Customized Denim by SugarCane

SugarCane is one of the brands of Toyo Enterprises. Other brands of Toyo Enterprises – Sun Surf, Buzz Ricksons, John Seyerson, Tailor Toyo, StyleEyes, Indian Motorcycle and Whitesville also manufacture Japanese American vintage denim. The history of the brand started in 1977. In the 1980s the brand started to produce repro together with other companies like Evisu, SDA and Denime. However, SugarCane sets itself against manufacturers of repro denim calling its production dungarees. Customized jeans models manufactured by SugarCane can be divided in two directions – standard denim produced in the USA and Japan original.

Standard denim jeans are manufactured of a cotton mixture – 60{4d40cc26d078fd4100d2daf00165e0560f17ee302de6bc2409b7ee95793dc9eb} American cotton and 40{4d40cc26d078fd4100d2daf00165e0560f17ee302de6bc2409b7ee95793dc9eb} Zimbabwe cotton. The color of denim is also standard rope dyeing. All stitching and back pockets patterns as well are done by hand and are thus exclusive. In 2006 a jubilee jeans model was produced. Union Star jeans are a repro of 501 Levi’s, however they have specific decorative elements – a pentangle, a trademark of SugarCane, a tag in the bottom of back pocket, hidden rivets instead of x-stitching, a leather patch instead of pressed paper.

Made in USA series represents jeans made in USA from Japanese denim, having American furniture and sold in Japan. These jeans models are remarkable for the use of gripper zipper manufactured by Scovill. Such zippers were used in old Levi’s models and are not manufactured any longer. Jeans are sold in a paper box together with a newspaper dated 1955. The series also includes repro models with arcuates, bar tacks, flat buttons, hidden rivets, centered belt loop, donut buttons, x-bar tacks, left-hand twill and leg twist – an astonishing attention to detail. However, standard American jeans models can be found by any Japanese repro manufacturer. The distinguishing feature of SugarCane brand is its own product line.

It is called Japan original and includes the most famous customized denim models of the brand. Jeans are dyed with original indigo color and have a green shade which becomes brighter after they are worn some time. Cotton fibers for the jeans manufacture are enriched with sugar cane fibers. Sugar cane is grown on Okinawa islands; that is why one of the most popular models of the line is called Okinawa. Another model is called Hawaii – sugar cane for jeans manufacture was also imported from there. Sugar cane fibers create a more rough structure of denim and give jeans a sweet scent. Besides, such jeans are considered to be environmental friendly. Edo Ai model is colored by natural indigo with the use of special bacteria. Pocket lining and jeans packing are decorated with prints by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, which makes tailor made jeans by SugarCane to a genuine masterpiece. Pocket lining of Hawaii jeans model resembles of rice sacks and pocket lining of Okinawa jeans is decorated with sashiko pattern embroidery. One could say that jeans manufactured by Sugarcane are the most personalized Japanese jeans. A patch with a turtle, green selvedge and green tag are distinguishing features of the series.

However, the fit of jeans leaves much to be desired – SugarCane is not a modish brand. Denim for SC 40600 jeans model is made by hand as well as all embroidery, ancient woodblock printing on pockets and bronze buttons. SC 40601 custom jeans model is an 13 ounce slack denim, having rough and solid structure and imitating home-spun denim. SC 40500 jeans model has a tattoo style design on pockets lining and an original jeans packing as well as a standard jeans cut. The product range of Japan original line also includes custom jeans models variants in other colors. Only natural colors are used – green tea, dirt, persimmon and hay.

SugarCane brand also manufactures denim shirts and jackets as well as special soap for sugar cane jeans washing. Sugar cane fibers are rich with amino acids, which have an antibacterial, antistatic, moisturizing and other beneficial effects, that is why bleachers, enzymes and phosphates can be harmful for them.