OD+SDA "Houjicha" Selvedge Jeans

ODSDA-007

• 15 oz. 'G3' Slubby Unsanforized Selvedge denim 
• 100% cotton
• Rope dyed Indigo Warp
• Houjicha tea dyed Weft
• Houjicha Red Selvedge ID
• Selvedge button fly construction
• Updated OD Relax Tapered fit
• 4 Button fly featuring Original Studio D'Artisan buttons
• Engraved copper male/female rivets
• OD Ten Year Anniversary waistband tag
• Custom print "Houjicha" design Herringbone pocket bags 
• Fifth pocket selvedge detail
• OD+SDA cowhide leather waistband patch
• Raised belt loops
• Red & White "OD" color stitching on a single back left belt loop
• Back pockets lined with SDA Indigo Kasuri fabric
• Tonal back pocket stitching

Commemorating ten years this year since our inception in 2011, we proudly present to you the first of several collaborations we have planned to celebrate our decade milestone. Our latest collaboration celebrates a quintessential element of Japanese daily life, Hojicha (Hōjicha, or ほうじ茶).

Houjicha is a roasted variant of Japanese green tea, giving it the instantly identifiable reddish brown hue. Grown in open fields under direct sunlight during the growth cycle, it is the lower portion of each tea stalk from where the leaves that are used to create Houjicha are picked. Houjicha goes through the same steaming process as other Japanese teas, a process meant to help oxidize the teas so as to retain the natural green color & fragrance. Houjicha is unmistakable in aesthetic, with its deep brown color, achieved traditionally by roasting the leaves in a porcelain pot over charcoal.

An essential element to the lifestyle of Kyotoites, Houjicha may be the most widely drunk tea in Japan. Developed during a period of stagnation for the local tea market in Japan, a Kyoto based tea merchant discovered through trial and error a process of roasting lower grade tea leaves to create Houjicha in the 1920s. The roasted tea is often consumed post-meal, as a hydration drink during sports, or throughout the work day as a caffeine-free solution. 

This collaboration started from the soul of any pair of jeans - the fabric. With this particular 'G3' Selvedge denim produced on a Toyoda shuttle loom known as the G3, this shuttle loom is considered the first and finest example of a non-automatic changing shuttle on a Selvedge denim producing machine. Somehow, similar to the previously released "Matcha" Jeans, the Houjicha tea dyed yarns help kick the already notoriously slubby "G3" denim into overdrive! The result is a highly irregular and hairy denim featuring ample slub, a combination sure to yield some epic patina with wear. 

Approaching SDA with an absurd idea, we weren't sure of what the response would be. We just wanted to do something outside of the conventional box that would be fun and playful, while still saluting Japanese culture in an honest and sincere way. Luckily SDA were all about it, and after numerous sample runs of the "Houjicha" Selvedge fabric and switching out the hues of red (the number of times the yarns were dyed in the tea derived dye vat changes the depth of the color), we landed on the color we felt best represented Japanese Houjicha. 

Finally for the flasher - we've seen a lot of these in our day. But just to complete the package of the direction we took with this collaboration and it's instantly recognizable Japanese roots, we opted for the use of Washi paper. Traditionally used for book covers and origami, Washi paper is both highly durable & malleable. Riding that Houjicha wave, the designs developed by Nathan specifically for this collaboration are impeccable. So much so that the pressure was on to make the denim and details as perfect as possible, to be on par with Nathan's flawless freehand work.

The updated OD relaxed tapered has a lengthier front rise, a wider thigh and aggressive taper from the knee down creating an aesthetically pleasing silhouette, while still maintaining maximum comfort. The updates we made were opening up the waist, and slightly narrowing down the leg opening to create a nice balance.

*Model is pictured wearing a size 31, One Wash. He weighs 75kg (165 pounds) and is 183cm (6’00”) tall.

**Each client is limited to two pairs of this collaboration pair. Each purchased tag size must differ from one another.

***Available in either Raw or One Wash denim fabric. 

****Please note that this is an unsanforized pair of denim, and the raw version will shrink up to 10% with the first soak, and will then stretch out with wear. Learn more about Unsanforized denim through our Raw Denim Care Guide, and also through this infographic! All measurements are based on the way we measure, according to our Fit Guide.