How Sailors Carried Style Across Continents

Before denim hit the runway or the billboard, it hit the ports. 

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, sea merchants and sailors were some of the first to wear denim as everyday uniform — not just because it was durable, but because it could withstand harsh wind, salt, and sun. As they traveled from port to port, denim traveled with them — quietly making its way across borders, influencing local economies and eventually, global fashion. 

Denim was never just American. It was global before global fashion was a concept. 

With our Sailor capsule, we channel this transoceanic spirit — vintage-inspired fits, wide-leg silhouettes, belt details, and nautical pocketing. The pieces carry that sense of structure and ease, of uniform and individuality. 

What does that mean today? We live in a world where culture is constantly in motion. Our values — sustainability, craftsmanship, authenticity — are being passed hand to hand, story to story, just like those sailors once passed their garments across oceans. 

This isn’t nostalgia. This is a reminder that what we wear is always moving, always exchanging energy. That’s what denim does. And that’s what you do when you wear OLDGENE — carry that energy forward.