหกรรมเองกำลงทายบางสิ่งที่เป็นการเจริญเติบโตที่ยิ่งใหญ่และจะปรากฏมากในยีนส์ผ้ายืดปีถัดๆไป ตราบใดที่งานอดิเรกของยีนส์ผ้าดิบยังคงอยู่
ผมรู้ ผมรู้ มันสุดยอดเลยว่ามั้ย?
คอนเสปนี้ผมเองก็ยังไม่อินมากนักเหมือนกัน แต่คิดเสมอเมื่อผมค้นหัวข้อนี้อีกหน่อยนึง
Secret Denim ดั้งเดิมแล้วจุดเด่นคือเมื่อเวลาพูดถึงเครื่องทอกระสวย ผ้ายีนส์ที่เป็นฝ้ายล้วน เป็นจุดเด่นของมันในฐานะที่เป็นยีนส์ญี่ปุ่น – ความรู้สึกบนมือและผิวของผ้าจะไม่ดีกว่านี้แล้ว แต่ยีนส์ผ้าหนาๆมักมีข้อจำกัดใช่มั้ย? เช่นฝ้ายที่มีความแข็ง นอกจากนี้ ยีนส์ญี่ปุ่นก็ไม่ใช่ผ้าที่สวมใส่สบายมากนักหากเทียบกับผ้าฝ้ายชนิดอื่นๆเช่นผ้า terry หรือลูกฟูก อีกสองรูปแบบที่ยีนส์ญี่ปุ่นสามารถทำได้
How could you make denim more comfortable and drape more naturally without sacrificing the beautiful colour tones and interesting hand-feel & surface appearance? This is the question that some of the forward thinking brands are asking, and Mr. Oishi’s answer was to recreate the Secret Denim with added 2% elastane in the weft yarns, so that the Shin Secret Denim would be indistinguishable in terms of aesthetics and texture compared with the old Secret Denim – warp threads still being pure cotton and rope dyed – but has the added advantages of increased comfort and the possibility of a more contoured fit.
ท่านจะสามารถทำให้ยีนส์ของท่านใส่สบายขึ้นโดยไม่เสียสีที่สวยงามและน่าสนใจได้อย่างไร? นี่คือคำถามที่แบรนด์เหนือชั้นถามตลอดเวลา คำตอบของ Mr. Oishi คือการสร้าง Secret Denim และใส่ผ้ายืดเข้าไป 2% ในส่วนของ Weft มันเลยทำให้ Shin Secret Denim ไม่สามารถแยกกับ Secret Denim ดั้งเดิมได้เลยในเรื่องของรูปร่างหน้าตาและเนื้อผ้า หากนำมาเทียบกับ – ในส่วนของ Warp ยังคงเป็นฝ้ายทั้งหมดและย้อมแบบ rope dyed – แต่ได้ถูกเพิ่มความสบายเข้าไปและความเป็นไปได้ของการสวมใส่แบบเข้ารูปมากยิ่งขึ้น
