It’s been almost 20 years since Japanese denim became a hobby of sorts, in the wider world outside Japan. Whilst interest in heritage clothing and vintage collection had always been present, the cool kids on the internet opened the heritage clothing trend up to the mainstream – Japanese denim was, and still is, an important part of this fashion movement.

If anything, the raw denim hobby remains an easy gate-way into the wider world of heritage-inspired clothing, a collection of related dress codes which take inspiration from re-imagined pasts, usually with emphases placed on material quality and considered manufacturing.

Yet, denim lies at the intersection of many styles of dress, with street-wear being the largest category in which raw denim can be found. Therefore, we have an interesting phenomenon in the denim game where individual styles – and indeed the directions of our hobby pursuits – can vary very widely.

Today, we’ll have a look at some very basic pointers to introduce newbies to raw denim, and look at some essential & neutral components of the wardrobe that will kick-start your denim obsession. The neutrality of these pieces will allow further exploration of styles, and provide minimum barriers towards forming your own boundaries as far as your hobby is concerned, whether you are into sneakers or vintage cosplay.

What I’ll do a bit different today is to split the article, within each section, into three cost tiers, acknowledging that folks worldwide will have access to very different amounts of money. I’ve allocated myself USD $250 (entry), $500 (intermediate) & $1000 (enthusiast) to create three kits of jeans, top, belt, shoes, as per Internet pricing.

The Jeans

A great pair of denim jeans can form the core of your enthusiasm, or serve as an effective launching point into various styles of considered menswear, whether it is street-wear, American casual or vintage reproduction.

From my perspective as a long time hobbyist, the Japanese brands remain the top choices as far as denim is concerned, and my recommendations here will all be Japanese. Make no mistake; I am a big supporter of denim brands from around the world, though I do believe world-wide sampling of jeans should be left until a more advanced stage of this hobby.

There is one caveat here I must acknowledge, and that is the fact many people wish to purchase local products. This consideration, however, is beyond the scope of this article and my own knowledge as a far-removed Australian hobbyist.

Entry Level

Here we’ll be spending half of our budget on the jeans themselves, and cheap out on the other components of the outfit. At the $100 to $150 range, as far as Japanese denim goes, expect mostly sanforised light to mid-weight fabrics, sewing with modern machines and a trimming of smaller details (such as raised belt loops).

My favourite Japanese brand in this tier would be Japan Blue, and the jeans nominated for this outfit is their JB0606 high tapered jeans which features sanforised, rope-dyed 14 oz denim, made of cotton from Zimbabwe and the United States. The cut is modern, the detailing is understated, and the fabric is a good example of Japanese denim, being not too extreme in any aspect. Here, we spend $130 USD.

Intermediate Level

We’ve got a bit more bucks to spend now, and the variety of Japanese jeans we can sample has opened up widely. We’ll be spending around $250 here, and around this mark, we can expect some fairly nice unsanforised denims, more intricate detailing in the jeans, and nicer materials being used on the peripherals of the jeans.

There are many Japanese makers I admire in this price tier, and different arguments can be made regarding what type of denim is most appropriate for a beginner. If I consider only myself, I’d purchase Oni Denim’s Secret Denim jeans for $220 USD, and yet the Secret Denim is probably not the best choice for a raw denim virgin, due to its intense texture. For a better introduction to the hobby with a more neutral fabric, I would go with Samurai Jeans’ S710XX 19oz slim straight jeans at $238 USD. With this staple Samurai model, you’ll experience a popular cut with denim that is noticeably heavier and more rugged compared to jeans you’ve worn in the past.

Enthusiast Level

Here, we’re either very wealthy or want to spend the big bucks. Regardless, at the $500 mark, almost any Japanese denim can be had, even bespoke made. Expect custom developed fabrics, natural dyes, extremely detailed sewing using vintage machines, and a bunch of local specialists pitching in to manufacture the peripheral components of the jeans.

However, as an absolute beginner, I would recommend not shooting immediately for the $500 mark, as most jeans in that price bracket are actually not great introductions to the hobby, featuring too many quirks that will skew your perspective on jeans (e.g. weird natural indigo dyes, textures that depart markedly from the norm, etc). Instead, let’s aim for the $350 mark and space out the spending a little bit more between the various pieces of the outfit.

Here, I’ve spied the Studio D’Artisan 40th anniversary natural indigo jeans, in a variety of cuts, sitting around $310 USD. These are great jeans, with very nice 14.5 oz natural indigo dyed denim, vintage-style sewing, and attention paid to every aspect & component of the jeans. There is nothing too weird or outrageous here, despite the tricked out specifications, and thus these jeans can be beginner friendly.

The Belt

An appreciation of leather crafting can be a very natural extension of the denim hobby, as it certainly was for me, and a great pair of Japanese jeans deserves a hand-crafted belt. In many ways, too, the process of fading a pair of raw denim is not unlike the journey to achieve patina with natural vegetable tanned leathers, so the two hobbies are complementary, almost synergistic.

With leather goods, my philosophy has always been to support small workshops or one-man businesses. Very rarely to I purchase leather goods from a bigger brand. I believe this approach is applicable to the beginner also.

Entry Level

Nup.

No belt for you. Only $120 left to buy a top and shoes, can’t afford a belt.

Intermediate Level

With $262 left to distribute among three pieces of clothing, we need to be budget conscious.

