The denim industry owes so much to Evisu, the first brand to re-create vintage denim on the original looms (similar to the one pictured). When it comes to good quality raw selvedge denim there really isn’t many brands that can touch Evisu’s knowledge and experience. Whoever disses Evisu surely hasn’t had the chance to experience the quality of the denim….its undeniably on point.
Admittedly there was a time when it was hard to see the quality, the last 4 years the streets have been awash with bad Evisu jeans (see above). Snide Evisu was nearly as common as snide Burberry and even the fakes were overly expensive.
Early this year Evisu announced Scott Morrison, the co-founder of both Paper Denim & Cloth and Earnest Sewn, will be joining the Evisu team as CEO and creative Director. Seeing a brand like Evisu making average apparel and below par footwear has been disappointing. Im not sure what direction the brand will take but surely its time to go back to simple design and top quality denim.
My favourite pair from Evisu’s current season are the Evisu Classic Jean which are inspired by the Wrangler shape (top 3 heritage denim brand).
The denim used is the No2 Evisu denim which is deep blue with a slight hint of red. The denim has also been sanforized a process which was invented in 1933 which prevents it from twisting and shrinking when washed. They also weigh in at a nice heavy weight of 13.7oz which make them perfect for the winter.
The toning down of the branding is one thing Evisu seem to have addressed losing the ‘hand painted’ seagull off the pockets is a good move. Its not like Yamane-san is still sitting there giving each pair his brush strokes.
This pair is available from Oki-Ni.
Are you still hating or like me are you a fan?
32 comments:
Ollie, u should take a look at the denim gap offer. They have a massive range of fits and the quality is amazing. I got a pair of slim fit indigo about 2 years back and they are still pretty neat. i mean the colour has faded but shape and quality is still there.
Plus there round about 40 pounds.
still hating.
Currently I would say I'm not a fan of Evisu jeans, and I'm certainly not a fan of there other clothing. However, as you rightly said, the denim quality is some of the best available, even when you compare them to LVC, Flathead, Samurai, and other high quality japanese denim brands.
I actually don't mind the classic gull design, as long as it is just two on the back pockets, but I wouldn't wear a pair because there are too many poorly dressed lyle and scott brigade types wearing them. Those plain ones on Oki ni, look OK, and if they carry on producing more subtle designs like that there heading in the right direction in my opinion. For the price though, I wouldn't buy those over LVC's, for example.
I think more denim brands should be covered on the blog!
Oh and Evisu raw denim do make a good project, I have seen some great examples after 1-2 years wear.
can never go wrong with carharrt. If you dont own a pair of carharrt jeans, then ure simply mad.
I beg to differ Marv
too much stacking.
i agree ^^ and gap do good jeans may i add..also
1998 - 2000 Before London was flooded with fake's Evisu was THE jean to rock. If you were busting them then you either grinded or your rents were rich.
Before They even had different different coloured Gull's let alone 40 of them all over the item. And the Gull was still hand painted.
Then i was a lover, and i still have 2 pairs, from when they first arrived at Natterjacks when i was a saturday boy there in 99.
Shame they went the way they did.
Good post Ollie!
ollie, them evisus are shit...look how high the rise is and how big the back pockets are.
evisu are just a shit brand for mugs...you can get lvcs for the same price or cheaper and their better in every way..the arcs and red ted on the back pockets of a pair of lvcs are a thing of beauty
apc new stanards are another better cheaper option
OR you can pay £50 - £100 more than a pair of evisus and get some samurais and have some REAL high quality denim
Evisu were originally called Evis as a snide Levi denim, as Evis bought the orginal Levis loom to japan.
good post, for me it's Albam all the way
evisu quality isnt there anymore, esp with the made in italy stuff etc
losing the painted arcuate is one step away from authenticity again
much better japanese denim brands out there for not much more money
lvc is a good cheaper option, apc too
respect evisu though
Evisu is good quality in the sense of durability but the cut of the jeans are shit only 1 shape of person can fit into them
ollie wears kappa joggers with hot rock burns in anyway, so allow it.
APC
Evisu problem is who's wear them these days.. and thats very difficult to step back from, I've got a couple of pairs somewhere from about 10 years ago. used to love them.