ความลับใหม่อยู่ตรงนี้แล้ว และไม่ใช่ผ้ายืดที่ถูกเพิ่มเข้าไป อย่างไรก็ตาม – ยีนส์ผ้ายืดไม่ใช่สิ่งใหม่แต่อย่างใด เคล็ดลับคือสิ่งที่จะลบผิวความเป็นพลาสติกออกไปต่างหาก การปรากฏขึ้นของวัสดุสังเคราะห์และการเฟดแบบทึ่มๆที่มักจะเป็นส่วนหนึ่งของยีนส์ผ้ายืด การบังคับอีลาสตินหรือวัสดุยืดให้มีที่ weft เพียงที่เดียวช่วยได้ และความจริงแล้วในกระบวนการการผลิตยีนส์ มันไม่มีกระบวนการอบ แต่างจากการผลิตยีนส์ผ้ายืดทั่วไป ผมแน่ใจว่ามันมีความหลับอื่นๆอีกสำหรับ Secret Denim ตัวนี้…
ในขณะที่การสร้างยีนส์ผ้าริมที่เป็นผ้ายืดอย่างแท้จริง ผมคิดว่า Shin Secret Denim ได้จัดการเรื่องนี้ได้ดีมาก อย่างที่ได้บอกไปก่อนหน้านี้ นอกจากการสะท้อนสีเขียวที่มากกว่าแล้ว (ซึ่งไม่ได้เกี่ยวอะไรกับอีลาสติน) ผมไม่สามารถแยกเจ้าตัวผสมผ้ายืดกับไม่ผสมผ้ายืดออกจากกันหากพูดถึงสิ่งที่เห็นหรือการนำนิ้วมือมาแตะ มันต้องดึงเท่านั้นถึงจะรับรู้ได้ถึงความแตกต่าง
นอกจากนี้ Oni บอกว่า Shin Secret Denim จะเป็นรุ่นที่มีความทนทานมากกว่ารุ่นก่อนหน้านี้… ผมยังไม่สามารถพูดเรื่องนี้ได้ แต่ในการที่จะทำให้ยีนส์ตัวนี้มีอายุการใช้งานสูงสุด แน่นอนว่าจะต้องเลี่ยงการอบในความร้อนสูง เพราะฉะนั้นไม่ควรใช้เครื่องอบผ้าเลย
รายละเอียด
เช่นเดียวกับ Oni รุ่นอื่นๆ 122ZR-S จะมีป้ายหนังกวางที่สวยงาม การออกแบบป้ายหัยังนี้เข้าใจได้ว่าเป็นการเปรียบกับป้ายหนังของ Oni ในปีที่ผ่านๆมา
ป้ายหนังจะย่นเล็กน้อยเนื่องจากผ้านั้นหดหลังจากถูกล้างน้ำ
เช่นเดียวกับยีนส์จาก Oni ส่วนมากตั้งแต่ปี 2010/2011 เรามีป้ายแบรนด์ที่ปักไว้ที่บริเวณเอวกางเกงหลังป้ายหนัง
ลายปักกระเป๋าหลังเป็นแบบมาตรฐาน ท่านทราบหรือไม่ว่าลายปักนี้มีการปรับปรังให้แคบลงและดูโฉบเฉี่ยวมากขึ้นเมื่อเวลาผ่านไป
อันที่จริงแล้วผมอยากจะพูดจากความสัตย์จริงว่าลายปักกระเป๋าหลังของ Oni นี่เป็นลายแบบที่ผมชอบน้อยที่สุดเลย แต่ลายปักใหม่นี่มันดูดีขึ้นเยอะมาก และดูดีกว่าตัวเก่าๆของผม (ซึ่งผมอาจจะโยนทิ้งไปแล้วหรือมีการตกแต่งเองบ้าง)
กระเป๋าหลังเอนเล็กน้อย มันจะกลับมาเป็นแนวตั้งเมื่อผ่านการสวมใส่ไปซักพัก
Oni ได้อัพเกรดอุปกรณ์ของพวกเขาในปีที่ผ่านๆมา และตอนนี้ นอกจากหมุดซ่อนที่กระเป๋าหลัง กระดุมและหมุดทั้งหมดเป็นแบบสั่งทำเฉพาะของแบรนด์แล้ว
บริเวณกระดุมเป้าหน้าถูกติดตั้งด้วยกระดุมโดนัทเกรดเยี่ยม
ตัวติดตั้งหมุดทองแดงนี้แข็งมาก และยังมีตัวอักษรพิเศษ
หมุดซ่อนกระเป๋าหลังแม้ไม่ได้สั่งทำพิเศษ แต่ก็เป็นวัสดุคุณภาพสูงแบบ Universal ซึ่งแทบจะมีอยู่ในกางเกงยีนส์ตลาดบนจากญี่ปุ่น
หูเข็มขัดกว้าง แข็งและมั่นคง
