Studio D'artisan

[bradl]

Write those are really cool,wish I could pull something like that off

[Foxy2]

^ Nice choice - works well on you!

^ why do you think that is Foxy? I've often wondered why SDA aren't more popular, my 101s are fantastic and possibly my favourites alongside my Ande Whall SR7s.

The thread was pretty dead until all the talk of those D1677s started, it's really come alive recently I'm pleased to say.

Most of the other Japanese brands are "sexier". People's first foray into Japanese denim is usually samurai, pbj, IH or tfh. Then a chunk seems to go with the lesser known brands and sda falls in between all of that.

That's just my take but would be Inretested to hear what others think.

There are a few shops around - Take5, BiG, Tate + Yoko, SuperDenim...

DC4 and another shop in Berlin (Akeef) had them at one point and so did B-47.

Most of them dropped SDA after, probably, frustrating sales.

I do agree with the statement about their lack of sex appeal. Would be interesting to understand their demographics in Japan - positioning them in the west will certainly take some serious patience, dedication & money.

[BrownMetallic]

su is size up.

I think a 10" rise on a pair of size 33 jeans is definitely low.

Tho it started @round 34" raw, post soak measurement= 31.5

IMO, for 32" & below, 10 is midrise.

I'm currently W33-34 on midrise slim cuts, w/ actual waist measurement post wash @round 34" & front rise ranging from 10.5-11.5

Edited August 21, 2015 by BrownMetallic

[bradl]

Was recently in blue owl and they carry the standards from sda, Kevin did mention they wanted to bring in d1672 but just didn't want to take the risk. I do notice that big always has the limited runs on for 50% off at some point, so I'm not sure they do extremely well there either.

[itsbenhere]

Yeah post soak measurement is 31.5 but it's just been washed and probably wrinkly too, after its worn for a few hours I bet it'll go back to 33. So I consider 10 short...

[beautiful_FrEaK]

I think it's mainly the cuts they offer don't appeal to lotts of people. Maynard isn't a real person so he doesn't count

They have tiny waists compared to the leg and the bigger size you need, the worse it gets (IMO).

 

I think in the early Sufu years, the SD-103 was quite popular

[BrownMetallic]

Yeah post soak measurement is 31.5 but it's just been washed and probably wrinkly too, after its worn for a few hours I bet it'll go back to 33. So I consider 10 short...

Really? I think of anything below 10" front rise to be low rise, up to about 11.5" mid-rise, and anything over 12" high rise. But there are no real standards/definitions, so it's rather subjective. Regardless of measurements, these barely come up to my hip bones, so to me that's low rise.

I'm an [actual] 34" waist on midrise cuts .... But I can get a w32 & stretch them out__ it will skew the designed proportions for the cut, but will definitely give me a lowrise fit.

Edit: Hence, more experienced denimheads here ask for potential shrinkage before copping. U want to stay at the denim's "mean" or normal state, so you don't put too much strain on fabric & construction__ when u need to stretch so far out every post soak/wash.

Edited August 21, 2015 by BrownMetallic

[exaptavist]

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Edited October 8, 2015 by hoggreaser

[Maynard Friedman]

Volls used to be another German SDA retailer (I bought a couple of pairs of 101s from them a few years back) and in the UK, Present and Superdenim sold them, I think the latter were the European distributors for the brand (maybe they still are?) before they focused on the Real McCoys.

I first saw SD-101s in A Butcher of Distinction in London (used to be about 2 doors away from where Son of a Stag is now) in early 2005 and knew I had to have a pair but they only had size 36. I bought 4 pairs eventually but have sold 2, so I have 1 pair on ice with my SD-001s and 1 well-worn pair. I also bought and sold a pair of D1627s this year, unfortunately the rise was a little low and the hems too wide for what was supposed to be a 101 cut. Great denim though.

[exaptavist]

.

Edited October 8, 2015 by hoggreaser

[Foxy2]

Volls used to be another German SDA retailer...

Right, Volls!

I meant Volls and not B-74...

[exaptavist]

.

Edited October 8, 2015 by hoggreaser

[unders]

I recall Liberty in London stocked SDA a few years back. They may still but it surprised me a little. Can't imagine it sold anywhere near as well as Nudie, Edwin, etc in a department store.

I'd agree with what's already been said, they fade so slow its rare to see a well evo'ed pair. I've worn my D1293 on and off for years and they look brand bloody new!

[Blue Nemo]

all that has been said above is true, and it is not going to be easy, that's for sure. but right now, retailing raw or quality selvedge denim isn't that easy either.... a lot has changed and is changing right now and everybody has to make his stand.

