Luther's Denim

[ChuckO]

Hi everybody, we are launching a new raw denim brand called "Luther's". We are down in Austin, TX where we designed everything and the Jeans were manufactured out of Los Angeles. We have three fit's based on a '47, '55' & '66 styles. The '47 and '55 are both more fitted than some other brands very traditional cuts for those periods. We are hoping some Sufu folks will try us out and help us perfect our fits by letting us know what you think. We'd love to have a group of folks who would stay involved and help us develop.

 

The jeans are all made with Cone unsanforized, red-line selvedge. All three fit's are more fitted than an absolutely traditional take on a '47, '55 and '66. What we've done is take them in a little in the knee as usually what happens with jeans that people go months without washing to fade is the knees get stretched out pretty quick and they look to shapeless from the knee to the hem . We've also tapered the '47 and '55 a bit as we feel this also helps with that problem and you end up with a sharper looking jean.

 

The way the '55 is cut will fit closer to a traditional '47 for guy's with more muscular or thicker legs. So if you've wanted to wear a '47 but found they were too tight in the leg for you give our '55 a try. 

My name is Chuck and I'm the owner. I'm a long time denim freak and musician. I come from a family with a long history in the clothing industry as my Dad was a salesman for his whole life and he worked for Levi's for a while (many trips to their El Paso, TX plant for sales meetings) as well as Hang Ten (both back in the 1970's) to name a couple of the cooler people he was with.

 

I'm a giant pop culture guy and have always been a huge nerd for the intersection of pop culture and denim from the movies (Wild Ones, Rebel without a Cause) to Rock And Roll (everything from CCR, The Ramones & Sex Pistols, early rockabilly). So that's going to inform the kind of things we're going to do in the future like we're going to add a couple of t-shirts soon with artwork by Wes Freed who's done most of the Drive-By-Truckers artwork.

 

Please check out our web site and let me know what you think. http://www.LuthersDenim.com

 

If you are interested purchasing some jeans from us, use the coupon code "sufu" and you will get 25% off. Anyone who creates an account and buys a pair of jeans this year will get a lifetime 25% off of everything you purchase for supporting us while we are starting out.

Edited August 25, 2013 by ChuckO

[ChuckO]

Here is some images of our "'The '47" style:

 

Edited August 14, 2013 by ChuckO

[ChuckO]

Here is the back of "The '47":

Edited August 14, 2013 by ChuckO

[ChuckO]

Are these images too big?

[Quoise1203]

I think the jeans look nice in the pics you've posted, but if you really want to differentiate yourself I recommend using some more unique fabrics, something japanese and/or unsanforized in the offering would be interesting.  I'm sure it's easier and less expensive to source stock Cone denim, but so many other start up denim brands are using this formula I think it is unlikely you will stand out from the crowd.

 

[edit] I spoke too soon regarding the unsanforized recommendation, as I looked at the site and see the denim you use is indeed unsanforized cone denim.  I think this is a good choice.

Edited August 14, 2013 by Quoise1203

[Broark]

Unsanforized Cone is definitely better than the typical Cone that most newer brands tend to flock to.

And being based out of Austin is cool since that's where I've been the last few years.

[ChuckO]

Sorry, the denim is unsanforized. You get a good shrink out of this denim. I updated the original post to reflect that.

Edited August 14, 2013 by ChuckO

[aho]

Chuck, congrats on taking the plunge, it's something only the brave can do. It's getting harder to distinguish oneself from all of the denim brands out there so I look forward to seeing what direction you take the brand over time. Best of luck!

[ChuckO]

Thanks, aho!

 

Here's our leather patch. Thick, natural, embossed, bridle leather patch

 

 

Edited August 14, 2013 by ChuckO

[ChuckO]

Here's our "The '55" style, differs from a traditional 55 in that the legs tapers a little. I like the leg to taper at least a little. This would fit more like a traditional '47 for someone with bigger(fuller) legs:

 

Edited August 14, 2013 by ChuckO

[ChuckO]

and "The '55" back:

 

[ChuckO]

and "The '66":

 

[ChuckO]

and "The '66" back:

 

[ChuckO]

And here's the shank. The fly buttons are the same but smaller of course:

 

Edited August 14, 2013 by ChuckO

[ChuckO]

Through the end of October, 2013 Luther's is running a special promotion where if you buy a pair of our "The '55" or "The '66" and post a fit pic to social media (Twitter, Instagram, Vine, Facebook, etc.) so we can re-post it we will send you a free pair of our "The '47".

