Following the question, " Mr. Yuhi Ozaki, what is the appeal of vintage sneakers? ", the crew of "GUIDE by ISETAN MITSUKOSHI" receives a lecture from vintage clothing expert and designer Yuhi Ozaki on new ways to enjoy the quintessential vintage item, "vintage denim"!

If you're looking for vintage denim but don't know what to buy or what to look for, this guide is packed with easy-to-understand tips and information.

Enjoy this content packed with the charm and fashion appeal of vintage denim!

Tsuchiya: "Please recommend some vintage jeans that I can wear every day!"

To help Tsuchiya, who wanted to learn about vintage jeans, Ozaki prepared a pair of Levi's 501 "red selvedge" jeans from the last generation, in different sizes.

Ozaki shows Tsuchiya the stitching on the inside of the jeans, which is also called the "red line."

"Levi's XX (Double X) is a signature model with a red selvedge, and this red selvedge is a remnant of a time when only narrow-width denim fabric could be woven, and a red line (selvedge) was attached to the edge of the denim fabric to prevent fraying."

"This was from the late 1970s to the early 1980s. After that, narrow-width power looms were replaced by wide-width high-speed looms, and that continues to this day," says Ozaki.

According to Mr. Ozaki, the "vertical fading" often heard about in vintage jeans is a result of the narrow-width power looms, which create the distinctive vertical fading effect through washing.

Also, while Levi's jeans have a "red tab" on the right back pocket, the models produced from the late 1960s to the 1970s after the XX (double X) were called "LEVI'S (Big E)," and from 1971 onwards, it changed to "LeVI'S® (small e)."

The Levi's 501 with a small "e" and red selvedge denim, and specifically a "light-colored denim," was recommended to Tsuchiya this time.

In the world of vintage denim, darker denim is generally considered more valuable, but the expert explains, "Lighter colors are cheaper, and light blue looks stylish and is comfortable to wear."

Ozaki advises Tsuchiya, "Pairing these faded, light-colored jeans with well-polished brown leather shoes would look stylish."

Matsuoka: "I don't really wear much denim, so what should I wear?"

For fashionista Matsuoka at Isetan Shinjuku, Ozaki chose the Levi's 70506 denim jacket, which has a unique shape.

"This style is now called the '5th,' and up until the '4th' 70505, the denim fabric was narrow, the same generation as the 'red selvedge,' but this 70506 is made of wide denim fabric, and there are a lot of slightly unfashionable colors (laughs), but if you look for darker colors, you can find some that are still decent," says Ozaki.

This early 80s Levi's 70506 denim jacket is a model that adds handwarmer pockets to the 4th generation 70505. According to Ozaki, "The 70506 has a cute, well-balanced design, and there are many playful examples left, but I recommend a 'larger size and darker color'."

This 70506 is a large size 50, but the length isn't that long compared to the width, so the key is, "Even if the size tag seems big for you, try it on immediately if you find it in a vintage clothing store!" Check out how Matsuoka looks wearing it in the runway show later in the video!

Tashiro: "Are there any other noteworthy brands besides the three major denim brands known for their denim jackets?"

Seeing the "eccentric" Tashiro wearing a denim jacket, Ozaki chose a denim jacket from the American store brand FOREMOST.

"This Foremost is an original store brand of JC Penney, a major American retailer, but its design is reminiscent of Levi's so-called 1st model denim jacket, and it's starting to become known to vintage fans," says Ozaki.

"Even though they're not from the Levi's or Wrangler denim trio, these are starting to be found," Tashiro said. "Levi's denim jackets were popular in the 1940s and 50s, so there was a movement to make something similar at a slightly lower price, and the ones with a cinch back at the back of the waist are probably from the 1940s," Ozaki replied.

What I'd like you to pay particular attention to is that this Foremost denim jacket is made from lightweight denim, which Tashiro says is "light and easy to wear."

"The shape is the first model, but you can see various ingenious touches, and the fact that there are many interesting shapes is a characteristic of store brand items," he said, introducing a denim jacket that's starting to look a bit "obvious."

The annual "Are You Ready?" runway show: Who chose what?

Tsuchiya's Levi's 501

Matsuoka's denim jacket: Levi's 70506

Tashiro wears a Foremost 1940s denim jacket

Addictive? Click here if you're curious about the three's RUNNWAY!

Next time, we'll be sharing more about the fun of shopping at vintage clothing stores: the "Freestyle Edition"! Stay tuned!

►Watch the full "World of Vintage Denim" video here!

＊The information in this article is current as of the time of publication. Product information may be revised or changed without notice.


Text: Makoto Kajii

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