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Emil’s Studio D’Artisan 25th Anniversary Jeans

by ECorsillo on Oct 28, 2010 in Emil Corsillo

After almost 5 months of wearing my Ooe Yofukutens nearly every day, I washed them at the laundromat and they shrunk to a point that made them uncomfortably tight. Ugh. So, I decided to retire them and I went back to a rotation of some of my older pairs of jeans.

The pictures here show my Studio D’Artisan 25th Anniversary jeans that I bought back in 2005 on a trip to Japan. They were a limited edition of 300 pairs, and they came in a cool box with an awesome banner made from the same denim that jeans are constructed from. Details like exposed dome rivets, the leather patch on the top of the back right pocket with “D’Artisan” written in Wrangler’s classic “rope” font, and a uniquely shaped coin pocket all making reference to some specific pair of Wranglers (I don’t know what year or era).

I’ve worn these jeans on and off for 5 years. They spent about 8 months in the possession of my friend Cathal (owner of Folk), as part of a trade we made. I then traded him a new pair of Real McCoy’s because I wanted my D’Artisans back. These have been repaired in the crotch by our trusted friend Mari (I highly recommend Mari’s services: chainstitchnyc@gmail.com) and more recently I enlisted Chris from Stanley & Sons to give me a hand-stitched knee patch. Once my Ooe Yofukutens became unwearable these jeans quickly rose to the top of my rotation, and it was a lot of fun while it lasted . . .

. . . they have served as a bridge between my Yofukutens and my next pair of Denim Debate jeans — Tender’s SS11 Type 103 Jeans. I recently received a sample pair from William Kroll, Tender’s founder, and I will be sending initial photos shortly.

(And the Ooe Yofukutens have not disappeared for good. I gave them to my friend Quentin, who has been wearing them for a few weeks now. Hopefully we’ll have some photos soon. They should be at about the 6 1/2 month point by now, between the two of us.)

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Ooe Yofukuten | Crotch Repair

by ECorsillo on Mar 17, 2010 in Emil Corsillo

The photos here show my Ooe Yofukuten #2702s after wearing them every day for three months, washed once in cold water and hung to dry, and finally with the crotch hole repaired. I should mention that this crotch hole occurred as a rip, not from the jeans wearing through. It was initially a really small tear about half an inch long right at the inseam that was the result of a drunken wrestling match in a hotel lobby in Madison, Wisconsin. I proceeded to wear the jeans for another month, and the hole grew bigger and bigger. I don’t think this tear in the crotch is due to the craftsmanship of my jeans, rather I think it’s more a consequence of the lightweight denim I chose.

About the repair: I brought my jeans to my friend Mari Shimazaki, an alum of 45rpm who runs a small denim repair operation out of her Manhattan apartment. I asked her to give me a “traditional” repair, nothing fancy, just homemade and all business. I’m not a fan of the crazy elaborate “reweaving” or “invisible patch” processes that some of the high-end denim repair places practice. An authentically patched hole just looks cool, and it adds character to a pair of jeans.

The next day Mari sent me the following note: “So, your jeans….I patched them with soft indigo dyed cotton fabric since your denim is light weight. I left some white weft thread around the hole on purpose because I thought it looks more “Old Fashioned”…. Hope you like it.” Another day went by and a package arrived at my door. I opened it to find exactly what I’d hoped for: a simple, utilitarian repair job. If you want a quick, friendly, and really legit repair job I highly recommend Mari’s services: chainstitchnyc@gmail.com. She also has a vintage Union Special chain-stitch machine so she can give you beautiful hems.

I’m stoked to be wearing my Ooe’s again. So far they’ve stood up to everything I’ve thrown at them, except drunk hotel lobby wrestling.

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Ooe patch

3 Months In | Ooe Yofukuten #2702s

by ECorsillo on Mar 15, 2010 in Emil Corsillo

<img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1503" title="Ooe patch" src="http://denimdebate.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Picture-16-1024×556

.png” alt=”" width=”1024″ height=”556″ />It’s been three months since I started wearing my custom Ooe Yofukuten #2702s. I started wearing them on Thanksgiving and wore them every day through the end of February. No washes or rinses or soaks yet. They still fit me perfectly and have become incredibly comfortable. The only minor negative thing I can say about these jeans is that they are perhaps a bit too lightweight for winter in the Northeast. On really cold days I miss the weight of my previous pair of jeans — Samurai S0500XX 15oz Texas cotton.

That cold weather problem has been compounded by the fact that I ripped a hole in the crotch, making them extra drafty. I continued to wear them after the crotch hole for about a month, but the need for a repair and the fact that they are really starting to smell gross has forced me to take a break.

The photos you see here are pre-wash, pre-crotch repair. I am going to wash them in the washing machine, just like any other article of clothing, air dry them, and then send them off to my friend Mari who has a small denim repair business that she runs out of her apartment in Manhattan. Stay tuned for post-wash, post-repair photos . . .

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It’s been three months since I started wearing my custom Ooe Yofukuten #2702s. I started wearing them on Thanksgiving and wore them every day through the end of February. No washes or rinses or soaks yet. They still fit me perfectly and have become incredibly comfortable. The only minor negative thing I can say about these jeans is that they are perhaps a bit too lightweight for winter in the Northeast. On really cold days I miss the weight of my previous pair of jeans — Samurai S0500XX 15oz Texas cotton.
That cold weather problem has been compounded by the fact that I ripped a hole in the crotch, making them extra drafty. I continued to wear them after the crotch hole for about a month, but the need for a repair and the fact that they are really starting to smell gross has forced me to take a break.
The photos you see here are pre-wash, pre-crotch repair. I am going to wash them in the washing machine, just like any other article of clothing, air dry them, and then send them off to my friend Mari who has a small denim repair business that she runs out of her apartment in Manhattan. Stay tuned for post-wash, post-repair photos . . .


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Initial Impressions | Ooe Yofukuten

by ECorsillo on Mar 08, 2010 in Emil Corsillo

Style #2702, which refers to their #27 denim and their original #02 shape. Shape 02 was their slimmest, and modeled after mid-1960s Levi’s (they are changing Shape #02 to something very different in the near future). They are a very simple shape with limited construction details consistent with 1960s Levi’s (no hidden rivets, no selvedge in the coin pocket, etc.). I chose their #27 denim because it has a medium weight (approximately 14oz) and is a bit unique with brown weft yarns. I also asked them to give me random non-matching plaid fabrics for the pocket bags, and I’m really happy with what they chose. It was nice to have a bit of a surprise when I opened the box. Ooe’s jeans carry a true waist measurement, so I bought a size 34 and they fit perfectly.

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