Pure Blue Japan Jeans - AI-002 Natural Indigo 18oz Slim Straight



Pure Blue Japan 
Slim Straight Leg Fit
18 ounce Japanese selvage denim
100% Cotton
Hand dyed with natural indigo harvested from the Tokushima prefecture in Japan** by one of only a handful of indigo craftsmen capable of this dyeing technique certified by the Japanese government to be a national living treasure
Sheepskin leather patch
100% cotton thread sewing construction
Made In Japan
** The lengthy fermenting process required to produce natural indigo, up to one year, and the low annual output make this a highly coveted dye stuff. This model is woven with cotton yarns which have been hand dyed by legendary craftsmen in the Tokushima prefecture of Japan using natural indigo which was also harvested in Tokushima prefecture . The undyed cotton yarns are dipped by hand into indigo dye vats repeatedly until the indigo has penetrated the core of the yarns. Natural indigo jeans have a reputation for retaining their color and this is why. Most jeans use indigo dyed yarns that are white at the core since they have not fully absorbed the indigo. The top layer of indigo will eventually give way to the white centers with moderate wear and abrasion. Natural indigo models hold their blue longer making them tougher to break but this just adds to their uniqueness.(More information on the natural indigo process and its importance in the Tokushima prefecture in Japan).

Natural Indigo Dyeing in Tokushima Japan

A small excerpt from the "Journal of The Society of International Natural Dyeing". We acquired this from a close friend many years back and had it posted on our website but was misplaced until recently rediscovering it. This six page discussion focuses on natural indigo dyeing in Tokushima Japan and the historical background of natural indigo (known in Tokushima as "sukumo"), how sukumo is used and made, and how the dyebath is made. The process of creating natural indigo in Japan differs from that in other parts of the world in that the leaves are fermented to extract the indigo compound, a process that can take upwards of one year for a single batch of sukumo.

This highly prized and coveted sukumo can be found in a select few jeans sold in our store that are dyed with natural indigo harvested from Tokushima prefecture, helping to keep this centuries old tradition alive. These jeans can be found by typing Tokushima into the "Product Search" window of our web store or by clicking here. To view the full discussion on "sukumo" click Read more» at the bottom left of the cover page below.