When Hajime Inoue started TCB back in 2012, he was more fond of the classic vintages like 501XX model, 66 model because those vintages appeared perfect for him back in days. Still, as he's got more skilled at making jeans and more knowledgeable about reproducing vintages faithfully, he started to find more beauty in the imperfections.
The simplified models are full of preliminary work, and it's far from perfection but are full of history and story behind. The cut, the construction and every tiny detail is faithfully reproduced from the original Levi's S501XX.
After careful examination and analysis on the WW2 fabric, TCB has reached the answer, 14 oz fabric made of EMOT blended cotton (Eastern Memphis, New Orleans, and Texas). Hard twisted yarns with so much neppiness give a solid texture to the fabric, which Hajime Inoue felt like the first impression when he first touched the original WW2 material. This hard twisted yarn is one of the key points to keep the indigo colour not fully penetrated to the yarns' core, which makes this fabric really true to how the vintage looks and eventually fades.
The unevenness on the threads is carefully reproduced by the setting on the vintage Toyoda shuttle looms and the cotton blend recipe. Nowadays, the definition of good cotton is often regarded as the whiteness made possible by breed improvement. This time, TCB focused on the creamy tinge on the fabric, which is an iconic detail of the WW2 fabric.
The fit is faithfully reproduced from the original Levi's S501XX. A regular straight fit with a very high rise and a good amount of space in thighs, knees and calves, thus achieving a very comfortable while classic fit.
Every tiny detail is faithfully reproduced from the original S501XX:
- Commitment to the back pocket shape: This is undoubtedly the former ver of the iconic base shape pocket seen from the 501XX in the '50s, but at first glance, you can see the wonky finish at the top corners.
- The bottom of the back pocket: If you sew with some angles to make the pocket look base shaped, it's, of course, more difficult than to sew with milder angles, more flatly. So, you can see a bit of fabric hanging at the bottom of the pocket compared to the one from 501XX
- Steel made buttons: On the top, it's the same laurel wreath button. The fly buttons are one-piece, direct doughnut buttons.
- Right-back pocket: Only the very right stitch goes well beyond the pocket.
- Belt loops: Usually, belt loops start from the top of the waist belt, but you can see a little of the gap on this model. the centre part of the belt loop is filled so you can expect the iconic fades.
TCB (which stands for Two Cats Brand or Taking Care of Business) is a Japanese label founded in Kojima by Hajime Inoue in 2012. It specializes in reproductions of the classic American denim icons produced from the 1920s to the 1960s. Among his garments, we can find some of the highest-quality reproductions we have ever seen, made in his own workshop on sewing machines more than a hundred years.
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