indigo_junkie

Hidden rivets definitely. Cross stitched bartacking is alright, but I like my jeans to have minimalist stitching throughout (looks fussy otherwise). A big NO for exposed rivets.

Plain leather patches are alright, but then more emphasis would be put on the character of the leather, so a plain generic one won't do (it won't do in most cases anyway). As for the design; horses pulling jeans, pigs pulling jeans, motorcycles pulling jeans... I get it, already! The jeans are tough! You should go for something a little more original, something that shows where the jeans are from. like a hotstamped maple leaf or something (hey, I said a little original, lol)

huh? I thought this thread was about discussing texas cotton.

Just curious, I heard that cotton grown in texas was sourced from plants in zimbabwe (for the high level of ELS strands or something). If that's the case, wouldn't the cotton be more smoother, or is it just up to how it is spun into thread.

if it feels good does not equal high quality. it just means it feels good. thats not what "quality" means. wearing 5$ sweat pants that fall apart in the wash might feel good but they aren't high quality.

levi's stf is not good quality compared to most japanese denim. i blow holes in all my crotches, takes way longer on japanese jeans. THAT'S QUALITY.

But you're equating quality with how long a certain piece of denim will last. There are some low oz tightly woven projectile loomed machine made denim you can buy for $20 a pair that will outlast some of the shuttle loomed stuff from Japan. My pair of cotton drill King Gees that I bought for $20 lasted well over a year while I was working as a warehouse labourer and I have friends in construction who wear these pants all the time because a standard pair (yes, even a pair of $300 Japanese denim jeans) would get destroyed in under a week.

You just can't get anything like this in Sydney that I know of. .

I feel your pain, mate. Another wanderer of jean wasteland that is Australia. Salute!

to date i haven't been able to rationalise a pair of ultra-premium natural indigo, super slubby jeans (to be honest slub does nothing for my erection) either, so i suppose i have my limits...no 45rpm yet.

I got my one pair of super slubby jeans (Eternal 868). I didn't freak out and go "OMG I have to GET THOSE!" when the Oni Shoais and KMW AWAs came out. There wasn't any way on this good green earth I was going to shell out 8AUD bills for something that didn't really do it for me. I bought the Eternals because I could get them for a good price and I was curious. I was impressed, but not "this is the jean for me for life" impressed. I wear them every now and then for variety, but my everyday jean is my Imperial Dukes and Ande Whalls.

well 3 AUD bills is like 2.4 US bills, but do you kind of get where I'm getting at?

The entry level stuff in Australia is pretty crappy (I don't get out much, so I don't know) the stuff one level up is not that much cheaper than any premium stuff I could mail over. If I had to hear one more sales person pipe in with "ksubi" when I ask for premium denim, I would have jumped off the sanity boat.

no 45rpm for me either. Was actually saving up for a pair of sorahikos, before the sexihos dropped. ended up getting them instead. we'll see how legendary they really are in about 5 days, hehe (while rubbing hands maniacally).

I got my STFs via ebay for the princely sum of $43AUD. Personally, I think it kills the jeans that Levis stock here in Australia (though I haven't seen the 538 here at all, and no ones seemed to have even heard about them, even though there are billboards for the dam things everywhere).

Only thing I have against SelfEdge and BiG is that I can get those jeans for cheaper straight from Japan. Those stores are good for those that do not know better..

..but back on topic, it would be really shitty if there is a deal w/ these in the US and the price shoots up. I hope the deal falls through.

There was a whole other thread on that subject, that I think died a while ago. Stores like BiG and Selfedge aren't just for those don't know better. They're for those who'll pay a premium for a guarenteed fit (and if I lived in either SF or NY, I would). I usually buy my jeans straight from Japan, because if I have to weather the risk of ill-fitting jeans, I want to buy said jeans as cheaply as possible.

Personally, no ill-will to BiG intended (if it is BiG), I hope that the deal doesn't go through either. It's a great jean at a good price, but stripped of it's arcuates and tab, it's going to look no different to any other repro out there (that's been mutilated because of Big Brother Levi). I hope the denimjunkie guy kicks up a stink if removing the stiching gets mentioned. Otherwise, he's not really into making jeans, he's into making $$$.

Man, this thread is making these jeans starting to grow on me. Argh! Must stay away, no more jeans!!!

