Jason Momoa’s denim duds, from ‘Paloma’ to ‘Aquaman,’ can be yours

That Jason Momoa has a jones for jeans should come as a surprise to absolutely no one. From films such as “Road to Paloma” and “Aquaman” to the stage at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, the actor turns up clad in inky, dark denim so often it’s hard to envision him wearing anything else (the fetching pink Fendi made-to-measure tuxedo from this year’s Academy Awards being the notable exception).

What’s not as well known, though, is the label behind his favorite custom-crafted, indigo-hued trousers: Hollywood-based Schaeffer’s Garment Hotel, which has been outfitting Momoa — on screen and off — for the last decade.

That’s likely to change thanks to the short video titled “Aquaman’s Jeans” recently posted to the actor’s official YouTube channel, which showcases that label, its owner, Robert Schaeffer, and a few of the actor’s on-screen jeans, including a favorite pair that the non-superheroes out there will have the chance to pre-order early next month.

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“They pretty much make every jean I’ve ever [worn], and they made a really cool one for ‘Road to Paloma’ that I wore,” Momoa said on the video, referring to his 2014 feature writing-directing debut and adding that the on-screen relationship continued with the TV series “The Red Road” (2014) and the movies “Justice League” (2017) and his 2018 star turn “Aquaman.”

The Aquaman jeans (that’s the unofficial nickname for the $525 style that’s sold as the SGH 103 standard tall rise straight leg: 25 oz black) are what Momoa’s character wears when he’s not in his superhero suit in the 2018 film, and they’re crafted from a 25-ounce, sulfur-dyed Japanese selvedge denim that’s so sturdy it practically stands up on its own.

“It’s a pattern that I’ve built. I did it for him years ago,” Schaeffer said during a recent tour of the 7517 Sunset Blvd. storefront and atelier where his line is made. “[Since then] I’ve tweaked it and brought it into production. I make them a little longer for [Jason], and there are a few little additions, but for the most part, if someone buys that jean, they’re buying the exact one I did for the film.” (Schaeffer estimated he made more than 30 pairs for “Aquaman” alone, a number that includes multiple versions for both Momoa and his stunt double.)

But the jeans Momoa waxes most enthusiastic about in his video tour of Schaeffer’s Garment Hotel — and the ones that kicked off the silver-screen brotherhood of the traveling pants — haven’t been available to anyone at all for years. That includes the hirsute, trident-wielding superstar friend of the brand.

“He’s been asking me about the ‘Road to Paloma’ jeans forever,” Schaeffer explained, “but I could never source the denim, so I finally had to have it made at the mill [we work with] in Japan. It’s a 15-ounce indigo Japanese selvedge denim that we put a special black coating over top — a non-pigment dye — so that, as it wears, the blue and the white start to show through.”

The $425 “Road to Paloma” blue jeans will be available only in a single fit (the one Momoa wears) through pre-order for just a short period of time early next month. After that pre-order window closes, the next opportunity to purchase a pair of Paloma pants will be when the spring and summer 2020 collection hits retail early next year.

Even so, you still won’t be getting the exact same jeans as Momoa. In the video, Schaeffer turns up the cuff of a pair of Palomas he’s custom-crafted for Momoa and points to where a strip of black meets a strip of blue on the inside seam.

“When we blacked these out — when we did the coating — we left one selvedge side uncoated,” Schaeffer said on the video, “so you know they’re yours.”

Which is probably a good idea, because Momoa seems like the last guy you’d want to end up scrapping with over a favorite pair of trou.

adam.tschorn@latimes.com

For more musings on all things fashion and style, follow me at @ARTschorn