606RJ '48 Jacket - 12 Oz Staple Selvedge Okayama

Fourteen years doesn’t happen overnight. It’s built through years of making things the way we believe they ought to be made. It’s built through years of work, mistakes, lessons, and a stubborn belief in making things right. Much like this denim jacket collection, which was supposed to come a year ago or so. But sometimes, the good things take longer than initially expected. If we have to choose between crafting goods right on schedule or right on thoroughness, we always choose the latter.

Another special denim fabric in our range that’s also utilized in the previous 14th Fandango collection. Woven in Okayama, Japan, this 12 oz. selvedge denim takes its cues from the denim of the 1940s. The golden era when American denim reached a particular balance of character, construction, and everyday durability.

The indigo shade, yarn size, yarn count, and overall fabric construction are carefully developed to follow the specifications and characteristics of denim from that period. And just like the original cloth, this denim is left unsanforized. Allowing the fabric to retain the raw character and behavior that vintage denim heads have long appreciated. All in all, a denim fabric built in the spirit of the Golden Era. Made not to imitate vintage denim, but to bring that old standard back to life.

For this jacket model, we went back to another defining chapter in denim history; none other than the 1948 Rider Jacket. The foundation comes from the iconic Lee 101 Rider of the late 1940s, a jacket that helped define the look of American denim workwear. We took that familiar silhouette and gave it our own hand and our own twist.

The ol’ Rider gave us the foundation; its proportions, distinctive silhouette, yokes, and pocket arrangement. We kept the unmistakable DNA of the ’48 Rider, while reworking the details through our own lens. One of the most notable adjustments can be found on the front pockets. We gave them a more pronounced pointed and curved shape, creating a stronger visual character while keeping the overall language of the original Rider intact.

We also constructed this jacket with a special inner lining fabric. Based on another chapter of the Rider story, no other than the legendary Storm Rider, it’s traditionally built with a heavy blanket lining to withstand the colder days. Instead of a heavy blanket, we utilized a light-weight and loosely-woven fabric with a bold Navajo-inspired pattern. The open weave keeps the inside lighter and more breathable, while the distinctive pattern brings an even more distinct Western character into the jacket.