Review: Full Count’s Modern Interpretation of Vintage Jeans

When it comes to Japanese denim, the brands with the most history are the Osaka Five, who all helped pioneer the Japanese selvedge denim craze. These brands include Studio D’Artisan, Evisu, Denim Warehouse and Company, and last but not least, Fullcount.

It can be difficult to get your hands on these brands in the United States, but thanks to the American mecca of Japanese denim, Blue in Green in New York City, I managed to get my hands on a pair of Fullcount Denim’s 0105 Wide Leg jeans.

Fullcount Jeans Pros & Cons

Both myself and Stridewise’s editor Nick have tested out different Fullcount jeans, and this is how we’d summarize the pros and cons.

What I Like

• Great quality Zimbabwe cotton is soft, durable, and won’t pill
• Good brand for guys who like the old fashioned aspect of raw denim; Fullcount is especially close to old vintage models
• Uncomplicated: nothing too bizarre or eye catching for guys who prefer “classic” looks
• Decent range of fits and (not raw) washes
• Brand is comfortable collaborating with stores, so there’s more variety out there than you might think

Downsides But Not Dealbreakers

• Not for guys who like huge amounts of slub, nep, thickness, or general weirdness
• Cotton thread used to sew is less durable than common cotton-poly threads
• Belt loops aren’t tucked in
• This brand is hard to find!

Why Fullcount Stands Out Among Japanese Denim Brands

Oftentimes, a brand in this space will become known for a certain approach.

For example, Oni is known for their slub and nep (especially on their Secret Denim), Iron Heart is known for their remarkable smoothness and consistency, Naked & Famous are known for out-of-the-box innovations in their fabrics (check out our look at their weirdest jeans), and so on.

Fullcount’s focus is authentic historical reproductions. They go above and beyond, from rescuing vintage garments from landfills to seeking particular cottons in Zimbabwe, to make jeans as close as possible to early- or mid-20th century garments.

Like all the brands we’ve listed here, they’ll come out with products that don’t perfectly fit the ethos they’re known for, but Fullcount’s bread and butter is historicity. It’s why they’re one of the few brand who sew their jeans with cotton thread instead of poly-cotton blends, even though 100% cotton threads break more easily. (So you don’t get to complain about broken stitches if you’re buying Fullcount!)

It was about the mid-1990s when the founder, Tsujita said he was going “all in” on Full Count, they started making their thread from scratch, and he became truly satisfied with his denim’s quality. Today, it’s made in Shinya Mills in Ibara — Tsujita was the first guy to make denim there — where 4 of the 70 looms are used by Fullcount. The last time we checked, anyway.

Fullcount 0105 Overview

• 13.75-ounce denim
• One wash finish to shrink and wash out dye
• Hairy, soft denim
• Wide leg cut

Let’s go deeper on my Fullcount 0105 wide-leg jeans, made of 13.75-ounce denim made from 100% Zimbabwe cotton, which is the brand’s go-to material.

The Denim

These jeans are actually in a one-wash finish. They’re made from unsanforized denim but were factory washed to eliminate the shrinkage, chemicals, and nasty dyes and just to bring the blue in the jeans to life. Folks debate as to whether or not that wash makes them “raw,” but there are certainly no fades on these when you get them.

These jeans’ look, character, and feel so beautiful. The fabric is hairy and has many shades of blue and indigo.

There’s a slight slub in it, but not too slubby, so it still has a nice, almost uniform appearance with a little bit of texture. You probably know that vintage denim had slub in it because of how the shuttle looms weave it, and Fullcount has that level of slub, but it’s not the kind of fabric that’s purposely engineered to have a ton of slub.

To me, my favorite part of the texture is the hairiness that it has on top of the fabric. These are some of the hairiest jeans that I’ve ever had. You get this a lot with one-wash unsanforized denim, because sanforization can include singeing the top of the fabric to get rid of all these excess hairs to make for cleaner, more uniform denim.

So to me, this fabric is just so beautiful. I love unsanforized denim because it makes the fabric so beautiful and texturized, giving it such a nice character.

The one-wash of these jeans gives the fabric a little variation in the shades of blue, especially on the seam details by the waistband, the belt loops, around the pockets, the back yoke, and even the hem. There’s already some fading going on with a little bit of that indigo bleed. I can’t wait to see how that’s going to rope out.

Weight

I have to say; I usually don’t dabble in denim that’s lower than 15 ounces just because I like a lot of body in my fabric. But these, while they have a lot of body and density, are not heavy at all. They’re super comfortable and easy to wear, especially during the summer. As Nick said in his old review, this is a perfect year-round weight and weave.

The hand feel, or how the jeans feel on the skin, is probably the best I’ve ever felt. I’ve reviewed a lot of jeans before, and I’ve also had a lot of jeans that weren’t worth showing. In my experience, these definitely have the softest, almost cashmere-like hand to the denim itself.

Fades

It’s been about two weeks or so of consistent wear, so obviously, I’m not seeing any fading yet, but the creases are setting in beautifully.

This hairy texture to the fabric is just so gorgeous, especially for something that’s been one-washed and doesn’t have as much starch as your average raw denim. It’s honestly really hard to describe how good these jeans feel. They’re almost cashmere-like and silky soft, while definitely rugged and durable. These jeans are incredible.