หากท่านดูใกล้เข้าไปอีก ท่านจะสามารถเห็นและรู้สึกได้ถึงการยกหูเข็มขัดขึ้นตรงกลาง สำหรับสไตล์วินเทจและการเฟดในอนาคต
โดยรวมแล้ว รายละเอียดที่เป็นรายละเอียดของยีนส์ชั้นสูงจากญี่ปุ่นอยู่ครบทั้งหมด แต่นี่ไม่ใช่ยีนส์ที่นำมาผลิตใหม่ ยุคของการนำสไตล์วินเทจมันไม่ใช่อีกต่อไป แต่มันเป็นการนำเสนอแบบมาตรฐานและใช่แล้ว แบบญี่ปุ่น
โครงสร้าง
การเย็บของ 122ZR-S เรียบร้อยและเสมอกันดี
จำไว้เสมอว่ารูปภาพที่ท่านเห็นตรงนี้คือยีนส์ที่ผ่านการล้างน้ำมาแล้ว บางอย่างที่เห็นจึงเป็นความตรงและจะค่อนข้างเป็นธรรมชาติ
การใช้ด้ายสีที่ตัดการมาเย็บเป็นรายละเอียดที่ทำให้รู้สึกถึงความเป็นวินเทจ
จะเห็นการเดินตะเข็บแบบสลับรางรถไฟในบางที่
แม้แต่จุดที่หนาที่สุด บริเวณที่มีผ้าน้ำหนัก 20oz ถึง 4 ชั้นมาพบกัน งานเดินด้ายก็ยังคงเนี้ยบและดูแข็งแกร่งมาก
เหมือนกับว่าจะมีเพียงด้าย 2 ขนาดเท่านั้นที่ถูกใช้ อย่างไรก็ตามผลของมันค่อนข้างจะดูทันสมัย
โดยส่วนตัวแล้ว ผมจะชอบด้ายที่หนากว่านี้มากกว่าสำหรับบริเวณที่เย็บแบบลูกโซ่ทั้งเอวและปลายขา นี่คือสิ่งเดียวที่เป็นเรื่องโครงสร้าง อย่างไรก็ตามการที่ด้ายแบบ polyester-core ถูกเลือกใช้ – มันไม่มความเป็นในทางโครงสร้างที่จะไปใช้ด้ายที่หนากว่านี้เนื่องจากด้ายประเภทนี้มีความแข็งแกร่งมาอยู่แล้วหากเทียบกับฝ้าย
การเย็บแบบลูกโซ่โดยรวมแล้วทำให้ดีแต่ดูอ่อนแอไปนิด
เมื่อพิจารณากางเกงยีนส์ตัวนี้โดยรวม การตัดเย็บทำได้เรียบร้อยและเนี้ยบ และไม่มีโครงสร้างที่มีตำหนอ
ความคิดเห็น
ก่อนจะถกเถียงอะไรไป ผมจะต้องรับรู้ก่อนว่าสำหรับผมแล้ว (และอีกหลายๆคนในงานอดิเรกนี้) ยีนส์ผ้ายืดเป็นเหมือนหัวข้อที่ถูกวิพากษ์วิจารณ์อย่างมาก จนถึงตอนนี้ ผมเองยังไม่เคยเห็นยีนส์้ผ้าริมที่เป็นผ้ายืดตัวไหนเลยที่ทำได้อย่างถูกต้อง เพราะฉะนั้นในความคิดของผมแล้ว คนจำนวนมากน่าจะสงสัยเรื่องเกี่ยวกับยีนส์ผ้ายืดแบบนี้
แน่นอนว่ายีนส์ผ้าดิบอันเป็นงานอดิเรกของเราจะต้องเปลี่ยนแปลงไปเรื่อยๆเมื่อเวลาผ่านไป เป็นสิ่งที่ไม่สามารถหยุดการเปลี่ยนแปลงได้ ลองคิดกลับไปดูว่างานอดิเรกของเราเป็นอย่างไรก่อนหน้านี้หรือเมื่อครั้งแรกที่ผมเองเริ่มสนใจกางเกงยีนส์เมื่อราวๆปี 2000 ในการสร้างกางเกงยีนส์ในปัจจุบันแตกต่างจากตอนนั้นโดยสิ้นเชิง: แบรนด์ญี่ปุ่นสร้างยีนส์ที่มีปลายขาเล็ก? White Oak ปิดตัวลง!?
