It's been a long time since I last talked about jeans !
And yet, the very first item of clothing we released was in a 2012 collab, and it was jeans, with the French brand Renhsen, which unfortunately no longer exists.
Among the very first articles I wrote in 2007, the first ones concerned 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 here I wanted to talk to you about it again, but more at the level of my personal taste, what I like or what I like less.
In this video I wear 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 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 denim, 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, I wondered how that impacted the fit of their pants.
Well, as you can imagine, they like high-waisted and relatively loose jeans because they are infinitely more practical for eating on their knees.
The paintings I like
Seven years after launching our first jeans, there is no denying that the most beautiful denim fabrics are Japanese in my eyes.
Of course the Italians do 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 taking in the light, a grain that I really like, and quite complicated to translate into words.
You also know that I really like texture, relief, and roughness, which is 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 little gray from time to time. I also really like turquoise, also called "greencast", but I have never taken the plunge yet.
What about light jeans?
I bought an Orslow 2 years from Jinji a while ago, I wanted to wear this kind of color and change a little from the base color. Well, I really like it!
That said, for beginners, I still recommend raw jeans 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 fabric.
The other point is that to have beautiful bleached jeans, I find that if you don't have a very nice fabric, it looks much less good. This is why the best bleached jeans you can have are raw selvedge jeans that have been put through the washing machine several times.
And yes, you read me correctly, I'm talking about jeans and the washing machine.
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 heatwaves, 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, I don't go for heavier canvases like 16 or even 22oz. Too uncomfortable for me when trying on, I'm not ready to suffer that much
I saw in real life the famous 32 oz jeans that stand up on their own, and while I appreciate the technical prowess, this thing is just wearable.
The details I like
Jeans are very suitable for lots of pretty nice little finishes. Personally, I love these kinds of details that you check, I find it so cool, in the store, to look at jeans from every angle.
And I wanted to convey that in our jeans, that when you see BonneGueule jeans, we look for the little finish that goes well, I find that very playful.
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. The back pockets
Unsurprisingly, I like when they're lined or semi-lined, and I like when there's the hidden rivet on the back.
On people who wear their jeans very intensively I think this can be useful, and for me it is also great proof of the care in manufacturing.
3. Selvedge edging
The selvedge edging, I really like 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 result is finer.
4. The chain stitch hem
When it comes to sewing the hem, I like the chain stitch. This seam which is more “textured” than a simple seam found on entry-level products.
And obviously, if I talk about chain stitch sewing, I have to tell 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, today very sought after (which is no longer produced), is used to make this famous chain stitch hem.
Except it's done in a very particular way, which causes the fabric to ripple slightly. And over time, it fades as if it were a rope, hence the name in English: “roping effect”.
The craziest part of all this? It's because it's a fault in the machine. Normally, it is not supposed to create this roping effect. But this defect in the machine has become a highly sought-after detail among purists.
Personally, it's a detail that I love and which gives a lot of life to the jeans.
It is said that there are between 40 and 50 Union Special 43200 Gs still in operation around the world. I think at least half must be from 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 which began by repairing and making this famous hem, then which launched its own jeans.
5. The leg twist
The leg twist is when the leg seam turns, it's a detail appreciated by purists too. It comes from the time when we didn't know how to perfectly stabilize denim fabrics and when they could move a lot with washing.
Some people like the visual effect it gives, while others not at all.
On my Orslow jeans, it looks a bit like it on me, and honestly, I like it, because I can see the selvedge if I look at my feet.
The cuts I like
So here I'm going to be a little controversial... 14 years after creating BonneGueule, I'm not going away, I still love the semi-slim cut.
For me, a semi-slim cut is a leg opening between 17 and 18 cm to give you an idea.
So a semi-slim cut doesn't just mean leg opening, but I'm simplifying on purpose.
For me in terms of silhouette, it's a great balance between flattering silhouette and modernity.
With ankle boots, sneakers, brogues, espadrilles, moccasins, you can really wear lots of things.
For a beginner who often tends to dress too big, this is clearly the type of cut that I would recommend.
And what do I think about wider cuts?
Well I think well of it, but I find that it's not without problems.
The big problem with slightly wider cuts is that it's super easy to mess up. If you have very ordinary top pieces, I find the result 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 had a great reception, 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 adds something.
But I also want to make a cut between our semi-slim cut and our straight cut, try to be in non-duality and bring together the best of both worlds, between the comfort of our straight cut, and the side fitted in our semi-slim fit.
Buy your tight jeans or not?
That’s another controversial point!
I have always recommended buying it slightly tight when purchasing, and some have understood that you have to buy it very tight when purchasing. Because jeans relax!
No, really you should 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.
Jean maintenance
Big topic too. Before I did the washing by hand, in the bathtub, letting it soak, the true purist protocol!
Now, I put my jeans in the washing machine, yes, on the cotton program at 30°C.
Perhaps because I increasingly appreciate less contrasting washes, and I also wanted to experiment with something else.
That said, I think that if I get a pair of very purist raw jeans if I go back to Japan, I think I will wash them in the traditional way, with as few washes as possible.