"high quality" is what selvage snobs use as an excuse for shelling out 3+ bills for a pair of cotton woven workpants. I should know, I used to be one, until I got myself a pair of STF for fun. They're a great jean. Well made, long lasting, nice fit. Not the best hardware (those shitty tin buttons annoy me to no end) I haven't washed them yet, so no idea of contrast or fade, but they feel good.

For me, regardless of price, if it feels good, then it's "high quality." what may be good for me, may not be good for everyone else. Some may look at the blown crotches of all those sammies out there and question the strength of the denim (quality) , but if it feels good to wear, who cares? If a super dense ring loomed, hand woven, super duper ELS cotton, dyed 100 times in indigo fermented in the vagina of a supermodel, hand sewn together by the guy who did Elvis's jumpsuits, with solid platnum rivets and diamond studded buttons cost you $10K, but you hated wearing them because they feel like shit. Would you think they're high quality?

11.5 inch in the thigh? From crotch to outer edge as BiG does it, the jean must be hella narrow in the thigh. Are you sure? It looks a lot looser on you. 12 inch is the absolute minimum for me, otherwise, I'll split the jean along the outer leg seam.

bank transfers are not a difficult thing to do...

looks like another wait and see moment. the total bullshit of the situation is ill guarantee if they goto a retailer in the us:

1. they will be ~$290.00 US (+shipping)

or 2. the retailer will be getting the discount we should have been requesting and selling them to us at 205.00 + shipping.

I reckon option number one, since d_j wasn't budging on price more than a few dollars for 13 pairs. Would I have considered $205 for these jeans? most likely. it puts it into the price range of jeans such as Nudie - 14oz Zimbabwie denim it ain't. $290? Not a chance, considering what's on the market for that price.

I noticed BiG was a bit free with the thread picker. They don't even show the rear of some of their sammies. I have to agree with BTT, the appeal of these jeans (for me) is largely over the arcuates and tab.

yay! shipping outside the US. questions about japanese denim. it was like that Julian Red comp was mocking me or something.

A man who owns a menswear store in NY... is he by chance, the same man who sells time shares for the Brooklyn bridge?

If it is BiG, I'm not sure if its a good thing or a bad thing. Good thing, because I might actually be able to get a pair now, since I can't pull the trigger on any pair of jeans till 2008 (but those sexihos were worth it). Bad thing, because all you guys on the group buy are going to miss out on some (from what it seems here not so substantial) savings.

Too bad it's not selfedge. I'm loving Kiya's free worldwide shipping, atm.

picked up the last pair of 36s. for some reason or another, selfedge couldn't get authorisation for my card, so I ended up having to go through paypal's bullshit coversion spread (79.5 cents to the AUD dollar). For a big purchase like this, it comes out to $9.60 more (then again, Mastercard would have charged me an international conversion fee of $5 so all up it was $4 more - meh).

Saw the measurements for the 34 and I freaked. I mean, 11.4inches in the thigh. that's half an inch less than the Dukes in 34, and those only just stretched out to a snug fit after 30 wears (the waist stretched out to the point where I can get my fist into the jean along with my gut, though. ) Yeah, I've heard that the legs on the sexihos can stretch out a little on this thread, but for me to be comfortably snug, the thigh has to be about 12.5 inches, and I think a 1 inch stretch in the leg is hoping for a bit too much. The size now, with exception to the waist, I reckon would be similar to my Ande Whall cougars pre-stretch. Gonna give them a hot soak when they get here, shrink the waist up as much as possible... but a loose waist I can live with. Too tight thighs, I can't.

finally bit the bullet and picked up a size 31. was on the fence because of the price and the fact that i already have 21cms but in person these things are fucking gorgeous. thanks for the extra push kiya.

Ahhh!!! No more denim pron!!!!! I can't take it much longer!!!!

Looks good btw, tft.

You're 175 pounds and 5'9 and going to buy a pair that measures 32" in the waist?

I'm actually closer to 178. I've never had a problem with the waist size of any jean. My waist is about 33-34 inches (closer to 34 right now, gotta lay off the beer). I usually buy size 32 jeans in raw denim and then shrink to fit with cold soaks. The waist always stretches out. The main problem for me is the thigh. My thighs are 22.5 to 23 inches mid-thigh, just above the vastus medialis and 24 to 24.5 inches just below the glueal fold on my hamstrings. My calves are 16 inches. I've always been afraid of slim jeans because whenver I tried some on and did some squats, it felt like the leg was going to tear off the outer seams like something out of the incredible hulk (love that show). The waist always stretches out, but I'd be lucky to see a 1/4 inch stretch in the leg for most jeans.

