How It Works
Don Yoku is a cut and sew denim studio in Waterloo, Ontario. Every pair of jeans is made by hand, one at a time, by Aidan McQuay: the denim is cut, sewn, topstitched and finished in the studio rather than ordered in from a factory.
There are two ways to buy. A commission is a pair built to your own measurements, with every choice made by you. Ready to wear pieces are finished pairs, one of each, sold as they are. Both are bought on this site and paid for through Stripe.
Commissioning a pair
The builder on the commissions page draws the pair as you choose, so the jean on screen is the jean being specified. The steps are:
- Cut. Baggy, Straight, Boot Cut, or Relaxed Fit Jorts.
- Denim. Raw, Slub, Red Slub, or White Selvedge. The denim carries the base price of the pair, so choosing one is the point at which a total appears.
- Topstitch colour. Yellow, black, white, or pink.
- Pocket size. Normal, or large.
- Back pocket design. Chosen for each pocket separately, and in its own thread colour: plain, arrows, route line, web, the Yoku signature, an initial, or a scatter of arrows. The arrow count and the number of web corners are yours to set.
- Fly. Zipper, hidden button, or exposed button.
- Hardware. Rivets, a buckle back, a swivel snap hook at the belt loop, or none. Button and rivet finishes are chosen separately, because copper rivets with silver buttons is an ordinary pair.
- Measurements. Waist, hip, inseam and thigh, measured on your body rather than on a garment, plus a leg opening and a normal or low rise. A measuring guide is shown on that step.
- Notes and reference pictures. Anything else you want, and up to ten photographs. Reference pictures reach the studio with the order and are never published.
The build is then added to a cart, or paid for immediately. Prices are shown on each option as you choose it, and the running total is on screen throughout, so nothing about the price waits until checkout.
Ready to wear
Ready to wear holds finished pieces. Each one is a single pair at a single set of measurements, listed with its photographs, its measurements and its price. When a pair sells it is gone, and sold pairs stay visible below the grid rather than disappearing, so what has been made can still be seen.
How long it takes
A made-to-order pair is normally finished four to six weeks from the day the studio has the measurements it needs. A ready to wear piece is already made and is posted as soon as the order is in.
Shipping, payment and returns
- Shipping destinations are shown at checkout. Canada is supported, and the United States is available when US shipping is open. Any applicable shipping or tariff charges are shown before payment.
- Payment is by card through Stripe, on Stripe's own page. This site never sees or stores a card number. Visa, Mastercard and American Express are accepted, along with Apple Pay and Google Pay where the device offers them.
- No sales tax is added. The price shown is the price paid.
- Orders are final sale, except where the law gives you a right to cancel, return, or obtain a refund or another remedy. A made-to-measure pair is cut for one person and cannot be resold, which is the reason. If a pair arrives faulty or is not what was ordered, that is a different matter and is dealt with — see the Terms of Sale.
Questions
- What is Don Yoku?
- A one-person cut and sew denim studio in Waterloo, Ontario, making custom and ready to wear jeans by hand.
- How much does a custom pair cost?
- The denim sets the base price and each add-on is priced beside it in the builder, with a running total on screen. The current prices are on the commissions page, which is the only place they are guaranteed to be up to date.
- How long does a custom pair take?
- Four to six weeks from the day the studio has your measurements.
- Do you ship outside Canada?
- The United States may be available when US shipping is open. The checkout shows the destinations available for the order and any applicable shipping or tariff charges.
- Do I need to know my measurements?
- You need a tape measure and five minutes. The builder asks for waist, hip, inseam and thigh measured on your body, and shows a guide for where to measure. Leg opening and rise are picked from a short list rather than typed as numbers.
- Can I visit the studio or be measured in person?
- Fittings and pickups in Waterloo are possible by arrangement. Email support@donyoku.ca before ordering.
- What denim do you use?
- Four fabrics: raw denim, slub denim, red slub, and white selvedge. Each is shown on the garment in the builder, in the thread colour chosen, so a combination can be looked at before it is ordered.
- Can I have jorts, or shorts?
- Yes. Relaxed Fit Jorts are one of the cuts, built from the same denims and with the same pockets, fly and hardware choices as the jeans.
- Can I send a photo of a pair I like?
- Yes, up to ten photographs on the notes step. They reach the studio with the order and are never shown on the site, and they are deleted after the commission is finished.
- Can I change or cancel an order?
- Ask as soon as possible, at support@donyoku.ca. Before cloth is cut there is usually room to change something; afterwards there is not, because the cloth has been cut to one person's measurements. Your statutory rights are unaffected either way — see the Terms of Sale.
- How do I get in touch?
- Email support@donyoku.ca, or message @donyoku.ca on Instagram.