Momotaro

[ickes]

Anybody have any experience with Momotaro denim? I found a pair online through a link that Dirty Denim posted and these things look absolutely beautiful;

www.contextclothing.com/brands/momotaro/momotaro-context-0701-113xx

So I'm wondering if anyone owns any Momotaro denim. They look extremely welk made.

I'm wanting to branch out and try a pair or two from some higher end lines...or the next level above a brand like GUSTIN.

[julian]

Momotaro is a classic Japanese brand. While you won't go wrong with either their denim or construction, some of the details may not be appealling (the battle stripes, mainly).

I've always thought they're kind of the 'gateway' brand to - what I consider - better Japanese brands such as ONI, Iron Heart and Samurai.

Having said that, the difference is minimal and it ultimately does come down to pure personal preference.

If you can, it's 100% advisable to go to a shop that stocks as many of those kind of brands as possible and spend half a day trying them on, touching the denim and truly finding out what works best for you. Many times I've gone with a brand in mind and then ended up buying something completely unexpected because they just fit better and worked better once I actually had them on.

[ickes]

Thanks Julian. What do you mean by battle stripes?

[highlights]

Ickes, brah, the battle stripes are 2 white stripes that are painted onto some Momotaro jeans & tops...
Only some of their jeans & tops have the 2 stripes - not ALL Momotaro gear has the stripes. The 2 "battle" stripes are, apart from a branding logo, an homage to a Japanese folklore hero, Momotaro, the "peach boy". Thought you'd dig this info, lmao. Friend of mine wears Momo's &, typically, he's adamant that Momo's are THE BEST (maybe he's correct?). Momotaro seems to have some of the staunchest fans!!


www.momotarojeans.net/ :"Momotaro is Japanese for ‘peach boy’. In one of the five great Japanese folklores the peach boy is born out of a giant peach, and he grows up to defeat the ONI and become a healthy and honourable man..."

Interestingly, Momo's top-of-the-range jeans are priced at $2,000 - and some folks reckon they're worth it: www.rawrdenim.com/2011/03/momotaro-jeans-hand-woven-2000-dollars/


www.blueowl.us/designer/momotaro/:

Momotaro Jeans, a child of Collect Co., was founded in 2005 with the goal to create the highest quality jeans in the world. Its formation was a reaction by founders Hisao Manabe and Masahiro Suwaki to the decline of understanding of high qualiy denim. They wanted to show the public the beauty of the denim they made, and the best way to do that was to get it into their hands, or rather, onto their legs.

The name Momotaro is from Japanese folklore. Momotaro was a small boy born from a giant peach who fought off a band of ogres terrorizing his village. Both the pink selvedge and inseam are homage to the peach in this story. Momotaro's signature battle stripes are an homage to the war flag the boy of legend carried into battle.

With careful attention to every detail Momotaro quickly became one of the most reputable denim brands in the world. The beauty of Momotaro is its roots in the culture of the area. From its namesake in folktale, to the history of textile manufacture in Okayama, to the artisan spirit of Japanese manufacturing, everything about Momotaro collaborates to create one of the finest brands available.

Today, they are the only label that entirely creates their product, every step of the way, in house, allowing tight control of quality and consistency. Blue Owl is proud to carry a wide selection of Momotaro jeans for not only the quality and craftsmanship that goes into them, but to help them spread our shared passion for amazing denim.

[julian]

Oct 15, 2014 1:51:52 GMT -6 ickes said:

Thanks Julian. What do you mean by battle stripes?

[julian]

Oct 15, 2014 5:13:33 GMT -6 highlights said:

Friend of mine wears Momo's &, typically, he's adamant that Momo's are THE BEST (maybe he's correct?). Momotaro seems to have some of the staunchest fans!!

Yeah, I've found that the people who like them swear by them.

In theory, they should be nigh on perfect (Zimbabwe cotton, decent weights - usually around 15 to 16oz, cool patches, kind of cool ID) but in the flesh they've just never quite 'clicked' with me. It's the actual fabric itself, it just doesn't seem to be as interesting or as high quality as many of the comparable Japanese brands. Thinking about it, it's possible that I'd heard so much praise for them that when I did finally get to see them and try them on I was a little underwhelmed, which is not the fault of the brand, obviously.

I'd look at those I mentioned previously, along with Strike Gold, Studio D'artisan, Full Count... there are any number of options that, personally, I think offer a little more.

That's not to say there's anything wrong with Momo and I also know people who absolutely love them.

[Deleted]

whoa highlights did you fall asleep while pressing ctrl-v there for a minute?