Just message me here at Sufu letting me know that you bought a pair and where you posted the picture and we'll send you the free pair.

Sorry, this promotion can't be combined with the 25% off offer.

[nutusufu]

I took the plunge yesterday. Luther's Denim immediately got my attention with its Unsanforized American made selvedge fabric, something really unique and I believe only previously available by LVC and Roy. The numerous other details (especially the offset selvedge line and natural leather patch) and modified traditional fits had me seriously looking. After seeing the offer of 2 fits for 1 I couldn't pass up the opportunity to be a guinea pig for this new brand. I look forward to my first pair, and I will be sure to post up a detailed review including pre/post-soak pictures and measurements.

[jmfr]

just curious, why name them after specific cuts, if you admit that they are not repros?

[nutusufu]

Chuck,

 

Would you mind sharing what details you know about the fabric you're using? 

[exaptavist]

I'd suggest this might need to be continued in the Superartisans Denim & Leather Brands thread, it is after all what it's there for.

 

None of my business, but it could be beneficial in showcasing the brand - presenting the people involved in the production, stills of the materials and workshop, the assembly process etc. I think many on here are interested in how the product came into fruition, and it helps get people on board with the brand. Just look at the Guns & Money thread, or rather you could have before it was unfortunately pulled, which included detailed images of the various components and stages in the process and attracted positive attention as a result.

 

Just a thought anyway.

Edited October 20, 2013 by hoggreaser

[ChuckO]

just curious, why name them after specific cuts, if you admit that they are not repros?

Good question, mostly just to give people a quick starting reference for each fit. We knew selvedge fans would read the details of the fits.

The '47 is the fit that is farthest off from the traditional and we had a lot of internal debate about if we went to far and we may make them less slim below the knee depending on feedback. We've seen a lot of complaints about various brands 47's being to hard to distinguish from '55's is a big part of where we went with this fit.

The '66 is very close to traditional.

We're trying to get an optimal mixture of the traditional and modern. We want to use traditional materials and construction techniques while making sure the fits work for modern bodies. We also don't want to HAVE to do it exactly like it was done as that's kind of a trap.

That's a big part of why we started Luther's. We are big LVC fans but they seem trapped by their history. We wanted to be able to stay very traditional while also being able to mix and match elements if we wanted or make sure the fits were differentiated enough.

Edited October 20, 2013 by ChuckO

[ChuckO]

Chuck,

 

Would you mind sharing what details you know about the fabric you're using?

We weren't able to learn a lot about it. It became available and we were able to check it out of course and it was better than most of the Cone red line selvedges samples we had seen so we jumped on it.

but what we do know is:

Cone Red-line, 13.5 Oz. Raw, Unsanforized, Selvage Denim.

When it becomes available we haven't seen generally there being a lot of detail available and it goes pretty quickly.

[bradl]

I'd suggest this might need to be continued in the Superartisans Denim & Leather Brands thread, it is after all what it's there for.

 

None of my business, but it could be beneficial in showcasing the brand - presenting the people involved in the production, stills of the materials and workshop, the assembly process etc. I think many on here are interested in how the product came into fruition, and it helps get people on board with the brand. Just look at the Guns & Money thread, or rather you could have before it was unfortunately pulled, which included detailed images of the various components and stages in the process and attracted positive attention as a result.

 

Just a thought anyway.

Ahhh was wondering why I hadn't seen that thread pop up lately.

[nutusufu]

We weren't able to learn a lot about it. It became available and we were able to check it out of course and it was better than most of the Cone red line selvedges samples we had seen so we jumped on it.

but what we do know is:

Cone Red-line, 13.5 Oz. Raw, Unsanforized, Selvage Denim.

When it becomes available we haven't seen generally there being a lot of detail available and it goes pretty quickly.

 

Your use of this rare Unsanforized American made denim is what is most unique about your brand in my opinion. So what are you going to do if/when you run out of stock?

[ChuckO]

Your use of this rare Unsanforized American made denim is what is most unique about your brand in my opinion. So what are you going to do if/when you run out of stock?