มันยากมากที่จะบอกว่ากางเกงยีนส์จะหน้าตาเป็นอย่างไรในอีก 15 ปีข้างหน้า บางทีเราอาจจะมีภาพพิมพ์สามมิติแปะอยู่ที่กางเกงยีนส์ของเรา? บางทีกางเกงยีนส์อาจจะถูกสร้างด้วยใยผ้าสังเคราะห์ที่เป็นผ้าฝ้ายแบบพิเศษในทุกทาง? ผมเองไม่ใช่นักคิดแห่งอนาคต มันไกลเกินไปสำหรับผมที่จะให้มานั่งทายอนาคต – สิ่งเดียวที่ผมแน่ใจคือ สิ่งต่างๆมันก็จะเปลี่ยนแปลงไปในแบบของมัน
ยีนส์ผ้ายืดอาจจะไม่ได้นำเสนอขั้นตอนต่อไปของผ้าริมหรือผ้าดิบ
หรืออาจจะไม่
ความสำเร็จของ Oni Shin Secret Denim จะเป็นสิ่งศูนย์กลางของเรื่องราวเกี่ยวกับยีนส์ผ้ายืดโดยปราศจากข้อสงสัย จากสิ่งที่ผมได้ยินมา ยีนส์ 122ZR-S กำลังถูกจำหน่ายออกไปอย่างรวดเร็วในญี่ปุ่น แม้ผมจะคิดว่ามันเป็นความสำเร็จในประเทศเท่านั้นหรือไม่ แต่มันก็น่าจะเหมือนกันในตลาดของตะวันตก
สำหรับผมแล้ว มันจะเหลืออยู่สองคำถามหลัก:
ทำไมผมต้องใส่ Shin Secret Denim ในขณะที่ผมมีความสุขดีกับ Secret Denim ตัวเดิมอยู่แล้ว?
ทำไมผมไม่ควรใส่ Shin Secret Denim ถ้ามันดีพอๆกับ Secret Denim ตัวเดิม และแค่ใส่สบายกว่า?
ตอนนี้ ผมเองยังไม่สามารถตอบคำถามเหล่านี้ได้ ผมยังคงต้องใช้เวลาอีกแรมเดือนเพื่อที่จะใส่ Shin Secret Denim ตัวนี้ ในขณะที่ยังมีคำถามที่ยังคงอยู่ในเรื่องความทนทานและการเฟดของมันที่เวลาเท่านั้นที่จะตอบได้
ถึงตรงนี้ อย่างไรก็ตามผมจะบอกว่า Shin Secret Denim มอบความสะดวกสบายและความคล่องตัวที่ข้ามผ่านยีนส์ฝ้ายล้วนเมื่อประกอบกับรูปทรงแบบโมเดิร์น ในตู้เสื้อผ้าของผมเอง มีเพียงกางเกงอีกตัวเดียวที่ใส่สบายกว่า 122ZR-S ตัวนี้คือชุดนอน! ; ความสะดวกสบายตัวนี้อย่างเดียวก็เพียงพอที่จะทำให้ผมหันมาสวมใส่ยีนส์ผ้ายืดมากขึ้นในอนาคต
ไม่ว่าท่านจะอยู่ข้างไหนของผ้ายืดตัวนี้ เตรียมตัวเห็นยีนส์ผ้ายืดจากแบรนด์ยีนส์ญี่ปุ่นต่อจากนี้ได้เลย PBJ ออกมาแล้วรุ่นนึง Tanuki กำลังจะออกในปีนี้ และแน่นอน Japan Blue ก็กำลังจะออกเช่นกัน ผมเองได้ยินจากผู้รู้ในอุตสาหกรรมนี้ว่า Samurai เองอาจกำลังจะทำผ้ายีนส์ผสมผ้ายืดที่มีความหนาเป็นพิเศษเร็วๆนี้เช่นกัน
เตรียมพร้อม! จะชอบหรือไม่ก็ตาม ผ้ายืดกำลังมา!
