FOB Factory x Flâneurs: 1st Collaboration

/ THE INITIAL IDEA

The launch of a new collaboration generally stems from the frustration of not being able to find the exact product we have in mind.

It was the case for our last collaboration with Momotaro, and the one we are launching today with Fob Factory does not deviate from this rule. ;)

With a (forced) return to a more sedentary lifestyle, comfort has become a crucial criterion when choosing a piece of clothing.

Our denim selection has gradually evolved to offer more and more styles that meet this demand.

But never finding precisely the product that ticked all the boxes, we began to consider what would be the ideal loose fit for us to enhance our selection.

Three main characteristics quickly emerged from this reflection:

- A high-waisted, well-fitting design with a distinct tilt for better support.

- A generous thigh circumference, offering comfort and an oval silhouette.

- A straight fit, very slightly tapered, which will easily adapt to a wide range of body shapes.

This type of cut, which we might call "Loose Tapered", quickly became a real safe bet.

The Choice of the Canvas

We are fortunate to collaborate with brands that are among the best selvedge denim manufacturers in the world, and one of the most interesting aspects of our work is being able to track with our customers the evolution and the quality of the patinas of the different fabrics that we offer in store. It's always surprising to compare with you a pair of jeans that has two or three years of wear with its new version in the store. ;)

Recently, a fabric has been consistently astonishing us with the beauty of its washes: G3 denim from Fob Factory.

(Some comparison images between the raw canvas and the faded canvas are available further down.)

So, it was without much hesitation that we started working on different samples with this small Japanese label that we are particularly fond of.

For three years, FOB Factory has earned a prime spot in our selection, both for the design of their pieces and the quality of their fabrics. Brilliantly blending tradition and modernity, the Japanese brand has distinguished itself by using particular techniques and machines, thus offering unique pieces of their kind.

True to this concept, the brand offers a collection entirely dedicated to the G3 loom craft, a mythical machine from Toyoda, which produces a fabric that is almost impossible to find today.

Below are the different variations available for this exceptional fabric (from left to right):

F2384 G3 Denim Pull Over Jacket / F2400 G3 Denim 1st Jacket / F2378 G3 Denim 2d Jacket / F147 G3 Denim

/ A BIT OF HISTORY

Contrary to what is often heard, Japanese jeans are generally made on Japanese looms, particularly Toyoda, and not machines imported from the United States.
It was at the end of the 19th century that Sakichi Toyoda Invented the first mechanical loom in Japan, an invention that would revolutionize the textile industry of the archipelago. In January 1918, Sakichi founded the Toyoda Spinning & Weaving Company and achieves, with the help of his son Kiichiro, the dream of his life by building in 1924 the country's first automated loom: the famousG3.

Two years later, he founded the factory Toyoda Automatic Loom Works. It is indeed thanks to the 100,000 pounds sterling obtained from the sale of the patent for his automated loom that Kiichiro founded in 1937 the Toyota Motor Corporation.

This automatic loom, with non-stop shuttle change, called at the time "Magical Loom", helped advance the global textile industry.

The "G3" Denim

Today, only a few skilled and experienced craftsmen can still use this very old machine that can only weave 5 meters of denim per hour.

Using exactly the same blend of American and Australian cotton as before, FOB Factory successfully managed to replicate the 1950s denim style identically.

The result is a canvas of 14 oz, of medium weight, with a very pronounced character.

It has a dry and rough feel, coupled with an appearance that is both neppy and slubby, characteristic of very low tension weavings.

In order to preserve its authenticity, this denim has not been sanforized. As a result, all the parts FOB Factory made with G3 denim are delivered to us in "One Wash" (pre-washed) and are thus pre-shrunk, therefore not requiring to be oversized.

/ THE DETAILS

A true symbol of the past, we have chosen to add a martingale ("back-cinch") on the back of the pants to improve waist support. We have also thought of customers who would like to emphasize the loose fit by sizing up one or even two sizes from their usual size.

The term "martingale" refers back to the origins of jeans, a time when pre-shrinking processes did not exist. It was then necessary to buy jeans much too large in anticipation of significant shrinkage after the first wash. This strap system allowed one to wear their jeans before their initial wash and tighten them as needed. The martingale gradually disappeared, especially after the introduction of belt loops and the sanforizing, invented and patented in the early 1930s by Sanford Lockwood Cluett.

We thus wanted to keep the whole relatively simple. No visible branding or superfluous text, only the mask of Hyottoko is embossed on a vegetable-tanned leather patch that will age alongside the denim.

If you have already placed an order on our site, you will certainly recognize the face of Hyottoko, a character from Japanese folklore who plays the role of a clown in local festivals and is often depicted in the company of Okame (goddess of cheerfulness), an image that we also use for our women's store in Granville.

Initially, these were two stamps found in a specialty shop located in a shōtengai in Kyoto, which we have been using ever since to prepare our packages and web orders.

More than just a logo, it is primarily a memory of our first trip to Japan, more than ten years ago now. It represents the attachment we have to this country and its culture.

So, we find the famous canvas woven on the Toyoda G3 loom, the same machine pictured on the flasher of the back pocket.

Its main features are as follows:

- 100% cotton 14 oz mid-season canvas of medium weight, but with a rough appearance and a very pronounced texture

- Blend of American and Australian cotton to recreate the denim style of the 1950s

- Very low tension weaving

- One Wash so no shrinkage

- The coin pocket with selvedge peek-a-boo, as well as copper rivets.

- Chain stitch seams

- Unlike the classic G3 Denim model that FOB Factory offers with a zipper fly, we chose a button fly for its greater durability.

The Evolution of the Web Over Time

/ FIT WHEN WORN

Thanks to its martingale, this fit works perfectly with upsized and looser silhouettes. In the images below, Quentin (1.74 m, 64 kg) is wearing (from left to right) size 30, size 31, and size 32.

In the following photos, Quentin is wearing only size 30 (the t-shirt is a heavy raglan in white) Good On from home and the sneakers from Shoes Like Pottery in black ;)

/ THE PRODUCTION

Below are the images sent from Kojima of the different production stages.