{Pre-order for } The Rite Stuff x Papa Nui 10.5 oz. Sailor Moku Selvedge Denim USN Utility Pants (Indigo)

All hands on deck! A new collaboration between The Rite Stuff and Papa Nui is hitting the market. We’ve teamed up to create a concept collection built around the newly revived, Japanese-milled Amoskeag 1860s selvedge indigo denim—a stunning fabric with a distinct USN twist.

The fabric

This vintage-reproduction Amoskeag indigo denim is the perfect weight (10.5 oz.) for a pair of US Naval Utility pants. Using The Rite Stuff’s Daybreak work pants as a foundation, we’ve added USN patch pockets at the rear, bringing a military edge reminiscent of the 1930s Sailor Moku pants once spotted in downtown Honolulu before WWII.

Inside, the pocket bags are cut from Japanese-milled USMC Frogskin camouflage herringbone twill—an homage to the war years and a signature nod to the fabric most associated with Papa Nui.

The cut

The Sailor Moku pants take their cues from the Daybreaks, featuring a mid-high rise and a relaxed leg—not too tight, not too loose, but just right.

The denim’s history

The denim was recently meticulously recreated from original denim made by Amoskeag Manufacturing Company, the world’s largest fabric manufacturer of the 19th century.

Amoskeag is also known as the original producer of the denim used by Levi’s when they first introduced denim workwear.

The mill in Japan studied the earliest indigo dyes from the early 1900s, when denim transitioned from natural indigo to synthetic indigo, and successfully reproduced a rich, deep indigo color not found in modern denim. The irregular vertical slub texture has also been faithfully recreated to match vintage samples.

For weaving specifications, they used the heaviest standard available in the 1860s— the same weight classification Levi’s referred to as XX (Extra Exceed).

The details at a glance:

While built for utility, the Sailor Mokus bring elevated touches, including:

•Selvedge outseams

•WWII-era laurel wreath donut buttons on the button fly

•Frogskin camo pocket bags

The denim comes one-wash, meaning no surprises in fit, but it will continue to fade and evolve with wear.

Finally, these pants are made in Japan in collaboration with John Lofgren & Co., ensuring the highest ethical production standards—quality craftsmanship you can wear with confidence.

Features:

-Pre-shrunk, expect no shrinkage (even if you were in the pool)

-100% cotton 10.5 oz. indigo selvedge denim with plain white selvedge ID, reproduced from vintage Amoskeag denim samples, milled in Japan 

-USMC herringbone twill frog skin camo pocket bags, milled in Japan 

-Mid-high rise

-Metal laurel wreath donut hole buttons, made in Japan 

-Button fly

-Selvedge outseams

-Selvedge waistband 

-Tonal thread, 100% cotton, made in Japan 

-Made in Japan