MileHighEvertonian

^If she is still around by then and the shirt is bleeding as much as blueroute suggests it is, then she's liable to end up like the girl in Charlie and the Chocolate factory who turns into a blueberry:

I'm not volunteering, but I do think it would be pretty gnarly if somebody entered in the tux division with this Momotaro jumpsuit I just noticed on Denimio (apologies, I haven't figured out how to post pics from other websites):

http://www.denimio.com/momotaro-jeans-sj3114-12oz-going-to-battle-label-denim-tight-jumpsuit-3515.html

Enthused about the BlackBlue collab greasers. Before I pull the trigger, noticed that the measurements are a bit smaller in the waist than normal in other greasers (like an inch off marked size). Will stretch take care of this? I like my greasers as they usually are size-wise. I also see that the back rise is a bit higher.

It looks like all three new fabrics (18oz collect slub, indigo/indigo & black/blue) have ended up different than the "usual" measurements for greasers & chelseas. I'm not in position to add to my leftfield collection at the moment (so my curiosity isn't tied to an imminent purchase), but I bet many of us would like to know if this is anomalous or if they've changed the fits for some reason or another. For a modern, mid/high rise, fuller leg and moderate taper, the greaser is the best Made in USA fit out there. It would be a shame to have to start figuring it out all over again.  

Easy win for anyone who can find paper thin jeans 

Leftfield has you covered...

Deadstock 10oz. Japanese Denim & sanforized, so no risk of having to run an algorithm only to find out  you've accidentally shrunk your way into the lightweight category: http://leftfieldnyc.com/products/deadstock-10-oz-japanese-light-blue-greaser-jean  

Got a pair of 3Sixteen SL-130X. Trying to decide if I should use those for the contest?? Lots of really cool denim choices so far in here!

-Edwin

Go for it. I'm leaning toward using my new pair of Railcars. I think it would be interesting for everybody involved to see more quality made in USA brands competing alongside the many MIJ.

For that matter, I also hope some folks out there will wear some Ande Whalls.

Wow, those Stevensons that Kiya has been wearing are really something. What a spectrum of blues and indigos, and some really fascinating crinkling in the lower legs. Is this kind of crinkling more likely an effect of the denim or the fit?

Another DWC This or That for you all:

I've got two pair in already my arsenal that I need to decide between pretty quickly because of amnesty wears:

Left Field Greaser in 17oz Cone or Railcar James fit in Kuroki 14.25oz (X021).

I bought the Left Fields quite a while ago, but they were too tight for me until I lost a little weight recently. They were worn very sparingly in the early fall, recently pulled out again, and probably right at or fast approaching 30 wears. I'd basically need to stop wearing them asap to keep in the spirit of the amnesty.

The Railcars, which I just got last month, have 15 days on them. The craftsmanship on these definitely trumps the Left Fields and the Kuroki fabric is mesmerizing, but there's something about getting a fully made in USA pair into the DWC mix that has me vexed. 

Picked up some indigo pockets tees this weekend after I noticed they restocked on the 3sixteen website, and they already arrived this afternoon. I'm really glad I didn't hesitate (having missed out on the first run). These things are beefy and the indigo is a really nice rich color. If these turn out as durable as they seem, I think a couple black ones will be joining the wardrobe soon enough.   

FYI: I just saw that the new 18oz Collect Mills heavy slub greasers are now available @ leftfield 

They look pretty damn gnarly. Too bad my closet is full and my wallet is empty. 

I applaud their efforts, but I'll stick with my initial opinion, the American brands I've handled didn't strike me as being a $200+ product.  They might have to sell them at that price to make the level of profit they want, but I don't see them being worth that amount of money. 

The question of "worth" is an inherently interesting one in a conversation about consumer goods that invariably break down and depreciate through regular use (in fact, how they break down and even fall apart is one of the things folks tend to relish on the forums). Indeed, I've been wondering about this for a few years. I'd be curious to get your sense of what makes MIJ products, whether they're heritage brands like Studio D'Artisan & Fullcount or others like Iron Heart or Strike Gold, worth it. I wonder this, in particular, when most of these MIJ products cost $300-400+ to buy in the states from Selfedge or BiG or comparable amounts in British sterling from UK retailers like Rivet and Hide. I get the proprietary fabric arguments in some cases, but not when US brands like Leftfield are sourcing fabrics from Collect Mills or when 3sixteen is traveling to Kuroki to get custom fabrics built to spec. Moreover, I'm hesitant to believe that there's an across-the-board argument that the MIJ brands are better made or steeped in some grander amount of craftsmanship. Now, do the MIJ brands have an aura about them that the US brands don't? Sure. But I'm not sure how we could quantify that in terms of worth.

^Those are looking good, Hobocho. Nice work.

hoggreaser, et. al.,

I'm happy to report that my James cut X021s arrived today and that their measurements are exactly as indicated by the size charts on the RFG website. 

The X021 kuroki fabric is really beautiful, and the craftsmanship and overall build quality is exceptional. Not a stray thread or a wonky stitch to be found anywhere. Hats off to Steven and his team.

I've given them a 15 minute warm soak and left them to hang dry for the rest of the day. I know they're sanforized, but I have come to appreciate an initial soak on all my denim to open up the fibers and release excess starch before I start breaking them in.