[Old26]

Oct 15, 2014 10:41:06 GMT -6 @david said:

whoa highlights did you fall asleep while pressing ctrl-v there for a minute?

LOL WTF!

[ickes]

LMAO...I think that Highlights paste function is on crack!

But seriously, thanks for all the info Julian and Highlights. I definitely do not like those stripes on the back pocket. The pair I was looking at did not have them.

[Dirty_Denim]

Pound it in till they know it by heart LOL

[Mattbert]

Oct 15, 2014 12:11:13 GMT -6 Dirty_Denim said:

Pound it in till they know it by heart LOL

Obligatory "that's what she said".

[highlights]

Dunno. Might just be too old for this. 62...crazy, eh? Yeah, thought about getting Momotaro many times...probably frustrated by buying 9 or 10 G jeans over last 15 months...as I've discovered, only very few guys here have much hands-on (legs-on) experience w/ Japanese stuff. I noticed over at G, a sizeable slice of the crew seemed to think it a little naff to even mention the more expensive brands. I've owned lots of Edwin, Samurai, Big John, Iron Heart, Freewheelers - I ONLY look at quality & design; I've lived long enough to learn what many never do - quality is its own reward & the truest economy that a man who isn't affluent (& beyond) can employ.

Momotaro is maybe THE Japanese brand. You wanna talk denim quality?? (I don't give a toss about the price!!) - OK, Momo's are IN the conversation. If I just posted the links nobody would read 'em. Dirty Denim and some guys here really DO know their stuff, imo, but a denim forum where Momo is a mystery or a vague brand etc. is...seriously, in the dark. As the article said, "they are the only label that entirely creates their product, every step of the way, in house, allowing tight control of quality and consistency."

F8ck!!!! Seriously! Isn't this EXACTLY what was lacking over at G? (IE, adequate QC & a genuine veneration of denim beyond profits/business). One guy, Subsound, was the ONLY guy to stop G making yet another silly design mistake - & ruining a beautiful fabric. Whenever I questioned some of G's design decisions - which, in hindsight, many can see ARE flawed - many saw it as an attack on G...I posted a photo of an extremely high quality flannel shirt - (take it from the top, don't drown in the slop) - & some guy w/ 40 G shirts says,"Don't like it." Dumb. Maybe, if genuinely interested in denim/workwear etc, some of these folks could just LOOK at the quality of the fabric & construction.


On a run...to all the xenophobes out there (American, Australian etc...) &/or those who haven't or don't intend to travel:
My perspective on denim & workwear includes the strong desire for US denim to re-gain some ascendancy. I look for heroes/champions...well, one real contender, Guns and Money, have already been & gone...their quality, as I observe in the single pair of G&M jeans that I own (& only v. recently acquired) is equal to (& possibly even superior in some ways) to the top Japanese stuff. Wanna read (another) "long" post? Well, if you're a denimhead then here's one that contains a true story that could be a great movie script...and it went down in the US (PROOF that it CAN be done in/by the US):
halloffade.com/guns-money-gunning-for-premium-class/ ;
www.denimhunters.com/2013/06/guns-money/

Hey, brahs, I can't publish heaps of short posts just to become a FULL MEMBER. Silly rule, imo. But, I don't care - can't be fussed to leave millions of short posts just to qualify. (Don't dig it/too long? Don't read it!) After 50 years experience, I'm already a full member...or not. IMO, some guys here (& anywhere else)would do well to give quality a look in - as opposed to ONLY seeking "bargains" etc. Yeah, check out Momo's & the others...as my old granny wisely said, "Poor people can't afford cheap things!"

Yeah, long post - is it bullshit??? Yeah, fell asleep w/ control/v (the process is no secret, hilarious!!!). I'm weird; prefer quality over anything...have some of you brahs got a short attention span? Don't read much? lol

Strike Gold, Studio D'artisan, Full Count - well, Julian, agree to disagree. For me, reading beyond what I posted here (& I have seen all these brands), the EXTREME lengths that Momotaro go to AND the results they achieve for those who wear 'em, puts 'em DEFINITELY in a class above. 100% - DEFINITELY. My opinion. Think I'm outta here, no hard feelings - at all - and wish you all the best of luck! Highlights.

Cheers, brahs!!

[julian]

Don't get me wrong, Momotaro is a fine brand and great product... it's just that their denim that I've touched and tried on just didn't quite do it for me in the way that others have done.

As I said, there are plenty of people who feel otherwise.

[jeffrx]

I went to see Twisted Sister this year and Dee Snider was rocking some Momos.

