Blue Nemo

What's interesting to me is that interest in raw denim already peaked a few years ago (look at how much more activity there was in, say, the Samurai thread in 2011) yet there are a ton of new stores since the "boom" (relatively speaking) seems to have passed.

 

consider SuFu as the Avantgarde, so naturally the hype reached the mainstream some years later. while some earlier avantgarde folks moved on to other places.

I'm not going to watch thru that video again but I'm pretty certain that the 'pretty tacky" quote referred to complaining about the price tag - not asking for a discount.

 

20 years ago very few people bought high-end denim - now huge numbers of people do. That's why hundreds of new shops have sprung up, like the one we're discussing. So it doesn't look to me as if huge numbers of people aren't happy to pay for expensive items.

 

Selvage denim has become mass market - obviously not mass market enough for some people, but that's life.

 

Even if that might be true, that doesn't change the fact that he is happy to explain the product, the price etc. That's what he said. Trust me or watch it again...

 

And by the way, you don't have to be an asshole, to get annoyed by people complaining about the price of your products. Just complaining, crying, whining because they don't want to afford it, although it might be the best product money can buy.

Just complaining is pretty annoying, asking for the reason is a whole other story - and I remember Ben made this difference.

I've worked retail. That's the job That's life, dealing with human beings.

 

It's the whole, "Don't be walking into the store and look at the price tag and be, like, in shock, it's pretty tacky" schtick that I find ridiculous. It's a retailer's job to explain why the product is good - not to expect consumers to be programmed already.

 

True, and it's the same tough song with every other job.

 

He explained in the video that he, like all his staff, is super happy to explain "why the product is good". Pretty sure you overheared that! It becomes "tacky" when the customer asks for a discount, not because he doesn't understand the product, but the price tag is just too high. As if all expensive things must be sold with a discount to make the customer happy...

I disagree with his presumption that he should automatically be accorded respect because he's selling expensive jeans. Why? It's pure materialism; I want more respect because I have an expensive car, or because I have a flash watch. This is just silly consumerism. If you want clichéd phone fades on your tight jeans, you can do better with a pair of Uniqlo.

 

there's an art to selling high quality items; a special sort of patient enthusiasm. When I was a kid I went into the local guitar shop and they were always patient when I'd yack on about Les Paul juniors. It was maybe five years later that I bought my Gretsch 6120 from them; 20 years later that I bought a 52 Telecaster. In between were various synths, a 60s Epiphone, plus an entire record company advance. That was real salesmanship; the same guy is still in business and selling nice guitars, without telling anyone that if they don't like them, they're ignorant.

 

when did he ask for respect because he's selling expensive jeans?

 

edit: and again, working retail, you quite often experience a lack of respect towards yourself (the salesman) - especially from these nightmare customers. And I am pretty sure that we all have experienced the same, once or twice, as a guy entering a store and get treated like a 2nd class guy because you looked wrong, or whatever.

you're really good on those honeycombs........... the denim's marble looks great

I agree with a lot of the things he's saying too, I just don't like the way he's saying them. Watching that video I feel like I'm being chastised like a child, rather than just him giving his opinion and why he feels the way he does.. If someone posts a video, they have to be open to criticism, that's just the way it works. I don't think anyone here was overly disrespectful!

 

The way he presented himself & the message wasn't my cup of tea either. But I definitely didn't feel "chastised like a child", not at all. That's a thing you might be responsible for yourself and which isn't the guys fault.

 

Of course you gotta be open to criticism, I am pretty sure he is.

Although it's his store and he has all the right to do what he wants to do - and as we funnily agreed now, most of the stuff he said was not too bad at all...

 

Calling someone a "douchebag" is no criticism by the way, that's just poor, especially as the guy couldn't even get your kind of criticism ;-)

anybody willing to swap his SD-101 in a size 33 for my size 31?

 

 

pm me for measurements and pics! would love to get the chance to wear this denim is a size that fits me!

 

Seen on Denimio, these are hilarious:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

curious if these prints are legal outside of japan....

 

 

i've heard that Toys McCoy's isn't allowed to sell his stuff with Felix the Cat and Mickey Mouse prints outside of japan.

I am happy there are still guys, and hope there always will be, that pay EUR 250 (and more) for an imported jeans... Would lose the best job in the world if that would start to change!

 

And just my 2 cents regarding the Snake Oil Provision Video. As someone who's actually working retail I tend to agree with everything Ben said, except the thing with APC etc. If someone enters our store and starts to ask me about ONI I would literally jump on that opportunity to talk about that brand.... That attitude might change a bit if it's about Pike Brothers.... As I am no fan ....

 

Anyways, the guy tries to create rules for a space of mutual respect, and the amount of disrespect for him shown in the last pages was pretty weak as the guy couldn't even defend his position himself. Pretty weak for our SuFu crowd.

 

edit: happy new year btw

@DhaDha - that rivet of yours evolved spectacular, this one single detail is awesome! and i really would like to see another picture after the next wash :-)

 

@Chicote - just love that SC fabric, recognize it out of a 1000, need to get me another one soon

Like I said on FB, take size 31

Yeah,true, though we both agreed that either way could work out haha - so I was looking for more, or different experiences. Especially after my 101 horror.......

And thanks Bill!

Need advice regarding the 15 oz denim for the S0510XX:

I need a 32 waist worn in. Should I take size 31 or 32?

Has anybody experience wearing this particular denim not fully stretched back?

After I got my SD-101 too small, although pre soak measurements were perfect, I'm a bit psyched out.

Army/Navy stores were filled with surplus jackets from WWII well into '50s, and in some cases as late as the '80s.  Not uncommon for the working class to pick these garments up for a few dollars to use as work clothing.      

 

i don't disagree :-)

@ben: the first one doesn't look too bad at all, but now i get what you meant!

 

We do (Vater&Sohn) have one.

got an example? can't follow you

I once had b_f's old 800. Mine were a raw model (but not the Kaigai model) I got from the bureau Belfast.

Here's the measurements (raw, after a wash and what I'm guessing them to be now)

Waist: 89cm --> 86 cm --> now stretched to 90cm

Frontrise: 31,5cm --> 30 cm

Backrise: 42 cm --> 40 cm

Thigh: 33,5 cm --> 32,5 cm

Hem: 23 cm --> 22 cm --> now probably 21,5 cm

Inseam: 88 cm --> 84 cm --> now around 82 cm

Except the waist all the measurements would be perfect for me haha

^i think we have a thread already that's about horrible looking jeans, could suffice

great wife you have there!

what do you guys think of jeans that fit like that?

 

cool guy & tattoos all over the place

^yeah it took some years, but once this heritage hype reached Germany a lot of great stores, run by great people, popped up in pretty short time!

congrats Vater & Sohn for such a great line up and your great service.

 

Max Power def check out that Pea Coat think you'll gonna dig it or the ballparks hehehe

I saw the pea coat myself the first time two weeks ago worn by one of our customers/friends .... It's an incredible piece. I hope my tanker is equally mind melting :-)

that will be manageable as RMC will def not arrive today.......................................................................................... .

For how long are you gone? We might as well hold it back for you if you're sure about the size!

... or you buy it online (bwahaha) after checking my measurements