F.O.B FACTORY — Kojima, Okayama, established 1995

FOB Factory

FOB Factory began not as a brand but as a factory. Established in 1995 in Kojima, Okayama, the same region that gave Japan its reputation for selvedge denim production, they spent years manufacturing for other Japanese labels before deciding to put their name on what they had been making all along.

The result is a range of denim, workwear, and military-inspired clothing made entirely in Japan using original fabrics, classical construction and materials selected for how they change over time.

+ A Factory Before It Was a Brand

Kojima is not a city that needs an introduction in denim circles. Situated in Kurashiki, in Okayama Prefecture, it was the centre of Japanese denim production from the postwar years onward , home to the mills, the sewers, and the suppliers who built the infrastructure that the rest of the world now references when it talks about Japanese quality.

FOB Factory was established there in 1995, not as a consumer brand but as a planning and production company. For several years, they manufactured high-quality garments for some of Japan's most respected labels. The experience was formative. They understood raw materials, construction, and the standards those brands were working to from the production floor.

In 1998, Seiji Isono joined as brand director. By that point, the decision to launch their own label was already taking shape. The brand that emerged, F.O.B FACTORY, was not a departure from what they had been doing. It was a consolidation of it.

FOB Factory selvedge denim — woven in Kojima

Original fabrics. Classical construction. Made entirely in Japan.

+ What They Make and How They Make It

Selvedge denim
FOB Factory develops their own fabric rather than sourcing from existing mill runs. Their core weights — 14oz and 14.75oz — are woven on shuttle looms in the Kojima region, producing the tight, clean selvedge edge associated with Japanese denim production. The fabric is designed to age: it develops its own character in wear, and the construction is built to hold up long enough for that to happen.

Workwear and military references
The wider range draws on American workwear and military clothing from the 1940s and 50s: baker pants, fatigue trousers, M-51 parkas, jungle fatigue jackets, HBT shirts. These are not strict reproductions. FOB Factory uses the references as a starting point and rebuilds them in Japanese materials using Japanese construction methods.

Shirting
The shirt range covers selvedge chambray work shirts, oxford button-downs, western denim shirts, and holiday shirts in indigo. Weights and fabrics vary by model; the approach does not. Original materials, Japanese production, cut for sustained wear rather than for any particular season.

Classical construction throughout
All garments are produced in Japan. FOB Factory controls design and manufacturing end-to-end, using classical methods — chain stitching where appropriate, period-accurate hardware, traditional pattern-making with the intention of producing garments that improve with age rather than degrade with it.

Selvedge chambray work shirt — F3494

+ More Than Denim

FOB Factory is most often encountered through their selvedge jeans. The cuts are clean (straight, slim straight, and tapered) and the fabrics are well-regarded in a market where that standard is high. But the jeans are only part of the picture.

The trouser range runs wide: baker pants in cotton drill, fatigue trousers in heavy twill, moleskin trousers, corduroy, and M-65 field cargo pants. The fabrics change but the approach does not — original materials, Japanese production, construction that has a reason for every detail.

The shirt range is equally considered. Selvedge chambray work shirts, oxford button-downs, western denim shirts, and holiday shirts in indigo. These are not fill-in items in a denim-first catalogue. They are built to the same standard, from the same starting point.

If you are looking for one place to begin with FOB Factory, the jeans make sense. But it would be a reasonable mistake to stop there.

FOB Factory — denim, workwear, military. All Japan-made.

+ Sizing, Care, and What to Expect

FOB Factory jeans are available in waist sizes from around 28 to 40, with the specific range depending on the cut. The proportions are shaped by their vintage American references — slightly higher rise, more room in the seat than contemporary fashion denim. This is by design, not a limitation.

Depending on the model, some FOB Factory denim is sanforized (pre-shrunk, true-to-size) and some is unsanforized (raw denim that shrinks significantly on first wash). The product listing for each pair specifies which applies. As a general guide: sanforized denim can be sized to fit; unsanforized denim typically requires sizing up one to two waist sizes before the first wash.

