In Japan, denim is done differently. This is where experts produce what afficionados consider the world’s best denim, slow-woven on ancient shuttle looms imported from America back when America made quality denim. Producing the stuff demands the skills of well-trained artisans and it's not something you'll find in cheap jeans. 

Carhartt WIP does dabble in denim when it strays from its signature duck canvas, though it's never cut its American workwear classics from Japanese denim. So, Carhartt WIP developed a specially made “rigid” denim for a two-piece set. 

A Helston jacket, Carhartt’s spin on a classic trucker jacket, and baggy five-pocket Landon pants are cut from a new midweight 13.5oz unwashed indigo denim. As with all good raw denim, it is deliberately stiff, designed to soften and build a unique patina with wear. 

The inflexible cotton panels are triple-stitched together by a contrasting red thread to uphold Carhartt WIP’s typically sturdy standards. But while the stitching is accentuated, the branding is made more subtle with Carhartt’s signature patch cut from all-black leather to match the jacket's black faux-leather collar. 

All this custom raw denim and imitation leather yields a heightened retail price: the jeans cost ¥28,600 (around $183, while a regular pair of Landon pants are $128), and the jacket ¥48,400 (around $310).

But the worst part of it all is that this drop is exclusive to Japan, releasing as a limited edition New Year's collection on January 2. Japan-only Japanese denim? Say it ain't so.

It’s a longstanding phenomenon that American denim pioneers currently produce their finest goods for the Japanese market. In the case of Lee and Wrangler, this is because denim specialist Edwin owns their Japanese license, while Levi’s caters to the country’s deep-seated respect for great denim carried over from a post-1950s obsession with American clothing. This manifests through limited-edition runs of collectible Levi's selvedge jeans.

Carhartt WIP, on the other hand, isn’t technically American — this younger, more streetwear-oriented sub-label of the famous Michigan workwear company is based in Europe — though its roots are in blue-collar Americana. Still, as has become abundantly clear over the past half-century, nowhere does Americana better than Japan.

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