A few people have asked me on both Instagram and reddit what I thought about the current state of light weight denim jeans, as far as top end Japanese makers are considered.

Acknowledging that 12 oz is hardly ‘light weight’ – most shirting grade denims sit around 8 or 9 oz after all – I thought I’ll take a look at three of the 12 oz models for summer 2019. Shout out to Denimio and Oni Denim, from whom I received the early Kiraku sample, and also thanks to Corlection for letting me sample the Momotaro Jeans and Pure Blue Japan jeans.

Oni Denim ONI-902KIRAKU

Read my full review of this very cool pair here!

I’ve spent almost one week with this fabric, and I think the Australian heatwave has really helped with the indigo fades. The photo above was taken just today, one week on, in natural light.

The Kiraku fabric has a great shade of blue – the natural indigo really comes alive here – and the texture is heightened further after a quick machine wash. It drapes nicer than heavier denims of course, and also breathes very well.

Despite the grainy texture of the warp, it’s rather nice against the skin on the weft face. The Kiraku breaks in readily and does have a little stretch. The waist expanded by 1 inch after 3 full days of wear.

Pure Blue Japan 1143

Another intensely textural 12 oz denim.

This summer denim from PBJ retains their trademark balance of slub and colour in terms of fabric highlights. The warp is slightly dry, with an intense but ‘smaller’ or finer texture compared to the Kiraku. The denim has a surprising amount of body for a light weight fabric.

This denim is really fantastic, but I did find the presentation/detailing of this pair, overall, to be a little lacking. The basic patch and rivets does make the appearance of this pair somewhat rougher than the price tag would demand.

Great denim, but IMO the jeans design needs reworking at its RRP.

Momotaro Jeans 0405-12

Momo’s take on the 12 oz is perhaps the most ‘plain’ out of the three denims here. People keep telling me that Momo’s denim game is very different from brands like Oni or PBJ, but I do feel that the texture of this pair is underwhelming, no matter what excuse is given. This sanforised denim is also rougher and drier on the warp face compared to Momo’s usual luxurious long staple cotton denims… I wonder if it’s been over-starched?

That being said, the indigo colour on this pair is pretty nice. Also, the presentation here is good – everything from the patch, to the hardware, and even the sewing, is spot on – the 0405 has a very refined ‘Japanese jeans’ aesthetic.

So, here they are, the three Japanese 12 oz options for summer 2019. Texture geeks should go with either Oni or PBJ, though I do feel Oni’s Kiraku is the winner here – better price, nicer indigo, more detailed patch & hardware. Fans of the typical Japanese aesthetic or folks who want more ‘normal’ denim could go with the Momo. Check these jeans out at Denimio and Corlection.