Denim in Bangkok

[somatoform]

Yeah, I'm headed back with all those extra length jeans I have! Shoot us a PM when you're coming into town, we'll have a meet-up!

As for Thai Levis I could only get my hands on 32 inseams at Jatujak. Do you know of Thai levis coming in anything longer?

[poly800rock]

Since you're there - check out the road that runs parallel to KoSan road...there are plenty of denim stores - maybe you find something ill priced ..also wondering if they've changed a lot and maybe also sell jap. denim ..or fake jap. denim

actual stores or just street vendors? I was there last year and only saw street vendors on a few roads parallel to ko san.

[Cordwinder]

I completely understand where you are coming from. But it's probably because profits are mostly what they care about, and fakes of already known brands would be easier to sell to the general thai public than an upstart local thai brand.

True. Perhaps the thai general public (TGP) are already numb to the fact many of the "known" brands are probably fake. Given a choice between wearing a fake "known" brand or upstart local brand, judging by the amount of fakes around, TGP wants the fake, even if everyone around them knows it. You won't see this in Europe, US or Japan because copyright laws are much stricter and no respecting denim enthusiast would be caught wearing fakes.

Maybe its time to develop a Thai denim brand comparable in terms of price, design, quality, to fakes that TGP can be proud of wearing. A public service against fakes.

[Largo]

I have seen some local brands in the same vein as the Thai fakes, but usually at tiny stores in markets like Siam Square. The only one with any distribution is Justin Jeans (I believe), which are literally re-branded fake Levis with various degrees of distressing. There's a few local brands (like Cherry Black, which I mentioned) that have their own cuts and such, but they're few and far between. I suppose there's also the 'almost Levis' which have different patches, but that hardly counts. It'd be nice to see a well-distributed original line, I agree.

[jaja]

*Important message from a Bangkok local - born here, raised here, lived here all life

Can't help but have to reply to this thread. Don't want you denim fanatics to buy fake jeans, thinking you're buying the real thing.

The jeans you see in all the shops in MBK and Siam Square are all fake - no exception! (Do not believe whatever the sellers lie to you! - that it's second-hand, that it's factory overrun, it's all lies!) It's like buying premium jeans from eBay...they're all fake (though of course once in a while there'll be a seller getting bored of his premium denim and deciding to sell it - but that's rare, and who could tell just by looking at an out-of-focus picture on the computer?)

I know of one local shop owner who bought the real premium denim brands abroad and had them copied to the detail (including stitches and logo patch) and mass-produced them. I've seen his fake jeans -- And I can tell they're fake just by looking at the denim. If you've bought and worn a few pair of premium denim, I'm sure you can tell the difference too.

If you're crazy about premium denim, just by touching and feeling the denim fabric, even if by a mere close glance, you can tell if it's a fake. The fake jeans' denim fabric is of much lower quality and it definitely shows. You can tell!

Not one single shop at MBK or SiamSquare sells the real brands. :eek:

Now listen closely....

*The only places you will find the real premium denim brands are in the leading department stores - common sense for buying name brands in Asia (except for Japan).

Currently, the biggest place you will find real Evisu, True Religion, Seven, Citizen, Blueblood, Antik, Lucky, 575, 1921, Blue Cult, Ed Hardy and a couple more top brands is on the 5th floor of Zen - same floor for both men and women (Zen is a funky department store located inside Central World Plaza). If you don't find the huge premium denim selection on the 5th floor, then by the time you're reading this thread, it might change floors, so explore all the high floors yourself. (Don't ask the sales people; they don't understand English quite well and might misguide you or even tell you they don't have them.)

The second-largest place to find real premium denim is on the Central department store (Chidlom branch). I can't remember the floor because I don't go there as often these days now that the much bigger Paragon is open -- But if I don't remember it wrong, it's on the same floor as the BTS train entrance, maybe second floor? Denim for both men and women here on the same floor. You will find Lucky, Seven, Citizen and few more top brands in one corner of the floor.

And there's Paragon department store. You can walk from CentralWorld; it's closeby. Paragon has two sections 1) the Paragon department store itself (and this is where you'll find the premium denim brands - selection is less than Zen though, but you can check it out on the second floor/ third floor I'm not sure - one floor is for men, the other is for women) and 2) the mall inside the building rented out to luxury and fashion shops like Chanel, Tod's, Coach, Chloe, Bottega Veneta, Fendi, Zara and more.

