If at first you don’t fade, try, and try again. That was Richard’s motto while breaking in his 15.7 oz Momotaro High Tapered Jeans down in Houston, Texas. For about 1 year, our guy wore these jeans 9 hours a day, 6 days a week while working and he mentioned they were a worthy opponent in terms of the break-in and fade speed. Helped along by 6 washes, the notoriously slow-fading brand caved pretty hard under Richard’s willpower and frequent wear regime.

Smokey patterns rule the day, most notably through the bright blue thighs and electro-shock seat. Piercing whiskers provide striking details while the 3-D honeycombing around back blends texture with chippy indigo loss. Barely making a dent in the battle-stripe painted back right pocket, the area that has worn away represents the hard work Richars has put into them while the remaining portions of deeper indigo show the work that lies ahead. But by the sound of things, Richard has enjoyed the journey so far and is ready for round 2, 3, 4 and beyond.