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I my experience trophy tops and outerwear fit about one size small (if you're usually medium get a large). Their construction and quality really impresses me. They should get more love than they do in my opinion.

I'm a big trophy fan actually. I've been able to visit their shop and handle most of their pieces in person. Quality is uniformly excellent, built much better than many other labels out there. My only gripe is that their graphic imagery is often lacking. I'm not a big fan of their logo printed tees and jackets, but pretty much everything else they do is well worth it. I'm on the fence but considering getting one of their coach jackets. Hats and leathers are also very well made. 

14 hours ago, beautiful_FrEaK said:

Also, how about the Nagoya store?

I live in Nagoya and visit the shop somewhat regularly. They're actually not directly run by the McCoys company, more like a franchise operation (it's the same with the Kumamoto and Ibaraki locations). Selection isn't quite as good as such, where they don't necessarily stock the full range. If you're stopping by it is worth a look, but I think the Kanazawa one is owned and operated by the McCoys company, and should have everything, including most pieces from the recent collections. 

I have the iris too and I would totally agree: go true to size for using it as an actual liner or an outer layer. As long as you don't mind the shorter sleeves it should work well.

Anyone know if they're releasing an Iris again this season, or is it just the Long Liner instead?

It's partly that, partly that there's concern over fraud and that sort of thing, as well as returns and customer service issues being much more complicated. On top of that, as we've heard, some brands don't want Japanese shops to ship overseas at comparatively cheaper prices. I have a feeling that's one of the main issues, although for second hand shops I'm not really sure what the hang up would be... I guess domestic business is just fine.

Like a lot of Japanese brands, Undercover can be a bit inconsistent in their sizing, with some season-to-season variation. Generally speaking, a 3 is a 30 to 31 in waist, a 4 is a 32" and a 5 is a 34". Sometimes a 4 can be a 34" but it's a bit uncommon. UC seems to cut pretty strongly for the Japanese market, meaning small, small waists on a lot of their pants. 4's and 5's are relatively uncommon in Japan, although a bit more available from their overseas retailers.

Visvim strikes me as being a bit more elitist than some of their contemporaries. It's nothing new with them of course, but I think at this point they've priced themselves out of the market for the vast majority of people, even within Japan. If you like it and you have the money for it all the more power to you, but I think that's a definite minority of people. And at least at the moment they seem to be okay with that.

What surprises me about Visvim is that at this point they haven't gone toward a more "basics" style line to try and bring in the younger crowd. Comme des Garcons does it, Undercover does it, even Mastermind ran a bunch of collaborations with some cheaper products. Probably several more do it, although I can't think of more at the moment. I don't think there's any questioning their beautiful products or some of their crazy production methods, but at the same time you can get an equally beautiful piece by maybe a less-famous Japanese brand for something like a third of the cost.

In Japan I don't think it's necessarily just a question of the hype ship sailing, but it's a crowded field with a lot to offer and other brands often more accessible, less pretentious and better priced. That's my experience at least. Aside from special events, I rarely, if ever, see customers at the regional Visvim shops. Maybe Harajuku and Tokyo get the tourists and the people with the money, but I've never personally seen other people buying stuff there. I still love what Visvim does and will be more than happy to get some of their pieces at deep discount on the second hand market.

Yet their shirts definitely feel like western sizing

I haven't handled their button downs but I actually have a few of their tees, and I can tell you they're very slim. I'm usually a medium but their size 3's (large) run slim on me. I haven't tried their outerwear either actually, but pants and tees are definitely on the small side.

Whoa are they that much? That must be some Brexit exchange rate action happening. In Japan they're about 22,000 yen for the ultra heavy weights, maybe 1000 yen or so more than last year's model. I agree, that's a pretty crazy mark up. Unfortunately I don't think the distributors are making a cash grab in this case, just the cost of doing business I guess...

I don't think Iron Heart goes on sale particularly often, maybe very intermittently through Self Edge, but that's about it. They keep it fairly steady otherwise. That said, my opinion at least is that it's a good value for the price. Their quality is very high, with exclusive fabrics and tough construction. I'd argue they've got more bang for the buck at full retail compared to Flat Head and a lot of other similar brands.

The Visvim shop does have some of the same stuff as FIL, but also the much pricier Visvim shop exclusives. Some of the prices on those rival or exceed indigo camping trailer. I would be curious to see how ridiculously priced it is in New York.

For what it's worth, UES definitely seems to use "Japanese" sizing. That is, most cuts tend to be a bit slimmer than what's tagged. If you're down with a slimmer fit, they make some very good stuff. I'm a bit surprised they don't get more attention here actually.

As there's quite a bit of difference in seasonal temperature where I live (Japan), I don't think it's physically possible to wear the same thing year round. I guess it's possible, but it would make me ridiculously uncomfortable. Denim-wise it's absolutely lighter weights for the summer (linen blends are even better) and heavy weights for the winter. Houses here have really poor insulation, making my place crazy hot in the summer and crazy cold in the winter. I have an aversion to long johns too, I find them really uncomfortable. Heavy pants and insulated tops are the way to go, layering up when necessary.

I agree that for rain it's not a big deal to wear jeans. If you're expecting a downpour or to get soaked you may want to take some precautions, but otherwise it's all good. I personally don't like wearing jeans in the snow if you know you're going to get salt on them. It's really annoying.

I've had one for about 10 years or so now. Probably one of my favorite backpacks, where the codura is very hard-wearing and it has held up well. Of course, there are other codura and similarly tough bags out there at much cheaper prices, so it's more a question of aesthetics and whether the heavy price tag is worth it to you.

In many cases you can get them second hand in Japan in new or almost-new shape for around $500. That's still steep, but maybe not as bad.

Personally I've got a secret denim jacket which is maybe the better way to go with that material-- much less likely to get the same kind of heavy wear, and it has held up nicely so far. Also have their khakis and really no complaints about quality at all. I totally get being disappointed if you're expecting it to hold up to heavy use, but I wouldn't count them out completely. Just depends on what you do with it...

I like America-ya in Ueno probably more than Hinoya. It's a pretty big complex of stores that seems to keep going and going. The Hinoya people also operate a store called Sun House that has branches in Ueno and Shibuya. It's the same basic concept as Hinoya but with a somewhat more diverse brand selection. Daikanyama has a few interesting places like ues and dry bones. I haven't been, but Pure Blue Japan is fairly close to Harajuku. Osaka also has a hinoya branch I guess, plus the samurai store. If you make it out to Kyoto Porky's is pretty good too.

If you're into real vintage, Nagoya (where I am) has a selection that can't be beat in my opinion. The Osu area probably has a hundred or so vintage shops, plus a good number of really good denim shops. If you've got a JR pass and a bit of time it's well worth stopping off, as it's nowhere near as picked over as Tokyo and Osaka.

Sort of on/off topic, but one way the B&M stores in Japan are able to get and maintain customers is through in-store events, some of which have already been mentioned (like flat head at SE). One thing I haven't seen outside of Japan very much though, maybe with the exception of Visvim, is seasonal pre-order events. That is, the brand brings samples of the next collection six months or so it's released to a particular store (they often tour around to the different cities in Japan) and people can take a look, try it on and order it if it works for them. I would think some of the denim shops could benefit from that sort of thing, assuming the brands would be into the idea, it's feasible cost-wise and that sort of thing. It's a good way to avoid the internet somewhat and develop closer brand-store-customer relations.

I think the problem people have with denimio is that they're the most visible of the Japanese retailers, again selling below even Japanese retail (no taxes), but specifically targeting foreign customers. The rakuten shops, for example, are much smaller on the one hand and don't advertise anywhere near as extensively on the other. It' one thing to offer a service, it's another to do it in such a way that can impinge on other peoples' business, especially in a large way. No other shops in Japan have that level of selection in my opinion, with that level of outreach outside of Japan. They obviously know what they're doing.

What seems problematic to me is the way they're gone about their business. Friendly competition is one thing, but something is wrong if you're alienating other people in your field and polarizing customers in the same way. From a consumer standpoint it may be beneficial, but the playing field is not level. Amazon and Walmart offer similarly large selection at unbeatable prices, and have wiped out many smaller retailers that can't compete. This seems kind of similar to me.

Also, just some speculation regarding their inventory. I highly doubt they have in stock what they've got listed on their website. It would be ridiculously expensive to stock all of that, not to mention the warehousing fees-- they're in Yokohama where land and storage facilities aren't exactly cheap. Rather, I would be willing to bet they're essentially middle men, ordering from the brand when an order comes in. It would minimize their risk, allow them to "stock" a huge product range and would also explain the sudden disappearance of products and the borrowed pictures. The domestic shipping system in Japan is pretty quick and could accommodate this if it's the model. Of course, this would be another way foreign sellers couldn't possibly compete due to the time and fees involved.

Lastly, it seems to me that the brands, like most Japanese companies, are extremely conscious of business relations. Often, more so than large profits, they want to work with stores that have similar values and that they can get along with in the long term. It seems to me that it would be shortsided on their part to partner with a company like denimio if it risks undercutting foreign growth/retailers, especially if those retailers are of a more similar ideological persuasion. Ultimately, for smaller or growing labels like Burgus Plus, TCB or Kojima Genes it may make sense to partner with Denimio, but I think established brands will likely shy away from them in the longer term.

I find it interesting that the jeans for all of these brands get the vast majority of attention. Don't get me wrong, the denim is definitely good, but many of these labels, even the smaller ones like TCB or Dry Bones, have really good apparel ranges. For Flat Head and Iron Heart, I actually find their jeans probably the most boring/typical of what they offer. Shirts, jackets, sweaters, work pants are all much more appealing to me. I'm not sure why the denim gets most of the focus actually. You can only have so many pairs of jeans, but we all need shirts and such too and those guys do it better than most (and for fairly reasonable prices)

Got the secret type III. Really happy with the denim. Cool weave that's heavy but pretty breathable. The season here in Japan is already getting pretty humid but I was able to wear it out for the last couple of days without melting. Looking forward to seeing how it will evolve, but definitely worth the money in my opinion.

Thinking about pulling the trigger on the secret denim jacket-- sounds kind of like there are mixed reviews here. Denim looks great as far as I can tell. I'm not 100% sure about the fit, particularly if there's crazy stretching/shrinkage. Are you owners out there generally happy with it? Comparable quality to their competitors like samurai or iron heart?

Sorry for my ignorance, but what do you mean skewed? Like the seam is curved?

I don't know about current season SISP, but past seasons' pants fit large in the waist. I usually wear a 32/48 in most brands, but I have a couple of pairs of SISP pants in 46 and they fit perfect. You may be able to go for a 44 if you can find one.

Your best bet would be to check the measurements. They've produced that jacket across several different seasons, always with some variation. A size 3 typically fits a standard (non Japanese) medium. Size 2 is more typical for a small. However, depending on how you like the fit and the exact measurements, you may be able to pull it off.