Sugar Cane Jeans are uniquely Japanese denim made from — you guessed it- sugar cane.

For many years, Sugar Cane Jeans were a ferociously guarded Japanese secret but today the brand is attracting global attention. Interestingly, Sugar Cane prefer to use the vintage term ‘dungarees’ in preference to the term ‘jeans’ to describe their product: “The word ‘jeans’ has become the vernacular for faux denim fashion wear that masquerades as the tough, classic waist overalls history made famous.” ORIGINAL SUGAR CANE DENIM FABRIC Sugar Cane Jeans are constructed of fibres derived from the plant that gave rise to the brand name SUGAR CANE. Sugar is made from sugar cane, which seems simple enough, but not everyone knows that sugar cane and its byproducts contain essential amino acids and enzymes necessary to fuel and rejuvenate our bodies. Likewise, byproducts from sugar cane are used to fuel automobiles in Brazil in order to have a less harmful impact on the environment rather than found in burned fuels of a purely fossil origin. Following these facts in a rather philosophical approach, the textile specialists at Sugar Cane were the first in the world to produce a selvage denim fabric made from woven cotton yarns and sugar cane fibres . WHAT MAKES OUR JAPANESE DENIM DIFFERENT FROM OTHERS? Sugar Cane original vintage denim jeans were developed from the accumulated results of more than 20 years of research and experience of vintage jeans reproduction. The features of our jeans are that they do not resemble any other pair of manufacturer ’ s jeans. The jeans we make are based on ‘ 5 Pocket Denim pants with rivets ’ that the great forerunners made but are not just a copy of their external appearance . Sugar Cane Jeans are cut from original and truly outstanding Japanese selvage denim. Japanese selvage denim is arguably the finest in the world and is made on old style shuttle looms rather than modern projectile looms. In simple terms this means that the cross thread goes back and forth during the weaving process. Modern looms shoot each cross thread through individually, hence the edge of the cloth is frayed rather than clean. No shuttle looms have been made for over 40 years as they can only make cloth about 30 inches wide whereas projectile looms can make cloth 60 inches or even wider for much less money.


PROPER CARE IN LAUNDERING YOUR SUGAR CANE DENIM FOR BEST RESULTS:


STEP (1) CARE BEFORE WASHING


It is recommended that you soak Sugar Cane Denim in water before wear. The fabric is woven by old type power looms. Due to the low speed in weaving, the surface is rough. The fabric is raw with no pre shrink treatment and shrinks by soaking for a perfect fit. It is important that the leg length is adjusted after soaking in water.


After washing non-washed raw selvage-denim jeans shrinkage will occur both in waist size (approx ½-1 inch) and leg length (approx 3 inches) and the final inside leg length measurement should be around 34 inches. It usually takes at least 3-4 washes to achieve the final measurement but sometimes additional washes may be needed. Never have your non-washed raw selvage-denim jeans shortened to your desired length until final measurement has been achieved via washing. Please note: Due to the erratic characteristics inherently associated with the raw, heavy cotton turned into denim produced on the old shuttle looms, waist measurement can fluctuate by about 1" smaller than the label on the jeans states.


Washing instructions: Wash in cold water only, by hand or washing machine. DO NOT WASH IN HOT WATER. By washing in hot water, the indigo blue dye will lose its natural shade.

Laundry detergent: Avoid use of any detergent when soaking before wear. Use only when soiled as detergents will wash out the indigo blue. Beware of using detergents with fluorescent contents as this will change the natural colours.


STEP (2) HOW TO LAUNDER


Wash separately from other garments as the denim is not colour fast and colour will bleed If washed before wear, wash by machine for a maximum of 5 minutes and avoid lengthy soaking and washing to prevent unnatural fading of indigo It is unnecessary to turn the garment inside out as sugar cane denims were developed as work wear and built tough. Avoid usage of a scrubbing brush, pumice stone or sand paper for a quick fade as your eagerness will destroy the fabric and the natural fade. After washing, natural creases will form and the fade will give its true appearance. After washing, wring out by hand and be careful of indigo drips.


STEP (3) HOW TO DRY


After wringing out, creases will remain. However, do not iron out the creases as this will cause a colour change. Ironing is not recommended as continuous wear will help to fade out the creases. For outdoor drying, a clear day is best as the fabric will tighten and by continuous wear, the garment becomes fitted to the body and forms natural creases. This is the beginning of creating your own original denims. The use of a tumble dryer is not recommended as heat can change the colour of the indigo.


STEP 4 DEVELOPING YOUR OWN PAIR


Although it will require time, continuous wear of Sugar Cane will fade to your satisfaction After washing and wearing, change in colour is expected. Sugar Cane Denims are to be washed to a minimum. However, please bear in mind if the denim gets extremely soiled, it is difficult to wash out the soil so wear your denims with care. Each pair of jeans could have a separate appearance although washed the same, as it all depends on the persons wear.


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