แต่ ยีนส์ผ้ายืดจะอยู่ตลอดไปมั้ย? เราน่าจะมีไอเดียใหม่ๆที่ดีกว่านี้อีกในปีหรือสองปีแหละ
นอกจากเรื่องผ้าในตอนนี้แล้ว Oni 122ZR-S Relax Tapered เป็นทรงที่สวย รายละเอียดยอดเยี่ยม และเป็นตัวแทนในรูปแบบของแฟชั่นของ Oni เมื่อเปรียบเทียบกับ Oni ตัวอื่นๆของผมที่ถูกสร้างขึ้นตั้งแต่ปี 2009-2011 และแน่นอน ไม่มีตำหนิในโครงสร้าง รายละเอียดแบบวินเทจต่างๆอยู่ครบเว้นแต่รูปทรงที่ทันสมัยมากขึ้น
ได้พิสูจน์ตัวเองจนเป็นที่ประจักษ์ในการเป็นผู้คิดการณ์ไกลและผมชอบแบรนด์นี้มากเพราะเป้าหมายของพวกเขาในการผลักดันยีนส์ญี่ปุ่น แบรนด์อย่าง Oni และ Tanuki เนี่ยแหละที่ผลักดันการเจริญเติบโตนวัตกรรมใหม่ๆ และผมเห็นว่าแบรนด์พวกนี้น่าสนใจมากกว่าหากเปรียบเทียบกับคู่แข่งอื่นๆที่เป้าหมายคือการนำของดั้งเดิมมาผลิตใหม่ แน่นอนว่ายีนส์ที่เป็นการนำของดั้งเดิมมาผลิตใหม่จะมีที่สำหรับพวกเขาอยู่เสมอ แต่สำหรับผมที่อยู่ในอุตสาหกรรมนี้มากว่าสิบปีแล้ว การนำ 501 มาผลิตใหม่มันเริ่มจะน่าเบื่อ ม้าสำหรับสนามแข่ง ต้นไม้สำหรับลิง นั่นแหละ มันเหมือนๆเดิมหมด แต่การมุ่งเป้าไปที่วัสดุแปลกๆและรูปทรงแบบทันสมัยๆมันแปลว่า Oni Denim น่าสนใจสำหรับผู้คนมากกว่าหากเปรียบเทียบกับคู่แข่งของพวกเขา
อย่างไรก็ตาม อย่าเพียงเชื่อคำพูดของผม ลองไปดู Shin Secret Denim ของจริงๆดูเพราะตอนนี้มันกำลังออกมาสำหรับผู้ค้าปลีกของ Oni ทั่วโลก ท่านจะเห็นราคาที่ดีที่สุดและ Oni ที่แพงที่สุดที Denimio: ข้อเสนอของ Shin Secret Denim อยู่ที่ $212 จัดส่งฟรีทั่วโลก ซึ่งเป็นสิ่งที่คุ้มค่ามากสำหรับกางเกงยีนส์ญี่ปุ่นในคลาสนี้ ดูเพิ่มเติม ที่นี่
鬼デニムのが新しく出したモデル、「SHIN」生地。
インスタグラムでindigoshrimp として、もしくは ブログ で有名なMike（マイク）さんがこちらの鬼デニムのレビューをデニミオにしてくれました：
日本の最初のジーンズは、アメリカの工場、日本の縫製工場と日本の商社の三者のパートナーシップ関係のおかげであった（1965年、マルオ被服が”CANTON”として大石貿易が国産ジーンズ第１号となるジーンズが児島で生まれてから。）
大石氏は大石貿易の息子で、大石貿易が数十年で不振となったあと、彼自身のブランド「鬼デニム」を立ち上げることになるわけだ。尊敬されるべきデニムのレジェンドとなって、大石氏は多くの日本のデニム産業では考えのつかない（いい意味で）へんてこりんな生地やCRAZYなデニムの作り方を習得している。
