This killer-faded pair of Samurai 15oz S510XX "Otokogi" Denim was worn by our longtime Sydney VIP friend -- Lake, who shares:
"This was my first pair of Samurai denim, purchased in Japan back in 2009 — before CORLECTION was even around. To be honest, I spent over three years wearing and experimenting with them, trying all kinds of ways to achieve the perfect ageing — including putting them in the freezer (definitely not recommended! 😂). I’ve done a few repairs along the way to make sure they could keep going, and somehow, they’re still here with me today.
There are just so many great memories attached to this pair. So I told Lee from CORL, “I need to share this ageing journey with you!”
"This pair is made from Samurai’s signature 15oz “Otokogi” denim, featuring a strong neppy texture and deep, thread-dyed indigo. I wore them around four days a week during the first year, washing them roughly once every four months.
After about eight months of wear and two washes, I started noticing something really interesting. The original “snowflake” neppy texture gradually became less pronounced, while short, vertical textures began to emerge little by little. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting that at all — and seeing the character of the denim change like this was a real surprise to me!"
"Since the entire pair is constructed with pure cotton threads, after about a year of hard wear, I started noticing the stitching on the front pockets gradually wearing away. The centre of the belt loops also began developing some beautiful, contrasting fades.
Looking back, this might have been my first real experience with what I’d now call 'Wabi-Sabi processing' — watching every little detail naturally change, wear down, and develop its own character through time and use."
" After the first year of hard wear, I could already feel the denim becoming lighter — from its original 15oz down to roughly 13oz. After two years, it felt like it had dropped to around 12oz, with certain areas, especially the front pockets and knees, starting to show serious signs of wear.
But somehow, the ageing process just kept going. Little by little, different shades of indigo began to reveal themselves, emerging through two years of constant wear and washing. The more I wore them, the more the denim seemed to tell its own story.
Looking back, this was probably the first time I truly understood the meaning of INDIGO."
"The main “Sunrise” button is made of iron. After two years of wear, it gradually developed a rusty, reddish-copper tone, replacing the shiny silver look it had when brand new.
Oh… So this is the 'SUNRISE' I wasn’t expecting! "
"After three years of hard wear, some of my friends started telling me that my denim looked TRASHED. I guess they were right (laughs)... The arc stitching on the back pockets and the red tab were almost completely worn away. Even the two back pockets looked like they were slowly being blown away by time.
What can I say…?
They were no longer just a pair of jeans. They had become an artwork created by time itself — and honestly, I had nothing to complain about."
" In 2025, when CORLECTION held the “Last Samurai” event, I asked Nogami-san, the Shogun of Samurai Jeans, if he could autograph the leather patch on this pair of denim, and... he DID! That made this pair of denim even more unique and gave it a more special soul!“
" Because of this pair of denim, sometimes I wanted to learn how to repair them... I wanted to learn how to do Sashiko hand-stitching repairs, or maybe use a vintage machine to do a proper darning repair on the crotch...
They have become my old fella now... When I look back at this well-worn pair of denim today, only one word comes to mind:
“SAMURAI!”