brainmonster

On 6/18/2018 at 9:48 PM, Foxy2 said:

I would expect the indigo-mix denim to fade easier - marginally!

it's difficult to positively identify pictures of worn-in and fade examples, as it already came in a hard-wash version - which appeared to have been quite popular with the Japanese retailers (as in: left over and still floating around on yahoo.jp).

this seems to be a slightly faded pair: http://denim-gallery.heavy.jp/sugarcane/sugarcane-mrfreedom.html

I have not come across any info on the indigo-mix dyeing as the AI pairs got most of the attention and discussions way back then - but I would think it might be a pretty straight forward mix of 2 types of indigo in a regular dyeing process as the price is fairly low. the FH indigo-mix for example has a higher price point...

http://www.mil-mil.net/docs/sugarcane/jeans/sc40501/sc40501.html

I have the sugar cane Hawaii's and they basically look like the pictures on that site (you can see the picture of the turtle on the back patch with the hair still on the hide). The Okinawas have the snakeskin patch and don't appear to be quite as streaky for some reason and are a little darker.

Hawaii's are my favorite pair and the streaking and overall vintage effect is pretty striking, and the crotch never busted due to the vintage fit, I don't know if the natural fiber adds durability but I think it does, if you've felt sugar cane plants before you will know what I mean. My pair of PBRs just really looked like only normal jeans after 10 years and don't really stand out (My ex-girlfriend threw them away cause I hadn't washed them for 4 months or something, annoying).

I haven't bought sugar cane again but now I only buy really rugged uneven looking denim weaves, I think it produces a really interesting fade.

On 3/24/2018 at 5:13 AM, Evry1lovej said:

Thanks for the opinion. I'm on the shorter leg side and long torso. The cuts that I mention is all good for me just now it's more about the fade, brand, quality and etc

Just FYI I bought some PBJs in the past and they were beautiful in the beginning, but eventually the slubs wore off and the crotch busted. I didn't think the fabric was particularly durable, if I could do it over again I would get something really high OZ like Iron Heart or even Brave Star (Los Angeles brand which some people are talking about).

On 4/6/2018 at 12:36 AM, Toegun said:

I'm getting some store credits at Denimio for a return and Sugar Cane are a brand who have been on my radar for a while. I'm really interested in SC40301 14OZ RYUKYU INDIGO MIXED SUGAR CANE DENIM - BUT the SC40401 14OZ HAWAIIAN INDIGO MIXED SUGAR CANE DENIM have also peaked my interest. I am a "healthy" size 36, does anyone have first hand experience with either of these denim and do they stretch out after numerous wears? 

Thanks.

I'm a 31 and I undersized to 29 and eventually they stretched out, basically they ended up a skinny fit but pretty uncomfortable for awhile.I wish I would have gotten my normal size or 1 size up, at Hinoya they originally recommended size 31 or 32 for me. But that was 10 years ago, I would search recent posts, sometimes Japanese brands recently will taper the waist inward because Japanese people are way skinnier with narrower hips, and the waistband measures less than the hip width (If that makes any sense) so recently when I went to Hinoya I was having to wear 33,34, even 35-36 in a lot of brands, even Iron Heart (I'm US size 31). So definitely search recently posts unless you get the option to return them.

They are beautiful and have lasted for years with no crotch bust, they are really utilitarian and rugged and my more expensive jeans have busted years earlier. They are really streaky from the natural fiber and look really from the 1940's or something now, and have faded 10x better than all my other jeans. Sugar Cane is top notch and at the top of my list and they are way cheaper than  Momotaro, PBJ, Denime, etc. which I've tried. Those are kind of marketing/trend heavy brands but Sugar Cane is the real deal.

10 hours ago, Geeman said:

I believe it's tight denim shorts over even tighter jeans, you know the rugby player look.

With flip-flops and a popped collar? I'll give it a shot.

What's the superfuture look these days? Is it still cool to wear American apparel and chucks? I'm not really into buying really expensive high end workwear except for jeans.

On 6/6/2018 at 8:48 AM, qodryrinaldi said:

Hello, does anyone know Iron Heart store in Tokyo??

Look it up on google maps. It's a bit far out of the city, I didn't want to go that far, but it could be interesting. I went by Evisu but they were painting the back of the jeans or some shit with paint and marking them up, and it was way too expensive for the price. I think Japan Blue was really good, lots of selection, but Momotaro was a bit lacking, it didn't have their full line.

All Japanese stores will hem your jeans for free, if you want that. I like the stacks but the hemmed look is popular in Japan and looks really clean.

