Doing Asian-Style jeans

[sebbie]

As many of you know, I have for some time been fascinated by true Asian style clothing designs, not only in the briefest swimsuits, but also in other clothing items, such as jeans. A number of the Chinese firms are now marketing directly on US sites such as eBay, and I no longer have to go to directly to Chinese sites such as aliexpress.com to get the real thing.

One of the designs I have been fascinated with is the look in Asian jeans, which features what appears to be a slimmer contour and snugger fit than is typical of Jeans sold by American-headquartered firms.

In surfing, I found this site on ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/231040828941?var=530198966251&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649


Note the following:

1. Asian jeans are quite slim and snug, designed for men who have smaller, trimmer physiques.

2. There is a wider range of colors than is typical of American jean retailers, even though a lot of the American jeans now come out of China. I’m not sure I can yet quite get my head around the idea of wearing jeans in the really bright greens, reds and orange colors, but those appear to be popular with guys in Asia.

3. There is a distinctive Asian “look” to these jeans. It’s tough to identify exactly why they look right for an Asian guy, but somehow they do
So I placed my order for a “conservative” pair of white jeans. I ordered my normal jean size, a 31 waist, a bit fearful that these would be undersized. There was no specific inseam, and I normally wear a 30 inch inseam. I thought I might have to shorten these. About 3 weeks later, a very reasonable amount of time, these showed up in my USPS mailbox.

Here are some comments on the jeans

1. They are very well made and neatly sewn, especially nice given that they are an $18 jean retail (inc shipping)

2. The cloth is lighter weight than Americans normally are used to seeing in jeans, probably a 10 ounce as opposed to at least a 12 oz and up to 14 ounce cloth

3. The length is fine, especially if you want exactly the look in the photos, The narrow legs will ride up just a bit, giving the same “wrinkled” effect as seen in some of the photos

4. The fit is good. If anything the waist seems a touch looser than I am used to in my other skinny jeans

5. I have measured the legs against a number of other skinny and super skinny jeans I have in the same 31”W. The leg width at the cuff of about 13” seems about the same as the Levis 510, the PacSun Bullhead super skinny, and the A&F and Hollister super skinny jeans. These fit very nice through the thigh, perhaps neater than the (usually much more expensive) jeans from the American vendors. The butt fit on these is actually a bit looser than I expected.

6. The cloth is thin enough so that your (ahem) anatomy may reveal itself more clearly in outline that it would in the heavier American jeans. You will want to think a bit about exactly what you wear for underwear under these, though the color does not seem to show through even on the white.

7. I have tried these with a number of different shoes such as Adidas Samba. I think the Asian gius in the photos have it right, and the best look is with a very simple white canvas sneaker that I got at Wal mart (for a song). Narrow jeans generally call for a narrow shoe design or you will look like Donald Duck.

8. I think the white ones will look great with a simple red cotton pullover shirt. I have a simple brown canvas double buckle belt (like a larger version of a belt for a football pant) that is perfect for these.

9. Some American guys might see the narrow width and perhaps really bright colors as being perhaps just a bit “feminine”. This is silly. The Asian guys culturally obviously have no such hang-ups.

10. Bottom line: I liked these so well I could not resist ordering another pair as a Christmas present to myself. This time I am trying the “brown” color with just a 30-inch waist. I think they said the smaller waists are slightly shorter in the inseam as well. These should be in my mailbox on Christmas eve (along with the yellow Seobean swimming brief I found that I also ordered from China. I will update you again in a month or so.

[Byron]

When it comes to the brown "present" I see the model in the pic having high over-the-ankle white boots and that may have to be your choice also if the smaller waist size presents with less in leg length too, ie if that turns out to be the case a repeat wearing of loafers might not coordinate well.

[sebbie]

I'm not sure I am that keen on the boots on the outside of jeans look. One of the photos of the brown jeans shows standard white canvas sneakers and that looks better to my eyes. I do have somw white wrestling boots I can try, tho the tops of those would fit inside the leg.