 

the best cuts for our customers seem to be a classic straight (101) or a slimmed down and tapered version (103). through iron heart, 3sixteen and soc we have offered a wide and sometimes crazy range of different cuts, but these two versions were always the best.

 

and with the germans.... mostly it is not about sick fades or awesome denim (we will get this covered though), but a great fit, an everlasting (...) construction, and the longer the denim stays dark, the better. a good price helps too and a heritage of plus 35 years of business always is a pro thing. i know that lots of german retailers did this and that with SDA and then get rid of it. we will see. vater&sohn is not going to be the next BiG - germany, nor europe is like the USA. but we are trying to build a little haven for the best denim & brands in the world. and for me, SDA's standards definitely have to be in there!

 

 

and when we get the 101, i will give it hell, and in two or three years of constant wear i will make this beauty shine, dammit!

Edited August 21, 2015 by Blue Nemo

[Iron Horse]

^ Nice choice - works well on you!

There are a few shops around - Take5, BiG, Tate + Yoko, SuperDenim...

DC4 and another shop in Berlin (Akeef) had them at one point and so did B-47.

Most of them dropped SDA after, probably, frustrating sales.

 

 

Take5 still carries SDA, and they seem to do well enough here in Taiwan. Take5 certainly promotes them a lot, and doesn't just stock the jeans but plenty of their items.

 

My first pair of Studio D'artisan -- 1666W, wabash, cinch back, button fly, hidden rear rivets... They're nice.

Picked them up at BiG on my trip to NYC a few weeks ago. Some of the best service I've encountered, especially considering that Japanese, not English, was everyone's first language. Had these hemmed, and shipped back to my place in California. 

 

Congrats, I've been eyeing this and will get them when I get some black engineer boots. Looking forward to seeing how they progress.

 

 

 SDA has always seemed authentic and not gimmicky in the least to me, unlike some other brands that I probably will never look into no matter what - momotaro, samurai, pbj, etc. Thena gain these are more japanese....

 

They certainly have their gimmicky side...

 

[SuperJackle]

The triple crazy and salesman jeans struck me as kinda gimmicky as well.

Maybe that's their humorous side though?

Edited August 21, 2015 by SuperJackle

[Iron Horse]

I think so; nothing wrong with a sense of humor! 

[Blue Nemo]

and you guys should check out the faded pair at d'artisans website, its awesome!

[DhaDha]

sense of humour happens to cost Y80.000 

but seriously though, if i have some dough i would totally cop that. at least they are unique, gimmicky or not. 

 

as for me I've had SDA on my mind for some times. i certainly 'liked' their page on Facebook a while back, since they do constantly update those and they take good pics product. hence when D1677 appeared i saw them within the first few hours. They are a very reputable band. one of the most storied denim house in japan thats for sure. so, when those came up i had no hesitation in copping them. if they were, say, N&F, for the same price, i wouldn't really paid much attention. 

 

I saw a well faded pair a few pages back and those were some of the best fades i've seen. better than 90% of Sam, Momo, TFH, PBJ etc etc. out there. certainly had my interest pricked, but then i also learned that it would take 2-3 times longer wear than other more popular brand to achieve that fades. so i guess there's that, in an age of instant gratification that just wouldn't float most people's boat. 

 

also, i don't really like their mascot. certainly very 'playful' compare to almost all other brands. 

Edited August 21, 2015 by DhaDha

[Blue Nemo]

laugh or choke hard it is then ;-)

 

anyway, it's not my cup of tea either

[TheIntelligentHoodwinker]

Most of the other Japanese brands are "sexier". People's first foray into Japanese denim is usually samurai, pbj, IH or tfh. Then a chunk seems to go with the lesser known brands and sda falls in between all of that.

That's just my take but would be Inretested to hear what others think.

 

Yeah, I'd agree with that. When I first bought jeans made by Japanese brands I wanted as much bang for my buck as possible, especially as I was ordering them from the States or Japan. So I went for The Flat Head with the crazy pocket arcs (which I ended up ripping out) or Samurai with slubby denim and silver thread in the selvedge (which I ended up hating) and the bonkers pocket flasher.

 

Now I prefer something more understated so brands like, say, Full Count fit the bill a bit better. 

 

So I think you're bang on - SDA do fall somewhere in between that. The cuts are fine, the denim is amongst the best out there, and details like the flag on the coin pocket are really neat, but things like the pig logo and the pocket arcs are a bit... I dunno. They're never my go-to jeans.

 

 

 

I think it's mainly the cuts they offer don't appeal to lotts of people. Maynard isn't a real person so he doesn't count 

They have tiny waists compared to the leg and the bigger size you need, the worse it gets (IMO).