生/セルビッチデニムのリバイバル以来、鬼デニムのジーンズは、世界で最も興味深い、最先端のデニムを一貫して作ってきた。他の日本のブランドはライフスタイル（オートバイのアイアンハートなど）などさまざまに焦点を当てていましたが、大石氏は自分のブランドに関して常に「生地」に重点を置いている。
僕が数十年前に初めて日本デニムに興味を持った頃を思い出すと、鬼デニムは2タイプ（赤鬼と青鬼）に生地選択ができたような気がする。10年以上たった今、鬼デニムはよりミニマムになり、モダンなシルエットになったけど、生地に感じては全く変わらない。
加えて、ここ数年で人気のデニムの一つである鬼シークレット・デニムが初めて2012年に発売。
20オンスのシークレット・デニムは、18/19オンスの前身と比較して、生地の品質のほとんどの面で大幅な向上が感じられた。 シークレット・デニムは他の日本のヘビーオンスのデニムと比較して快適で、よりザラザラしていた。そして今の今まで、この柔らかいヘビーウェイトを作れるブランドは出てきていない。
鬼デニムは黒バージョンから天然インディゴ、Tanukiとのコラボレーションまで、過去5年間でシークレットデニムでいくつかのバリエーションをだしている。 でも絶対に生地の構造は変えない。
そしてついに多くの試行錯誤を繰り替えし、大石氏は「SHIN」（新、真）シークレットデニムを次のステップとして発明した。
今回、SHINシークレットデニムについてご紹介。
122ZR-S リラックステーパードジーンズ ！
今回の記事は生地についてメインにみていこう！
着用感
最近の鬼デニムはモダンなスタイルでとっても気に入っている。
このリラックステーパードはやや浅めの股上にお尻とワタリのゆとり、そしてとても強いテーパードが特徴。0日目 試し穿き ~
7インチの裾幅ではウエスト35のサイズに対して、裾の幅が狭い。 けれども、長い股下の長さがあるため、一度、一回または二回くらいロールアップにすると裾は7.5インチに近く、これはこれで良い感じ。
このジーンズは工場で洗い陰干しをしたワンウォッシュ。これから縮ませてフィットさせることはない。2日目、他の服とあわせる
サイズを35にした。34にもできるけど、僕のスタイルじゃないんだ。4日目ー完璧に馴染む！このデニムの性質上、馴染みは非常に速く、おしりから下の動きは、狭いテーパードと重い生地にもかかわらず、全くストレスはかからないままである。 詳細は下から！
生地
SHINシークレットデニムは通常のシークレットデニムに似ている。どちらも20オンスで、どちらもかなりゆるく編まれている。そして縦糸にピュアインディゴでロープ染色された糸を、横糸にベージュの糸を使用。 加えてどちらも生地にネップ感があり、スラブ生地である。
重い生地をゆるく編んでいるおかげで、20オンスなのにかなり柔らかい。
唯一の視覚的な違いとしては、SHINシークレット・デニムが、通常のものと比較して特定の条件下でより強い灰色がかった緑色をすること。
みなさんにこのSHINシークレットデニムが実は2%ポリウレタンが入っているとお伝えしたらどうでしょうか？
え、まって！？Indigoshrimpがストレッチデニム？え？？？
実際には、通常の100%コットンデニムとまったく同じように見える。最近感じるのはストレッチセルビッチデニムを作ることは、過去数年の間に日本のデニム業界で話題になっており、多くの工場や多くのブランドが作成を試みているということ。僕はPBJ、鬼デニム、Tanuki、ジャパン・ブルー・グループなど、多くのブランドがより実験的なアクションに参加しており、また生ジーンズが流行らない限り、業界では今後数年間で推すものがストレッチジーンズになるだろうと予測しているよ。
怪しいし外道だって言いたいんでしょ？
