PURE BLUE JAPAN

XX-005 | INDIGO DYED BLUE SELVEGE

Whiskers

Whiskering is a term for the selective fading of the ridges of creases. The Japanese refer to this as "Hige", which literally translates to "mustache" in English. It is most commonly found in areas prone to creasing, like behind the knees or across the lap.

On pre-worn jeans, these fade marks are produced by scrubbing the jeans over boards with engraved patterns. However, these marks are not customized to your body, and as a result don't look as natural as the ones you form yourself!

Insulin Pump

As a type 1 diabietic, I use an insulin pump to regulate my insulin intake. Needless to say, it spends a lot of time in my front pockets. As time goes on, more and more abrasion takes place, and the contours of this small beeper-like object begin to show through the material. With the exception of my wallet, this is easily the most recognizable form of wear in my pants. It can easily be spotted in both of the front pockets on any pair.

Vertical Falling

The streaky vertical fades in worn denim. It is a translation of the Japanese word "Tate-ochi". It is most prevalent in Slub denim, which has a bumpy, irregular surface. The Pure Blue Japan XX-005 are a great example of Slub denim.

Knee Abrasion

The material in the knees has become incredibly soft and thin due to abrasion from my knees on the outside, and from daily romping around on the outside. Eventually the vertical fibers (Warp) in the denim give loose, exposing the undyed horizontal (Weft) threads underneath. The right knee has split, and the left knee is almost there. Take note of the way the threads are thinning away!

Wallet

A wallet is one of the most intimate items in our daily lives. We are constantly handling it- moving it in or out of our pockets. Much like my insulin pump, if I'm wearing pants, it's probably in the pocket. The specific one I carry is a "Magic Wallet". The exposed edges of my cards are constantly rubbing away at the inside of my pocket. This is definitely the most identifiable feature in all of my pants. Even throught the different pairs, the shape, and even position, remain the same.

Crotch Repair

One of the first places to "break" in my jeans is always the crotch area. I believe it to be caused by the constant folding as I walk or sit, not to mention bike riding. Imagine folding a piece of paper back and forth millions of times. It probably wouldn't look a whole lot better.

I had no experience with sewing of any kind. Initially, I started out by hand, but found that it didn't hold long- making repairs to repairs. That's dedication!. Eventually I had given up on the hand stitching, and pursued some basic sewing knowledge from my grandmother. I still use her directions and the same sewing machine to this day for everything.

Honeycombs

Honeycombs are the name used for the name of the visible folding behind the knees because of their cell-like structure. These will naturally occur in most jeans.

In commercial applications, the jeans are put on a mannequin and sanded. These are easy to spot, as they rarely line up with your natural contours.