I'll try to get some pics up in a week or so. In the meantime, I'd say this fabric is very accurately captured in these shots by the folks at BlueOwl (this is the women's viper model, but the same fabric: http://blueowl.us/product/railcar-fine-goods-viper-x021-1425oz-kuroki-selvedge-denim/#

Cheers

TTS to me implies that they measure across the waistband what they are tagged as.

This is my understanding too. A size 32 that actually measures 34.5" at the waist would be considered "vanity" sized by most of the denimheads I follow here on the forum (vanity because I get to claim I'm a 32 & therefore sound thinner than I actually am). 

The good news is that Steven has provided a detailed size chart and according to the Info section on the website measures jeans in the same basic & familiar way that BiG does. So, I'm putting my trust in the chart and not worrying about ambiguities in terminology. 

 

To get that with these looks like needing to drop down a size or two from normal.. though I couldn't manage the leg in anything smaller.

 

I hear you. The drop in leg measurements as you move down in waist size is pretty steep.

I probably could have sized down one more to a 32 (34.5" waist / 12.5" thigh), but I wouldn't want to go any smaller in the leg regardless of what my beer gut measured on any given afternoon. I think part of the issue were noticing is that the James doesn't really appear to be its own cut, but just a scaled up version of the Spikes (at least that how the size charts look to my eye). So, aside from the rise and how that affects the fit in the waist and top block, the shape/silhouette of the leg from thigh to hem still resembles that of a slim fit.   

How are people sizing on their Railcars - and has anyone picked up the 'new' James X014 cut?

 

I've seen it stated a few times through this thread that they are true to to size - but I can't see how this is possible when by measurement they are all 2" over tagged. TTS to me implies that they measure across the waistband what they are tagged as.

 

cheers..

The X021 I ordered a couple weeks ago I actually requested to be done in the James cut & Steven was happy to oblige. I didn't go TTS for precisely the reasons you identified; since I wanted a 35" waist I ordered a Size 33 as per their size charts. Since they are a special order they're taking a longer to get to me, but I'll post a follow-up once I have them. 

^thanks for the good news.

Any word on if or when 3sixteen indigo tees might get a restock? Thanks.

I ordered a new pair of railcars for the new year and there's two things I'm curious about: does anybody know which mill produced the new x021 japanese denim? Also, has anyone noticed if the new copper rivets tend to oxidize? I love when the rivets eventually bleed a little bit of that funky green onto the pocket bags on brands like Warehouse. Such a cool detail. Just wondering if that's another reason to be looking forward to my new pair. Cheers.  

^I can't speak to the 23oz Collects, but the 17oz Cones are stout. I've finally been putting some consistent wear into mine (maybe 30 some odd wears now). They have a very dark, inky hue and a rather tight weave that doesn't stretch too easily. Smooth on the inside and mostly even on the outside, but for some small slub runs and loom chatter here and there. I will confess to not finding them especially comfortable yet. Them seem to have a ton of starch in them. I actually soaked them twice already in attempt to soften them up a bit, and they still remain quite rigid and crispy. All this is too say that they are just stubborn at first and will take time to break in. 

So far, Left Field Black Maria Greasers...I never thought I'd ever wear a pair of black jeans let alone become so enamored of them.

While I didn't end up making any Black Friday purchases, the selfedge & 3sixteen sales had me revisit a few admired items lately, and in the process I noticed a confusing sizing discrepancy. Outside of the CS-100x, I had pretty much ruled 3sixteens out due to SL thighs being a bit too narrow. However, in looking back over the SL-140x & SL-130x (i.e., the 17oz. models), things looked tempting again (especially given the advertised amount of stretch). In the process, I discovered that the measurements for a SL-130x size 34 measured by 3sixteen differs markedly from the same pair measured by Selfedge despite the fact that their "how we measure" guides seem the same. 3sixteen size 34 = 35 waist, 37 inseam, 12.3 thigh, 9.0 knee, 8.3 hem & Selfedge size 34 = 34.5 waist, 36 inseam, 12.6 thigh, 9.0 knee, 8.6 hem opening.

As much as I keep trying to talk myself into grabbing some 3sixteens, these details make some difference (especially since the only 3sixteen retailer in Denver where I can try thing on only carries ST models that don't work at all). I realize that we're dealing with fractions of inches in some cases, but the idea that the same basic method yields such different results is a touch befuddling. Is this just a case of different runs being available at different places? Have folks encountered this confusion before? 

Thanks for any of your thought. Sorry if I'm sounding like a scrooge. 

The shadows on the last page or two look great, by the way. And the the zig-zag collar on the new jackets is an outrageous detail....

Cheers.

^thanks for your input.

^very cool...thanks for the update.

A couple questions for Christian or any other takers in the know: 

1) Any thoughts from folks who have bought the deadstock JP 10oz fabric? I'm curious if it's particularly hairy and if it feels substantial. I've got my 17oz Cones to keep me warm this winter, but my 14.5 BM's are probably my ideal year-round weight. I've got an 10z RgT  workshirt I love, but I wonder if 10oz. is a bit too light for much more than spring/summer jeans. 

2) Any funky new (non-cone) denim in the works for the greasers? Something with some good un-singed hairiness or slub? The Candianis look nice but sold out in my size and I couldn't get past the bright green selvedge ID, to be honest. 

Cheers.

They're rather dark, right? I've bought two different pairs of Rivet Chinos from Epaulet over the past six months or so, and neither turned out to be as dark green as I had hoped. 

The color is solid and rich, not drab at all, but I'd say it's squarely in the olive camp.