FOB Factory jeans respond well to extended wear before washing. The longer you wear them before the first wash, the more distinct the fading pattern. A cold soak — no detergent — turned inside out, then line dried, is the standard approach for the first wash. After that, wash as infrequently as suits you.

The workwear and military pieces — the trousers, shirts, and outerwear — are generally more straightforward to care for, though the same principle applies: treat the fabric well and it will last. If you have any questions about sizing or care for a specific garment, get in touch.

FOB Factory

3 items

Japanese Selvedge Denim

48 items

Shirts

45 items

Pants, Slacks & Trousers

50 items

Jackets & Outerwear

50 items

Accessories

24 items

+ What You Are Actually Buying

FOB Factory occupies a particular position in the Japanese denim and workwear market. They are not the highest-profile name in the category — that distinction belongs to labels with decades of international attention and corresponding price points. But the production standard is the same, in some cases because FOB Factory has been part of that production infrastructure since before some of those brands existed as consumer names.

The price reflects that position. A pair of FOB Factory jeans in 14.75oz selvedge denim sits noticeably below what comparable Japanese selvedge denim commands elsewhere. The workwear trousers are priced in a range that is difficult to explain unless you understand that they are being made by the factory, not by a brand that contracted a factory.

Kojima is not a marketing concept. It is a place with a specific geography — cotton mills, weaving facilities, skilled sewing operations — and FOB Factory is embedded in it. That proximity is not incidental to the quality. It is the reason for it.

+ Frequently Asked Questions

All FOB Factory garments are designed and manufactured in Japan. The brand is based in Kojima, Okayama Prefecture — Japan's primary denim production region — and all design and production processes are carried out there. FOB Factory does not outsource manufacturing.

The core selvedge denim weights are 14oz and 14.75oz, depending on the model. These are woven on shuttle looms from original fabrics developed by FOB Factory specifically for their range — they do not source from existing mill runs. Both weights are well-suited to extended wear and develop clear fading patterns over time.

It varies by model. Some FOB Factory jeans are sanforized (pre-shrunk and true-to-size), while others are unsanforized (raw denim that shrinks significantly on first wash). The product listing for each pair specifies which applies. If unsanforized, size up by one to two waist sizes to account for shrinkage after the first wash or soak.

For sanforized models, size to your normal waist measurement. For unsanforized models, size up by one to two waist sizes. FOB Factory jeans are cut from vintage American workwear references and generally sit with a slightly higher rise and more room in the seat than contemporary fashion denim — this is intentional. If you are uncertain about sizing for a specific cut, get in touch and we can advise.

FOB Factory occupies a different position to brands like Iron Heart (heavier weights, more robust construction aesthetic) or Momotaro (regional heritage, specific ceremonial detail). FOB Factory's range is broader — denim, workwear, military, shirts — and the price point is notably accessible for the production standard. The quality of fabric and construction is comparable to brands that cost significantly more, which reflects their background as a production company rather than a label that contracted production.

Selvedge denim jeans typically sit in the £190–£230 range. Workwear trousers and shirts from around £130–£190. Denim jackets and outerwear from around £220 upward. For Japanese selvedge denim and fully Japan-made production, these are strong prices relative to the construction standard.

Yes. FOB Factory's jeans are woven from selvedge denim — fabric produced on narrow shuttle looms, identifiable by the self-finished edge visible when the hem is turned up. They develop original fabrics rather than sourcing from existing mill runs, and the denim is woven in Kojima, the same region where the brand is based and produces.

The range covers workwear trousers (baker pants, fatigue pants, moleskin trousers, corduroy, M-65 field cargo), shirts (selvedge chambray work shirts, oxford button-downs, western denim shirts, holiday shirts in indigo), and outerwear (denim jackets in Type 1, Type 3, and G3 cuts, M-51 parkas, jungle fatigue jackets, HBT fatigue jackets). The non-denim range is built to the same standard as the jeans and is worth attention in its own right.

Wear before washing — the longer the better for developing distinct fades. When you do wash, turn inside out and use cold water. For the first wash, a cold soak with no detergent is sufficient — then line dry. Avoid machine washing until the denim has been broken in. For workwear trousers and shirts, follow the care label on the garment; most can be machine washed cold on a gentle cycle, inside out.