Hi all,
I bought these jeans earlier this year because I love the 1930s and 1940s Lee Cowboy jeans. My favorite pair of jeans (which I’m wearing right now) are an RRL repro of the same 101 from a few years ago, so I sought out and bought this limited edition Samurai. I was deeply impressed— the fabric captures the 40s denim perfectly, the stitching is excellent, the shades of indigo are amazing. I can see why the brand is so hailed for its reproduction of vintage construction techniques.
The only problem: I’d sized up on these because Samurai collecting friends warned me their jeans shrink a lot— it turns out this particular limited edition twill is the exception, so even after a hot wash, they’re way too big for me. I even tried wearing them with a thick shirt jacket flannel tucked in and no luck.
The plus side is that if these fit your waist, you’re good to go because they won’t shrink any further! These are tried on, but not worn (unless count the fact that they’ve been washed so technically they’re no longer ‘raw’). I also made one mod, which was to add the suspender buttons that were an option on Lee Riders at the time, using my RRL repro of the same jeans to make sure the placement was exactly where it should be.
This particular denim, despite being old school and substantial, is remarkably soft and pliable— as much so as denims I have that are extremely thin.
My loss is someone else’s gain, so I present this to you. I’d rather these go to someone who appreciates the little nods to vintage jeans throughout. Being a limited edition, they’re all but gone in sizes above 30 and they run $380 on Samurai’s site.
Measurements:
Waist: 18in across
Rise: 12in
Thigh: 13in
Inseam: 36in
I’m asking $210 shipped CONUS or $200 + exact cost of shipping international.
Note the arcs which suggest, without copying, the arc used on vintage Lee 101s and the beautiful texture of the denim. The Samurai brand tag too is in the font and style of those old Lees. The patch portrays legendary samurai and spymaster for the Shogunate, Yagyu Jubei.
They have that lovely Riders shape which I haven’t really found in other jeans, whether modern straight legs or repros of full anti-fit Waist Overalls (like 1890-1920s 501s). It’s designed for riding, which is why in addition to cowboy roots, the Lees were taken up by motorcyclists like James Dean. (Indeed, they’d be a perfect pairing for whoever buys @AeroFan_07 ‘s Indian Ranger jacket!)
Here you can see additional Lee tribute details in the rivets and label font. The suspender buttons line up perfectly with those on originals but they can be easily removed if one wishes.
I bought these jeans earlier this year because I love the 1930s and 1940s Lee Cowboy jeans. My favorite pair of jeans (which I’m wearing right now) are an RRL repro of the same 101 from a few years ago, so I sought out and bought this limited edition Samurai. I was deeply impressed— the fabric captures the 40s denim perfectly, the stitching is excellent, the shades of indigo are amazing. I can see why the brand is so hailed for its reproduction of vintage construction techniques.
The only problem: I’d sized up on these because Samurai collecting friends warned me their jeans shrink a lot— it turns out this particular limited edition twill is the exception, so even after a hot wash, they’re way too big for me. I even tried wearing them with a thick shirt jacket flannel tucked in and no luck.
The plus side is that if these fit your waist, you’re good to go because they won’t shrink any further! These are tried on, but not worn (unless count the fact that they’ve been washed so technically they’re no longer ‘raw’). I also made one mod, which was to add the suspender buttons that were an option on Lee Riders at the time, using my RRL repro of the same jeans to make sure the placement was exactly where it should be.
This particular denim, despite being old school and substantial, is remarkably soft and pliable— as much so as denims I have that are extremely thin.
My loss is someone else’s gain, so I present this to you. I’d rather these go to someone who appreciates the little nods to vintage jeans throughout. Being a limited edition, they’re all but gone in sizes above 30 and they run $380 on Samurai’s site.
Measurements:
Waist: 18in across
Rise: 12in
Thigh: 13in
Inseam: 36in
I’m asking $210 shipped CONUS or $200 + exact cost of shipping international.
Note the arcs which suggest, without copying, the arc used on vintage Lee 101s and the beautiful texture of the denim. The Samurai brand tag too is in the font and style of those old Lees. The patch portrays legendary samurai and spymaster for the Shogunate, Yagyu Jubei.
They have that lovely Riders shape which I haven’t really found in other jeans, whether modern straight legs or repros of full anti-fit Waist Overalls (like 1890-1920s 501s). It’s designed for riding, which is why in addition to cowboy roots, the Lees were taken up by motorcyclists like James Dean. (Indeed, they’d be a perfect pairing for whoever buys @AeroFan_07 ‘s Indian Ranger jacket!)
Here you can see additional Lee tribute details in the rivets and label font. The suspender buttons line up perfectly with those on originals but they can be easily removed if one wishes.