この記事は、まだ完全に終わったわけではありませんが、もう少しご紹介するので、僕についてきて。
シークレット・デニムはすべてのデニム職人の最先端を走っている。それは、日本のデニムを見る限り、最先端だと思う。手の感触や表面のテクスチャーはこれより良いものは今の所ない。でもヘビーウェイトの生地にはそのアレンジに限界があるでしょ？ 詰まったコットンツイル生地だとデニムにドレープ感は現れない。それに加え、デニムっていうのはコーデュロイ生地などと比べても本当に快適なものだとは言えない（麻痺して快適だと思っちゃているけど）。この難点が着用感やデニムのスタイルというものを制限してしまうのも現実だよね。
あなたは美しい色調と面白い手触り＆表面の外観を犠牲にすることなく、デニムをより快適にし、より自然にドレープ感をだすことはできる？ これは先進的なブランドのいくつかが求めている問いであり、大石氏の答えは、織り糸に2％のポリウレタンを加えたシークレットデニムを作り直すことであった。従来のシークレット・デニム・縦糸は100%綿とロープで染められていましたが、ストレッチ素材を加えると快適性が増し、フィット感が増すという利点があります。
ここの新しいシークレット・デニムは、ポリウレタンが追加されたことではない。ストレッチデニムは結局新しいものではない。 そのトリックは、どのように生地そしてその芸術的な仕上がり、色落ちをこだわるかというところにあると思う。 ポリウレタンを縦糸のみに限定すること、また、多くのストレッチデニムとは対照的に、加熱のプロセスを通していないということから、この秘密のデニムに他の秘密があると確信しているよ…
僕が以前にも言及したように、ポリウレタンとは別に、より顕著なグリーン・キャストから離れても、素晴らしい出来だと思う。 その違いがわかるように引っ張って穿く時以外、視覚的には全く区別がつかない。
それに加えて鬼デニムはシークレットデニムよりも丈夫に作ってくれた…。
詳細
他の鬼デニムのモデルと同じように、122ZR-Sの鹿革パッチはいい感じ。パッチのデザインもここ数年のものを採用。
革は少し縮みがあり、工場で洗ったせいか雰囲気もある。
多くの鬼のモデル同様にレザーパッチ裏に織ネームがついている。
バックポケットのステッチも同様についている。ここ数年でこのアーチが徐々に狭くシャープになっているって知ってた？
バックポケットは斜めになっているので、穿いた時に水平に見える。
鬼デニムの隠しリベット、ボタンはカスタマイズされている。
ボタンフライはドーナツボタン。
打ち抜き銅リベットもしっかりしている。
隠しリベットはカスタマイズされた国産デニムで多く利用されているUNIVERSAL社のリベット。
ベルトループの幅は広めに作られており、頑丈。
近くでみてみるとベルトループの真ん中が膨らんでいるのがわかる。これはビンテージスタイルに見られる、色落ちのための仕上がり。
国産ジーンズにハイクオリティなディティールを見てきた。
でも、これはビンテージ時代のジーンズの再構築したレプリカジーンズではない。
縫製
122ZR-Sの縫製はきちんとしていて、正確な仕上がり。
この写真はワンウォッシュ後の縫製の写真。見た目そしてその縫線はとても自然である。
20オンスの生地が折り重なるポイントでもそのステッチはキレイに仕上がっている。
2種類の糸のみを使用しているように見えるが、それが結果的により洗練された見た目を作り上げている。
個人的には、チェインステッチには太めの糸を使用するのが好き。 しかし、ポリエステルコア糸が使用されているため、コットンと比較してポリエステル固有の強度を考慮すると、太い糸を使用する必要はないかな。
チェインステッチも完璧な仕上がり。
僕の感想