I don't know about anyone else with my height/weight, but I've always been fairly proportional. At my heaviest, 220lbs, when I was a junior powerlifter, my waist was 37 inches. I used to buy loosefit levis 36 off the rack (for my 28 inch thighs).

Man! Acid wash. Brings back memories. I remember being a whiny 10 year old when they came out and my Mom bought me a pair of raw denim 'no name' $20 jeans that was 3 sizes too big instead. She said something along the lines of, 'I ain't paying $100 for a pair of used jeans you'll grow out of next month. Go put your own wears on these, you lazy #$%^."

Dang I'm old. There are kids on this site who've never lived through the acid wash and parachute pant craze.

i like the pics guiltybyassociation posted, way more so than all the super skinny pics. but like i say i understand these are more of a slimmer jean even though they are based on a the 21cm slimane cut

I started out that way. Being a bigger guy, I always went for the relaxed/loosefit/baggy jeans. My weight's fluctuated between 220 and 160 over the years, and it's only until I got my first pair of slims (Dukes) that I realised how much I like slim fitting jeans. (I used to size up on slims and wear them like regular fits because I was afraid they'd be too tight). I like jeans tight on my body so I know I'm wearing them. With loosefits, I'm a bit meh, but I've still got a few pairs around as a house jean whenever I'm in the mood.

now i am definately not the biggest guy out there, 5'9" and a buck 15 (115pounds).

Dang! I'm an easy 60lbs on you at the same height. I'm going for the 34s. Geez, I hope more of you guys sweating the online drop are skinny, cause it's looking like a catfight at the Myer (Bloomingdales or whatever the US equivalent is) Christmas sale for the upper sizes. 3 hours to go!!!

I'd like to also point out that measuring your body is never a good way to decide which size to get.

It's far more acurate to take a pair of your own jeans and measure the waist size on THOSE, then get a pair that measures out to be the same size.

I learnt that the hard way when I first starting buying jeans online (cause there is NOTHING in Australia). Now I measure my Imperial Dukes, Ande Whall Cougars, and my old pair of Jeans West jeans (aussie chain store jean, kind of like GAP) and do comparisons.

So is it safe to say that I won't ever need to buy another pair of jeans for the rest of my life if I drop the well worth 4 bills on these? (Only if my size is still available when these release online..)

I definitely won't be buying anohter pair of jeans for a while. This will be the last pair until at least Christmas. I'm trawling around looking for a nice belt to go with these jeans.

Ah!!!! The wait is killing me!!! Just three more days (I think we're about 12 hours ahead in AUS, so 10pm on Sunday night, I think...). It's driving me insane thinking about whether or not there are going to be any left by then. Just got to keep on telling myself that there isn't a market for jeans worth half a grand. Or I could chant a mantra like, "it's okay if you miss out... it's not the end of the world... there are other jeans... THERE ARE OTHER JEANS!!!

thanks fattybfat. I wore them out today and they've loosened up a little. I'm actually starting to feel some sensation below the waist again. Might give it a week longer and see what happens.

bumping this thread from the tomb.

Thought about starting a new thread, cause I couldn't find one on the Wrangler 945U, but it's not a jean that's been mentioned (that I could find) and I'm planning on getting a pair of 13MWZ soonish (didn't know I could just buy it from the US. People are selling that jean for $55AUD + shipping on Australian ebay. wtf, even with EMS from the US I can get that cheaper).

So the descriptor says "regular fit," so like an idiot, I buy it like a "regular" pair of raw denim (one size down). Absolutely could not button the front. Gave them a cold soak to get some of the starch out (yellow water) and then gave it an overnight stretch with the old bakertowne waist stretcher (these jeans are unreal - the waist stretcher almost broke in half) It says 14.5oz denim, but it feels thick enough to stop bullets. Even with the stretching, I can barely button my waist up, and right now its crushing my nuts. So anyway, my question to everyone is... has anyone ever owned a pair of these, and do you think these would eventually stretch out. I'm going to tough it out for a few more days then probably give them up to charity (got these really cheap).

