Oscar Udeshi, Bespoke Jeans.
Oscar Udeshi Bespoke
Before the brand’s inception in the late 90s, Oscar, an ex-banker, decided there was more to life than staring at screens and moving numbers around. That Oscar began tailoring wasn’t a huge surprise: Oscar’s grandfather was an engineer, his great grandfather a metallurgist. Being a craftsman was in his DNA.
Before he became a banker, Oscar attended Parsons in Paris and studied the history of costume and fashion illustration. Reading everything he could find about male dress, visiting every costume museum and vintage shops within reach, and watching period films, Oscar became fascinated by clothing’s different styles, constructions, and origins. Every detail became a symbol in a timeless language: the language of dress.
His journey led him to one of the last bespoke shirt makers on Jermyn Street, where he further honed his craft and mastered the language of shirt making. But to understand the art of male dress, you have to learn how to speak ‘suit’. On that basis, he found a true bespoke cutter and compared different cutting methods to create garments of the highest quality for his customers.
Oscar’s house style is modelled after English styles, with an emphasis on Swiss precision, Swiss functionality, and Italian comfort. Swiss precision means bespoke garments can be delivered to clients all over the globe without the need for fittings or alterations. (With the exception of full bespoke) Swiss functionality ensures every part of a garment serves a purpose, and Oscar even makes a few military-inspired pieces with action pleats, closing collars, and hidden pockets.
To provide Italian comfort, coats come with the lightest or no shoulder pads, are made of light and soft canvases, eschews domette, and are sewn with a gentle and accurate hand. Some of Oscar’s clients have compared their bespoke jackets to a pyjama—they are so soft, light, and unrestrictive of movement that it’s easy to forget that you’re wearing it.
Oscar kindly offered to make me a pair of made-to-measure jeans. I’ve owned many off-the-peg jeans, but it never crossed my mind to get them custom made, which is surprising since finding the right pair can often be a struggle. When buying a pair of jeans, I pay attention to three main features: shape, colour, and fit. Fit has always been the biggest issue for me, and getting constant alterations means compromising on something.
Technically speaking, the jeans Oscar offered were to me are bespoke, as he drafted them for me using an individual pattern.This gave me the power to choose exactly the features I wanted: pocket depth, shape, waistband loops, thread colour, waist inlays, rivets, no waist inlays and so on. I had no idea so many options were available.
I opted for Japanese denim for its firmness and deep navy colour, deeper pockets twice-stitched for reinforcement, and a gusset attached to back of waistband for additional durability. Oscar took note of my slightly forward hips by adjusting the waistband shape and picked up the seat slightly into the waistband. I’ve always loved Japanese denim jeans but never had worn a pair so robust and comfortable. I imagine you could wear them on a long-haul flight and still feel at ease.
Oscar told me he developed his jean concept using principles from bespoke, ship jeans, and khakis. In his mind, a jean shouldn’t be too precious. It is a work garment, and delicate hand stitching does not add to the robustness or idea of a jean. Bespoke and off-the-rack jeans are made on the same line, and there is no differentiation in the quality. The only difference is the client’s name is on the bespoke jean. On the inside of Oscar’s jeans, the raw edges of the fly are covered, like a Savile row trouser, for comfort and durability. He also uses a special reinforced cotton pocket and a softer, striped inside waistband as opposed to the traditional folded denim edge. This also helps keep a shirt tucked in.
The inside is as elegant as it needs to be, and his construction focuses on comfort, and while this requires more time, his clients seem to appreciate and see value in that. It is not an expensive jean because someone puts a fancy label in it. It’s because it fits comfortably, is functional, and feels weightless.
Whilst Oscar is a tailor who embraces the past without living in it, he’s always looking for new ways to improve both his product and service. Leaving his shop has allowed for more investment in product development. He still has regular trunk shows here in London but also has an online shop. I highly recommend you make an appointment directly—his diary fills up quickly! I was lucky to meet him when he was in town and i’m his cloth supplier!. Looking forward to trying some of his ready-to-wear garments soon, which will hopefully be followed by another review.