For sale here is a denim jacket from the Barena label. Barena goes back to the early 1960s, where they have produced almost exclusively in Venice and have continually pursued a traditional Italian look. It’s something equally modern and heritage, where they are carried by the likes of Mr. Porter on the one hand, and are distributed in Japan by the Nepenthes company (the same people responsible for Needles and Engineered Garments) on the other.
In this case we have a classic indigo dyed type II denim jacket. You don’t necessarily typically associate the Italians with indigo, but this easily stands up to any of the other indigo-centric labels. There’s a certain casual feeling to the jacket, where it’s the sort of thing you can throw on with a minimal amount of fuss, but also works well on the more formal tip with a button down shirt and chinos. The jacket is also pleasantly light weight, ideal for the warmer weather. Fabric is 100% cotton with a very nice texture to it.
Details include a type II style silhouette with two dropped pockets on the front, laurel wreath metal buttons throughout, and my favorite detail is the sort of washed out look the denim has. The jacket has the feel of a vintage piece, nicely broken in with a great texture and feeling to the jacket. It is one of those pieces that is timeless in design, will go with pretty much everything, and will only get better with wear. Retail is in the neighborhood of $800, but get it much more reasonably here.
Size is labeled a 46, fitting a standard medium well. I measure the chest at 20.5” / 53cm, shoulders at 17” / 43cm, length at 26” / 66cm, and sleeves at 24.5” / 62cm. The jacket comes in lightly used, very good shape. The only thing to note is some wear on the neckline, but otherwise no holes, tear or stains. Made in Italy.
Shipping from Japan to anywhere will be $30.
