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As most of you likely know, Japanese denim is generally regarded as the best denim in the world, with just a handful of small boutique brands topping the list of the best of the best.
Chief among them is Momotaro.
Founded in 2006, Momotaro hails from the promised land of Japanese denim: Kojima, a town located in the Okayama Prefecture. Over the past nearly 20 years of existence, they have built a strong identity for themselves as a brand known for especially fine jeans, all made by hand, and replete with fantastic little details which connect to the folklore surrounding their namesake.
A few years ago, Nick did an excellent video reviewing a pair of classic Momotaro jeans in which he did a deep dive into the brand’s history and the story of where the name came from. So if you’re not familiar with the tale of the demon-fighting peach boy (no, really) head on over and give that video a watch.
But apart from the unique details, like their signature pink selvedge ID or the broad white “warrior stripes” found on many of their pieces, the brand has also become known for coming up with some of the more expensive Japanese jeans that money can buy.
They’re fancy. Very fancy.
The latest example of Momotaro outdoing themselves in the luxury denim space? My M200SLIZ4S “Silk Tapered” jeans.
Yes. I said “silk.” These jeans are made from 58% Zimbabwe cotton and 42% silk. But what does that actually mean for the way the jeans feel? And does that justify their almost $800 price tag?
Table of Contents
How We Got Our Hands On These Jeans
Recently (as in, “a week ago” recently), Momotaro sent over these jeans for us to take a look at. They had reached out to see if we wanted to try one of their “Standard” or “Classic” pairs — which they do still sell, they’re not just a silk denim company — but we told them we were only interested in finding out what the big deal was with that silky selvedge.
It’s worth noting that the jeans during a period of turbulence in the world of Japanese selvedge, with various mills and brands getting bought out or rebranding. It’s in this context that Momotaro had a dramatic rebrand in 2024, moving away from cutesy folklore imagery and leaning harder into a modern streetwear look.
Below, you can see the new logo next to the old one, which about sums up the change.
A Caveat
Typically, when I do a review of something, I like to have a lot of time with that thing to get a full 360-degree view of how they’re made and how they perform over time. (A rockin’ example: my 4-year, 4-pair Iron Heart denim review.)
So much of what makes Japanese denim special and enjoyable comes down to how it breaks in, molds to your body, and fades to reflect the way you live.
With that in mind, this is more of a “first impressions” kind of review. A follow up will come sometime down the road.
But for now, there’s still plenty to talk about.
Why Is This Silk Denim So Expensive?
It’s not just that. It’s silk denim. It’s that it’s selvedge silk denim. That means it’s woven on antique shuttle looms that are notoriously hard to use and maintain.
According to Momotaro’s rep, here’s why that matters (we’re just pasting her response from the e-mail, which was indeed written in bullet points):
- Compared to cotton, silk is more slippery, and applying the same force as with cotton can cause the thread knots to come undone, making it challenging to adjust the machine’s tension.
- The yarn has elasticity, which makes it comfortable to wear, but this also makes the weaving process more challenging.
- The fabric is woven on an old-fashioned power loom, and because we use traditional machinery, our craftsmen must perform daily maintenance even for 100% cotton fabrics. Weaving silk requires adjustments that are more complex than usual, making the craftsmanship required even more demanding.
Build Quality and Details
- ~60/40 cotton/silk blend (numbers vary)
- 15oz weight
As previously mentioned, these jeans are made from a combination of Zimbabwe cotton and silk. Zimbabwe cotton is a particular long staple type of cotton, which results in a smooth, strong, and slightly shiny finish to the resulting fabric. Adding silk into the mix increases that silky smooth hand feel, which is even more noticeable on the inside of the jeans.
The denim is a deep blue, almost black color, a signature of Momotaro’s “Tokuno Blue” dyeing technique that deepens the color of the synthetic indigo. At 15 ounces, it’s a nice medium weight: not too heavy, stiff, or starchy.
As one might expect, they are replete with great little details and signs of handmade craftsmanship. The stitching and seams throughout the jeans are clean and uniform for the most part — a few errant strands and ends here and there, but nothing too egregious. The hems are chain stitched, and the iconic pink selvedge ID is present and accounted for.
Not present are Momotaro’s pink inseam or white battle stripes that they’re best known for. Mine are very minimalist, “grown up” jeans that are less playful than the Momotaro you might have expected.
Peach-backed rivets are found hiding throughout, and the back patch is a monotone piece of black cowhide leather that’s also embossed with a stylized (read: barely recognizable) peach.
