GUEST EDIT: LIFE ON THE SELVEDGE. TOMO TAKEMURA’S CUSTOM DENIM WORKSHOP

I first met Japanese denim guru Tomo Takemura at a menswear event in New York in December 2022. He told me he was developing his passion project – Atlantic Standard. When completed, it would be his own Brooklyn-based custom denim workshop, complete with painstakingly sourced and restored American industrial sewing machines and artisan Japanese selvedge denim. Just three months later, I was enjoying browsing Tomo’s beautiful new website, Atlanticstandardbk.com. Impressed that the project had been executed so quickly and elegantly, I sat down with Tomo to discover more.

Justin MacInerney: What inspired you to create Atlantic Standard?

Tomo Takemura: One day I asked myself what I would do if I didn’t have to worry about making money and could spend my time doing what I really loved. The answer was making jeans, which I already enjoyed tremendously as a hobby. So, I decided to create Atlantic Standard.

JM: I really like your website, Atlanticstandardbk.com. Who helped you create it?

TT: I was fortunate to be able to harness the creative power of some very talented friends: Will Burghes (photography); Vince Lim (typography design, logo); Molly Pohlig (copywriting); Sam Watson and Chelsey Dunkle (graphic design and image editing).

JM: What brought you from Japan to the U.S.?

TT: In college, I really got into American sportswear while working at a vintage clothing store. I discovered all the iconic labels – Levi’s, Lee, Wrangler, Champion, L.L. Bean, and many others. Sometimes I joined the store owner on trips to rag warehouses packed with mountains of second-hand clothes. We wore masks and gloves to dig into the mountain. My boss yelled at me when I picked items that would be worthless to his business. That was my education in developing an appreciation for vintage clothing. I found I especially loved jeans. Every pair is unique, with the indigo fading and aging because of the way each owner wore them. I wanted to come to see the mother country of jeans, the USA. So, I came here.

JM: Before launching Atlantic Standard, you were a supplier of Japanese textiles to the U.S. market. Tell us what makes your denim so special.

TT: I select fabrics only from small-batch Japanese mills whose specialist techniques produce the highest quality products. Denim producers in the Bingo region of Japan (Okayama & Hiroshima prefectures) are not vertically integrated, which sets their products apart from the larger industrial mills elsewhere in the world. Yarn spinners only focus on spinning; dyers on dyeing; weavers on weaving, and finishers on finishing. Therefore, each specialist Bingo-area company has many variations of yarns, dyeing, weaving, and finishing. Each final fabric has its own personality and elevated quality. I’m excited to offer them in my production.

JM: You’ve sourced some rare, vintage American industrial sewing machines that you’ve repaired and refurbished to produce your product in the most authentic way. Tell us about them.

TT: Selvage denim is woven on vintage shuttle looms, so it makes sense to me that selvage jeans should be sewn using vintage sewing machines. Many of my machines are Singer and Union Special machines. It’s hard to find them in working condition, so the repair and restoration work has mostly been done by professional sewing mechanics who have spent decades working with these specialized machines and are masters of their craft. Each has its individual features creating unique stitches, adding to the beauty of the finished jeans that they produce.

JM: You hand-make each pair of bespoke Atlantic Standard jeans yourself here in your workshop in Bushwick using those machines. What inspired you to learn to become a tailor of jeans?

TT: As a fabric supplier, I wanted to wear jeans made from the high-quality selvage denim I was representing, so I learned patternmaking and sewing from co-workers and friends and started making jeans for myself. Word spread and I started to create jeans for family and friends, and it grew from there. Now I make bespoke jeans for anybody who wants to order them. They fit better, they’re more comfortable, and they become more uniquely yours the more you wear them.

JM: Sold! So, how does a customer order a pair of bespoke Atlantic Standard jeans?

TT: Go to Atlanticstandardbk.com. Follow our easy-to-use measuring guide and let us know your measurements.  Or send me a pair of your own well-fitting jeans so I can measure them. Next, we will schedule an appointment for trying on a sample garment, and to discuss and select fabrics, stitch details, buttons/zipper, rivets and patch based on your needs and preferences. Each pair takes 6-8 weeks for the final garment to be completed.

JM: You launched Atlantic Standard with one product – bespoke selvage jeans, competitively priced at $350 per pair. What are your plans for the future?

TT: I plan to expand our offering nationally and internationally, potentially with trunk shows. I also plan to include bespoke military chinos and baker pants (loose fitting, four pocket military pants). Like our jeans, they will offer durability, functionality, simplicity and timelessness as they get better with age. These are the hallmarks of Atlantic Standard.

JM: SELVEDGE or SELVAGE?

TT: Ha-ha! To me they are the same – both come from the same root of being self-edged.

JM: Finally: for those in the ready-to-wear end of the denim business: what’s hot these days?

TT: Baggy, wide leg, and flares in a variety of washes are all popular today.

All images courtsey of Will Burghes.