We will be nailing that down very soon but we're pretty sure we'll be staying with Cone for right-hand denim. We plan on doing the same fits in left-hand denim (but with different details) and that will probably have to be Japanese denim. We want to have right-hand and left-hand denim available in what we consider to be the core cuts (47,55,66) at a reasonable price.

We also plan on doing some small runs of more obscure fits and styles to keep things interesting.

We have the financial resources to do some pretty cool stuff.

[nutusufu]

Luther's Denim - '66 Tapered fit 36x36 Review

 

(DISCLAIMER: cellphone and home construction = sub-par review pics)

Lately I've been in the market for a second pair of jeans. I grew out of my first N&F and APC so the only pair I had that fit were my new E3's in WG cut. These are about as tight as I'd want any pair of jeans to be. I wanted my next pair to broaden my wardrobe a bit. So I set out for something Unsanforized midweight and relaxed-fit.

About a week ago THIS post on /r/rawdenim really caught my attention. There is finally an all American made (Cone Mills fabric and constructed in TX) Unsanforized option that wasn't just LVC or Roy. American made unsanforized denim was a huge draw for me, but the natual leather patch, selvedge ID, hardware and modified repro fits had me seriously looking. Then Chuck announced his generous 2 for 1 deal and after some consideration I decided to take the plunge and be a guinea pig for this new company Luther's Denim.

Review:

Chuck's communication was excellent and I received the jeans in just a few days time. These are the '66 cut that tapers just below the knee in size 36w-36l. In the photos below you can see some Hitler thigh syndrome going on which is pretty much my only complaint (even though they're still skin tight in the thighs when i sit). The higher rise (compared to N&F WG) accommodates my glutes and thighs nicely. Unsurprisingly, the fabric is the highlight of these jeans. There is a huge difference between the smooth and uniform sanforized denim on my E3's and the unsanforized Cone Mills denim Luther's uses. The pictures below didn't quite capture how rough and non-uniform the texture is. They are certainly no Samurai/Strike Gold/PBJ's, but there is a noticeable difference between these and your average pair of sanforized denim. The natural leather patch and hardware all look and feel great. I like that the signature lightning bolt hardware and rear pocket stitching exude an all american racer vibe. The construction is decent with little worry of tears or seam splitting, but is otherwise relatively unimpressive. There were a few loose threads around but nothing that bothered me.

Ultimately I think this is a good product for the money. If the features of Luther's Denim appeals to anyone I will say that my initial impression is good, not great and not bad, just good. However, I love the fabric and cannot wait to see how it ages.

I have decided to try out Luther's '55 Regular fit as well. What do you guys think?

I would love to get feedback and answer any questions.

Pre-soak

Waist: 35.5"

Inseam: 34.6"

F. Rise: 12"

R. Rise: 16.5"

Thigh: 13.5" @ crotch, 12.75" @ 2" below crotch

Knee: 9.4" @ 14"

Hem: 8.5"

Post-soak

Waist: 33.5"

Inseam: 33.75"

F. Rise: 11.5"

R. Rise: 15.75"

Thigh: 13" @ crotch, 12.5" @ 2" below crotch

Knee: 9.25"

Hem: 8.3

Pictures

Front

Back

Selvedge

Selvedge 2

Hardware

Pocket detail

Natural leather patch

Interior

Pre-soak front

Pre-soak side

Pre-soak back?

Post-soak

Front

Indigo hand

Back + Combs

Unsanf. detail

Edited October 26, 2013 by nutusufu

[nutusufu]

Update on my '66s:

 

I gave these an hour long HOT soak the other day and I am really pleased with the fit. Just the right amount of room in the thighs now without excessive hip flare. They still need to be broken in but I'm confident they will look superb in a few weeks as the denim relaxes a bit.

 

These pictures were taken on an overcast day so the denim appears darker.

 

 

 

[ChuckO]

Here's some fit pics of our "The '47" posted by a teenage customer. They are unwashed.

 

http://imgur.com/a/e1eKg

Edited November 2, 2013 by ChuckO

[nutusufu]

Luther's '66

 

 

 

[Karl Hungus]

Those fly buttons are mad cool.

[Davil]

I saw this thread earlier today but didn't get a chance to post.  Let me be the first to say, I love accurates.  The design is simple but the different tones of highlighted stitching kind of set it off.  And, that's a brave move coming out with a new brand right now with the market packed with great denim.  I hope some of these guys who are looking for new digs take good look at you.  Good luck!