DEN

IMIO THE ULTIMATE

PRIMER

A GUIDE TO DENIM

ON DENIM,

W W W . D E N I M I O . C O M

INTRODUCTIO

NTO

DENIM''It may seem daunting.

We won't argue with that.''

These are all great brands made by the most storied and expert hands. You can’t find a bad prod-uct here. I slide into a pair of

Denime’s and I feel at home. They fit so well. I look at some Flat Heads and they have such an interesting darkness about them—the same goes for Eternal. And Momotaro there exist so many varia-bles. We carry this wide range of brands because we believe in all of them, know they all make a fantastic product, and, above all, understand that those who come to us are from different walks of life and every corner of the world. There's something here for everyone.

Looking at these brands and all they have to offer may seem intimidating at first, but with a little bit of patience you will have this figured out in no time. It just takes a moment to get a feel for what you need. It is a little bit like buying a car, bike or computer — you do your research. You’re trying to find your denim partner, that pair of denim that will be a part of your history. So you spend some time trying to figure out what is best for you. You ask other people. Or you simply go with your gut instinct. You do you. As you should. And with time, you come to find what you want. Like we said though, everything we carry is the best of the best, so in all likelihood, whatever you decide, you won’t be disappointed.

But what about your fit!!. Hoping it doesn’t shrink too much or too little! Hoping it will accommodate your weight loss/gain. Are they too baggy? Are they too slim?

BREATHE, RELAXThat’s what we’re here to do. We are know-it-alls, because we love this stuff. This is our passion. You have questions. We’ve got answers. We minimize the uncertainty out of buying your first, second or hundredth pair of high end Japanese denim. When you buy Deni-mio, you buy knowing that we will work with you to find exactly what you want and need. We wouldn’t do anything less. If you have any questions, please use our live chat system or email support@denimio.com. Our experts are passion-ate -- and global -- so your questions will be answered accurately and promptly.

WHETHER YOU'RE SEEKING A SPIRITUAL BOND WITH YOUR NEW JAPANESE RAW DENIM OR THOSE

CAPTIVATING SICK FADES, WE GOT YOU. THIS GUIDE

IS TO HELP GET YOU STARTED

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INTRODUCTIO

NTO

DENIM

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UNSANFORIZED VS. SANFORIZED?

Those words seem farfetched, if not scientific. But it is a little more simple than you'd think:

In 1930, an American gentleman noticed a large discrepancy in the production of denim in the Unit-

ed States. Denim often shrank at varying rates. This led him to produce a machine that steam

treated cotton fibers to be preshrunk, which elimi-nated the need to worry about cotton pants, in-

cluding denim, shrinking when getting wet. Sanford Lockwood Cluett (hence Sanforized) developed a

tool that made it easier for decades’ worth of den-im wearers to understand how to size their denim.

This breaks denim down into two categories. San-forized denim is pre-shrunk, pre-steamed and

soaked. It will possibly stretch some, depending on the denim, but the expressed goal of sanforization

is to eliminate all shrink during soak.

The other school of thought is the purchase of unsanforized denim, and it has its merits as well.

When a denim is shrunk-to-fit, as the old Levi’s ads said, it can better morph to the body. Pre-shrunk

denim often appears “shinier” and is more starchy, or rougher. However, plenty of unsanforized den-

ims are also rough, but known to be softer post-soak. Denim also increases in weight (per square

yard) after being soaked, as the density increases. Courtesy of our Instagram friend @halfresky we have a great soak shot here. Some people say to

wear your jeans in the tub to be mindful of the waist, some soak their jeans in a mop bucket.

There's no wrong way to do it, whatever works for you. Experiment.

Often our customers will do a cold soak instead of a warm soak. We associate a bath with warm-

er water, but a cold soak is often very practical. Colder water will still allow the denim to shrink,

but it won’t shrink quite as much as a warm soak. Warmer water has the tendency to shrink denim

more. When sizing up we see customers doing the warmest soak they can – this is practical as it helps to get all of the shrink out. We even see customers wear their jeans into the ocean to soak them initial-ly. The abrasiveness of the sand will help to soften

them up more quickly, however be careful – they

The first thing to consider whenapproaching Japanese denim is simple:

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are very likely to have taken on the small of the ocean! Ocean soak at your discretion.

The soaking of unsanforized denim (and some hardcore denimheads don’t even soak, ever! — though this isn’t recommended, as it of-

ten can change your fit, fades and opinion of your jeans) shrinks it and softens it. Often it brings out different levels of blue. Different

shades and hues, as well as more consistent fading. None of this is science though. Think of it as art.

