Wait.

First, I need to tell you about the jeans themselves, then you get to see the pictures. Patience. Or if you can’t wait any longer, go on, scroll down, just get back up here to finish the story to find out how they got the way they are now.

Right. These are a pair of Momotaro Going to Battle label (ex Going to War label) jeans, worn for six months.  Three months in the winter and three in the spring/summer. They’ve been washed twice, first after the initial three months and again at the six month milestone. Detergent and a normal spin cycle were used for both washes. So far the Going to Battle labels have been used in snow, sleet, hail, rain, storms, sun and probably during other occasions I currently fail to recall. The jeans have been worn almost daily, the exceptions being when the Mighty Hangover’s been too mighty to allow any getting out of bed and going outside.

So. The look. The front bit and thighs have been chafing against my long winter coat so most of the wear on the front is from that. The slight fraying on the left hand pocket is from when my watch has caught against the lining . The back pockets show a little more wear, as well as the signature Momotaro leather patch which, incidentally, has become very soft. The crotch shows quite a bit of wear too (hey, what can I do? I keep getting stared at… there… you know). Yet, most of the wear and tear is on the cuffs. When I wear trainers, I mostly cuff my jeans, which also prevents any excess coloring from rubbing onto the trainers, and when wearing boots, I simply let the cuffs stack. The combined friction causes significant changes on the inner legs. For the most part the deep indigo colour is still intact, which is a testament to the heavy 15.7 oz. 6s yarn cotton.

It is noteworthy to mention the traditional Japanese white lines. With three months of continuous wear, it is natural that the lines too, get faded and lose the initial shine. Nevertheless, after washing the jeans, all the murkiness disappears leaving the lines as bright as the day they were painted: like a Hollywood dental clinic created smile – shining and perfect.

My verdict at this point? I wish I had treated then even rougher and I can’t wait for what they look like after a year.

Now, the pictures.