It's been a long time since I talked about jeans !
And yet, the very first item of clothing we released was in collaboration in 2012, and it was a pair of jeans, with the French brand Renhsen, which unfortunately no longer exists.
Among the very first articles I wrote in 2007, the first ones were about jeans.
And when we launched our clothing brand in 2014, out of the three items of clothing, there was a pair of jeans.
So it's a garment that we've worked on a lot, with around ten models on our e-shop, about which we've written a lot, and now I wanted to talk to you about it again, but more in terms of my personal tastes, what I like or what I like less.
In this video I am wearing a Jinji shirt and a BonneGueule cashmere sweater.
My trip to Japan
It's impossible for me to talk about jeans without talking about our trip to Japan , about which we made a web series.
The Japanese are crazy about denim, you must know that, and by the way I made a video that explains why Japanese jeans are so expensive.
They even have a title called “jean sommelier”, which is a certification ensuring a certain level of know-how on jeans, I found that incredible.
So I'm not going to dwell on the place of jeans in Japan, everything is very well explained in the book Ametora , but to put it simply, it's a mix between the Japanese taste for the patina of time, their culture of indigo, their fascination with American workwear clothing, and their desire to push quality as far as possible.
We've been to quite a few restaurants where you sit on your knees, and I wondered how that affected the cut of their pants.
Well, as you might expect, they like high-waisted, relatively loose jeans because they're infinitely more practical for eating on your knees.
The paintings I like
Seven years after launching our first jeans, there's no denying that the most beautiful denim fabrics are Japanese in my opinion.
Of course the Italians make beautiful things, we work with them, but few European suppliers make selvedge and even fewer selvedge as beautiful as the Japanese. And for me Candiani is the only one who knows how to do it.
Why do I like these Japanese paintings? There is an irregularity, a way of capturing light, a grain that I like a lot, and quite complicated to translate into words.
You also know that I really like texture, relief, and roughness, that's why I really like so-called slubby or neppy weaves. It's a fabric that can put off a non-expert, but I love it, I find it super beautiful.
In terms of color, I obviously remain a fan of indigo blue, with a bit of gray in between. I also really like turquoise, also called "greencast", but I have never taken the plunge yet.
What about light jeans?
I bought a 2 year old Orslow from Jinji a while ago, I wanted to wear this kind of color and change a bit from the basic raw. Well, I really like it!
That said, for beginners, I still recommend raw denim first, because it's important to realize that quality jeans become more and more beautiful as they age.
That said, I find that to appreciate bleached jeans, it still requires a somewhat accustomed eye to fully appreciate this type of color and differentiate it from a slightly cheap canvas.
The other point is that to have a beautiful bleached jean, I find that if you don't have a very beautiful canvas to begin with, it looks much less good. That's why the best bleached jean you can have is raw selvedge canvas jean that has been washed several times in the washing machine.
And yes, you read me correctly, I'm talking about jeans and washing machines.
The thickness of the canvases that I like
For me, the four-season canvas, which can be worn all year round in a reasonable climate, except in a heatwave, is 13 oz, it's the right balance. And that's what I prefer.
For spring, I also like lighter fabrics, like 11 oz for example, it's true that it's very pleasant.
On the other hand, heavier fabrics like 16 or even 22oz, I wouldn't go for them. Too uncomfortable for me when trying them on, I'm not ready to suffer that much.
I've seen the famous 32 oz jeans that stand up on their own in real life, and while I appreciate the technical prowess, this thing is just unwearable.
The details I like
Jeans are very suitable for lots of nice little finishing touches. Personally, I love these kinds of details that you check, I think it's really cool, in a store, to look at a pair of jeans from every angle.
And I wanted to convey that in our jeans, that when you see a pair of BonneGueule jeans, you look for the little finishing touch that goes well, I find that very fun.
1. The selvedge ticket pocket
It's a detail that doesn't change anything in the durability or functionality of the jeans, but I like it, it's a bit like a little Easter egg between insiders, and it shows a nice attention to detail.