Things have moved on, Yen had it for a bit, kind of lost it now, Evisu style. They totally missed the skinny thing coming. Edwins where ok but too available to to masses too quickly.
Levi 511, nice everyday jean.. Levi reds still doing good thinks too.
But I'm currently LOVING my 2 pairs of Trousers London. All be it there not really everyday jeans
^ Yes, Levi 511 best jeans out in my opinion.
But 10 years ago, Evisu did have the skinny fits, then for some reason went nuts.
I bought a pair of chicks hand painted's when i was 15 from Pie in Kingston and im not ashamed.
anon at 16:11 is lego posting under an anonymous name
Jeans are always dope, which Levis are the ones tapered at the bottom?
How about sammies/flathead/imperial/nbhd? Try buying your jeans from places other than the high street before commenting on "the best denim in the world"
Tan has a hair do like a fair ground kid anyway, you have to allow that foolishness.
jeans are jeans, standard.
^ Hahaha Dun Know the fairground kid trim.
It was standard if you were 14/15 in the 90's and small to buy chicks evisu's for the slim but sagged fit. Most of us had size 5/6 feet aswell and could get the kids 110's.
Most of you anons are probably born 87 and above, i could teach you all day.
i remember when i got this long denim evisu skirt, think it was around 98 or something, i was strutting around the ends like i was THE MACK!
but i found the jeans REEEEALY uncomfortable. don't think they really work on people with curves in all the right places (or in the wrong places, in my case).
also, when i washed that skirt, the ENTIRE FUCKING LOGO washed off, SCREWING! no more mack walking for me =(
Don't you know anything...
You should Never, Ever Wash Denim
That witty comment was ruined by its ridiculously serious reply.
(The mack comes from within my young padawon)
anon 16:13
can't lie i have 3 pairs of uniqlo jeans buuut thy only cost me £25 and not £40.
Peace to the middle east.
^ You strange person
i think 22:56 might be mentally retarded.
If you go into the Evisu store you will find some of the best quality denim on the market.
Unfortunately and for whatever reason, they have decided to keep this close to own retail and only offer their retail outlets the choice of the EU ED stuff.
The latter is not as nice, and in some cases features the horrible all over branding that has turned everyone off.
Point being, no matter how amazing the core product is, as long as they are still putting out lesser quality and poorly designed offerings you will not find people liking the overall brand on an actual quality basis. Evisu does not simply =quality.
Now when I say 'people' I mean us, people who actually care about denim quality and fit.
There are, believe it or not, other 'people', those who don't care AT ALL about that, and save up specifically to go out and purchase the most raucous looking Evisus they can. This also includes Japanese evisu fans.
So you can thus see that there is a dilemma in that if they were to focus on only one segment of the denim buying market, they would lose out, it is a business, a big one.
Point now being that I feel we should try and stop caring what other people are buying into and use our denim savvy to look through their product offering and find items that are suitable, independent of what lesser goods are on offer.
Just because someone is wearing a fake pair or an all over pocket pair in the same place as you, wearing your handpainted raws, does not mean that other people will immediately associate you - in fact if you are as savvy as I assume, the people in your company will instantly appreciate that you are wearing an authentic / high qaulity pair. If you are on your own then be happy in the knowledge of that.
Evisu is not a shit brand, it has some shit (biased to our views) product. Shit product that still sells and is in no way going against the mission of a denim company.
To everyone hailing the superiority of Levis - I agree totally, they are my favourite jeans. But have none of you been to the states where you can buy them in service stations?
That is no different to what Evisu are doing, although it is a little more in your face.
"Ah but I like LVC, that's different" you may say.
Well, Evisu Heritage denim in-store is entirely different to what you've seen in your everyday streetwear store.
Ollie you are my man but, Ive gotta hate, I don't think Evisu is all that in terms of denim, LVC, Sugarcane, PRPS would come first to mention in terms of denim with me but at the end of the day it's all self preference right? I mean lets think of how old Levi's is in terms of heritage let alone experience. Evisu are still okay tho.
I've recently bought 2 pairs of April 77 jeans and they are also to watch out for, they do not come in selvedge but are nice as staple pieces.
Nuff luv,
Kev
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