As much as I like to find opportunities to dress up, I have
a tendency to grab my workhorse denim you see here.  We’ve had some
journeys together, whether that may be throwing on a sportcoat and a shirt to
go to a dinner with friends, hopping into the office, or rocking them at the
gun range.  I picked these up at a denim shop in Austin, Texas a little
over four years ago.  Being that it gets warm where I live I needed a
lighter weight denim, but I like a little heft and structure to them so I chose
this 14 oz denim!  The lifter in me needed something that could handle my
big thighs so I appreciate the four way stretch of these.   These denim
tell my story whether it be work or play!

This is my go - to pair of denim for nearly any casual occasion. I've worn them while hiking, dinner dates, to just bumming at home on weekends. This is hands down my most comfortable pair of raw denim due to the 4 way stretch. Over time, the pocket bags on both sides began to tear from the pocket hem so I've decided to sashiko stitch to keep it all together. I love the unique look it created together with the fades.

My KATO jeans have been with me through many significant life events over the past two years. They have been my trusty companion as I started a new job and got engaged to the love of my life.
Through all of these experiences, my jeans have grown with me, and the unique fades they have developed serve as a reminder of these cherished moments.

I bought these with the purpose to see what kind of fades would emerge after a year of daily wear. I must say, I was not disappointed. With the exception of a dozen or so days, I wore this "Mammoth" of a denim every day, rain or shine, hot or cold, work or lounge. After about 3 weeks, they were broken in and super comfortable. To be completely honest, the first couple of days definitely tried my commitment but I'm so glad I pushed through. Throughout the year, I made a few repairs by hand. I like stitching the repairs so they blend but don't disappear. I want to see them if I look. Overall, my Hiroshi Kato denim withstood the year of daily abuse and are now a testament to well built denim that produces amazing fades. The pictures don't do them justice. 

When I first put on the Mammoth jeans, I immediately fell in love with them. I’m partial to heavier denim, but never loved how hard it was to move in them. The stretch in the fabric of the Mammoth let me bend my knees unrestricted, I was blown away. I’ve worn them almost every day for 19 months, at home, to the office, overlanding and camping. They have been cool soaked twice, and cool machine washed twice. (There was considerable shortening of the legs, and I went from the Japanese double cuff to a single cuff)  My biggest mistake was forgetting to turn off the spin cycle once, you can see the result as there’s a straight dark line on the left leg. They've eventually started developing some holes and I sent them in to Kato for repair, and I’ve missed them while they were gone. Today they are back and their journey continues!

I have owned the denim a couple of years now, but I try to put tallies in for the number of wears, I am at roughly 175 wears in this specific pair of denim. I wear them for everything: casually around the house, dates, hikes, playing with the kids, work, etc. Since I got into denim, I typically strive for those big contrasting fades. I think with this specific pair they have about 4- 5 washes and a couple soaks.

Between my work and at home with my family (which includes 3 young sons) Idon’thave the time to baby my denim - they get dirty regularly and washed often. And I like the way my jeans fit/feel out of the dryer, so they get dried with the rest of our clothes. This is perhaps a no-no with denim purists, but it works for me and my lifestyle, and results in comfortable and flexible jeans.