Hi Y’all,

Super Sunday behind us and I’ve had a rather nice weekend. For those wondering where have we been as there has been only few posts lately, yours truly has been multitasking for the past few weeks on another level. In addition to this, I decided just to take an evening or two off, haha.

But what would a week be without a little checkup on the ongoing denim project.

I can see that others have taken up a challenge of denim project blogging as well. You can take a look at denim debate. They have a pair of Momotaro Jeans there as well. Well back to this wear and tear project. The winter has cooled down (or warmed up) since my last post and last few days have actually been pretty beautiful weather-wise that is.

This week I wanted to post a little comparison to my previous project being that we’ve hit the two month milestone. Starting off with the frontal shot. There are still plenty of miles ahead before the current project matches up with the previous one, but hey we’re getting there much faster than I initially expected.

Momotaro Jeans – Copper Label project:

Momotaro Jeans – Vintage Label project

The light does not do the Copper Label project justice. In natural sunlight the faded blue in contrast with the natural deep blue color of the Momotaro Jeans is really beautiful. I mean the jeans could stay at their current state and they would be awesome, but I am putting them through a lot more wear in attempt to get that ultimate fade, heh. Still plenty of wear ahead.

The stacking on the back of the knees is definitely going to top the previous project, that I know already.

A little closeup of the tags, just for the fun of it.

I decided to call this edition whiskers, because the jeans are really creasing nicely. These creases will most likely stay there throughout the project and will fade to give the jeans a hopefully symmetric set of whiskers. But don’t get me wrong an unsymmetrical set of whiskers couuld be rather nice as well. You can see my iPhone has made its mark as well. Lately I have not kept my wallet in my front pocket and this thus there has not been much wallet fade on the front. But also the left side of my jeans has gotten nice set of whiskers as well. Just a tip, to get a symmetric set of whiskers, don’t keep your wallet in the front pocket.

And then, the ass whiskers.

There were some seat whiskers in the last project but these jeans have defo more. Not that it’s a bad thing. What to do? I sit on my ass most of the day. I wonder if the type of chair affects the type of creasing the seat experiences? I would think so.

Lastly a little cuff comparison.

Those snow lines really fit the winter. I think that once all that snow melts I wither get a pair of rubber boots or the roping will get really obvious even before washing the jeans. Will keep you posted as the project and the spring progress.

That’s all for the day. I will try to chill for few more hours before another week full of crunching. Thus, no matter where you are; have a great and dynamic week ahead. I’m out, peace…

Hi Y’all,

Pardon for the post free Wednesday. I had a day like no other. February 24th 2010 is definitely marked in my books as a day to remember. So much electricity in the air, so many things happening. Haha, so much that even my beloved iPhone crash landed on the floor.

Crackberry free week ahead (yes, I know it’s not a Blackberry). I should be able to get a replacement for the damaged iPhone soon but I feel the abstinence symptoms kicking in already. But things like these don’t slow me down. The day was so good I was actually able to smile about the whole incident.

Enough of this intro though. Back to business.

I titled this week’s edition “the snow lines” because the snow has already left marks on the jeans that need hours and hours of walking ankle deep in the snow. As I have. Just take a look at the situation at my home yard. Like I said, ankle deep.

Yes, that is a small tractor (not sure if this machine has its own name) clearing some path on the yard just so that you can walk around.

The last two days have actually been bright and sunny, but the beginning of the week was something like 24/7 snowstorming. Due to popular demand some picture material to show what I mean. The picture looks gray because there’s so much snow flying around.

Back to the lines. Just few days back I posted some fit pics of the jeans in their current state and I could do the same now but instead I rather limit myself to just one picture.

These lines will as long as I have these jeans remind me of this crazy winter. An old fashioned winter like Finland has not had in years and will probably not have either. The creasing would normally cause such lines in some parts of the jeans after the soaking/ washing of the jeans. While I have not washed nor soaked my jeans the cuffs get soaked every day. But hey they’re like battle scars just telling stories of battles of the yesterday.

That said, don’t cry over the amount of snow, appreciate it. Snow is great unless you’re covered in it, or something. And the snowy days when the sun is shining are just amazing, aren’t they?