Certain brands like ONI are known to stretch more, so, often buyers “size down” or buy a size or two below their actual waist size, to ac-

count for the stretching, and to ensure a better fit, ultimately. (Most exchanges are due to buying denim too small, so please, ask use for our advice first, before sizing down).We also carry brands like Mo-

motaro and Japan Blue, known for their lack of stretch.

It is recommended to find your waist size — by either the “360 degree method” or the “flat method.” ” — and figure out the denim

for you from there. For the majority of our products we provide measurements in both formats. If you’re used to the flat method,

go ahead and follow that, lay 'em flat and measure across the waist, then multiply your number by two.  If not, take that measuring tape

and use the 360 degree method.  We're going to do everything we can to get your jeans to fit the way you need them to fit.  For a start,

we would recommend looking at our online guide here: http://www.denimio.com/sizing-guide

It is often recommended with your first pair of high-end Japanese denim to be a sanforized pair, so you can avoid some of the sizing

problems often encountered by first-time buyers with unsanforized denim.  Some say unsanforized denim has more character than

sanforized denim — remember, this is only according to some — but unsanforized denim undeniably provides more certainty when it

comes to fit and in regard to stretch.

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LOWER RISE jeans are popular. Pay attention to this.

Certain customers like a lower or higher rise, and they pay attention to their rise’s measurement. The lower the rise, the higher the waist measurement will be. Low rise denim is meant to be worn lower on the hip. Look at jeans like the ONI 512 or many pairs in Japan Blue’s lineup for this. (Conversely, look at other pairs by ONI, most of Momotaro’s lineup and also Samurai’s for a mid to high rise and see how that differs in fit).

THIGH measurement is very, very impor-tant to pay attention to. Often pre-

mium brands like ONI and Japan Blue have very lean thigh measurements relative to their hem and waist measurements. It is said to “size by the thighs.” Brands like this are the perfect reason. Pay attention to the measurements before and after soak on our website and see how they vary. Diehard denimheads often “size up” to accommodate for their thighs that are too tight, while having a big waist, in pairs like the ONI 512 (left).

Aside from the shrinking, or not shrinking, of the cotton,

there are a few other things to consider

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INSEAM measurements are very important. While a 34” or 36” inseam is more than enough for most of us—with a cuff—some of us

look for a 39” inseam or above. In the brands we carry, that is most often seen in Samurai and SDA. Rawr Denim wrote a fantastic article on different inseam lengths that accommodate taller individuals here: rawrdenim.com/2013/05/10-pairs-of-raw-denim-with-34-inseams

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INDIGO BLEED. Yes, indigo can bleed onto your things. Sometimes you may find small traces of it on your car seat,

your couch and your shoes/boots. That is part of the beauty of this, part of the journey. Your denim is alive and constantly changing in character due to the nature of real indigo dye. People who buy these pants know this. Embrace it!

HARDWARE. Some brands love to usome brands love to

use copper or steel hardware. All the brands we car-ry use different hardware for different reasons. Look at the different rivets of our brands — strong, color-ful, unique — every brand has something new to offer. Every brand from Denime to Eternal to Pure Blue Ja-pan to Samurai; each and every brand we carry has a unique approach on hardware and we appreciate them all equally. Each approach to hardware is equally artis-tic and beautiful but it is for you to figure out what you like.  A great example of hardware and how it can add to the look of denim would be our recent collaboration with Momotaro.  There's even some indigo bleed in this shot, more on that in just a second!

IT 'S ABOUT THE LITTLE THINGS

THE IMPORTANCE OF THIGHS, DETAILS, DENIM WEIGHT

AND FADES

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WEIGHT. The old school dungarees worn by miners were around

10oz. but they were worn over other things. A con-ventional pair of quality, Japanese denim is typically between 13oz and 15oz. This would include your ba-sic, entry level pairs, as well as some of the highest level pairs of Japanese denim. Often, among selvage denim fans, a very heavy weight is thought of as be-ing the highest indicator of quality. And while, yes, it takes more sophisticated machinery to produce it, it does not necessarily mean that it is better or worse than other denim. Some of the nicest denim we car-ry is below 14oz. and is manufactured unlike any-thing else on earth Bear in mind that many times the

weight of the denim is simply a practical decision: heavier denim is thicker and more appropriate for cooler weather, while lighter denim is thinner and breathes more, making it more appropriate for warmer weather. For example, we offer jeans sold at 10oz, just like the miners, as that is a great weight for summer. We in this business get so used to heavy weight denim that we often forget the importance of a solid pair of lightweight denim.

Heavyweight denim is usually thought of as being more robust due to weight, but that is not always the case. A heavy weight pair is not an insurance policy, though a heavy pair could in some cases mean a more robust construction. A heavier pair

also usually means more friction, more creasing. This means a higher level of indigo to lose and hence higher-contrast or pronounced fades. Often denimheads prefer heavier weight denim precisely because of this: to obtain the highest and most striking level of fades.

