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Showing content with the highest reputation on 08/09/25 in all areas
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13 points
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I feel these days more often than not the whole “made in X country” thing is either a xenophobic dog whistle made in bad faith, or a “good faith” desire to reshore industrial manufacturing in societies that have now developed post-industrial economies and are probably .. I mean definitely .. never going back. the problem with the latter argument is that offshoring is a natural result of globalized neoliberalism and the free trade agreements that come with it. It’s just a reality that practically all manufacturing these days requires materials & labor from many countries often on opposite sides of the globe. I’m sure you all have seen those videos on how a single t-shirt takes materials from like a half dozen countries and travels twice around the world before it’s stocked in some mall in Nebraska for $8.99 - or if not that maybe the video from when the U.S.’ steel tariffs were first announced showing the impact that would have on the price of “U.S. Made” Ford pickup trucks (they went up many many thousands of dollars… because most of the truck’s parts come from overseas). And all the executives at Ford were wringing their hands saying it would take decades to shift their manufacturing back to the U.S., but still somehow making the claim their vehicles are made here. That is to say, I’m not sure why any one shoemaker that claims their stuff is made in the U.S. is getting flak more than any other one for that not actually being the case. I love my Mexican huaraches, Colombian congas and Iranian rug because they’re made by amazing and talented craftspeople, not because they have some magical quality derived from their country of origin. I wish we could evolve this whole conversation to have an appreciation for the many many hands and cultures that come together to make everything in the modern world. It’s really amazing when you think about it! Instead we pretend that 3/4 of the global supply chain doesn’t exist and that we’re too good for goods made, even in part, in less developed countries… and we do so surrounded by things made in those very countries!!7 points
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Would you feel slightly deceived if you discovered your Mexican huaraches were made in Bangladesh, your Persian rug in Botswana, your Colombian congas in China? It doesn’t make them lesser products but displays a lack of transparency and possibly authenticity. You’re right that modern production supply chains are complex but some consumers simply want to have a bit more information about what they’re buying, particularly if they believe they’re paying a premium and that includes higher cost labour (with potentially better working conditions) to justify that price. Unfortunately, laws/rules around the provenance of goods seem to enable a broad interpretation and allow companies to deliberately confuse/mislead their customers.6 points
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Like Maynard is alluding to, the problem I have with the whole thing isn't where the boots are actually made. It's the lack of transparency and outright deceit of their customers. It would be one thing if they didn't actively market and lean on the fact that their products are MiUSA, but for years it's a selling point and what they've always pushed about what makes their product "better". Oakstreet has posted a response and it's a longwinded nothing burger, which to me just further confirms that something is going on: reddit link And just to really drive it home, on 8/6 Oakstreet filed a claim with the USPTO to cancel Viberg's patent of the service boot: USPTO link I'm no lawyer and I know nothing about patent / trademark law, but the timing of the filing really makes you think.4 points
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def the issue here is lack of transparency. A brand can make their products wherever they deem best for their business with materials from all over the world and charge whatever prices they need to make it work but it's a shitty practice to use marketing jargon to essentially lie to the average consumer who take phrases like Made in USA at face value and still believe that it automatically means it's a better product that warrants a higher price. I do agree that the whole made in ____ phrase is more and more problematic and as companies continue to push the limits of what those phrases mean and force governments to precisely define it legally, the more meaningless that phrase means and then you have brands like Shinola who change the phrase to "built in USA" because they couldn't legally use Made in USA...🙄 The OSB response was kind of crazy. It really did use so many words to say nothing and not even try to address the issue that I thought I missed significant parts of the response somehow.3 points
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Slash Overalls is a one man brand operating in Shizuoka Japan, and has been operating since around ~2021. Originally he started offering custom jeans, allowing his customers to pick various details: denim, pocket and yoke shape, pocket bag fabrics, cut, etc. Most of these jeans were loosely based on different historical eras that we all know and love. However they were not always marketed as strict reproductions, but more creative interpretations. Many of these had (quite distinct) arcs, which he has since moved away from. Below are a few examples of his earlier offerings ('37, '40s, late 1890s Miner Jeans). (*Photo credit: Slash Overalls Instagram) He also ran a series of "grunge models", which had more irregular sewing features. These might seem haphazard, but as mentioned in his blog post the irregular sewing details are intentional and quite difficult to reproduce. (*Photo credit: Slash Overalls blog) In his pursuit of creating a more accurate repro, he graduated to working directly with denim mills on developing his own fabrics to use. With this change in production mentality, he stopped offering custom made jeans and began releasing products in batches. I can't quite figure out the exact rhyme or reason to how each different batch aligns which the denim used, but they are all slight variations. One of the first offerings was the LF44, then NP01, SO02 (aka NP02,), and SL01 (developed in collaboration with Okamoto Textile Co.). LF44: LF44, aged: NP01: NP01, 1 year of wear: SO02: SL01: (*Photo credit: Slash Overalls blog and Instagram) The last two are more recent releases (late '24), and thus I don't think I've seen any faded photos yet. As seen above, he also makes a few variations of denim jackets, mostly inspired by WWII models and late 40's type I's. One interesting aspect of the way he sizes and grades the patterns for his denim jackets is that he does not adjust the body or sleeve length for larger sizes. He doesn't list the body or sleeve length on product pages, and says that one should be able to size his jackets based on chest and shoulder measurements. I've seen an Instagram post where he states this is how Levi's used to pattern and size their jackets, but I personally am not sure if this is 100% accurate. I haven't gotten one of the jackets yet, but I'm hoping to add one in the future. (*Photo credit: Slash Overalls Instagram and IG user oto_ten) Alongside his mainline jeans, his most recent undertaking is the XX Grade project. Focusing on reproducing jeans in the most accurate way possible, down to the materials used. These have only just started to be released, but my understanding is that he has been working with different machinists to recreate the machinery used in creating vintage two prong buttons. This line carries a steep price tag, but I haven't been able to track down a pair myself...yet. (*Photo credit: Slash Overalls blog) He also has been working on a line of "vintage aged" denim, assuming this is a similar oxidation process that we've seen from some other makers previously. This line has yet to be released, but I'm interested in the results once he is ready to release the finished product. (*Photo credit: Slash Overalls blog)2 points
