JNCO

JNCO, short for "Judge None Choose One", is a Los Angeles, California-based clothing company specializing in boys' and men's jeans. JNCO was founded in 1985. The brand gained recognition in the 1990s with its boys' ultra-wide straight legged denim jeans.

JNCO

JNCO Crown Logo
Country	United States

Example of emblem found on Jeans

Example of baggy "JNCOs"

History

This street look was popularized throughout the 90s starting in Los Angeles and working its way through the United States. JNCO also manufactures T-shirts, khaki pants and other clothing articles for men and women. Unlike similar California based apparel manufacturers, JNCO manufactured most of its products in the United States, mainly at S.M.J. American Manufacturing Co., a 200,000-square-foot (19,000 m²) operation also owned by Milo and Jacques Revah.

After JNCOs grew in popularity, store chains such as Kohl's, J. C. Penney, Tops and Bottoms, Gadzooks, and Pacific Sunwear began to carry them.^[1] In 1998, some schools tried to ban wide leg jeans such as JNCO because they were a tripping hazard and kids were supposedly hiding contraband in the pockets^[2]

After peak sales of $186.9 million, sales halved in 1999. In the 2000s, the brothers closed the main factory.^[3]

In 2019, original founder Milo Revah announced he had re-acquired the brand and intended to relaunch it alongside his daughter Camilla.^[4][5] This relaunch took place in June of that year, along with a new website.^[6]

Styles

JNCO jeans were produced in a variety of styles and lines, ranging from ultra-wide jeans with leg openings greater than 50 inches (1,300 mm) to more conservatively cut styles. Some were so large that younger children often had to sit down while putting them on. After reaching the height of their popularity within the subcultures and becoming more mainstream, JNCOs were known for featuring superfluously large back pockets with graffiti-like-inspired artwork embroidery that became more cartoonish as the 1990s ended, including flaming skulls and the "JNCO Crown" (previously, the majority of styles only had a relatively small, stylized "J"). Some of the JNCO styles included Mammoths, Crime Scenes, FlameHead (geared for kids and pre-teens), Mad Scientists, Buddha, Tribals and Rhinos, Twin Cannons, and Kangaroos. Styles ranged from 17-inch leg openings up to 50-inch leg openings. Leg openings and embroidery vary by model; such as Kangaroos, which includes a kangaroo with boxing gloves and is one of the more popular styles available on the website.