Fades can be split into a few main categories, which you will often hear and read about when people are discussing raw denim:

• The “whiskers” are formed on the “top block,” or the front top, from the crotch to waistline and are called that due to their resemblance of cat or animal whiskers.

• The “honeycombs,” or the creases that form in the area behind the knees as one walks and moves and the top block going down the knees. They are called honeycombs because they are similar in shape to a stretched-out honeycomb.

• The “stacks” are when a pair of denim is slightly longer than your legs (long inseam) and actually stacks on top of a pair of shoes or boots and forms a diamond sort of pattern, creasing atop the foot-wear.

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photo by @marzipansgd9

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Your fit is how the jeans, quite literally, fit on you. Some people prefer a rocker-style skin tight fit. Others prefer wider-legged denim. There are a handful of basic fits we see, and this can

help guide you.

Skinny fits, or “narrow straight,” are seen often in Europe, North America and Asia, but they’re popular everywhere. With the right thigh (again, the thigh is usually the first thing after the waist to be considered when sizing) and knee, a skinny fit can be very flattering. We see this a lot in rock and roll type of outfits, which is interesting, as the style began with rebels in the French Revolution, graduated to Ivy League schools in the United States, and ultimately became popular with Hollywood. Western film stars were seen in them and they’ve been iconic since. Interestingly enough, however, we now are seeing Hollywood embrace the more relaxed fits, which may sway the trend again in that direction.

Slim jeans, often seen as a “tight straight” fit, are similar to skinny jeans, but a little bit wider. They’re modern. They’re fitted and trim like skinny jeans but with a little bit more room. They often tend to have a straighter leg, though they have a slim silhouette. They hug the wearer less but still flatter the wearer all the same. With denim made in Japan a “tight straight” fit will fit more like a slim fit in The West.

Tapered jeans. These are essential. Essentially, a tapered jean is a jean with a wider top than bottom, thus the taper. They’re popular in very many circles, and for good reason. They give the wearer more room up top in the thigh, and taper off toward the bottom hem opening, giving a fitted look that is more comfortable than a conventional skinny fit. Tapered jeans are the go-to jean for very, very many fans of Japanese denim.

A relaxed or straight leg fit is classic. The first fit ever produced. This is the fit made to be worn over long underwear if you were a Forty-Niner. This is the holy grail. A straight leg fit pair of jeans is where everything began. They’re less form-fitting and more of an “anti-fit,” as they were made to not be trim, initially. This fit is essential — straight leg fits are seen on forties and fifties Hollywood stars, so for many hip trendsetters in Southeast Asia and people in-the-know, this is a timeless fit. We often see jeans like this cuffed high, with pride, and with classic shirts — flannels, white t-shirts and denim jackets.

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Somet Writer's PantsSource: global.rakuten.com

''A skinny fit can look great on the right person with the right outfit, but

be careful -- it can be a slippery slope!''

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cess as simple as possible for you.

YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH A PIECE WE CAR-

RY. WE DO ALL THE TIME. THAT’S GREAT.

But wait! It’s too big! Or too small! Or it doesn’t look quite like you wanted it to look. Or you think the silhouette isn’t for you — it doesn’t matter. Even if you want a differ-ent color or you simply changed your mind! We get it: Returning items—especially items designed to mold to your body—should be a process with-out headache.

So that’s what we’ve done. What do you do when you want to return or ex-change one of our items?

Go here:

denimio.com/return-re-quest-simple.html

After receiving your request to return or ex-change your item, we will get in contact with you so that our courier ser-

vice can pick the items up from wherever you may be. This will be cheaper than using a regular mail service since we have dis-counted rates and much smoother. Trust us.

A few minor rules though:

1. The item must be unworn, unsoaked and still have tags.

2. The item must be re-turned in the original packaging.

3. The request to return must be made with a week of receiving the order.

And VOILA! Headache gone.

If you’ve any questions, please contact support@denimio.com with your order number and name and all of your issues will be attended to.

Our philosophyis simple

A myriad of indigo-dyed masterpieces, jackets, t-shirts and more that embody the spirit of Japan — kind, historic, intelligent clothing with positive simplicity and formality. This is the stuff dreams are, quite literally, made of. Incredibly high quality clothing full of history and structural integrity. We are more than proud to wear our brands Every. Single. Day.

We want to share all this passion and this love we have for Japanese sel-vedge and raw denim with you. Wherever you may be in the world. And to accomplish this, we are making the buying pro-

WE AIM TO PROVIDE YOU WITH THE GREATEST RAW DENIM IN THE WORLD,

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We’d like to thank all our customers and fans and ask them

what they’re looking for next. What brands would you like to

see represented here? What would you like to see us do?

Think blue. Think Denimio.