Paragon belongs to the same owners of Emporium (10 years older and much smaller than Paragon), so maybe you might want to check it out too. But trust me, the largest selection of real premium denim brands in Thailand is at Zen (I said the largest in Thailand, but still the largest here is too tiny in my opinion -- Even if in HongKong, it's again tiny for a denim fanatic like me -- What I want? A 6 floor building selling nothing but U.S. and Japanese premium denim brands...If I had a billion dollar, I would build the darn store myself and stock the whole six floors with 100 brands for myself and you guys to just try these cool jeans on and smile the whole day! Wouldn't that be great? Now where shall I build the world's biggest denim store? Hmm....Dream on... )

Real premium denim brands you will not find in Thailand at the moment:

(hopefully they will import in the future): Rock & Republic, Paige Premium, Paper Denim, Earnest Sewn, Earl, Acne, Joe, James, J Brand, Chip and Pepper, Frankie B, Goldsign, Habitual, Hudson, J&Company, Kasil, Nudie, Cheap Monday, Saltworks, Stitch and all hard-to-find Japanese denim like SugarCane, Samurai, etc.

:eek: Now let's talk about the price tag!!!

Real-case example:

I've successfully converted my husband into a premium denim fanatic. We are crazy about True Religion in particular because they make the wearers look so good. We don't travel to the U.S. so we flew to HongKong to buy True Religion (and it's only available at a few Lane Crawford branches in HongKong). While a pair of True Religion jeans costs $190 in the U.S., the same pair would cost $330 in Hong Kong, and it would cost $480 here in Bangkok when not on sale :eek: (on sale would cost around $390)--note that I'm talking about the real denim at Zen, not cheap fake ones at MBK or Siam Square.

P.S. Do not get confused about the names. Siam Square is not the same as Siam Center or Siam Discovery. Siam Square is not a building; it's an area comprising small shops selling cheap clothes and fake denim and accessories for teens opposite Paragon, Siam Center and Siam Discovery on one side, and opposite MBK on the other side. Siam Center and Siam Discovery are two adjacent buildings; they have name brand shops like Benetton, Diesel, Esprit, Adidas, Volcom etc, so if you buy inside Siam Center and Siam Discovery, you're buying the real brands.

[Analyst]

Real premium denim brands you will not find in Thailand at the moment:

(hopefully they will import in the future): Rock & Republic, Paige Premium, Paper Denim, Earnest Sewn, Earl, Acne, Joe, James, J Brand, Chip and Pepper, Frankie B, Goldsign, Habitual, Hudson, J&Company, Kasil, Nudie, Cheap Monday, Saltworks, Stitch and all hard-to-find Japanese denim like SugarCane, Samurai, etc.

I was strolling in Gaysorn plaza on Sunday, and I can confirm that Cloud 9 is carrying Paige and Earnest Sewn and non-selvedge Cheap Monday denim. These also also on sale right now for 40-60%. And they used to carry Paper Denim. As of this weekend, Blackjack, inside the Erawan Plaza at Chitlom, is also confirmed for carrying Acne Jeans and Chip and Pepper. Blackjack is part of the Singapore-based Club 21 chain, and I'm pretty sure that they would not be fronting counterfeit merchandise at a rather luxurious shopping center. Both of these places are not in the Siam area but are located one BTS stop away at Chitlom.

I'm not at all vaguely interested in any of these brands, but I wouldn't want anyone looking for these brands in Bangkok to be misled. Generalized, unexhaustive and unverified comments under the pretense of being a born and raised local just aren't that helpful.

In terms of Japanese denim, Tanner Lee & Na who operate a store on the first floor of MBK, have raw Studio D'Artisan including the limited D-1263, various Samurai, various Denime and Warehouse denim. I'm also pretty sure that these are the real deal and are not counterfeits. I commend Tanner, Lee & Na for importing Japanese denim into the Thai market and going beyond the mainstream demands for denim such as True Religion and Diesel. I don't claim to be an expert in verifying the authenticity of their denim but am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

Some other folks have also mentioned finding new Japanese denim at Chatuchuk market. Can this be confirmed?

[Largo]

I'll vouch for the authenticity of the stuff at Tanner, Lee, & Na if nothing else. I kind of doubt they're making copies of Take5xStormy Blue in the seedy backroom jean shops of Bangkok. Like Analyst said, if you want real jeans, there's plenty to be had in the right shops. Most of the Chatuchak stuff I've seen is second hand though, as far as Japanese brands go, but most of it's legit. The stuff that wasn't was fairly obvious, and priced accordingly (yeah fake Denime, I'm looking at you).

