Indigoshrimp is very excited to feature another great review by reproduction denim enthusiast beautiful_FrEaK.

This time he examines the Resolute 710!

Words & photos by beautiful_FrEaK. Editing & formatting by Indigoshrimp.

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Resolute was founded in May 2010 and may be considered a new brand in the grand scheme of Japanese denim brands, though its founder is a living legend within denim circles. He is none other than Yoshiyuki Hayashi, the designer and an original member of Denime, one of the famed Osaka5. Hayashi-san was born in 1956 and had worked for Denime since its foundation in 1988.

Denime, in the years since, had expanded and was eventually bought out by Hitoshi Tsujimoto, the owner of Real McCoy’s. It was at this point that Hayashi left Denime to focus once again on his true aim: creating a perfect replica of the Levi’s 501…and thus Resolute was born.

Resolute offers only 4 cuts of jeans:

710 – Resolute’s main model, a 66 model

711 – a XX model, so a late 40s to early 50s model

712 – a 505 model

713 – a low rise version of the 710

Reviewed today is the Resolute 710 model.

The Fit

The 710 is a mid-rise, slim tapered cut. It’s Hayashi-san’s interpretation of a late 60s Levi’s jeans, though in my opinion it’s much slimmer than the original. The legs are cut slim with a strong taper, resulting in a slim silhouette. The fit is also quite straight and trim through the hips – worth noting if you have a bit of a butt.

The designer loves to wear his jeans with a very short inseam, leading to the so called “ankle-freezer” look. Many Resolute’s Japanese customers are following this style. Apart from Resolute, this style is very common nowadays and you see it nearly everywhere. To be fair, Hayashi-san has been wearing his jeans this way for many years already, and so many denimheads call this look the “Hayashi-style”.

Where most Japanese brands only offer one fixed inseam length and other may offer one fixed length per waist size, Resolute bucks the trend and has created a plethora of possible combinations by making available multiple leg lengths per size. The waist size ranges from 26” to 40” while the inseam from 28” to 36”. With Resolute, you are really spoilt for choice; everyone should be able to find their optimal fit.

The Fabric

Hayashi describes the denim of the 710 as a faithful reproduction of Levi’s 60s denim. Therefore, a resemblance to Cone denim shouldn’t surprise anyone. You won’t find heavy slubbing at all.

The denim is, of course, narrow loom woven with a yellow/orange selvedge line. It has a weight of 13.75 oz and, to my knowledge, is made of American cotton. The twill direction is very prominent and is perhaps somewhat exaggerated compared to the original 60s denim. The denim is also very fluffy and hairy, a character which increases with washes. Hayashi doesn’t shy away from using the tumble dryer, as this also increases the fluffiness of the denim.

The indigo shade is fairly light and pale, with a grey hue. I’d say it’s a medium-speed fading denim, which will take some time before the indigo begins crocking. When you look at faded pairs of Resolute 710, you are instantly reminded of vintage Levi’s from the 60s. You can also find many washed-out looking pairs with great train tracks! Hayashi’s advice to wash these jeans often seems to be followed by many.

The Details

Minimalism is at the core of Resolute’s philosophy and aesthetic, and as such this outlook is reflected in the detailing of their jeans. Since the 710 is based on Levi’s 501 ’66, you will find the typical ’66 details: a rather bland paper patch with a perforated “stub”, no hidden rivets but bartacks on the back pockets, double chainstitch on the waistband, no V-stitch at the top button, no hidden coin pocket selvedge.

All the buttons and rivets are custom embossed, even on the back-sides (with a ‘10’ mark, possibly a reference to Resolute’s founding year). There are threads of several thickness used, but not much variation in thread color. Again, very much an understated look. The belt loops are, of course, raised.

One nice detail you will find on Resolute jeans is the selvedge pocket bags. This is similar to what Hayashi used to do on many Denime jeans – a detail only for the owner of the jeans to enjoy, and even he wouldn’t see this detail if not for pulling out the pocket bags.

Another detail on the pocket bag is the sewing factory’s maker label. This is the same workshop where Denime’s 20th Anniversary jeans were created.

If you are desperate to have a red tab on your jeans, there is a little red tab sewn on the inside of the waistband. You can easily unpick it and sew it on to your back pocket, if you like. Your little DIY-infringement.

The Construction

The pair is very solidly constructed and on par with the usual suspects. Of course, you may find a loose thread here and there, perhaps a minor oversight after sewing…though there are no structural defects to be found, nothing that might affect the integrity of the jeans. The minor cosmetic blips are nothing you wouldn’t find on jeans from other Japanese makers.

My educated guess is that the threads are 100 % cotton and some look quite delicate, although so far I haven’t had any issues and I am not aware of any early thread-rip issues amongst Resolute enthusiasts.

The rivets and buttons feel solid. The paper patch also looks like it was meant to stay.

Conclusion

Although Resolute jeans are rather bland and don’t have any eye-catching bling like slubs, unique weft color, crazy patches or arcs, they still retail at 23,700 Yen (with a surcharge for bigger sizes).

Are they worth the money?

Like always, you have to answer this question for yourself. What I can say for sure is that you are purchasing a pair of jeans made by one of Japan’s earliest selvedge denim designers with a timeless cut, unique denim, solid construction and nice fading potential.

I have bought the 710 twice – I had to size down after losing weight – and the Resolute 710 is one of the few jeans I would buy again when my current pair is done. Other hobbyists find this affinity too, for example if you use Instagram you will see many Resolute 710s worn by the same person in different stages of evolution.

If you are looking for an understated pair of jeans with minimal branding yet possessing true vintage detailing and fading pattern, Resolute should be very high on your list!