JEANS & DENIM SERVICE

Story
The LR11 was the first foray of Superstitch into the denim jacket category. Of the denim jackets of the period, the Type II is one of the most interesting for our founder. The iconic silhouette is created by the boxy fit on the torso, dropped shoulders and front knife pleats. We wanted to revive the Type II in every way as close as possible to the original, not only in its look but also its feel. The meticulous research and development of this product took one year.

Providence:
● Made in Japan from fabric weaving to assembly by skilled artisans

Construction:
To achieve the signature volume of the Type II jacket, every element of construction was meticulously respected, from the knife pleated front originally designed to give ease of movement, to the button side waist adjusters that contribute to the jacket’s signature silhouette. The details observed go as far as the pocket flaps that are lined in 6 oz dungaree in natural indigo, rather than doubling in the same fabric, allowing for the pocket flap to be soft and pliable. Some liberties were taken such as the addition of back side panels - these in the period were only featured on larger sizes where the fabric rolls were not wide enough for the back portion to be cut in a single piece. We made this design choice to express the signature elements of this jacket in all sizes, and also adding another point of interest as the jacket ages and fades.

As for the threads, for which we faithfully selected 100% cotton as per the period. But due to being more fragile than polyester thread, the thickness had to be considered carefully for different areas of the jacket, addressing the varying amount of expected wear and tear. Here also was one subtle variation - the two tones of the threads were inverted as opposed to the original Type II, and for the bartack on the pocket corners, we chose a fresh lemon yellow to add a pleasing contrast.
The final subtle detail is our specially developed steel rivets and buttons, rough and irregular in their surface texture and lettering design. Copper electroplating is the only modern compromise, in order to guard the hardware from oxidation.

Fabric:
True to the original Type II jacket of the early ’60s, the LR11 fabric is a 14 oz unsanforized long fibre selvedge denim. The rare electric shuttle loom that weaves the LR11 fabric is calibrated at a specific loosened tension that gives a ‘peppered’ look to the top side of the denim. The exterior facet begins flat to the touch, while the interior facet expresses an uneven texture as if slightly aerated. With washing, this texture is conveyed to the exterior facet in irregular fading, forming a signature horizontal and vertical progression in the weft and warp that is typical of the Type II Jacket.

Arthur Leclercq