Joseph Hill

Wonderful woodsy and watery trips everyone. Hard to see all the shook down bits though.

Great find with the candles. You don't find much of the pre-petroleum products like that anymore. When I was a kid, there was a double decker bus with honeycomb Trans-Am wheels that was a rolling thrift store. One time I found a half full bottle of sewing machine oil that stated in wonderful eastlake style script that it was dolphin oil. Of course I didn't buy it, as what kid cares about some old sewing junk.

welcome rayw44, my soggy brother, you do realize though, that you have already posted better wear pictures than me...

I generally hate graffiti. This area in the last few years has just become inundated with tagging to a terrible degree. Apparantly the graffitisti with any talent or soul has gone to the southern Hemisphere. I appreciate being given the perspective.

Mike and Larry sittin' in a tree,

maybe a collab, they're thinkin'

guess we'll have to see!

Anybody else have a copy of Ed Crays' book "LEVI'S The Shrink-to-Fit business that stretched to cover the world"? It was printed in 1978, so it gives a perspective that is nicely different than what you would get if it were more recent. Unfortunately, the lions share (or is it Tigers, Grr) is on the business and biographical side, which is not bad, but leaves oust some of the technical bits that would have been invaluable. For instance, contrary to popular belief, Levis are not (or at least back then, were not) sanforized on their preshrunk models. They developed with Cone a proprietary process, but what makes it different is completely left out (maybe it was a trade secret). There are some details that were very illuminating though, and I'll try to drop the cherries as I get my computering act together.

Dang it. Not only am I in last place for cool fades (I blame it on the loose fit and AUTHENTIC vintage method, no rotary aparati), but apparantly everyone here is also better at taking pictures than me.

I knew I was a leading member of the slo-fade brigade, but by jigger if those don't beat all. Those things have been third world WALLOPED!

ThisSunday, want to trade beaches?

Nice to have along one of the sweetest peas in the pod.

I pretty much wrote off winning the contest early on, and don't feel bad. Just participating as an excuse to relate with so many people going about their lives in such interesting, and well, zestfull manners is truly inspiring. There is not a one posting on this thread that has not piqued my curiosity and admiration, so if I have failed to commend you specifically, it is a lapse on my part.

The jeans are a little contemporary (low and slim) for my taste, but that is subjective. The shirt looks like it will actually tuck. Thumbs way up on that point.

After all that hard work, it was off to the beach...

With a couple notable exceptions, the ROY/Cone skivvies have not gotten enough air time. They do make for pleasant sport.

Okay, lets drop this junk and hit the water.

Yow! Rocky beaches are not so good for tender tootsies.

Seems that Dr Heech and I are the only ones at work. Here I am freelancing for the Issaquah Public Works dept. Y'know just sorting out some of their signage.

Ahh, there we go.

Yeah, I'm guessing that if there actually were a Messr's Abercrombie & Fitch then they are probably spinning in their graves at the complete shit the company has become.

I'm not so sure. I once had a scan (now lost) of an A&F advertisement from the mid-twenties for a line of smart vests. They were in Tiger, Leopard, and Zebra. Not prints, actual Tiger, Leopard, and Zebra. Poor taste is not a new thing.

One of Levis first real forays into the Eastern market was through Abercrombie & Fitch in the thirties. The dude ranch was developed to help working ranches make ends meet during the depression. A&F was at the time the camping gear and outdoor wear outfitter for the well to do, and they went to Levis for their reputation of quality and ubiquitousness in the West. Levis then advertised in New York as "Guaranteed to shrink, guaranteed to fade". As these concepts are diametrically opposite to what garment makers usually tout, they were obviously important. The 'worked in, lived in' fading had presumably reached some level of status, even then. Whether they were as geeky as folks today about the minutiae of their 'fadz' is unlikely, but then people are people, and we always find something to obsess about.

Darn fine kit. You're always making inroads into my 'no envy' policy.

Keep us updated what you find on the tag.

The big block that I have found is trying to get a machine that feeds off the arm. Try doing a felled seam on a pant leg or sleeve, and you probably get what I mean. No one seems to make a non-industrial machine that feeds this way (chain OR lockstitch). Folks at the local sewing shop look at you like you're from another planet when you ask about this sort of equipment, as they are just some old biddies making quilts and freaky vests out of quilts.

ok that was actually my first assumption, but then today i saw a Carhartt work shirt with the union made label and a made in china tag which made me doubt that, although i guess they could also be made in china under union labour conditions..

This is a problem that I have bitched about (and caught flak for bitching about) for some time now. Every brand that wants to shoulder into the whole retro theme these days slaps a union label on their crap, when not a stitch on it was layed down by someone employed from organized labor. So now cheap shit cranked out by exloited labor in (fill in origin of your choice) can pretend to be livelyhood supporting goods rather than the false property driving everyone (except the company top brass) to the lowest common denominator. And the few and far between companies that actually are willing to forego some measure of profit so their workers can actually live in first world (or at least second world) conditions reap no benefit in the market place because, like has just been illustrated, it may just be assumed that the union label is just another meaningless marketing tag.