But probably my favorite detail is the inside of the waistband, which is beautifully lined with folded fabric. I’ve honestly never really thought of it before, but it made me realize how uncomfortable normal denim waistbands can actually be. I’m afraid I’ll be spoiled rotten now.
Momotaro’s Fit and Sizing
- These jeans barely stretch; consider sizing up from normal
- Available in Slim, Straight, and Tapered fits
Typically, I wear a size 30 or 31 waist. Pretty much all of my other jeans, which are mostly Iron Hearts, are 30. I went onto Momotaro’s website and checked their sizing chart, using a tailor’s tape to measure some similar jeans, and ultimately selected a 30. Boy, oh boy, they were tight — I could barely button the waistband.
The traditional wisdom when it comes to raw denim, specifically sanforized, is to buy your jeans tight so that they stretch out to a perfect fit. I did that once, and it sucked, resulting in a pair of jeans that were like a torture device for the first month. So, with subsequent pairs, I’ve just bought the size waist that fits snugly but comfortably, and I’ve never looked back.
According to Momotaro, these are not sanforized per se, but do undergo a rinsing process that is meant to reduce shrinking. The website and the tags on the jeans say that the jeans will shrink a bit when washed, but when we asked for more information, Momotaro told us:
Although it is rigid denim, we have applied a resin removal process to minimize shrinkage after washing. With silk denim, there is generally no dramatic shrinkage even if it is washed in a washing machine.
So… it’s kind of anyone’s guess what’s going to happen the first time I wash these. The brand should communicate better.
One of the benefits that silk has, according to Momotaro, is “a natural stretch that makes the fabric comfortable to wear.” But my other concern is that because of that oh-so-smooth waistband lining, they may have some unintended reinforcement and may not stretch as much.
The bottom line is this: if you tend to have a similar attitude on sizing to me and find yourself on the fence, you might want just to size up one size to be on the safe side. You can always get the waist altered if it stretches too much.
Also, to be on the safe side, I’d stick to cold water soaks in the tub with hand agitation for the first couple of times. And steer clear of the dryer!
Apart from the waist, the fit is great everywhere else. This specific pair is tapered, but is also available in slim and a straight leg. They describe the rise as “slightly low,” but I actually find it to be closer to a mid-rise, which I’m also not mad about, as I’m kind of over the low-rise cuts — I am staring down the barrel of 40 after all.
Pros & Cons
Here are my thoughts after a week of wear. First, the pros.
I have already been stopped and asked about these jeans more than all my other pairs put together. No doubt it’s because of the slight, shimmery sheen to them that results in a dressy, elegant, luxurious looking pair of jeans.
If you look very closely you can see some slubbiness and irregularity, but one’s overall impression of the denim is of a uniform, consistent weave throughout. This may be a pro or a con, depending on how much you prefer hairy, slubby, neppy jeans. (If you’re a longstanding Momotaro fan, there’s a good chance you like denim with more “character.”)
Still, the silky feeling inside the jeans makes for an instantly pleasant feeling, even when it’s new. That luxurious feeling is definitely enhanced by the waistband “curtain” liner, which is very nice and comfortable.
The cons? The silkworm in the room: $775 is a lot of money to pay for a pair of jeans. While the silkiness of the denim is luxurious, it’s hard to say if that justifies a cost increase of double above Momotaro’s standard fare. (Which they still sell, don’t worry.)
it’s a smooth, uniform, shiny denim that more brings to mind luxury European brands than knotty selvedge from Japan.
I also found the guidance of shrinking and sizing confusing, but one of the most important notes here bears repeating: it’s a smooth, uniform, shiny denim that more brings to mind luxury European brands than knotty selvedge from Japan.
The Takeaway
The truth of the matter is that I can’t give my usual neat and tidy conclusion until I’ve worn these for a few more months.
But based on the initial smoothness of the overall fabric, I expect these will honestly feel like a dream.
Part of me hopes that with wear, I’ll find there to be little difference between these and my other expensive Japanese jeans. But I suspect that won’t be the case and that these indulgent jeans will become my favorites.
For now, I can only judge these as one may judge a book by its cover. They’re beautiful, understated, elegant, and silky smooth. They feel much more like a pair of capital-L luxury jeans than my other Japanese raws, and I’m pretty excited to see how they develop with time and wear.
At the end of the day, isn’t that kind of the whole point of raw denim in the first place?
Check out the silk collection on Momotaro’s site.