 

I think in the early Sufu years, the SD-103 was quite popular

 

Yes - the SD 103 has a very tight waist which won't stretch (I've had my pair for 5-6 years) but with very wide leg openings. They do a 106 now (I think) which looks a bit more tapered.

Edited August 21, 2015 by TheIntelligentHoodwinker

[BrownMetallic]

Not every1 can be like the Samurai, PBJ, Flathead, etc. Otherwise everything would look the same.

I got all 3 cuts [101/103/105] in their revered & often shunned away from, 6x6 15oz production denim. For me, it's ALL about the denim itself__ the cut is secondary. The logic is that, for everything else, I can readily get elsewhere.

When it comes to SDA, I don't f**k around with perfection, w/c I know is subjective. I revel in the fact that when I cop a pair, I know exactly what I'm getting ... no need for guess work, just like with Warehouse. 'Got nothing but respect for a brand who choose to keep its tradition, despite surmounting pressures/demand to change & keep up. I mean, it's not like for the lack of trying, to update their cuts & style__ even tried collaborating with popular jean artisans like DV ... But, truth be told, they suck in innovation . Stick w/ what u do best, right !?

For mainly selfish reasons, I'm glad SDA has not blown up

[cmboland]

Hopefully i can find a SDA cut that works for me shortly. 107 looks promising but might be too tight. 103 is definitely too "straight" for me. Maybe next year.

[chicote]

Actually, cmbo, it's funny you say that about the 103 cut because I always thought that it would be a great fit on you. Mostly because you have larger thighs and upper body, I have thought that slim-tapered cuts give a sort of imbalanced look. The 103 would be great because it has room in the thighs, but also a slightly larger hem to balance everything out. Just a thought!

[cmboland]

Actually, cmbo, it's funny you say that about the 103 cut because I always thought that it would be a great fit on you. Mostly because you have larger thighs and upper body, I have thought that slim-tapered cuts give a sort of imbalanced look. The 103 would be great because it has room in the thighs, but also a slightly larger hem to balance everything out. Just a thought!

 

 

I actually looked into the sizing of the 103 vs 107. The 103 has a smaller waist and thigh per size versus the 107.

 

From blue owl.

 

SIZE 34

          107                103

Waist 35.5               34

Thigh 12.25             12

hem 8.1                    9

 

To me that size thigh for that size hem would look strange and probably swallow my size 10 feet. I'd have to size up even more since theyre unsanforized.

 

Maybe SDA just isnt for me.

[chicote]

I had that same worry when I started to wear looser cuts--that my feet would be swallowed, I mean. I'm a very skinny guy with size 9.5 feet and always figured I had to go with the skinniest cut possible (or close) to make everything proportional. Then all my shirts had to be equally tight, and then I was in an uncomfortable mess. Buying jeans with larger hems (first my red clouds, then pbj xx-009, samurai 5000 and sugar canes) definitely felt strange, and I felt like I had to cuff my jeans super high to make it look like I had feet. But jeez, now there is no way I'm ever going back to the slim-tapered style; it really only works for a very specific body type, which in my opinion neither of us have. Wider hems are much easier to work with because a cuff can change the fit entirely: a few small rolls can give you practically the same tapered look as a slimmer jean, but the rest of the cut ensures that you avoid the carrot-type look that most with heavier upper bodies end up getting from slim-tapered pairs. To each their own, but that's my experience!

[itsbenhere]

Exactly how I feel.

Cmboland I think that honestly straighter cuts will do your build more favors. Everyone can make looser cuts fit provided you get the right one, very few imo make slim tapered look that good.

[bradl]

Exactly what chicote said. My d1672 look like three completely different jeans uncuffed, cuffed and double cuffed. All depends on the footwear. Granted they're a bit slimmer than the 103. This is coming from a dude who was into the whole size down 3 apc ps.

[dwilson123]

I kind of love SDA's gimmicky side.  I feel you can really see the humor in their sensibilities especially in their shirts.  I'm almost addicted to buying SDA graphic T's these days that I find downright hilarious.  My favorite has to be the Disney x SDA one with Micky being shocked by a pair of jeans.

 

 

Probably a close second is one I'm still trying to wrap my head around

 

 

The only thing I really dislike is some of SDA's stuff is made in China.  You can usually tell the country of origin based upon the price but occasionally you'll buy something and you'll see that Made in China on it when you weren't 100% expecting it.

[Iron Horse]

Yes, I love some of SDA's T-shirts. I liked the pig as a stand-in for Snoopy. This stuff is really common in Japan (here too), and to me it's one thing that separates "amekaji" from what the West is doing. They're not afraid of donning something silly or cute even. I guess that clashes with the lumbersexual look.   

 

This is hilarious: