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Stevenson mechanic shirt, canes m41058 (I think?), flat head engineers

made it out to my first house party since this all happened! Das Kapital, Iron Fart, and some West Coasts!

Ok, finally got it sorted on the url upload. Sufu just doesn't like the "share" link that Google creates. But if I copy that link, paste in the browser, copy the new url that populates and then use that url, Sufu accepts the image upload. I've gotten a couple entry level vintage watches recently and this 1961 Hamilton A-600 Automatic is my absolute favorite. I was watching "Queer" and yes, noticed the suits and slacks, but more so noticed the watches. That era had a little bubble to the crystal that I love. So I started hunting through 50s and 60s watches until I came across this one. It was originally gaining four minutes a day. I got it serviced and now it's losing one minute per day. Not bad for an 64 year old watch picked up on the cheap from eBay. WoM jeans visible beneath.

Tender / Two Moon / WMJ Son’s first day at a new school, just did drop off. I see even more grey in my beard. I feel old. Ha.

Uniqlo, Fullcount 0105, Clarks

WWII one pocket cpo/sharon jones/west ride/chippewa

Just home from a 5 hour ride out to Seneca Rocks and back. Jason Isbell/ Iron Heart/ Chippewa Wavy mountain pic courtesy of my motorcycle killing my phone camera

One of my oldest, dearest friends whipped me up some custom jeans His brand is Blake Edward, and these are his Style one jeans. I sourced the denim from another friend, which I believe is Kuroki? High rise, wide leg 4 pocket jean with deep front and back pockets The front pocket shape is so good - easily fits my hands while simultaneously, comfortably, and securely takes a knife or tape measure due to their J shape I can’t wear blue jeans to work these days, so these’ll get wear tested 5 days a week

Pit stop at Lake Siskiyou on a road trip.

Buzz, Bronson (dyed), Anonymous-ism, Adidas. It's been forever since I've had a pair of 'normal' sneakers/trainers. Fancied a change... I'm glad I actually went to the mall and tried them on. Apparently one needs to size up 1 and a half from their regular shoe size.

As an aside from your other points, this is the answer. I deleted my account about 3k followers a good while ago (photo, not denim). As a photographer I work slowly on more long form and often conceptual projects - I work a way that is anathema to the sort of constant posting IG would want. I never was one for showing anything but my actual work and IG wants you to put your whole (best, curated, bullshit) life on blast. Back in 2012/2013 I actually was decent enough at social media, had a pretty good Tumblr presence, had a fairly active early IG account and derived a good bit of work, visibility and even publications and opportunities to show work in gallery from them. But I posted a lot, a lot I wouldn’t want to now, and my inner critic was far less developed. It was also a different time before everything had been so pushed towards monetization (of course all the founders knew that was coming, they just needed the participants first). A lot of my colleagues in industry thought I was nuts for deleting IG but man, my life is so much better without it, and my personal connections that I have derived work from haven’t cared a bit. Long term, it’s not a great marketing strategy but a lot of years of very specific living and planning have allowed me to do that. I know this isn’t about denim here, but this forum is good because you get dialogue, information, opinions, ancillary discussions (like this). All I ever saw on denim IG (and I never looked hard, so I’m sure I missed stuff) was purely based around consumption and posing. And don’t get me wrong, I’m not above that. But it’s not what really holds my interest the most. Anyways, yes, if you’re not spending active time on their platforms and engaging, they are punishing you. And also, excuse me, but fuck meta. My primarily “online” engagement these days consists of forums - this one and a photography one, group text threads with friends, voice calls, and I write an occasional letter from my website that I have a few hundred people with me on - which occasionally leads to some really nice and personal email exchanges. Way less volume than social media but feels more right, for whatever it’s worth.

A lot of the lower engagement is due to how Instagram structures their algorithm; I don’t remember the figures but I read a piece last year about how, for the average poster, an infinitesimally small fraction of your followers are actually shown any of your new posts on their news feed. That number goes up a bit if you’re posting a ‘reel’ (basically at that point you’re on TikTok though) but either way you still have astonishingly low—like, single digit low—natural reach for any new post. So I guess I’d argue that, unless you’re shilling sponsored content or just re-posting your made-for-tiktok viral videos, instagram kind of made itself obsolete. If the goal was to share photos and writing about your life or hobby with a group of say 100 friends you’d be better off writing them all postcards, at least they’d probably get read!

I think one of the biggest challenges facing niche communities like ours is the dwindling attention span of the overall populace. Especially when something like a pair of jeans can take months on end of commitment to get any sort of real "accomplishment" from. Instant gratification and dopamine hits from short form media are things that are already having a big impact on society and I'm personally concerned it'll only get worse. I just saw another headline recently that said reading for enjoyment is down 40% compared to ~20 years ago. I'm not sure if this is necessarily directly applicable to your point, but it's been on my mind lately. I recently saw a clip from NPR from a few years back talking about screen time for children and the difference between good and bad screen time. Essentially breaking down why we've never seen this sort of societal disconnect that some of the younger generations are exhibiting. And the psychologist talking said a big part of it has to do with the instant dopamine hits that kids get out of short form content, they're trained at a young age to continuously consume and seek those short term fixes. He went on to say that "good" screen time is watching something together (either with family or friends) that has a clearly defined time limit and story or meaning where you learn details about the characters and plot (even if they're menial). I've been trying to find the clip to share but no luck so far.

Yeah, I keep popping onto Yahoo auctions Japan and looking at the lightly worn pairs. I basically need a 35 in the old 2001 No.1. I haven't pulled the trigger yet though because I own a pair of the 2001s in No.2 denim. I think I should fill out the original Osaka 5 rotation with some SD101s and Denime before a second pair of 2001s.

1961 Hamilton A-600 Automatic

Bought three of the latest Extra Heavy Flannels which just came out. The pics don’t do the colours justice. Quality as expected but the colours are even nicer in person.

UES linen / Silverstone Groundalls

Exactly. Now it's my wife who's always telling me I should do Denim YouTube because I'd be good at it, but the last thing I'd ever do is jump through hoops trying to make money off of it. I have a stable job that pays the bills and all that, so I just view the whole denim thing as a hobby that I share with other people because I enjoy it. It frustrates me that YouTube people I like, even, often seem to admit that they feel like the algorithm pushes them this way or that, and they don't feel like they have the freedom to do what they really want because those videos don't get views.

Hi all, Just picked up a pair of the new 1922 501s. Date code is the 38 week of 2024. They just arrived. Here are some of my first thoughts. The denim Japanese denim is really nice. Rougher /more textured than the 1937 Japanese denim ones I picked up last year. The fit is baggy. Really full in the thighs and seat. The rise is also high. I really like the white line selvedge on these. I usually just wear raw but I think I will do a cold 30 min soak before wearing on this pair. Size is 36/34.

I've been thinking some about the subject of Instagram's place in driving the denim hobby, for lack of a better term. Back in The Day of the mid-2000s-mid-2010s, SuFu and similar forums were the center of denim nerd community outside Japan, plus Reddit and some blogs like Indigo Shrimp, Raw Denim/Heddels, and Denimhunters. But by the mid-2010s things had shifted dramatically toward Instagram. There was a big rise in the "relaxed tapered" fits, lots of guys wearing those jeans with really long flannels and Red Wing Iron Rangers or moc toe boots, Snake Oil Provisions being a big tastemaker, those stupid "cuff check" posts, and all that. But this was reflected much more on IG than SuFu. I initially started doing Instagram in about 2015 or so and posted on it through about 2017, deleted my account for a bit, and started another one that's been around since about August 2018. When I go back to old posts from early on, I'd get easily 100+ likes, and tons of comments on everything I posted. But in the last two years or so, when I've had periods where I'm much more active with regularly posting fit pics and stuff, the level of engagement is far lower. I have a pretty good follower count of over 800, but little interaction on my posts. I don't follow a ton of people and like/interact with a pretty small number of posts on there, so it's possible the algorithm is just punishing me for being insufficiently enslaved to their platform. Now I don't really care much about IG as a popularity contest, it doesn't really matter to me whether I get a million likes or ten, to me it's just another platform for sharing something about a hobby of mine and I don't derive much satisfaction in particular from it. But I am starting to wonder: does this suggest that Instagram, as a center of raw denim/Amekaji/vintage Americana style/etc., is in decline or dying? Has it moved somewhere else? It sure doesn't seem like raw denim is dying, there's plenty of interest and arguably more awareness than ever when you've got guys like primarily-automotive YouTube guy James Pumphrey making pretty good videos about the history of jeans and at least one decent store in most major American cities now. My gut feeling is that raw denim has been "de-nerdified," more people than ever are aware of it and have some level of interest in it, but a smaller percentage of those guys are hardcore fans of the sort who would post on a forum like SuFu. I could certainly be wrong about that, though. I also suspect there's some Big Tech fatigue involved in all this, as a lot of people are tired of social media and dropping out. Or maybe they've all just migrated to TikTok or something. I've never used TikTok and never will, so this is a total blind spot to me.

At the end of the day, it's about style. These jeans have a very deliberate style and if it isn't what you're looking for, it isn't gonna work. Many jeans intentionally try to be completely non-descript (WH1001, SD101, SC47, etc.) and that makes them blend easily into simple, generic outfits (not meat as a pejorative, but perhaps a little shade thrown). The 0105 is aggressively anti-fit and requires you to lean into that for it to work. In the 13.7, you may be able to finesse the sizing to avoid that, but on the SS it just is what it is. I love them both and I have the SS tux. Every time I wash my WoM and I put on my SS pair, I miss it. The big ol' saggy butt and easy fit feels so good and is easy for me to work into a tucked shirt, lower on the waist paired with loafers easy day outfit. I also wore my 13.7s last week while doing some motorcycle maintenance. Damn, still my all time favorite pair of jeans. Hands down.

Nonnative Texas tshirt from 2018 Phigvel 302 black Wesco roller magazine collab Romeos

Ebbets Field/Denime/Mercer&Sons/Sugar Cane/Lucchese

Whitesvile/samurai/tanner/bulova/clarks

Real McCoy's 600 Ranch sub-brand - any idea what era these are? 1990s pre-Joe McCoy maybe? Jacket might be a nice wranglerpro option for someone? not too expensive and a reasonable size https://www.fromjapan.co.jp/japan/en/auction/yahoo/input/h1194238684/ Arcs! Cords with arcs

Apologies for the double photo post, but figured I would follow up here. I’m not really one for reviews, especially on a brand new pair - but since there aren’t any other impressions here I’ll note a few. First - this was the first time I did two washes before wearing. First one was a steaming, and agitated (eh, @Double 0 Soul) soak for about an hour, then chucked them in the warm wash and pulled them before the spin cycle. They dried up nice and crispy but still had some room in the waist, which was fine - I did buy what I thought would be a size up, and that seemed pretty true. But, I wanted to see if I could maybe get anything else out so I did a hot aggressive wash (pulled before spin again), and the waist did tighten up a bit more. They’re still an oversized pair on me, belt needed, but again that’s what I went for. I’ve mostly avoided marbling - the rough plan for these is not to let them hit water again for a good long while, esp as they will only be worn sporadically. Conclusion on sizing and fit is that they’re just about in line with the sugar canes and Freewheelers of the world. Compared to the WMJ I’m used to right now this denim is more substantial - which makes sense as it’s listed as closer to 15 oz washed. I actually kinda like the arcs, though I’m not sure I would if they were stitched. The pockets give the impression of being slightly on the narrower side, esp the coin pocket. Back pockets too, but still hold a wallet fine. I forget what I hemmed them to - I think 33” pre soak, but it should have been more. Ah well. There’s a sort of black enamel coating on the laurel wreath fly buttons which is a bit unique, curious to see how that ages over time. Chainstitch runoff at the waist is a nice touch - no other crazy run offs or dangly strings, everything else is pretty proper and clean more like Freewheelers I’d say. Maybe I’ll get some time for more detail photos later but in general, I approve!

That's some great stuff right there @reubensangwich - in that last photo they are definitely a pair of '1937' 501XX but have had the cinch strap completely removed as well as the rivets (a little dark hole being the tell tell sign). Also that same first shot, amazing shape of the arcuate where it hits (almost) the bottom of the vertical side of the back pocket. Also, that pair in the middle with the match strikes, they are 1937 model also imo.

Some shots of my M-35 pullover. These are made by Kaoru same as the M-54 jeans and Type IIs and the Bartack Alls stuff. There was also a different version for Foremost with the proper tin US Army buttons. I don't mind having donut buttons instead, less likely to drop off 😄 denim is pretty hairy (with a few extra dog hairs thrown in) Think the hem roping is going to be bananas.

Anything can work on YouTube - it’s just as much about the person and the approach as the subject matter itself. The world is full of people doing the same thing but a more charismatic denim dude, or whatever, can still get traction. The question is, to what end? If you want to monetize it, it will make you a slave of online strategy. A lot of the lives of the people who do this stuff honestly make anonymous middle management jobs look like a nice way to go.

Much appreciated, Doc 🫡 Another one I saw yesterday and I just have to post. Photo by Dorothea Lange, from the Library of Congress: San Francisco, Calif. Apr. 1942. Pals at Weill Public School - Yuichi Sumi, left, of Japanese ancestry, and Tommy Wong of Chinese descent, on one of the last days before evacuation of Californians of Japanese ancestry, under US Army Exclusion Order No. 20, Sumi will be housed in a War Relocation Authority center for the duration of the war. A gut-wrenching story that should not soon be forgotten. Yuichi looks to be wearing a crisp 506 (or 213?), or another brand's knockoff. Tommy in a very interesting v-neck sweat, with pockets on the waistband ribbing?

A better colour comparison with my SC1945

First pic is making me feel good about getting a narrow width embossed western belt from Codina kinda specifically to wear with my Sugar Cane 42s 🤠

Vintage saint James/jelado/vintage gat/dog

Tender Co hadal brown reefer denim jacket / Undercover tee (from 2009 S/S I think?) / Equus belt / Slash Overalls S01 / Nicks boots

Thank you, @Dr_Heech! I was hoping one of the resident historians would chime in to confirm my suspicions. What gives the match strike pair away as being a 37 rather than an early war model? From that angle it doesn't look like there is, or ever was, a cinch. Here's another shot of him.

Shit, it is solely great fits on this page! Well done guys! Hope I don’t lower the quality tooo much:) Danton / Sunray Sportsware / Duke (non-wiz) / WHxHinoya disregard the footware, it was taken in backyard

Their madras shirts are looking nice as well. Trying to get one

A couple shots by Marion Post Wolcott. If you zoom in you can read the lot and size numbers. Match strikes on the right hamstring. Patch removed, cinch as well, or possibly an S501 with watch pocket rivets.

Ebbets Julius Tart Japan UES on Samurai Tanner Goods on Full Count Red Wing

MASH M35 denim dungarees about eight years old now. These are reproductions of the dungarees worn by Civilian Conservation Corp workers and US Army enlisted soldier from the 1930's through the 40's. They started out as raw denim but are gradually fading nicely.

New linen shirts look nice. Also what a great fit

Freewheelers x 2 / Tezomeya / Warehouse

Vintage tshirt Phigvel 302 black Wesco custom boss debating on cuffing this denim

I've been wearing my LB40s again the last few days, forgot how nice they are. A lot of the seams have a similar three dimensionality that the Slash have. I just wish they were a little less tapered and the selvedge ID was a little more narrow. I've just been wearing them uncuffed to avoid looking at it. Hoping that Ono gets back to making his own line of jeans again, I really like his stuff.

Back in those contest jeans. The overall colour is lighter than the pics show

Back from the Midwest Great Lakes / Union Special / Hollows / Cane’s / Frank’s

Jeans came in, same dark denim & pink-selvedge line as my jacket - LF44 I believe @Broark? Seller had washed pretty gently but I needed a fair bit more shrinkage for a size 34 to work, so chucked them in a 40 wash / 1600 rpm spin-cycle and a short run through the dryer on low heat. Definitely brought them to life (making me tempted to give the jacket the same treatment but don't need the shrinkage with it). Fit is good now and not too short in the inseam luckily. Looking through old Mercari listings (trying to gauge what shrinkage other people might have gotten) I spotted the same lot number visible on an older listing for a still raw pair, so I'm actually the third owner it seems 😅. Some before and after washing (with a day's wearing in): With the jacket (which is tub soaked only). It's the only matching denim tux I own but still doesn't look like it matches 😂. Well at least for now anyway.

Nice @ATWM! For myself, I find a patch quicker to get repaired and less obtrusive–darning [almost] always comes out super stiff, like cardboard, in most cases that I have had it done. Plus, the wait time can be 4-10 weeks. In saying that, I had my SEXI26s repaired at SELA from my moto accident, the whole crotch and left leg were ripped entirely, and it feels like a new pair of jeans after repairing. Soft and pliable.

Freenote short sleeve, Buzz Rickson original spec chinos, Viberg 2030 Service Boots.

Wash and dry really made this small pin sized hole open up