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Hi all - longtime reader, first-time poster. I figured this would be the best time as any to make an introduction post. I actually won the auction for the W36 pair, which fortunately had less activity than the other sizes. I have them on-hand now! It's pretty incredible handling a deadstock pair from this era. Kind of a blessing and a curse though - they've been in this state for so long, it's hard to justify taking the tags off and wearing them. For now, since I have a lot of other jeans, I'll keep them as-is and just be thankful that I have a piece of Japanese denim history. BTW - I took new measurements. Here they are, in raw non-wash state: Denime (Shins) 7750 00 No. 70-00-5047 Size 36 Col. 93 Waist: 37" / 94cm Front Rise: 12" / 30.5cm Back Rise: 15.75" / 40cm Upper Thigh: 13.5" / 34cm Thigh 4" (10cm) down: 12" / 30.5cm Knee: 9.75" / 25cm Leg Opening: 9" / 23cm Inseam: 37.5" / 95cm Very long inseam! As one might expect, these are almost identical to the measurements of a pair of raw Resolute 710s that I have, except with a wider leg opening. Happy to answer any questions about this pair or take photos if anyone was curious. Nice to meet you all!2 points
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Been meaning to get this thread started for a little while, was just waiting for my second pair to arrive. The first pair (which was previously posted in the Unknown JP brands thead), was produced in the later half of '23 using the LF44 denim. This second pair (which I just received over the weekend) are made using the SO02 denim and are similarly based on a '47. The one thing that I find very interesting and hard to describe with this jeans is the "three-dimensionality" that you can feel in all the folds where different layers of fabric intersect. He mentions it often on his blog and Instagram, but there's something about it in person that is very unique. And here's some comparison shots, I haven't washed the SO02 yet and I've been wearing the LF44 a bit.2 points
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I agree OSBs response really seems like a missed opportunity. I’ll note two things - probably they actually should hire a PR team - and not using a photographer saves them basically neglible dollars a year, the way that industry has gone. Using a bunch of customer photos for free promotional value shouldn’t be a point of pride for brand.1 point
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Don't know. I have noticed quite a few stores that used to have Buyee as the pop-up recommended proxy service integrated on their websites have switched to Zenmarket now. Not sure the reason. Jeans are also up at Raze1 point
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I have a question for all those out there. Has anyone bought the latest 1922 501s? I was wondering about sizing. I read that they run very large. Anyone have any experience with the Japanese made Japanese denim model that is being offered now? And is the denim the same as the denim on the Japanese denim 1937s? Thanks in advance.1 point
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Quick fit pics of the LF44 pair, haven't bothered with cuffing them but probably couldn't hurt.1 point
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It's an absolutely beautiful top, one of my favourites in my collection, I've worn it so many time over the last few winters and it always gets lots of nice comments. The construction and patterning with all the Polartech Powerstretch sections is just incredible and the AD has held up surprisingly well from so many wears, no holes or tears or anything to report. I love my Senchi but the S27 is on a completely different level.1 point
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Posted the pre and post wash measurements for the LF44 model previously, reposting them below. LF44 Unwashed Waist: 38 in. Front rise: 14 in. Back rise: 17.75 in. Thigh: 14.5 in. Knee: 11 in. Hem: 10 in. Inseam: 32 in. Warm soaked for an hour and then a quick trip through the washing machine on cold / gentle cycle. Waist: 36 in. Front rise: 13.25 in. Back rise: 17 in. Thigh: 14 in. Knee: 10.5 in. Hem: 9.5 in. Inseam: 30 in. I haven't washed the SO02 yet, but I'll likely get around to it this weekend and will post pre and post wash measurements. I'll also get around to some fit pics, been recovering from a bug the last few days so I haven't been wearing jeans at all lately. I find that I really like the fit of the LF44 pair: ample rise, plenty of room in the legs, accessible front pocket openings. They just feel like a solid pair of jeans. The LF44 denim feels much more dense and fluffy, while the SO02 feels more irregular (pre-wash, at least) and has a bit more nep (especially on the weft).1 point
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I got some 1955s off Ebay made in US. Is this a Taylor Togs pair? I think 2013? Buttons are blank. I've snapped a few photos compared to my LVC 66s and TCB 50s. They are quite different measurement wise to TCBs. Longer front rise and more of a taper. These are more faded than they looked on ebay but thinking can still get my own fades on these despite the heavy wear/washes. 2nd last photo is compared to TCB1 point
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After about 14 years with these Red Wings, I think they look worse with age! They’ve been resoled twice and were a half-size too small (as I bought them in a half-price sale and @almostnice kindly told me they’d stretch a bit) so I could only ever wear them with thin socks. They’ve been my dog walking boots for the last few years but now the sole has no grip so they’re of no use in muddy parks and I just wear wellies in the winter instead. In addition to the 2 resoles at the Vibram shop (neither as robust as the original sole), they’ve also had the mocc toe stitching repaired. Overall, I’ve really enjoyed wearing them and I’ve a pair of their Chelsea boots in ebony harness leather with a black crepe sole - I’m over the white. Anyway, today they go in the bin. Farewell old buddies, it’s been a pleasure!1 point
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Some Japanese made Japanese denim 1937 501s. New last Nov. A couple of cold soaks and a lot of wear. 36/341 point
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