[tweeds]

i'm not a local but i hope i have enough faith in my ability to tell fake sugarcanes, skulls, samurais, etc, from real ones

to echo: Tanner Lee and Na are real stuff

Denim Style in Siam Square is an iffy mix but i believe some of their stock to be real. stay away from their evisu though, just in case.

like Largo said, the secondhand stuff can be for real--i remember seeing a pair of beat-up real mccoys somewhere...a little hazy on the specifics.

[somatoform]

At the big lifestyle shop (Zen, I beleive) in Central World they also have Atelier La Durance, a rare find by most countries' standards, so a one up for Bangkok boutiques.

Also the Lee store in Central World were carrying up to 34 waist raw hair on hide.

Unfortunately the ADL were too small and the Lee's I didn't like.

[postman]

what are the prices like at tanner lee and na?

[Largo]

Depends. I think from 7,000-12,000 baht usually. Maybe you could haggle with them, but I've never actually gone there intending to buy anything.

[Analyst]

At the big lifestyle shop (Zen, I beleive) in Central World they also have Atelier La Durance, a rare find by most countries' standards, so a one up for Bangkok boutiques.

Also the Lee store in Central World were carrying up to 34 waist raw hair on hide.

Unfortunately the ADL were too small and the Lee's I didn't like.

Also saw the Atelier La Durance at Central World at Manga, on the first floor. Very surprising to see them there.

[somatoform]

Also saw the Atelier La Durance at Central World at Manga, on the first floor. Very surprising to see them there.

Yes, that's right, it was Manga not Zen.

When I went to Tanner... in MBK the prices quoted were about what Largo mentioned. Not the best service though. The young guy at the counter seemed pretty lukewarm about me dragging him away from his i-pod for a few questions.

Definitely not like Jatujak where a guy runs the entire length of the market and back just to get you a pair you'll like.

[Analyst]

Yes, that's right, it was Manga not Zen.

When I went to Tanner... in MBK the prices quoted were about what Largo mentioned. Not the best service though. The young guy at the counter seemed pretty lukewarm about me dragging him away from his i-pod for a few questions.

Definitely not like Jatujak where a guy runs the entire length of the market and back just to get you a pair you'll like.

I've found the guy at Tanner to not be very friendly or helpful at times.

On the other hand, his wife Na is awesome. She's very personable and goes out of her way to find the right denim for you. Come to think of it, the only time I stayed for more than 3 minutes is when only Na was manning the shop. Hmm...

[john11f]

I was just at Trenner Lee & Na and found the most interesting pair of jeans. A Steam Locomotive with one of the nicest denim fabric. They have one pair and it's my size. Too bad they are pricey. 12,000 baht. That's US$380!

But their denim ARE authentic.

[suthee16]

Just thought I will share my Denim Perspective from the market here.

By the way Thank You Largo for your comments on the music background on the website.. totally annoying!! Anyways check it out again .. I've changed it and now you can also turn off the sound by clicking sound off ... cheers =D

Totally disagree with the facts that all denim are fakes apart from Department Stores Brands.. I know this by facts that some shops do have original , over production , real second hand stuff from garments factory that are making for the originals...!! But also do not be fool as there are also several fakes brands, fake shops from JJ market to Siam Square!! If you are good enough then you will be able to tell then...

[brissyboy]

I'll vouch for the authenticity of the stuff at Tanner, Lee, & Na if nothing else. I kind of doubt they're making copies of Take5xStormy Blue in the seedy backroom jean shops of Bangkok. Like Analyst said, if you want real jeans, there's plenty to be had in the right shops. Most of the Chatuchak stuff I've seen is second hand though, as far as Japanese brands go, but most of it's legit. The stuff that wasn't was fairly obvious, and priced accordingly (yeah fake Denime, I'm looking at you).

Do the fakes last for very long or do u sort of get what u pay for? Is it worth getting a pair and not washing them for a year..?

[Largo]

The 2-400 baht selvage jobs or the other Thai repro brands? Honestly, they're all pretty nice. If price vs. quality is your concern, then I'd argue you're getting an extremely good value for the money. As for the more expensive stuff I've seen (1-2000 baht), given that you're stacking it up against say, Gap or something in the same price range, then those are worth it too, if you like the cuts.

[brissyboy]

The 2-400 baht selvage jobs or the other Thai repro brands? Honestly, they're all pretty nice. If price vs. quality is your concern, then I'd argue you're getting an extremely good value for the money. As for the more expensive stuff I've seen (1-2000 baht), given that you're stacking it up against say, Gap or something in the same price range, then those are worth it too, if you like the cuts.