感想を述べる前に、僕（そしてこの趣味の多くの人たち）にとってストレッチデニムはむしろ論争の的になるのはわかってる。 今まで僕もストレッチ・セルビッチ・デニムが正しいとは思わなかったので、僕の意見だけではストレッチ・セルビッチ・デニムについて懐疑的な人がいるでしょう。
結局のところ、僕たちの生デニムの趣味は、時が重ねるにつれて進化し続けると思う。そういうことは必然的かつ不可避な変化の勢い。 2000年代半ばに初めてデニムに興味を持ち始めた僕から考えてみると、デニムの多くは今や劇的に異なっているよ。 ホワイトオーク閉鎖！？とか（笑）
デニムが15年後にどのように見えるのかは言うまでもないだろう。 おそらく、僕たちは独自のデニムを3Dプリントするのかな？ 多分デニムはあらゆる面で綿より優れた全く新しい合成繊維で作られる？
ストレッチデニムは、セルビッチまたは生デニムの次のステップの1つを表すことができる。
かもしれない。
鬼デニムのSHINシークレットデニムの成功は、ストレッチ・セルビッチ・ストーリーの中心的なモデルになるだろう。間違いなく、 僕が聞いたところ、これらの122ZR-Sジーンズは日本国内の在庫から飛ぶように売れているが、国内での成功が西洋市場でも同様に一致するかどうかは疑問かな。
僕にとって、核心的な問は２つ :
なんで私はシークレットデニムに完全に満足しているのにSHINシークレット・デニムを着用しなければならないのですか？
なんで私はSHINシークレット・デニムを着用しなくてはいけないのですか？シークレット・デニムとの大きな違いはより快適なだけなのに？
今、僕はまだこれらの質問に完全に答えることはできない。 僕が実際にこれらのSHINシークレット・デニムジーンズを着用するには数ヶ月が必要。時間がたった今、耐久性と色落ちに関する疑問が残っている。
しかし、現時点では、僕はSHINシークレット・デニムは、より現代的なフィットと組み合わせて、100%コットンのデニムをはるかに超える快適さを提供すると思う。 僕の棚では、この122ZR-Sジーンズよりも快適な唯一のパンツは私のパジャマ（笑）。 この快適さだけで、将来僕はストレッチ・セルビッチ・デニムをもっと穿くきっかけを十分に引き出すことができると思う。
このストレッチ討論にかかわらず、あなたの好きな日本のデニムブランドから、ますます伸びるデニムを見られる。 PBJは既に1つのバージョンのストレッチをリリースしているし、Tanukiにも今年のリリースが予定されているそう。僕は業界関係者から、侍ジーンズがヘビーウェイト生地のストレッチを作っているかもしれないという噂を聞いているよ。
だから準備をしなきゃ！好きであれ嫌いであれ、ストレッチモデルはやってくる！
生地のことは置いておいて、2009年から2011年の間に作られた他の鬼デニムのモデルと比較して、ONI122ZR-Sリラックステーパードジーンズはカット、ディテールともに素晴らしい出来だよ。 もちろん、仕上がりに欠陥はありませんが、さまざまなヴィンテージディテールは省略されたｋぽとにより、より合理化された美しさがあると思う。
鬼デニムはデニム業界において先進的。日本のデニム境界を広げることに焦点を当てているため、僕はこのブランドを賞賛するね。 これからは成長と革新を進める鬼デニムやTanukiのようなブランドだと思う。だってレプリカや再構築に重点を置いているモデルに比べて無限に面白いと感じていもん。 レプリカデニムはもちろんその場所を持っていますが、僕にとっては、この趣味をもって10年以上経った今、501のレプリカは少し古く感じてしまう。
とにかく、この記事を読むだけではなく、世界中の小売店で販売されているので、SHINシークレット・デニムを直接チェックして！ デニミオでは、世界で最も幅広い品揃えの鬼デニムがあるよ。これらのシークレット・デニムジーンズは、デニミオで22,000円で販売。これは日本のデニムの驚異的な価値です。 ここでそれをチェックしてください。 ここクリックしてチェックだ！！