“I think that aside from Frans Boone in Knokke-Heist, there are very few places with such a large Japanese denim selection. In the U.S., the rivet pants were introduced in 1873 by Levi Strauss—a work pant made from denim with metal rivets at the points that tended to tear. Denim, or jeans, is a fabric in twill weave that was actually invented in Europe. There’s so much—really so much—to tell about denim: the weaving, the dyes, the cotton used, and so on. I’d be happy to tell you more over the counter.

Japanese manufacturers have preserved, and maybe even refined, that authentic way of weaving, while the American industry has largely given in to mass production and more commercial fabrics—far removed from the original 5-pocket denim concept. So yes, if you’re looking for high-quality pants, they usually come from Japan (or European brands that work with Japanese fabrics) or from a weaving mill in Italy, like Candiani.”

“I love small, original brands. Brands with passion, brands I can work and communicate with, brands that take pride in their product—just as I take pride in our shop. Of course, some brands fit me better than others. Right now I wear a lot of The Flathead 1996, but I like to combine it with, for example, the M1951 Field Jacket from Pike Brothers… The Nashville jeans from Edwin I’ve been wearing for 20 years, and they remain one of my favorite denim pants.”