THis is an interesting study in what is considered stylish jeans for men living in varoius parts of the world. Here in the US, A& F are big at rolling up jeans at the cuff--look at the models on their Web site. That is definitely not the style in Asia, but the style seems to be to wear the jeans an inch or two longer and then just let them wrinkle at the cuff. You see that in many of the photos on the Web site.

[Byron]

There are some things so embedded in a national psyche as to what is appropriate that no amount of persuasion by any fashion "trend setters" will make the slightest difference.
You surprise me at turn-ups on jeans legs still being advertised however as that fashion was finished with when I was a kid. We used nevertheless to select our jeans with or without boot-cut , even if we had never been near a horse.

I would love to do a survey on US rodeo riders and find just one who might be prepared to wear pencil jeans and have them "wrinkly" at the leg bottoms.
MOST unlikely as this iconic apparel will belong always with the concept of hard work on the land and being in the saddle all day, herding cattle - it goes back to the ideals of the early days of the tough frontiersmen forging their way westwards from the eastern cities.

As to boots worn in the USA I have a question. They will often be to calf-height and with the most elaborate tooling on the leather - quite some works of art but never seen because the jeans are worn OVER and not INSIDE them - so why such decorative work on something always hidden?
It used to make me laugh to see George Dubbya walking across a manicured lawn as if out on the rough and dusty plains of Texas (with T. Blair in tow trying to look the part as well with thumbs in pockets)

[sebbie]

The days of elaborate tooling on the shaft of the boot have largely passed in favor of more elaborate designs for the part of the foot tat can be seen with the jeans worn over the shaft. There are still Western traditionalists who wear the ones with the elaborate tooling, but generally these not younger people.

[sebbie]

The brown pair of Asian-style jeans arrived just in time for Christmas, almost exactly in three weks as the ebay vendor indicated. I ordered these in waist size 30, and, expected, they are a touch shorter and just a bit tighter still. If you like snug-fitting jeans these are really really nice. Again, the cloth is a little lighter weight than is commonly found in jeans sold in the US. And the legs, of course are really narrow. The fabric has more stretch to it than we normally see in the jeans in with a touch of spandex. But that means the waist has a bit more give as well. Anyhow, I have no problem with the 30" waist fit even tucking a shirt inside.

I think these jeans fit and look wonderful. They are obviously not for a guy who lacks a trim body. The 30 inch waist works for me at 60 inches and 147 lbs. The color I picked is unlike anything I have seen in a store in the US. I wore these going to movies a couple of times, and despite the tight fit, they are very comfortable to wear. A Speedo under and you are all set. Highly recommended for a great look, fit and feel.

[Byron]

Which bit of you is 60 inches ?

[sebbie]

Ha Ha 60 inches from head to toe. Actually I am amazed at how well these fit,..just as if they were made for me! in the summer, an aqux or seobean brief would be nice under the jeans.

[Byron]

OK - sorry for question - was sure it was a typo
(do you say drainpipes for the narrow ones in the US?)

[sebbie]

hadn't heard that term

[Byron]

This is from Strasbourg last year but the term goes back more than fifty years to the days of the Teddy Boys:
https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT4rkU9XWpfZGvAaPp53vUjA7yY0mQIj 6U_U1joWSbQvZT5cyi2oQ

[Byron]

The shoes to go with them were https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRhOBU6SCkU9A5vXDFGNpMjM7i-CaSt8wnsKDaht2rFCnQKvtKn

[sebbie]

Those shoes are a bit wide for narrow-cut jeans..makes a guy look like a duck.
Adidas Samba indoor socker shoes work well, or just a simple canvas shoe

I've been a fan of narrow and tight jeans since I was only a wee lad...I thought they were way cool.

[Byron]

Teddy means Edward - the fashion started as a recreation of the elegance of the Edwardian period but then diversified all over the place - and the sartorial combinations came (often shockingly) thick and fast.
Nothing new in fashion of course - just wait a few years for a trend to reappear (I still await the massive hair quiff and the drape jacket collar in velvet)

(my next chapter will cover mods and rockers........):)