JNCO, short for "Judge None Choose One", is a Los Angeles, California-based clothing company specializing in boys' and men's jeans. It was founded in 1985 by Moroccan-born, French-raised brothers Jacques Yaakov Revah and Haim Milo Revah. The brand gained recognition in the 1990s with its boys' ultra-wide straight legged denim jeans featuring elaborate pocket logos and a unique street look. The brothers commissioned a local LA graffiti artist Joseph Montalvo, aka Nuke, to design the brand's logo. 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 operation also owned by Milo and Jacques Revah. In February 2018, it was announced that JNCO was to cease production and liquidate its inventory. It was later clarified that this applied to the then-current licensee and that the brand would continue under new management. In June 2019, the brand was relaunched, along with a brand new site.
Styles
After JNCOs grew in popularity, department store chains such as Kohl's and J. C. Penney as well as mall retail stores such as Tops and Bottoms began to carry them. Other stores selling JNCOs were Gadzooks and Pacific Sunwear. JNCO jeans were produced in a variety of styles and lines, ranging from ultra-wide jeans with leg openings greater than 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 its 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". Some names of JNCO styles included Mammoths, Crime Scenes, FlameHead, Mad Scientists, Buddha, Tribals and Rhinos, Twin Cannons, and Kangaroos, which had leg openings and extremely large back pockets, featured embroidery of a kangaroo with boxing gloves above the right rear pocket.
After 1998 peak sales of $186.9 million, sales halved in 1999. In the 2000s, the brothers closed the main factory. On February 15, 2018, JNCO announced the shutdown and closing of their company via their website, bringing an end to production & the liquidation of all inventory. A clarification was posted on the company's blog March 1, 2018, stating that, "The current license for JNCO is being terminated but JNCO is not going out of business and sales will continue under new management." On June 20, 2019, JNCO's Instagram page posted an update, reading that an official relaunch of the brand will occur June 28.
