Anyone owned Muji jeans?

I'll soon be in the market for some good quality blue jeans. Looking for a contemporary, dark blue colour but not Levi's- I'd like the "designer" look instead. I'm thinking its either Muji or Uni-Qlo. I know UQ sub-contract their jeans to the premier Japanese manufacturer, though I can't remember the company name. Wouldn't be surprised if Muji did the same
Anyone experienced these brands and can advise?

I grew up in Japan, and Uni-Qlo always struck me as the Old Navy of Japan. provides decent fit, great price, but wasn't made to last. It fits perfectly into the throw-away society of Japanese culture. I wouldn't consider it a "good quality" and put it in the same class as Guess or Lucky (brands I like and wear, and consider to be good)
I like Muji for their stationary, but I would never buy their clothing or furniture because it's not my style, so I can't comment their textiles aspect.

Are you partial to a Japanese brand? How about EDWIN or Evisu? I've never wore a japanese brand denim (I'm 6'4" and they don't make the legs long enough) but these 2 brands are more popular.

Hi Nikola.
All the Uni-Qlo clothes I've bought have lasted well. I bought a few "DRY" t-shirts last year, have worn them every day since then and they still look brand new. In 2003, I dressed almost exclusively from UQ and the clothes showed little sign of wear in a couple of years. I love the Muji aesthetic- to me it seems quintessentially Japanese and very middle class, but think their stationary is overpriced- nothing's a real bargain but I'd say at least 50% of the items in my local store are definitely worth buying. Neither Edwin nor Evisu came up on my radar while I was in Kochi. Maybe they didn't have an outlet there or I discounted them as they were appealing to the "fashion" crowd? I'll look out for them though.

quick update
Got the Muji jeans and they are extremely comfortable and didn't lose all their dye or anything in the first wash. They're very unlike jeans, in that the fabric is closer woven and nowhere near as heavy as std denim. The Uni-Qlo jeans I also bought are made from quite thick denim fabric, thought they fit very well and look like the real thing- definitely not a budget purchase. I expect at least 18 months from them, which is as long as any other pair of trousers has lasted me. One pair of cords lasted me 3 washes before I had to throw them away..and they were from M&S!

Another quick update. I emailed Muji UK to find out the provenance of their jeans and within 1 working day got a reply from someone, saying they didn't know but would find out and get back to me. Will let everyone know.

Uni-Qlo and quality in the same thread? Their kit is the same as C&A, H&M, etc. - OK but don't expect too much!

I'd be interested in what you find out. I know Muji from the MoMA Store and I must say I'm taken with the aesthetic.

Rushman2112 said:

Uni-Qlo and quality in the same thread? Their kit is the same as C&A, H&M, etc. - OK but don't expect too much!

Click to expand...

You've obviously not being keeping up- UQ have a solid rep on denim sites.
"C & A make cheap clothes" was my impression the twice I was in- willl never go back. H & M are overpriced, not very well thought-out and didn't fit me at all. Also I think they have a bit of a "never mind the quality, feel the width" mentality going on with some of their garments and their "updates" on classics look made for young men who don't know any better, apart from one sports jacket I saw, whick was ok. I'm not saying they're a con or anything, but definitely neither good value nor great style/quality. I took a good look round M&S last weekend and thought UQ's stuff was noticeably better than theirs too for items of a similar or sometimes higher pricepoint, in terms of fabric, colour and cut. When you look at the finishing in many high street shops, it's often very lax- buttons not properly sewn on, detailing which is just insulting like fake pockets, "belts" on coats which are just a second strip of fabric somewhere around the lumber region, or hoods which make you look like a moron when you put them up. I've found this not to be the case with UQ. I've went shopping with a few friends who are much younger than me and some of the stuff they're willing to buy is just a waste of time and effort IMO. I've no problem spending on good gear, but so often the price isn't matched by the quality.- My default clothing store at home tends to be Slaters or a Highland/outdoor outfitters-both impossible where I am now, but I've always been very impressed with UQ.

nice jean thread, im looking forwrd to more insight

Thanks!
Check out
www.denimgeek.com
www.self-edge.com
www.iron-heart.co.uk
and google
Japanese selvedge
and
Momotaro.
I learned quite a bit from these sites.

I sent a request for some info to the denim geek and got this reply.


Hi Stephen,
Thank for getting in touch. It's always good to hear from someone with a keep interest in denim.


Selvedge denim is regarded as a superior quality denim as denim such as this is often woven on vintage shuttle looms from the best quality cotton. Just because a denim is non-Selvedge doesn't necessarily mean that it is bad quality. Edwin for example, make some quality none selvedge jeans. It all really depends on what the wearer is looking for. Raw selvedge denim will also fade and wear according to the person wearing them and will eventually turn into a very personal piece.


Sanforising is a method of treating denim to ensure minimum shrinkage after wash. A top quality pair of raw denim such as 3sixteen, Flat Head or Ironheart may shrink up to 5-10% on a first wash. If these jeans were sanforised, shrinkage would be more like 1%.


As far as washing raw denim goes, the thing to remember is that there is no 'right' way to wash and treat them. 6 months is normally recommended because the longer you don't wash your jeans for the better the fading and wear tothe denim will be. You can fabreeze your jeans while not washing them. Another option is to hang them outside inside out. This will normally get rid of any odour.


Im not too familiar with Uniqlo jeans but have heard that the selvedge denim is a good bet for the price. You'll learn more as you gain more experience with denim. Just enjoy it!


I hope this has helped you a little!

Thanks


The thing that I'm most surprised at is this whole not washing business, first alluded to by a forum member. You read it right above- six months wear is recommended as the ideal before the first wash, as it is at this point where the fading and patina will have become indelible. I've dedicated a drawer to my jeans and put a charcoal air-filter in it, to minimise any odour arising in the first place, but will keenly monitor this and if they get funky, they're going straight into the machine!

Went to UQ in Osaka, looked OK and cheap by Japan standards. Got one here now, full of geeky Singaporean kids and nothing larger than an "L" to be found.

I actually registered to reply to this thread to add some more information, because I was googling for information about where to get Muji jeans outside of Japan and you guys are the first hit.

I own a pair of Muji jeans (http://www.muji.net/store/cmdty/detail/4548718873395), and they're the single best pair of jeans I've ever owned, in terms of fit and style. I'm a bit obsessive about them. And it might be heresy to the jeans obsessives, but I specifically bought the "no-fade" kind, because that's the look I prefer, and 10 months later the no-fade treatment has held up perfectly.

The only thing is, they're not the sturdiest jeans I've ever owned -- I'd suggest adding some liner to the pockets if you're regularly going to have a bulky wallet or phone in there. My phone's edges started to eat through the lining of one of the pockets, I've sewn it up but I'm sure that may eventually come undone as well.

Then again, all the other jeans I've loved over the years (primarily Sevens, but some others as well) have had similar wear-and-tear issues, so maybe I just don't take care of jeans very well. At any rate, I've ordered 4 more pairs of the exact same pair of jeans through a Japanese personal shopper, so I can keep wearing 'em for another decade or so even if the current pair falls apart.

All in all, a very high-quality pair of jeans, especially for the sub-Levi's price (3900 yen!).