That needs to be emphasized because some denimheads think of Fullcount as a little boring compared to the super slubby and neppy brands out there, but there’s really something to be said for Fullcount’s thoughtfully made denim.

What Is Zimbabwe Cotton? 

So why the focus on Zimbabwe cotton? It’s one of the longest staple cotton yarns in the world. It’s super rare and hard to cultivate and is typically cultivated by hand. It is expensive to import and requires a lot of care to weave. You get that aforementioned balance of softness and toughness because of the long staple fiber and the density of this fabric. It will stand the test of time.

Indeed, the owner of Fullcount, Mikiharu Tsujita, wants to make the most comfortable selvedge denim ever made.

So he decided to use Zimbabwe cotton and have this fabric milled by Shinya Mills on some of the original Cone Mill shuttle looms that made some of the vintage Levi 501s. Those Levis are the ones that inspired Tsujita to start making denim, and his fabric is a key reason for the popularity of Japanese jeans.

Fullcount 0105 Details

• Thick, untucked belt loops
• Immaculate stitching throughout
• 13.75 ounce, soft, slightly slubby denim
• 100% Zimbabwe cotton
• Light pink selvedge ID
• Widest fit Fullcount makes

I really appreciate the quality of these jeans, and I think it’s worthwhile to drill down into the details.

Seams & Stitching

One thing I noticed about these jeans that I really love is they have really nice thick belt loops with a roping in the middle of the seam to kind of raise the belt loop a little bit, which is actually going to lead to some beautiful fading. I also just love how rustic and beautiful the seam details are.

The stitching is immaculate. It just feels so Japanese, handmade, and traditional. The chain stitch is absolutely gorgeous. It’s so clean, with no threads coming out at all, and it’s even expertly finished on the fly.

While it is serged (an overlocked stitch to enclose unfinished seams or edges, usually with a machine, to prevent fraying), the fly details have virtually no loose threads at all, and it’s very uniform. It looks like the machine that was used to do this was calibrated perfectly. Even the stitching details on the inside of the pockets is gorgeous.

Going to the hem, you have an impeccably done chain stitch hem. I’ve noticed that on many repro pieces, the chain stitch is not as raised or as textured as other denim chain stitches. This is reminiscent of that, but the hems are really cleanly done.

Now, these jeans have an overlock inseam, and I theorize that a lot of Japanese denim uses the overlock (or serge seam) because of the denim’s heavier weight, for which a double-felled seam might not necessarily be appropriate. (Even though the double-felled seam is the strongest seam you can get.)

But these jeans are reasonably light at 13.75 ounces, and have overlocked seams. So, I’m starting to think that this is more of a reproduction kind of aesthetic detail rather than a utility detail — a testament to Fullcount’s love of historically accurate garment making.

Selvedge ID

You also have a very beautiful light pink selvedge ID that almost doesn’t even have a color; it almost looks white. I really love this pink selvedge ID. I’m a sucker for pink selvedge ID.

Momotaro are well known for theirs, and Nick had a pair of Samurais with a glittery pink ID to evoke a samurai sword. But I think the super subtle pink of Fullcount’s thread is perfect for the more understated nature of the brand. You might not see it, I know that it’s there, and that’s all I need.

Pockets & Patch

These jeans are fully outfitted with hidden back pocket rivets and the pocket bag fabric is sturdy, which will definitely last a long time. Some brands neglect optimizing their pocket fabric, and this was a key complaint we had about Iron Heart’s jeans — but Fullcount does their due diligence.

Another thing that I love about these jeans is the front coin pocket: you have a beautiful serged seam hidden inside, but on the sides, you actually have a little bit of a peek, like a minimalist kind of selvedge ID poking out, which is yet another way the jeans give the wearer this impression that the product holds a lot of secrets that only the invested wearer knows about.

The Fullcount and Company patch on the back is made from goatskin leather. Because of the one-wash treatment, this has a really nice rustic look, and I love how it kind of crinkled down.

Belt Loops

These belt loops are not tucked in. I think that’s the case for most Japanese denim because of that vintage reproduction kind of aesthetic. That’s how the original Levi’s 501s were made, though I’m not entirely sure if that’s the reason.

If they care (and most people don’t), critics will say that tucked in belt loops are stronger. But to that I’d say that,

1. As also exemplified by the use of cotton threads, this is a product that’s more about craft and history than “toughness,” and more importantly,
2. I’m a tailor, I’ve owned and seen a lot of very well worn jeans, and I haven’t noticed any higher durability from tucked in belt loops.

But if that does bothers you, then maybe these jeans aren’t for you. 

Fullcount’s 0105 Sizing & Fit

This fit is 0105, waist 33, and length 34, which is reminiscent of the old Levi’s. These are the widest fit Fullcount makes.

Price

• $350
• Currently unavailable

To be honest, it almost makes me wonder how these jeans are not 500-plus dollars. I got these for $350 at Blue in Green, which, to me, is a super fair price.

Conclusion

These jeans are so special. They’re so expertly done. The cotton is absolutely amazing, and I think any denimhead at any level of experience in the game should experience how something like this actually feels.

If you’re brand new to the space, it’s possible you won’t notice a lot of these touches — newbies to denim tend to want to try the heavier, slubby jeans. But some of them want something that’s not too radically different to the jeans they’re used to, and Fullcount is perfect for that.

If you know what you’re looking at, this is a spectacular take on vintage jeans.