What's the "superfuture look" these days? I remember it used to be American Apparel T-Shirt, selvedge jeans, and chucks. Is it still that or what is it now?

American apparel seems to have dropped off in popularity but I still think the cuts of their shirts are pretty slick.

9 hours ago, mlyngard said:

A pic of the patch and inner tag would prob help the identification. T

Back patch says this model: 0805S

http://www.momotarojeans.com/item/124.html

Full price is like 24,000 yen so a pretty good deal.

On 4/13/2018 at 1:16 AM, Planetarium said:

Cool thanks folks. Just grabbed two grails of mine, the deadstock heavy chambray Okinawas with exposed rivets and red stiching and a pair of slub kakishibu jeans with the old broken arcs and CANES tab!

I can't go to any brand other than Sugar Cane or Kapital any more, the price for the fabric quality and durability is just too good. Haven't bought anything else in years and as fun as the hunt was back in the day, I really enjoy having a uniform.

I agree. They’re one of the older brands so I think theyve streamlined their production process. They seem to last longer than the other “fancy” brands I’ve owned too. Try Japan Blue or Denime also, they’re older larger companies and prices are a lot lower than the smaller boutique brands.

Sugar Cane tops are really cool too, but they are really expensive and in line with other brands pricewise. 

Found these thrifting in Tokyo for only $50! Not sure what model. Stretching out the waistband.

Seems like Japanese don’t even like their own stuff. Crappy old Levi’s and Lee’s going for $100+, used Barbour coats for like $400. All foreign stuff way overpriced and Japanese brands pretty cheap. 

My Japanese friend doesn’t like Hinoya. He says they’re all “fakes”. Lol. I think he bought a pair of Alden’s for like $800. 

“Limelight” brand Made In Japan with Tochigi leather belt. Only $20.

I think sugar cane belts are slightly better finished but can’t beat these for $20. Finish is a little “thin” and I think it may fray a bit, the leather is a little dry. 

"FirstDenime" or "Denime Basic", just bought from denime site. It's slim fit version, about $60. Seems to be the new budget line for Denime, the cut is pretty generous for slim fit (seems like a regular fit). Not sure about quality yet.

Not Momotaro but regular Japan blue. 18z "monster" denim, about $180 from their store in Tokyo. Has a really interesting off-white weft and really coarse texture, heavy taper.

4 hours ago, mlwdp said:

I second Trophy Clothing.  I own the 1605bk with a fit pic on here.  Awesome texture, and can't stop myself from wearing them everyday!

10 hours ago, Bobbo said:

Trophy Clothing might be up your alley if you want jeans with some texture.

Definitely go to Ueno though if you're not sure what you're looking for. You'll find plenty to choose from in Hinoyas stores, Americaya etc. 

Thanks, Trophy Clothing looks OK but, I think the main thing is that the 1940's railroad worker/locomotive thing is just not really my style. I've got more of a 50's/80's hipster/indie rock thing going on. So Warehouse doesn't really fit my style either.

I think I'll go to Hinoya and look at their huge selection, seems like the best bet. Being able to visit all these stores in Tokyo is going ways to improve my style. I'm kinda thinking about trying to get involved with the denim guys since I can speak some Japanese ;p Would be cool to visit a factor and take pictures or something to show everyone on this forum.

1 hour ago, Iron Horse said:

Yeah, what's up with that.

Yeah sometimes the sales staff at Hinoya are a little rude (sometimes not), maybe it's an elitist denim thing. Usually sales staff in Japan are super friendly. The guy at Studio D'Artisan was pretty nice though.

On 3/6/2018 at 8:59 AM, nycsurfer530 said:

I would check out warehouse for sure! I've read the store there has besides warehouse goods but also some cool duck diggers, hellers cafe, and vintage pieces. 

I went to warehouse today and I thought the jeans looked super normal. The faded samples they had just looked like normal beat up levi's. But maybe that's the point. Also checked out Studio D'Artisan which was around the corner and same impression, I didn't see anything to justify the $240 or so cost of the denim. They were definitely "boutiques" and the sales staff looked a little pissed off at these places when I walked in, I'm wearing pure faded-ass original 30 year-old vintage clothing, maybe they thought I looked to poor to afford the stuff there but it's the look I like.

I checked out sugar cane, Japan Blue, iron heart. They just seem a little more special with textured fabric, or heavy duty high OZ denim, etc., that seems to justify the high cost of boutique denim. Plus they were cheaper. I think they'd match well with my current wardrobe which consists mostly of kinda faded retro stuff. These jeans just LOOK a little more expensive to me, anyway, and happen to be cheaper.