An entry level hand-made leather belt is possible here, however, if we look to the right crafters.

Without a doubt, Don’t Mourn, Organize! is the workshop to ask about when it comes to sub-100 hand-made belts. Here, we’ll pick up a basic horsehide belt from Scott himself for $70 USD. Expect a rugged belt, featuring mostly American and British leathers, in the work-style that is Scott’s trademark.

Enthusiast Level

Here, we have a bit more money to spend, but again, we won’t go too crazy. The belt needs to pair well with denim, and not be too funky, as we’re after an introductory piece for the hobby’s sake.

We can, again, purchase a ‘plain’ horsehide belt, very similar to the one recommended above, yet made to a higher degree of specification.

Oliver Sell at First Settlement Goods offers such a high end horsehide belt, at $130 USD. The price difference compared to Scott’s belt is accounted by the greater amount of time invested into crafting each belt, resulting in neater details and a more refined appearance.

The T-Shirt

For the tops, it is best to start this hobby with a small selection of well-made basics. T-shirts, Henley’s, etc. There is no need to kit up in The Flat Head flannel shirts or The Real McCoy leather jackets right away.

Entry Level

One of the nicest and most versatile white T-shirts I’ve come across is The Rite Stuff’s slub yarn undershirt. At only $50 USD, this piece can be layered into dozens of different outfits effortlessly, and can be worn at any time of the year. Wear it either as a T-shirt or an undershirt, it’s all good!

Intermediate Level

At between $60 to $100 USD, loop-wheeled T-shirts may be purchased. There are many different Japanese makers doing very nice T-shirts, and the most important considerations here are perhaps fabric weight and fit. You really have to try before you buy!

For the sake of pinning down a RRP, let’s say we go with a Freewheelers loop-wheeled T at $85 USD.

Enthusiast Level

Between $100 to $200, more intricate patterns and special dyes or treatments are available. In this price range, we can start fading indigo shirts too!

One of my personal favourites is Pure Blue Japan’s indigo-dyed slub yarn short-sleeve Henley shirt, retailing at approximately $160 USD. These not only look great new, but will look even better as the fabric and dye wear in.

The Shoes

Footwear is the last aspect I’d be thinking about as an absolute beginner. Not to say that footwear is not important – on the contrary, well made sneakers & boots encompass massive hobbies in themselves – just acknowledging that most raw denim beginners will bring their own shoes to the hobby, and may not start looking into footwear of similar caliber to their jeans until a little later on.

Indeed, as a beginner, there is absolutely no issue to be wearing a pair of simple, understated sports shoes. With every bit of extra cash you spend, however, the quality and styling of shoes & boots can be upgraded dramatically, in ways more visually striking compared with denim jeans. As such, under ideal conditions, footwear budget should be considered separately.

For beginners with a small budget, I’d recommend exploring high quality leather shoes at a later time.

Entry Level

We’re left only with $70.

I certainly wouldn’t recommend purchasing leather shoes at that price point, but a pair of sneakers would be fine. Consider a pair of Chuck Taylor All Stars shoes, some of the nicer limited edition models will cost upwards of $70. These will look great with upturned selvedge, and will work with a variety of jeans cuts.

Intermediate Level

Left with $107, there still isn’t quite enough money for a reasonably good quality pair of leather shoes. However, we can go with some nicer sports shoes for sure.

Consider Moonstar‘s gym court shoes – made in Japan with high quality synthetic materials – at just $95 direct from the Moonstar factory.

And hey, we have $12 bucks left!

Enthusiast Level

So, there’s $400 left for footwear, which is an adequate amount to purchase a pair of nice leather boots to go with that selvedged cuff.

Mid-level options are plenty at $400, everything from Goodyear welted English boots to stitched down American boots are within your reach. Now, when it comes to bench-made leather shoes, I’d say you should buy locally, for your first pair.

For a neat Japanese boot at $400, I’d really like a pair of Brother Bridge‘s Bidassoa shoes – careful Goodyear welted construction with nice leathers, made to a higher standard than the typical Red Wing.

So, to sum up, we’ve assembled three outfits worthy of the Japanese denim hobby, all in the basic casual style, at three price points – $250, $500 and $1000:

$250

The Rite Stuff slub undershirt, Japan Blue JB0606 jeans, no belt, Chuck Taylor All Stars shoes

$500

Freewheelers loop-wheeled T-shirt, Samurai Jeans S710XX jeans, DMO! belt, Moonstar shoes

$1000

Pure Blue Japan indigo henley, Studio D’Artisan 40th anniversary jeans, First Settlement Goods belt, Brother Bridge shoes

All in all, a pretty neat spread, something for everyone at different price points. This does show us, however, how expensive this hobby can get, even with your first pair of jeans and the associated outfit. We haven’t even touched on more expensive garments, like button-down shirts, jackets or coats. Neither have we considered accessories such as socks, wallets, etc., which we will need to look into at some stage.

Considering the above, we could see how this hobby can become very expensive, especially if you mindlessly explore all its branches, like I have, wandering into dress codes such as military reproduction or early 20th century workwear. So, take it one small step at a time – get to know the basics well, get a feel of the vibes in this hobby and related interests, and only pick out definitive styles which speak to you when you’re ready.

Above all, don’t stress too much, and have lots of fun!