Ande Whall Cougar

Imperial Duke

Sugar Cane 55

I think it's worth considering your body type. For years I was rocking big fat rolls, rockabilly-style, with vintage black converse (man, that old black canvas fades to a glorious charcoal) or leather boots/work shoes...and at the time I was like, "fuck-you, cause this my shit!" j/k -but basically I didn't care if it looked goofy cause I was so heavy into the look. Now that I've grown up a bit, and out of the extremety of that style I realize -"hey, big fat rolls on a dude who's way short to begin with just don't look good"... I mean, unless I'm really going for the "Beave"-look. (to clarify: 4-5" of cuff on a 28" inseam cuts down on your mojo considerably)

So, I think the best clothes are the ones that are most complimentary to your body. I mean, you can go ahead and wear something that is patently ugly -because you're "hardcore", or you're trying to attract that minute slice of the population that cares more about the article of clothing than how dumpy or silly you look. Like, I'm here in Williamsburg Brooklyn -it's a great place, but takes a lot of crap for being "hipster central" or whatever. The problem with the kids around here, and the thing that makes Williamsburg seem like some poser-party of hipster-homogenization is that there's little originality. Like, a trend sweeps through the 'Burg, and pretty soon it's a contest to see who's nutsack is most visible through they're tight-ass jeans. And then you look around and everybody has adopted the same look like members of a tribe or something. I just want to stop these folks and say -"hey dude, so you're malnourished, or anemic, or a crack-fiend, or you just walked out of a death-camp -whatever -I can see that -but when you were shopping for pants, why exactly did you decide to buy those black leg-rubbers that highlight and accentuate what is clearly a serious medical condition?"

Or, to the lady passing on the sidewalk, "Darling, you, as all females- possess some quality of feminine beauty though it looks to be suffocating beneath those adipose masses of quivering flesh. Dear, I understand the cruelty of genetics, I myself am a victim, and I understand the time and energy required for diet and weight loss -I don't judge you for that...but please, as spokesman for the community that must share these sidewalks with you -I must ask -why exactly, when you woke up this morning, did you consciously assemble an outfit from only the most embarrassing and hideous fashion flatulence of the early 80's? Okay -see that girl across the street -yeah, the one who is about 5' 10" -maybe 115 lbs. -yeah, see, she can go out in skin tight, stacked black jeans, flimsy/threadbare -ironic 80's band t-shirt with no bra, dirty-ass white slip-ons, and eye glass frames so giant, thick, and monstrous that she has to turn sideways to get through the shop door.....see, she can do that.....her body (as unjust as it may seem) can bear the weight of that disaster...you, poor child, you see how your jeans allow everyone within blocks to number and calculate every cellulite dimple?.....your pendulous pancake mams need to be restrained..... everyone knows the flavor of your "muffin-top" because that stretched out RATT tee is blowing around....and finally, remember those fat-face girls in Mom's "Class of 1982" yearbook with the gigantic, squarish, downsloping, eyeglass frames? -you know the ones where the temple hinges to the frame near the bottom corner, and then jogs up before going around your ear? Remember how everyone would laugh and laugh at those fat-face girls? Yeah, thats you. Please, please, cease to dishonor your gender and make clothing choices with consideration for what human form is your lot to contend with....."

Okay, well...sorry to get so wrapped up there, and I don't mean to encourage negative body-image stereotypes -blah-blah.....but I just think in addition to what clothes you choose, you have allow enough self-reflection to admit that certain looks simply weren't meant for you. You can choose to look put together, sophisticated, masculine if you're a man, feminine if you're a girl, etc. (or however you want to be perceived gender-wise)....or you can just look like a cartoon -an ironic joke....a frozen in time high-school identity crisis.

Oh yeah, uh, so anyway, I hem.

LMAO!

Ah, people are free to wear whatever they want, no matter how offensive it's going to be on the eyes of others. No one deserves to feel left out. If a girl wants to wear something that would look tight on a broomstick, then she should go right ahead.

I was actually quite surprised with the fit of my STFs. I bought a pair for fun, wondering why it was so cheap. Gave it a hot soak, line dry and put it on... and it fit really well, esp in the seat. I'm loving the modern 501 cut enough to consider getting some more premium denim in the levis range.

Picked off that crappy cardboard label though. Leather or nothing IMO.