Stay safe everyone and clear those roofs. Once the plus degrees arrive the snow will turn really, really heavy. I wonder what kind of effect it will have on the cars covered in snow? Be easy I’m out.

Hi Y’all,

Sunday snowy Sunday… and so on. It has indeed been a very snowy and cold weekend here in the jolly old Finland. It feels as if it was just yesterday but last week at this time yours truly was still in Denmark. Shout out to everyone we met there, CPH Vision/ Terminal-2 staff and of course Momotaro Jeans. We love you all. On that note, you can check interview conducted TribaSpace during the fair.

How important is Copenhagen for your business?

This edition of my Momotaro Jeans Copper Label project has a twist to it. But for that you need to read all the way until the end of the post. Or just scroll down if you feel like it.

Anyway, the jeans have been worn non-stop for a month now and all I can say is that I love my jeans. The wear is already starting to show already when it took months with the previous project. Detailed pictures will follow next month. But this week is all about fit pics.

The first pic already shows well started fading process on the jeans’ thighs. I have already developed a nice set of whiskers on the front of jeans as well. Plenty of more creasing is expected in the following months but this is a rather splendid start.

The side shows the color difference between the untouched and already (slightly) faded parts of the pants. The cuffs are getting plenty of “snow lines” as I will call them from now on. But it’s all good though, they add in to the uniqueness of the project. My iPhone has left a mark on my right pocket as well.

Most notable thing about the back of the jeans is the stacking. The creasing is leaving a nice set of lines to the back. The seat is not all too faded yet though there is some creasing and fading appearing on the seat as well. Still the front shows the fading and change in color much better than the back.

Lastly, the surprise I was telling you about. Along with our new T-shirts, we also got a little something else from the guys at KIKS TYO. A rare piece of wood that comes with a pretty picture and nice graphics.

Yes, the fresh KIKS TYO collaboration with China’s premier skateshop Fly that resulted in a limited edition skateboard deck featuring an imprinted pictorial of Yuko Ishida on one side and graphics of spilled milk and milk carton with Fly’s founder Jeff Han on the other side. Don’t forget that we already have a shirt to match the deck.

So I guess I get to say Got Milk? once more. Got Milk? Yes sir…

That’s all for now but check out our newest additions from erect81, QUOLOMO and KIKS TYO and stay tuned for more updates. I’m out but definitely staying indoors, coz it’s cold outside…

Hi Y’all,

Good evening! The wonderful Copenhagen Fashion Week has come to an end. Or it did, yesterday. For us at least. My apologies for not being able to post the update in real time, but the day was just to say busy. We’re back in the snowy old Finland all safe and sound. The flight was pleasant and everything went well if you don’t count few obstacles on the way from Helsinki-Vantaa Airport back to our crib. But I rather focus on the pleasant things like the last day of Terminal-2 and the fifth week of my Copper Label project. Some fit pics from Copenhagen, a reference point as well as status pics.

As always the day started with a walk to the CPH-Vision venue at Øksnehallen. The week went by so fast. Time flies when you’re having fun, damn right.

The shuttle bus driver was the same guy as on previous mornings and he still spoke only Danish with me, heh.

Off to the Terminal-2. You know it’s funny how I never had difficulties hitting the fair venue even in the early morning after next to no sleep. I’m gonna miss the venue. See you next time, or next year…

There was plenty of speculation whether there would be any people at the venue on Sunday. Well, I’m pretty sure Sunday was as buzzing as the other days. Most of the visiting folks were indeed part of the general public with most of the buyers already back to their respective homes. Still, plenty of action for a Sunday.

At this point a shout out to our neighbors from New Balance.

So a general fit picture of my current Momotaro Project. The jeans are developing rather nice whiskers on the front. Some fading on the front around the pocket areas but the jeans are still as fresh as they were a week ago.

Still, there’s a long way to this…

It’s not just about the fashion and business but also about great people you meet.

