Been following closely on developments on The Yard which is a refreshing update to the Malaysian denim scene. It’s good to see more and more denim fans in South-East Asia. I remember a conversations with the guys from Momotaro Jeans already few years ago when i highlighted that this market is bound to grow. And when that happens, it will happen fast.

The cool invitation I saw on the event Page provides some details of the official opening of the store. Should be a cool event with plenty of denim fans around. Let’s see if I can make my way there come June 1st.

Picture courtesy of The Yard.

It’s funny how your priorities change. 3 years ago it was all in the business, crazy drive and passion to pursue all of those life’s goals. Then my son was born, he added more fuel to the drive and inspired awesome projects like the Northern Denim Co. but little by little you realize that things are changing. You just want your kids to be happy and that makes you happy. Suddenly you just wait to go home not to come up with blog posts and marketing plans but instead read story books and play with action figures. Suddenly awards, achievements at work and academic field felt secondary.

I have to admit, I am still exploring the balance of this new life stage. We’re fortunate enough to be currently living comfortable life with multiple projects to there is no major pressure on driving sales, it’s more of a personal adjustment to the “not so active NDH”. I don’t think that this is a permanent fixture though, it’s a quiet year following a year with so many achievements. The business is solid and standing on its own and we’re proud of the support and accomplishments thus far. So how I see the next stage is as building something for the next generation. Just like a fine watch, you retain one to pass it on. Like the watch I got from my grandpa or like the Rolex I will one day pass to Maxwell. The business I see is the same. It’s something I am building no longer for selfish personal achievements and reasons but rather something that will one way or another be passed to the kids. Just like Patek Philippe; you never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation. That’s sort of how I feel about it, so whether it’s the stories about the business, a watch bought with the money made of the business or the business itself, there will be something for the next generation.

But for now I am glad I found the time to write this piece and I will now switch to fixing breakfast and changing diapers. Have a good Sunday folks. Peace…

The beauty of the raw, unwashed denim is that it shrinks and adjusts to to one’s lifestyle and after some wear becomes an integral part of not only one’s wardrobe but also life as a whole. The shrinkage can however have a negative impact on the denim experience if one has decided to e.g. size down. The Lot 750x 14.7oz Matsuzaka Ai natural indigo denim shrunk as what I expected. The sample pair shrunk about an inch from the waist, inseam and a centimeter or so across key parts like rise/back rise, leg opening and knee. The waist and inseam are the key parts here. Knowing the jeans will shed at least an inch from the waist means, one should be cautious about sizing down. Going with your true size is still the recommended size. I for example wear size 36, and 36 is a good fit for me. Same would apply to other sizes. The inseam length is up to you to decide but the recommendation would be to ensure there is at least 1-2 inches extra length for shrinkage.

Next up I will be posting measurement information as soon as I finalize everything with the production team in Japan. It’s a careful process. After all, we want to ensure you get the best possible jeans money can buy. Stay tuned for more…

Image courtesy of Omega.

The attention to detail put in the metal alone is impressive. The perfect proportion of gold (75%), copper for the red color and palladium for long lasting color. This goes pretty high up on my watch wish list though the price of this constellation piece is probably way beyond my budget. But a man can dream right…

A little history on the fabric and the dye. The natural indigo used is what the Japanese refer to as, Matsuzaka Ai. “Matsuzaka” is a city in Japan, famous for “Ise Grand Shrine” that is near the city. Matsuzaka City on the path leading to the grand shrine.

300 years ago, natural indigo cloth of Matsuzaka was made as a souvenir for the people who went to Ise. The fabric used is dyed at Matsuzaka, a place with rich history of natural indigo dyed cloths.

Another interesting detail about the Northern Denim Co. Lot 750x. And a piece of Japanese fabric history of course. Stay tuned for more updates on the project and get yours!

The Slim Straight cut jeans are not just great 14.7oz fabric but we wanted to work on the fit as well. Lot 3010 is great with the classic Vintage Straight cut but we wanted to see what could we do to create a slightly slimmer fit while retaining the comfort of the Lot 3010. So we chose a Slim Straight silhouette for the Lot 750x. The denim is nice and tough, though the denim softens after some wear and adjusts nicely to one’s lifestyle. The unwashed denim shrinks quite a bit after a wash (1 to 1.5 inches from the waist and inseam) thus just like with majority of slim fitting jeans out there, it’s best to go with your true size or size up one. But more of the shrinking in another post with the measurements.

But here are the fit pics of the jeans. We are also open for orders, so act fast to ensure your pair. We are aiming to produce only 50 pairs of this exclusive natural indigo denim so time is of the essence. The Lot 750x is going to be made to order, that means you can choose suitable inseam length, thus making the jeans unique to you.

ORDER YOURS through our online store or contact me at taavi.kuisma@nordicdenimhouse.com.

The price starts at 259 euros (excluding shipping) and as portion of profits made goes to charity, it’s up to you how much you wish to pay. Pre-order your custom pair of Lot 750x jeans pronto!

(note Maxwell’s awesome pink pants)

As my educated guess was, the indigo bleed was what I expected it to be. Blue…

I hot soaked the jeans for an hour or so, changing the water once. The denim softened a great deal upon soaking and I would imagine the post-soaking experience and fit will be superb. As all raw/ unwashed denim, you should soak it before wearing the denim in to relax the fabric, ensure balance fading and last but not least, reduce the indigo bleed/ stains. Emphasis on the last bit. Though the jeans will release color for a while at least you won’t stain every light surface around. And the starch is something you want to soak away to avoid cardboard denim experience.

The jeans will hang dried outside overnight. I would hang them inside but my wife would kill me if the floors were full of blue indigo stains, will rather retain the blue marks outside. More info will follow. Stay tuned for more.

I am still reading my emails but in case there is a slight delay in response, please forgive me. It is a family trip and the priority is on the fam. There will also be some work involved as we are planning to snap few fit pics and beauty shots of the Northern Denim Co. Lot 750x. We’re getting closer to the launch of the jeans and so stay tuned as I post more details from along the way.

Happy holiday in advance!

Some curious details about the patch. The thickness is borderline sewable. It’s just light enough for the industrial vintage sewing machine used to sew the jeans. Normally this type of leather patch would be riveted to the jeans. An example of this would be Copper Label Momotaro Jeans. After discussion with the guys in Japan, we decided to sew the leather patch on the jeans but due to the thickness it needs to be sewed separately. Another aspect of the jeans that needs skills to execute as perfectly as it has been done.

This time around the jeans also feature a burn printed logo making the design withstand any wear and tear the jeans might encounter. I am quite happy about the patch design and thus far the reception has been equally good.

Stay tuned for more updates as we get closer to launching the jeans for orders.