Japanese Denim and Boro Patchwork

 I couldn't really think about what to post today, so I thought it would be a pretty good time to discuss something that wouldn't come up in a normal conversation, like traditional Japanese techniques. Japan is well known for its fashion. Places like Harajuku and Shinjuku are like heaven to anyone even remotely interested in fashion. My interest lies in old Japanese denim and Boro patchwork. 

Japanese denim is well known across for the world for its quality and the method through which it is constructed. The indigo dye used in common denim jeans is man made from synthetic materials, but Japanese denim is dyed with natural dyes from the leaves of a specific plant, aptly named Indigofera Tinctoria. This denim is also constructed on different looms than regular denim, which results in its signature red stripe across the edges. This method is much more expensive but results in denim that ages into a unique look. Collectors of "red stripe" jeans pay ridiculous prices to add pieces to their collection. While they may not have the legacy that Levi's 501 jeans have, they make up for it with their distinctive look, which gets better over time. 

Boro, on the other hand, refers to a style of patchwork knitting that essentially grew from extremely poor locales being unable to afford clothing. The word itself means "tattered" and refers to the ragged nature of Boro patchwork. Most of the patches are different shades of blue, the differences arising from the nature of the indigo dye and the age of the patches used. As cotton was not commonly found in Japan in the 18th and 19th centuries, poor families resorted to patching out frayed clothes. As time went on, these patches would only increase in number, with one garment featuring over a 100 patches. Due to the rarity of Boro fabric, the difficulty and time involved in creating a full garment with the technique, and the increasing respect bestowed on this traditional craft, Boro is extremely expensive. Even a small handkerchief made of Boro cloth would set you back hundreds of dollars. 

In recent times, Boro has made a comeback in mainstream fashion. Many Japanese brands have used Boro cloth as accentuating material within other garments, such as jackets with Boro linings or jeans featuring Boro patches on the pockets or legs. In the US, some sneaker customizers have even outfitted Jordans with Boro cloth!