Next up, some pics of the project. I’m really amazed of how nicely the jeans fade. It’s been a month and I see fades that I only saw months later with my last project. I do have to say that the Vintage label jeans are dyed with darker indigo. But still… Damn, I’m pretty sure this is going to be an awesome project (it already is). So for those who are in doubt of whether sanforized denim fades as nicely as raw denim? Yes they do, denim fades as long as you wear it.

The cuffs and back of the knees are fading nicely as well. At this pace the jeans will have a nice collection of details by the time I give them their first soaking.

The obvious, hidden rivets and the spots between the stitches have gotten much lighter since last week. One of the special features of Momotaro Jeans is the special way the middle of the belt loops as well as the “pocket borders” are sewn folding the fabric inside to create an embossing that will fade really nicely.

That’s all for now. I have nothing more to say tonight, as said, it’s the people that make the difference. Thanks for a great fair guys! Stay tuned for more. Although the Copenhagen Fashion Week is over, we’re just getting started. Peace, I’m out…

Hi Y’all,

First off, if you’re browsing the blog on your mobile device like iPhone or Blackberry you might have noticed that we have integrated mobile browsing theme to the blog to make it easier to read our updates with your mobile device. So if your checking in with your iPhone the view will be something like this.

To switch back to the normal view just scroll down and choose to turn off the mobile theme.

Now, back to business.

This week I crossed the first month mark in my current denim project and well what can I say. The jeans get better by the day. Well since it has been a month already I should be posting more detailed pics of the jeans but to be frank there is not much to show just yet. Although the denim is slightly lighter in color and also a bit finer in texture, there is still not much marks to show at this point. However I do have to point out that these jeans to wear a bit faster than the Vintage Label Momotaro Jeans. There are certain wear marks already that did not appear until after first washes with my previous project.

The winter still rages on here in Finland and although we did have few sunny days this week most of the time it’s still that same old cold and snowy weather. The roads are totally covered with snow and in some locations the city (or whoever is in charge of the roads and sidewalks) is definitely not doing their share in shoveling the snow from the sidewalks. Like I was showing in my last post, some folks will only find their cars during the Spring when the snow melts.

The deep snow has also worn the cuffs of my jeans at a much faster pace than in the past as you can see below.

The cuffs are usually the first to experience the tear side of things but not yet (touch wood) just some lighter shades due to constant encounters with the snow.

The creasing on the back of the jeans is showing signs of what we can expect as the project proceeds.

This time around I am not planning to give the jeans any soakings until I really need to or until the snow has melted and perhaps I can soak the jeans in the lake like last time. Well that’s only few months ahead but just to keep the jeans as fresh as possible I will bury the jeans into snow for a minute. I know this does not really have much of an effect but it has a psychological effect. Hey, folks with no snow stuff their jeans into a freezer to keep them fresh during their wear and tear projects. Thankfully we’ll still have snow for a long time, haha. No jeans in my freezer, period.

But that’s all for now, my next Copper G003-MB project update will most likely be posted from Copenhagen. Most of our crew will be heading to Denmark for the Terminal-2 fair on Wednesday but I’ll post a little preview on that on Tuesday. Don’t forget our Chinese New Year promotion and stay tuned for our updates. We love you all, I’m out, peace.

Hi Y’all,

When I said let it snow, let it snow, let it snow I did not expect Helsinki to experience snowfall of such proportions. I am not sure if Helsinki has seen such a winter in a decade or something (again I could be wrong considering I have not been around for almost half of the time) but still the winter’s great. I am sure many car owners might disagree with this statement as we see below. Oh, and that isn’t my car.

Keep an eye on your car, or you might not see it until spring.

Back to the denim project. I am not letting my jeans off easy. No holidays and no off-days. The weather has been very snowy for the past few days but prior to this we had a number of really and I mean really cold days. I think it was like -20 Degrees Celsius for like 4 days straight. But it’s fine, on these cold days it’s usually really sunny and beautiful out there and hey, it’s just a matter of dressing up for the occasion. My choice is same as usual, heavy oz denim. You can’t go wrong with that. Naturally I do have a shirt or two as well as a proper parka not to forget my trusted timberland boots, but when it comes to bottoms the jeans have not failed me not even in -23.