[julian]

This song was, apparently, written about waist sizing issues

[stinky]

Oct 15, 2014 0:54:02 GMT -6 ickes said:

Anybody have any experience with Momotaro denim? I found a pair online through a link that Dirty Denim posted and these things look absolutely beautiful;

www.contextclothing.com/brands/momotaro/momotaro-context-0701-113xx

So I'm wondering if anyone owns any Momotaro denim. They look extremely welk made.

I'm wanting to branch out and try a pair or two from some higher end lines...or the next level above a brand like GUSTIN.

ickes :   FWIW, the denim on that particular pair of jeans very, very closely resembles the G loomstate denim. 

[ickes]

stinky; that info is worth a lot to me actually, thanks stinky.

Looking forward to my Zimbs

[highlights]

(Well then, who's been a naughty boy...& I think we know the answer...) Yes, have to admit to being inappropriately cranky...and VERY MUCH w/ completely the WRONG folks!!! Particularly fond of Old26, big respect for Ickes and for ALL the guys who commented on my post. In truth, I've been always treated VERY kindly here & back at G Forum, too...in all this time, my only claim re being offended was when a member posted, at G, that he didn't dig my flannel shirt (the bounder!!!... I grew up w/ lots of Italian folks!! lol)....Yes, certainly & seriously, I believe the idea is to treat & respond to decent & clever people well, w/ humour & respect. Sorry brahs, back onboard & no more naughties/grumpies/encyclopaedic refs, lol. Sorry, David & Julian.

[Deleted]

Oct 17, 2014 9:35:32 GMT -6 highlights said:

(Well then, who's been a naughty boy...& I think we know the answer...) Yes, have to admit to being inappropriately cranky...and VERY MUCH w/ completely the WRONG folks!!! Particularly fond of Old26, big respect for Ickes and for ALL the guys who commented on my post. In truth, I've been always treated VERY kindly here & back at G Forum, too...in all this time, my only claim re being offended was when a member posted, at G, that he didn't dig my flannel shirt (the bounder!!!... I grew up w/ lots of Italian folks!! lol)....Yes, certainly & seriously, I believe the idea is to treat & respond to decent & clever people well, w/ humour & respect. Sorry brahs, back onboard & no more naughties/grumpies/encyclopaedic refs, lol. Sorry, David & Julian.

highlights no need for apology...though not sure what  you were agitated by. we commented on your post not because it was long, but because the content itself wasn't long...it was the same two paragraphs over and over and over and over again. it was more funny than anything.

[highlights]

Oct 17, 2014 10:27:41 GMT -6 @david said:

Oct 17, 2014 9:35:32 GMT -6 highlights said:

(Well then, who's been a naughty boy...& I think we know the answer...) Yes, have to admit to being inappropriately cranky...and VERY MUCH w/ completely the WRONG folks!!! Particularly fond of Old26, big respect for Ickes and for ALL the guys who commented on my post. In truth, I've been always treated VERY kindly here & back at G Forum, too...in all this time, my only claim re being offended was when a member posted, at G, that he didn't dig my flannel shirt (the bounder!!!... I grew up w/ lots of Italian folks!! lol)....Yes, certainly & seriously, I believe the idea is to treat & respond to decent & clever people well, w/ humour & respect. Sorry brahs, back onboard & no more naughties/grumpies/encyclopaedic refs, lol. Sorry, David & Julian.

highlights no need for apology...though not sure what  you were agitated by. we commented on your post not because it was long, but because the content itself wasn't long...it was the same two paragraphs over and over and over and over again. it was more funny than anything.


Thanks David. I must admit this - damn, seriously, I COMPLETELY didn't notice that...back to the French movie type scenario, lol. My son has a hip computer...mine is kinda primitive...but maybe Ground Control at Highlight's HQ has totally caved to dementia (maybe it's only me who's surprised by this, lol) but, damn, truly, even when I re-read the thread I didn't notice that...I'll just have to cling to the remote possibility that it was my funky computer (??)

[ickes]

highlights; yeah man...I was concerned that you were upset and I by no means intended to offend you or piss you off brah. Like David said, the reason we commented was not because of the length or the info you were providing (that was greatly appreciated) but because it was the same two or three paragraphs pasted over and over and over and over again. Technical issues brah It's all good.

glad to have you back on board!

[DigDug]

DAM Computers! We should all just meet at a pub somewhere.