Ok cool, 2000 baht is reasonable. Was looking for some fake evisu, or something made of Jap denim. Also do you have any suggestions where I can get a pair of casual sneakers, fake or original doesn't matter.

oh yeh thanks for the leather shoe comment before.+rp

[brissyboy]

Hey I eventually found this trennar lee and nar store, directions were spot on. Looked at a pair of evisus and the lady said they were 8800 baht? Am I missing something here, I thought they were fakes. I checked the label and it said made in china, even though the store owner was adamant it was made in japan? wtf

[grandnash84]

just a waring, everything at MBK is fake! its funny how you guys dont want to believe it cause you got ripped off! lol

[brissyboy]

Dude I didn't buy them, give me some credit... They were sweet fakes though, just not sweet enough for 8800 baht

[Largo]

Christ, this again.

The stuff in Tanner, Lee & Na is legit. If you're really freaking out over whether or not they were fakes, go upstairs to the the third floor and check the stalls in the back. That is the current rotation of fake Evisu in Thailand, with the exception of a few weird looking redline models they have at Chatuchak. Check the hardware and tags on the Evisus there, and the selvage, for the matter at Tanner vs. the stuff upstairs, it'll put your mind at ease. I'm pretty sure the lady who works there doesn't really speak much English though. Some Evisus are made in China, though-can't help you on that count if they're arguing otherwise-did you show them the tab? She's usually pretty nice.

[brissyboy]

The denim was pretty heavy with quality stitching but there was no selvedge. I did ask them about the difference in where it was made as opposed to what the tag said. They said it was made in Japan. The guy there was a bit stand offish so I didn't probe too much.

It's no biggy.. Fair enough if they were authentic.

Friend just picked up a cheap pair of jeans for 750baht which had selvedge and also on the belt loop. It was fairly decent raw denim too..

[nongnhum]

some Evisus are made in China and i can guarantee that Lee & Na shop is legit. at JJ marker, they have real Japanese denim but very very hard to find even if you Thai.

[Largo]

No worries-they're always pretty proud, I guess, of their Evisu selection there. Might explain why they were standoffish about it. They carry the No.2, and a pair or two of the No.1 denim as well. They had a pair of No. 0 once, but it was gone after a few weeks. As you probably saw, they've got denim rolled up everywhere, and I guess they go through new stock pretty fast (at least, they're always out of my size when I ask about shipments). So I can't say much for sure what stock is in at any given time.

Anyways, the 750 baht ones your friend picked up sounds like of of the Thai repros, yeah? A lot of 'em have the selvage beltloop. I think I might have a few stall numbers for one or two of the spots at JJ/Chatuchak with Japanese brands though, if you're headed down there.

[brissyboy]

No worries-they're always pretty proud, I guess, of their Evisu selection there. Might explain why they were standoffish about it. They carry the No.2, and a pair or two of the No.1 denim as well. They had a pair of No. 0 once, but it was gone after a few weeks. As you probably saw, they've got denim rolled up everywhere, and I guess they go through new stock pretty fast (at least, they're always out of my size when I ask about shipments). So I can't say much for sure what stock is in at any given time.

Anyways, the 750 baht ones your friend picked up sounds like of of the Thai repros, yeah? A lot of 'em have the selvage beltloop. I think I might have a few stall numbers for one or two of the spots at JJ/Chatuchak with Japanese brands though, if you're headed down there.

Yeh I think the 750 ones were ones that you had mentioned previously. Didn't realise how good they were until I felt them. He wasn't going to get them but I remember reading somewhere that they use quality denim and rebrand them or something along those lines.

Does the Chatuchak market run during the weeek? Didn't get a chance to check it out earlier as a Thai lady said it was all second hand stuff. But, I did read somewhere on sufu that it was good. Will be back in bkk from 6th to 8th before heading home so might check out playground and few more places.

I need to pick up a unique pair of converse chucks before I go, saw an awesome painted pair at a store in Phi Phi but they did not have my size.

Loving the shopping here, so many unique t-shirt designs as well.

[Newman]

I digging up this old thread again.

Im wondering if someone here from Sufu are in Bangkok at the moment? Because I need to know what brands and models Trenner Lee and Naa are carrying at the moment, since I will tell my parents to get me a pair from Trenner Lee and Naa. Or does anyone even have an email adress to the shopowner?

[Tisswat]

I think Analyst still resides in BKK; he sounds like a busy man though.

[poly800rock]

analyst still does live there, but as tisswat said he's a busy dude. Hopefully i'll catch up with him this summer when i'm out in SEA...