The fit looks great. Nice high waist to flash the belt. As long as the sleeves are long enough, it looks sharp.

robby - place looks great...somehow reminds me of a TV show (forgot the name, sry!)

Dick Van Dyke Show? It's fantastic. There's not a stitch out of place that would indicate anachronism. I tend to do the same thing, but with a cut off more in the 1920s or 30s. My significant other, while appreciative of my interests, doesn't really join them as yours does so well, so I have to be satisfied sticking bits in where I can.

Roy6 there is seriously something wrong with those corndogs! I would send them back, and report the vendor to the Carnival Commission.

The contrast stitch doesn't make me think True Religion, their top stitching is done with darn near knitting yarn. This reminds me of old time work wear. High contrast stitching was used to emphasize the heavy duty construction of the garment. Alot of the old advertisements made them look like they were drawn from connect-the-dots.

Here I go and ding ya on some rep 'cause I thought you were posting your new Loffies sans ROYs on the other thread, when I should have recognized right off that they were other ROYs. I may have to give myself a voluntary suspension of my official He-Man ROY Spotters membership card.

I'm an inveterate tucker, and short tails drive me crazy. Interestingly, the best fitting modern production button down that I've come across was from JC Pennys recent BigMac repro line that came and disappeared so quickly. It is a khaki twill that has longer than normal tails, and the sides have a slight tailoring to it. Not so much like the lately popular 'athletic' cut, but just enough so you don't get alot of bunching at the sides. It's the perfect combo of staying put, looking trim, and room for movement. I think they must have dug up old patterns from back in the day, as this sort of cutting seems to mystify modern clothing designers for some reason.

^^The real patina that Mark Nason and that ilk are always failing to emulate.

Another nice pick-up mate!

What era do you reckon they're from?

I don't know much about the LL Bean brand...

I don't think they are vintage or anything. Just LL Bean Katahdins. I just know that current ones use the Vibram soles with the Chippewa indian head.

For Jack and Coke, I've never had Redwings, but can't imagine these are any more comfortable. They are heavy and clonky the way I like them, but being a half size up from my normal, I had room to put in some supportive insoles. The leather is that oil stuffed pull-up (or whatever they call it) and scuffs like crazy if that matters to you.

I apologize for stirring things up more than intended, it is just a sore subject. Our opinions were solicited, and that was mine.

Other than that, they look like a fine pair of jeans. It was a good choice on the denim, and the construction with differing threads looks very good. I also like the deep pockets.

and speaking as a citizen of one of the most exploited countries in the dollar empire, dont worry, were all in the same sinking boat, indonesia and its workers are more than equally fucked over by american multinationals.

If you associate yourself with the exploited, I might suggest joining and supporting those that work to give voice and influence to the powerless and disenfranchised. Diluting and comercializing their symbols and standards only help the multinationals and imperialist governments they are in bed with.

I hate ebay, but I think it will be my only avenue for getting any Bootleggers/Freewheelers. Diligence paid off with this very nice pair of black Wabash.

A couple of things worked in my favor. First the sellers description and pictures were, well, terrible. I only found them at all by roundabout accident. Second, they were listed as hemmed to 29". I took a flyer with a lowball bid, and noone bid against me. I figured the 29" was really too short, but with a probable high rise waist, I could maybe wear them low. I just really wanted some good wabash.

Thank you whoever hemmed these things, because they didn't hack them off, they just folded them in. Instead of 29", they are 32". Hooray!

Even enough length to stack or maybe have a small cuff, and they don't look to have been worn at all (no fade line at the hem).

I don't know what year they are from, they appear somewhat different in style to what is available now.

I don't think there's quite enough length to make a buckleback from the trimmings though. Ah, well, can't have everything.

I was really hankering for some old time boots in brown. The William Lennons that Paul and another dude awhile back picked up are the hot ticket, but out of my depth these days (as affordable as they may be compared to some). I considered the Marine corps toe-cap repos, but really wanted brown soles as well. Perseverence paid off and I was able to pick up these LL Beans. Not for a steal, but definitely reduced scratch.

They look great in the sun, but are a little dark and gray indoors. I'm thinking maybe playing with some polish to orange them up a bit.

They are obviously older models as they do not have the Vibram Chippewa cork soles, but treaded cork soles labled Gro-cord 'tappers'.

I looked for Gro-cord soles but cold only find references to vintage boots. Did Chippewa use old stock soles before the vibram did the cork? The heels are wearing fairly quickly and may have to find something tougher sooner than I hoped.

I usually don't go for the 360 degree welt (ala Trickers) but these are fairly tightly proportioned around the heel, so I don't mind it.

I know half the companies out there use the 'union made' thing, but for alot of folks its usage on non-union goods is offensive. Some of us come from generations of folks that fought (and died) for workers rights, which the union label represents. At least garments that are reproductions have some reasonable motivation for using it, and are somewhat respectful in homage. In this case it is just picking one meaningless 'vintage' cliche from column A and one from column B and throwing them together. Try being a little more creative and come up with something of your own instead of just putting out a jumbled hash of what everyone else is doing.