The weather has calmed down and warmed up it’s awesome -5 and lots and lots of snow.

So I get to continue my current project where I let off with my Vintage 0901 project. That is, introduce the jeans to snow as often as you can. Because few months later, the snow is nothing but a memory from the near future (seriously few months later the snow makes a glorious comeback).

One thing I realized about this set of jeans is that I start to see fading a bit faster than with the Vintage Label jeans. This could be the result of the special cotton as well as the natural blue dye used with the Copper Label but 3 weeks on and I can see whiskers forming. More of this next week or so. Now, another snowy picture.

I guess I mentioned that I love the fit. The jeans have adjusted really well in the past few weeks and although the jeans are slightly slimmer than what I am used to, the fit is just amazing. As I’m writing this, it has started to snow again and I’m expecting the traffic to be a mess tomorrow morning but that’s cool. Gonna chill for a minute now and gather some strength for another week of on this crazy journey.

Stay tuned for more and don’t forget your car. I’m out, peace.

Hi Y’all,

I’ve been flying around as if I had wings on my back. It’s all good though, I enjoy flying though it would be good to land at some point as if you fly for too long you’ll become rootless and it’ll be difficult to keep you feet on the ground. What I meant to say was that I have been just a bit preoccupied with a thing or two.

Nevertheless my Momotaro Jeans Copper Label G003-MB jeans have been with me the whole time. I have not gone to the extreme of wearing the jeans while sleeping, but other than that I’ve worn them all the time. Last time I promised you some fit pics and I stand behind my words, here you go (Pardon the camera phone quality and my scarf censoring the lovely Aki Hoshino on my shirt).

The fit is indeed a bit slimmer from the Vintage Label 0901 Jeans I was wearing last year. But still the jeans are awesome. Definitely softer in texture all because of the fine cotton used in making the jeans. Speaking of the production process, if you have not done so yet, check out our Media Centre for some videos of the production process of the Momotaro Jeans, the sewing bit shows the sewing of Copper Label jeans. Made by hand without compromise.

Back to the project, below some pics of the jeans in their current glory.

The front (forgot the belt into the picture)

And the back (no belt this time). Notice the stacks on the back of the knees, these should develop rather nicely in few months.

The seat is still pretty much in their original state although there has been some wear on the hidden rivets and the belt loop on the back. The back of the jeans is sure to fade more in the months to come, at least if the jeans are anything similar to the Vintage Label project. See I can’t help but to compare these jeans to my previous project. I need to let go, but what can I say, it’s difficult, heh.

I really love the leather patch on the Copper Label Momotaro Jeans. Simple, clean and just awesome. Also due to the pre-washed state of the jeans, every leather patch is pretty much different from one another.

Last I leave you with a picture of my belt in its current state, I can’t help but to appreciate the stubbornness of the belt. I was sure it would break within a year. It’s been already 1,5 years and it’s still going strong. Way to go belt!

That’s all for this edition of Copper G003-MB, keep checking our blog and our updates on other social media channels. Oh, and don’t forget our New Year’s Promotion and the upcoming KIKS TYO tees. We love you all now I’m getting back to my list of emails and things to do. Be easy and I’m out…

Hi Y’all,

It’s been long time coming and my new denim Project has officially begun. For the starters I thought of just sharing some detailed pics of the jeans in their current fresh form. I have worn the jeans for few days already and I have to tell you, they’re great. I mean the Vitnage Label Momotaro Jeans are just rugged heavy duty Vintage jeans, but the Copper Label is something else. They’re also the heavy oz selvedge denim Momotaro is known for, but they’re softer than Vintage Label. The softness is partially due to the cotton blend used in the jeans. The fabric is mixture of organic cotton used in other Momotaro jeans, but also features fine cotton used in dress shirts. This gives the denim a very soft feel. The inside (back) of the jeans has a natural indigo dyed fabric, which I suppose adds to the softness, and looks nice.

The inside pockets are also indigo dyed and feature a Japan Blue patch. You can also notice that the Copper Label features the same pink selvedge as the Vintage Label.