[Marc]

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I started the new year with two new pairs of denim in my rotation: Momotaro Vintage Label 201 and a pair from Dillon Montara's Kickstarter project. Not much mention of these two around here, so thought I'd do a review. 201's now, hopefully the Dillon Montara later. I picked up the 201's a while back, mailorder from Japan - I was looking for a solid, classic pair from one of the well-known Japanese brands, and these seemed to fit the bill. These were raw and unsoaked, so I did an initial hot soak a while back. For tag size 30, the measurements are (pre / post soak):

Waist 15.75/15
Rise 11/10.5
Thigh (crotch) 12.75/12
Thigh (-2") 12/11.25
Knee (-15") 8.75/8.5
Hem 8.5/8.25
Inseam 39/37

Denim: this is where the 201's shine. This is advertised as 15.75oz, but don't know if that's pre or post soak weight. Zimbabwe cotton (although it feels very different from my 15oz Gustin Zims). And an absolutely pure indigo blue (as you all know, the Gustin Zims have that greenish/greyish cast to them). I don't know if this denim is loomstate, but if not it is minimally processed. There is definitely slub, but "fine grained" slub, nothing like some of the obviously slubby denim I've seen. Also definitely hairy. But the great thing about this denim is the texture, which has a wonderful fine but rough hand feel to it. Along with my Gustin Loomstates, it's denim that one just can't stop rubbing. One downside, these things crock far worse than any other denim I own. But this is simply denim I want to wear - I have two pair in rotation currently, and these are the ones that I *want* to put on in the morning.

Cut: Alway a bit of a gamble with mailorder, particularly from a foreign country, but I ended up with the correct size for me. These would definitely be considered a straight cut. Effectively no taper whatsoever from the knee down. In fact, they are pretty close in measurements to the Gustin straights, but with a smidge more width in the legs and a smidge more room in the hips. The only thing that bugs me a bit is that the thigh at the crotch level is a bit wider than it needs to be (at least for me), which results in a bit of puckering at the crotch. Otherwise the top block is form fitting with really no bagginess. There is also some slight leg twist. These came with the longest inseam of any jeans I own (started at 39, now at 37). I'm actually not big on cuffing my jeans, but I'm 6'1" and these are the only pair I have that I can (indeed, must) double cuff. At some point in the future, I'll get these hemmed.

Construction: it's interesting how basic (but solid) construction on these is... no 'upgrades' whatsoever... no lined pockets, no flat-felled seams, no selvedge features (except for the peakaboo selvedge on the coin pocket), no tucked belt loops. But the rivets are copper (including hidden back pocket rivets), a dearskin patch, solid canvas pocket bags (feel a bit heavier than what Gustin is currently using). Both orange and yellow contrast stitching is used, which makes things a bit more interesting. And of course they have pink inseam stitching (a Momotaro trademark, apparently). Four buttons in the fly (for a 10 inch rise, I'd probably be happier with 3 honestly). I never paid attention to stiching before (apart from obvious flaws). So I pulled out my Gustin Zimbabwes and did a side-by-side comparison, which was enlightening. On the Gustins, there was a fair amount of variability in the length of various individual stitches (which I presume has to do with slight variations at the rate the sewer guides the fabric through the machine? Just guessing, I don't know anything about sewing). In comparison, the 201s have near perfect evenness of stitching. I have read that high stitch-per-inch count is a good thing, but I presume that has to do more with dress shirts and suits. Stitch count on these isn't particularly dense. In fact, less dense than the Gustins - but given how perfectly they are sewn it looks good - gives it a bolder look. Everything (including back pockets) is perfectly and proportionately aligned). Again, I'm an amateur here, but it would seem that the 201's were put together by a more talented sewer than my Zims.

Summary: So the 201's are the most expensive pair of jeans I own (paid $230 from Japan - yen was stronger back when I got these - think they're closer to $200 now). That said, I think I can say that they are worth it. Even though there are no "bells and whistles", they are definitely the most well put-together pair of jeans in my collection. But it's really the denim itself that nails it for me, it feels great and I *want* to be wearing it. This raises an interesting aside as well... I'm only a year and a half into raw denim, but the three favorite denims in my collection are these Momotaros, the Gustin Loomstates and my Sugar Cane Hawaii's - all minimally processed unsanforized denim. I definitely find myself gravitating in this direction for denim.

Anyway, for those interested in pics, album at: imgur.com/a/pv29d

[jeffrx]

Just ordered this denim jacket....do you guys think I did OK?

global.rakuten.com/en/store/aikidou/item/mj2103/

[Deleted]

Massdrop Momotaro 0702 Indigoxblack 15oz. Pink inside stitching and ID. I am totally LOVING my IxB (N&F E4) and the fade looks sick.



www.massdrop.com/buy/momotaro-0702-jeans?s=momot&mode=guest_open


Discussion:

www.massdrop.com/buy/momotaro-0702-jeans?s=momot&mode=guest_open#tab-discussion