Any other recommendations based on my preferences above would be helpful! 

On 3/1/2018 at 6:20 AM, bschenk8 said:

Does anyone know a good way of getting bed bugs out of raw denim without ruining them in the dryer? I read that putting clothing in the freezer at 0 celsius for 4 days would kill them, would this damage the denim? I know some people clean like this but 4 days seems excessive

I got bedbugs in my jeans before. I put mine in the drier PLUS put them in the freezer for 4 days. The denim doesn't look 100% but it's part of the "personalizing" process lol. But the crotch did bust because it softened up the denim a bunch, but I just patched them and wear them fine now, they feel super broken in.

Trust me, you have got to get rid of the bedbugs before they take over your house. You could end up spending way more money on a new mattress or exterminators, getting rid of bedbugs should be top priority. Do not fuck with them, they can and will take over your life and cause huge problems if you don't solve the problem early before they multiply out of control.

*Edit - not so much interest in the cheap denim lol. Seems like most people like the hairy effect or vertical fading, hard to say if FirstDenime budget line will have these effects.

Found some new "FirstDenime" discount jeans by denime. Looks like cheaper version of their normal 505 denim jeans, but still made in Japan, about $60. Ordered a pair and will report back on quality.

Seems to lack the "hairy" quality of the more expensive jeans, and has a paper patch instead of leather.

https://gocart.jp/ap/item/i/A0GC00002JUK

In Tokyo - any recommendations for Japanese denim? Any guide somewhere?

I'm thinking about buying Flat Head, sold on self-edge and seems cheaper here. Also someone recommended Warehouse, they are most accurate vintage repro brand with authentic vintage fades or something.

Not a fan of PBJ, had a pair awhile ago, didn't fade well, got busted in the crotch after short time.

Any tips?

I'm in need of a pair of dress shoes/boots under $100. Being an educator, I go through a lot of leather shoes but I can't afford ones that are $200-$300!

I need some sharp looking shoes, it helps students take you more seriously!

I remember when you could get a pair of allen edmonds for around $100, sadly I think those days are over. Also, I don't want to buy used shoes...

Can someone help out a starving educator before I go out and buy a pair of Clark's Or ECCO shoes? 

Restoring leather shoes -

I recently got a pretty nice pair of old shoes from a thrift store in Europe. The leather seems to be faded on one of the shoes, like it was left out in the sun. I've been attempting to use brown shoe polish to even out the color on the other shoe - but as you can see the color is still off. I figured I'd keep applying polish but not sure if the color will ever even out...

I want to restore it - should I take it to a professional to dye it? I believe my cobbler uses some sort of spray shoe dye, I think a meltonian spray, or is there anything I can do myself? I'm concerned about the shoe dye ruining the patina or character of the shoe, or giving it a plasticized look. 

Looking for a pair of sneakers or everyday walking shoes. Already have a pair of dress boots and dress shoes.

Would like something that looks somewhat hip, or least hipper than the beat up running shoes I'm wearing now. No idea what's good these days, It seems like retro new balance or nikes are popular, but not really a fan of new balance. Can someone point me in the right direction or to a shoe forum or something that could help me out? Thanks!

Currently wearing a pair of onitsuka tigers, but not really a fan of the form fitting shoe shape, and they are also pretty thin running shoes, not really suitable for a lot of walking.

Anyone know where to get cheaper korean-made clothing? Also, any korean brands that are any good or worth taking a look at?

I remember there was a guy a long time ago doing a "korean proxy" but I think he stopped doing it. Doesn't seem all that popular - but I remember seeing some korean stuff online that looked pretty decent especially for the price.

I took a trip to seoul recently, and walked around some of the department stores, didn't really see anything all that great, prices seemed pretty similar to anywhere else. Tokyo shopping seemed a lot more interesting, more unique brands, Japan-specific stuff, etc. Anything worth checking out in Seoul or elsewhere? I'll probably be going back at some point.

I find these really hard to fade. Haven't worn them for that reason for ages. How the hell do you guys get these to look so cool?

Fit:

 

comparison before- & after wash:

 

I think those look pretty cool man. They are probably designed not to fade so that they stay "darker", which can be an upside, if you want darker colored jeans. They are hella cheap anyways.

Can someone critique the fit on this jacket. It looks OK in this picture, but I'm concerned that with layering, it will be too tight. I'm wearing a t-shirt underneath in this picture. With a thicker flannel shirt or single sweater, the shoulder is a little tight. The insulation on it is decently thick, however.

Should I size up?

Looking at this picture I should probably wear my pants a little higher