Unlike the Vintage Label Momotaro Jeans, the Copper Label comes sanforized. Washed in the essence of Seto Sea water the jeans. They say that “the blue color of the denim is kept more natural by using special cotton with long fibers that lets the jeans wear in unique and personal ways.” Indeed the jeans have a very peculiar blue to them. The color is lighter than in the Vintage Label but very deep. I would imagine they will fade really nicely. Below a pic showing the color of my Vintage 0901 (washed, worn and torn) and the fresh Copper Label denim. Also note the stitching on the right back pocket of the jeans. Something new as the Vintage Label had plain back pockets.

The timing is perfect for the start of the denim project. Winter is at its finest and the jeans have already met with snow, heh. Normally I would give the jeans a hot soaking before starting to wear them in, but this time I skipped this part as the jeans are indeed pre-washed and the fit is pretty much perfect. Thus they have only been “soaked” in snow, heh.

The buttons have an old school look to them and fit very nicely to the rugged but stylish look of the Copper Label.

I will save the fit pics to the next edition but the particular journey has now officially begun. Later this week I will post the summary of the 0901 Journey. That’s all for now. Be safe y’all, I’m out…

Hi Y’all,

Second day of the year and the weather is getting even colder. Yesterday I finished my Vintage 0901 -project with another wash and today I am starting my new Copper GL003-MB journey. Am I excited? Yes, who wouldn’t love a pair of new jeans. The project will start off in a very, very interesting weather as the temperature is about -20 degrees Celsius as I am writing this and should drop down to -30 tonight. Thus I will start my report tomorrow, after I put these jeans through their first elemental test.

But before we get down to reminiscing the good “old” days of the 0901 -project or the proper introductions of the new projects, I have a little something different for your reading pleasure this Saturday. I recently got my hands on an issue of WorkWear -magazine from Japan. Let me tell you, this magazine is something else. Imagine this, a huge magazine full of denim/ workwear articles and plenty of great denim.

I will share few stories and scans from the magazine in the future as well but will start off with few selected scans today. The reason I originally got my hands on the magazine was due to its articles and ads of our dear friend Momotaro Jeans and just wanted to share few scans with you.

The article shares few pics and details on the Copper Label as well as Going to War/Battle label -Momotaro Jeans. This works well with the start of my Copper Label journey today.

The translations are available per request and I will definitely be posting more similar articles as these come available.

I leave you with a throwback denim ad from the same magazine, a blast from the past might I say. Hercules, the world’s best quality overalls. I’m off to the freezing weather out there, so enjoy your weekend. But if your neck of the woods has same weather as here and you’re going out there, packs few layers of clothing just to stay warm. Peace, I’m out.

Merry Christmas y’all,

The holidays are coming to an end this year and we’re getting ready for the last week of the year 2009.

I have avoided the notebook as well as my phone for most of the holidays (or at least tried to) in order to relax for a moment. During the holidays our little election came to an end on the Christmas eve and my next project is now decided. I am still putting my current 0901 project through the test of winter element and I can tell that the jeans are working real well even during the harsh winters of Finland. Actually I feel as if I would really love to continue the current project for another year and I realized that some of you felt the same way as 14% of the voters thought that I should continue the project as the jeans would most definitely become even better in time.

Well I will still post another 0901 update by the end of the year but now the winner of the “election”. Fanfares…

The winner is Momotaro Copper Label – G003-MB with 24% of the votes.

At first it seemed as if Lil’ Brooklyn or 0905SP would have taken the title but in the end G003-MB turned out to be the winner. These wide straight leg jeans from Momotaro Jeans are definitely among the finest jeans out there. First-class cotton is used in production of the denim and special indigo dyeing technique is used to create the jeans’ deep blue color. The color of the jeans is a bit lighter than the almost black dye of the Vintage label jeans. Another difference is that the jeans are sanforized, washed with the essence of Seto Sea Water. Thus I would imagine we will see some differences in this project as it kicks off.

I will post the first official edition of the Copper G003-MB -project in the beginning of 2010 but for pictures and info on the

That’s all for now, I am off to enjoy the last day of the Christmas 2009. Fortunately next Christmas is only a year away.

Be easy everyone and have a great week ahead…