Betty Smith vs. Daruma Jeans: Our Personal Experience and Comparing the Differences

First, a quick comparison…

	Betty Smith Jeans 👖	Daruma Jeans 👖
Location	7-min walk from Ebisu Station / 10-min walk from Daikanyama Station	10-sec walk from Meiji-jingumae Station (Exit 3)
Price	~US$150 per person	~US$120 per person
Workshop time	~1 hour	~30 minutes
Group size	Max. 2 guests per session*	Max. 6 guests per session
Options	Regular jeans, selvedge jeans, denim skirts, denim jackets	Regular jeans, selvedge jeans**
Available sizes	Waist: 26–50 in** Inseam: up to 85 cm	Waist: 26–42 in Inseam: up to 80 cm
Customization	Buttons, rivets, patches	Buttons, rivets, patches, embroidery**
Hemming	Yes, same day	Yes, same day
Pickup	Available immediately	1–2 days***
Background	Established Japanese denim manufacturer founded in Okayama	New custom-denim studio using denim sourced from Okayama

* Groups larger than 2 can book back-to-back sessions and arrive together. E.g. book 3 consecutive sessions if you have 6 people.
** Additional fees apply for some options. Betty Smith charges an additional fee for waist sizes 36 inches and above. Daruma Jeans charges additional fees per embroidery, based on size.
*** Pickup time may vary depending on customization.

Prices and details are subject to change.
🌐 Check the Betty Smith and Daruma Jeans official booking pages for the latest information.

✨ Atmosphere & Experience

Betty Smith: Calm, Spacious & Vintage

The experience at Betty Smith feels relaxed and unhurried, with an experienced team who gave us plenty of time to browse the different options and think about our designs. The wooden interior and old Americana-inspired details fit naturally with the denim experience.

One detail we especially loved was being able to select old patches from Betty Smith's vintage brands, which had been kept in storage over the years.

You'll also use vintage manual presses to attach your own buttons and rivets, which adds to the workshop's old-school feel. The staff provided close guidance during this step, helping us align the hardware onto the fabric accurately.

Daruma Jeans: Modern, Bright & Sleek

Daruma Jeans feels much more contemporary. The Harajuku studio is bright and stylish, with floor-to-ceiling windows, new equipment, and a young, friendly team that gives the whole experience a more casual, social feel. Overall, the atmosphere felt more energetic and social since you’ll likely be sharing the space with a few other guests.

When attaching our buttons and rivets with the manual press, the staff explained the process and let us practice on scrap denim first. From there, you're largely left to do it yourself, so whether all your rivets end up perfectly aligned pretty much depends on your own ability!

✨ Customization & Styles

Betty Smith: Best for Classic & Vintage Denim

Betty Smith's customization options lean more classic and rustic, with various buttons, rivets and patches to choose from.

Since some of the patches are vintage stock, you can create jeans that have a genuinely retro touch. The button options include some interesting patterns like Hokusai’s The Great Wave Off Kanagawa.

Betty Smith also offers a wider range of fits, along with other denim pieces like skirts and jackets.

Daruma Jeans: Best for Bold & Colorful Denim

Daruma offers a variety of buttons, rivets and patches too, but its biggest differentiator is embroidery.

Options range from something as simple as your initials, to larger designs like a sakura branch, a torii gate, or koi fish. You can choose the placement of the embroideries and select the thread colours as well.

In terms of fit, the regular denim currently comes in straight leg and wide leg, while the selvedge denim is only available in wide leg.

✨ Brand Background & Approach

Betty Smith: Decades of Japanese Denim History

Betty Smith’s parent company was established in Kojima, Okayama in 1962, where its main factory and Jeans Museum & Village are still located today. That history comes through in the workshop, from the vintage equipment to old patches preserved from the company’s previous brands.

Daruma Jeans: A Fun Take on Okayama Denim

Daruma Jeans is the newcomer of the two, with a modern custom-denim studio in Harajuku. The focus here feels less about the brand's own story and more about making the denim your own, with modern styling and customization options like colorful embroidery.

✨ The Biggest Difference We Noticed Afterwards

After washing both pairs in cold water and line drying, our Betty Smith jeans shrunk slightly but remained mostly true to size, while our Daruma jeans shrank noticeably after the first wash. Based on our experience, we'd recommend considering sizing up when choosing Daruma Jeans and asking the staff about expected shrinkage for your specific denim.

Our Betty Smith jeans have also held up well with frequent wear over the last two years. The fabric has softened and developed a unique patina over time.

It's still too soon for us to make the same long-term assessment of our Daruma Jeans, since we only got them recently. So far, however, the embroidery has held up well with no signs of unraveling, including after machine washing. We'll update this article with more impressions as we continue wearing them.

So, Which Jeans Workshop Should you Choose?

Choose Betty Smith if you...

✓ Prefer classic or vintage-style denim
✓ Value the history behind the brand
✓ Prefer a calmer, more relaxed workshop
✓ Like having space to browse and try things at a more leisurely pace
✓ Like vintage details and equipment
✓ Are interested in skirts or denim jackets
✓ Want your item ready to go right away

Go to Booking Page →

Choose Daruma Jeans if you...

✓ Prefer bold or colorful customization
✓ Want embroidery options
✓ Prefer a modern, energetic studio
✓ Like a more casual, social experience
✓ Are visiting with a larger group
✓ Want the most convenient location, right next to a train station exit