2. Back pockets
Unsurprisingly, I like it when they are lined or semi-lined, and I like it when there is the hidden rivet at the back.
On people who wear their jeans very intensively I think this can be useful, and for me it is also a nice proof of the care taken in manufacturing.
3. The selvedge border
The selvedge edging, I really like it when the two edges are close together, it's a detail that really struck me in Japan and that I wanted to reproduce on our jeans. Visually I find that the rendering is finer.
4. Chain stitch hem
Regarding the hem seam, I like the chain stitch. This seam is more "textured" than a simple seam found on entry-level models.
And of course, if I talk about chain stitch sewing, I have to talk to you about a mythical machine, a legendary machine, a machine that crystallizes many fantasies, I want to talk about the Union Special 43200G.
This machine, now highly sought after (no longer produced), is used to make that famous chain stitch hem.
Except that it is done in a very particular way, which makes the fabric ripple slightly. And over time, it fades as if it were a rope, hence the name in English: “roping effect”.
The craziest thing about all this? It's a defect of the machine. Normally, it's not supposed to create this roping effect. But this defect of the machine has become a very sought-after detail among purists.
Personally, it’s a detail that I love and that gives a lot of life to the jeans.
It is said that there are between 40 and 50 Union Special 43200 G still in operation in the world. I think that at least half must be with Japanese brands. So you can imagine that this is a detail reserved only for the most high-end brands.
In Paris, the best known is that of Arthur, the founder of Superstich, a brand that started out by repairing and making this famous hem, then launched its own jeans.
5. The leg twist
The leg twist is when the leg seam turns, it is a detail appreciated by purists too. It comes from the time when we did not know how to perfectly stabilize denim fabrics and they could move a lot with washing.
Some people like the visual effect it gives, while others don't at all.
On my Orslow jeans, it does it a bit, and frankly, I like it, because I can see the selvedge piping if I look at my feet.
The cuts I like
Now I'm going to be a bit controversial... 14 years after creating BonneGueule, I'm adamant, I still love the semi-slim cut.
For me a semi-slim fit is a leg opening between 17 and 18 cm to give you an idea.
So a semi-slim cut does not boil down to leg opening, but I am deliberately simplifying.
For me in terms of silhouette, it's a great balance between flattering silhouette and modernity.
With ankle boots, sneakers, brogues, espadrilles, loafers, you can really wear a lot of things.
For a beginner who often tends to dress too big, this is clearly the type of cut I would recommend.
And what do I think about the wider cuts?
Well, I think it's good, but I find it's not without its problems.
The big problem with slightly looser cuts is that it's super easy to mess up. If you have really ordinary top pieces, I find that the result is really not great. It requires having the right sweatshirt, the nice shirt, the right tee, the right jacket, etc., it has to be in good taste.
However, I am more and more intrigued by this cut, that's why we released ours, on our Renji , which was very well received, and which I want to decline.
And that's why the LR01, Arthur's jeans from Superstitch intrigue me a lot with their high waist and 20.5 cm leg opening!
And I recognize that in terms of silhouette and comfort, it brings something.
But I also want to make a cut between our semi-slim cut and our straight cut, to try to be in non-duality and to bring together the best of both worlds, between the comfort of our straight cut, and the fitted side of our semi-slim cut.
Should you buy tight jeans or not?
This is another controversial point!
I have always recommended buying it slightly tight when buying it, and some have understood that you have to buy it very tight when buying it. Because jeans stretch!
No, really you have to be barely tight at the waist, no more
If I hadn't done it on my Momotaro, I wouldn't look like anything today with it because it relaxed so well.
So yes, I am one of those who still think that you should buy your jeans slightly tight.
Jeans care
Big topic too. Before I used to wash it by hand, in the bathtub, leaving it to soak, the real purist protocol!
Now I put my jeans in the washing machine, yes, on a cotton program at 30°C.
Maybe because I'm increasingly enjoying less contrasting washes, and I also wanted to experiment with something else.
That said, I think that if I ever get a pair of very purist raw jeans again if I go back to Japan, I think I will wash them in the traditional way, with as few washes as possible.
