FeloniousMonk

Well sponsor the world tour! But the jeans will end up with us after!

 

Sorry Ed, but these are jeans that I picked up for my collection, and I would like to keep a hold of them after. Plus, the 7-8 people it looks like we will have participating won't be enough to get heavy fading unless everyone wears them for more than a month.

Ok, finally have some time to get back to this. Here's a list of everyone who expressed interest for either of the pairs so far, listed under the pair they could join a tour for.

 

Roy Big Bro 2, Size 30

1. Hendsch (west US)
2. chicote (west Canada)
3. Holio Cornholio (UK)
4. ReverendGlasseye (central US)
5. andrewrose (mountain US)
6. guthriegking (west US)
7. cungster? (Singapore)
8. louisbosco? (not sure if the actual waist is too large despite 30 tag size)

 

Boncoura 66, Size 32

1. redragon (Indonesia)
2. oomslokop (Indonesia)
3. guthriegking? (west coast)
4. Holio Cornholio (UK)
5. ReverendGlasseye (central US)

 

It's a short tour either way, but probably just enough interest to get the Roy pair going. Is anyone else interested in joining for either pair?

 

If there are no other sign-ups in a few days, I think we should just go with the Roys.

The nice photos are from my girlfriend's DSLR, which is one of the cheaper Nikon models from a few years back, but I'm not certain which one. All I remember is being amazed at how good the setup is, since the last time I really paid attention to DSLR quality and prices was back closer to 2000-2005, when I used to do some film photography with my father on big family trips.

 

The shot with much worse color looking down into the valley is my old iPhone 5S, now fortunately replaced as I gave in to the big phone hegemony.

 

Broark: Weighing the same decision here! It's not an emergency yet, but they could go in for reinforcement now and will definitely need repairs sometime in the next three months... I'll probably hold off until late November, so I can have them back and repaired before Christmas and some winter travels.

And a few photos from a recent morning when we had some decent light...

 

Impressed with how everyone else kept their patches in such good shape, mine started smudging after the first couple washes and by this point is pretty much illegible. Still, the rest of the jeans are starting to look quite good!

 

 

 

Finally a quick update after quite a long while. Recently started washing the jeans every couple weeks, and they seem to finally be noticeably lightening.

 

Went to the Catskills with a group of friends last weekend, about 8 of us in a house together along with a couple furry friends for three days of hiking, grilling, and overwhelming quantities of booze. The autumn colors were in full effect, and it was a gorgeous break. One that left us recovering for much of this week...

 

 

 

 

We ended up hiking a trail to a place called Huckleberry Point, which had an incredible vista across the Hudson River Valley and through into the early foothills of the Catskills. After miles of hiking upward and over rolling hills, you just spill out of the woods onto a dozen boulders and prominences overlooking a cliff down to the valley floor.

 

 

 

 

And at least the wallet fades are coming in really nicely...

It'll be sad to see Ande go, he really was making some of the best-constructed jeans out there. Also loved his aesthetic with the mix of Lee and Levi influences, fat leather patches, and the striking contrasting threads.

 

It would be amazing to get one last pair, though that's looking impossible now. I never did quite dial in my perfect fit and size in his jeans, but at least I have a pair of mainline roll that's very wearable if a little big.

It's not the same, as the contest denim was a one-off production run. But the Black Seed is essentially Roy and Cone's collaborative attempt to reproduce that contest denim. A lot of elements seem to be similar, including the black seed pima cotton weft and the grey cast, but the new stuff is a tad heavier.

 

Here's the old Roy contest thread, which has details on the denim, and here's Roy's page about the new black seed denim.

The fit pics show a bit of how the denims differ, but here are a couple more photos to help illustrate it.

 

The Boncoura denim is woven more densely than the Roy Black Seed, with much less weft showing through. It also appears to have just slightly more irregularity, based on the weft-side appearance, but neither have obvious slub threads. Both have a smooth hand and are moderately hairy, with nearly no noticeable neps.

 

While Boncoura is a very deep indigo, with seemingly a red/purple-cast, the Roy Black Seed denim appears to have a very neutral grey/black cast (based on comparisons with some of my other pairs, including green-cast and neutral indigos).

 

Roy Black Seed feels crisper and lighter, the Boncoura denim seems to have a bit more heft to it (though they are only 1 oz difference, I believe) and settles rather than forming sharp creases.

 

Side-by-side photo of the back to show a direct comparison, and the overconditioned Boncoura patch

 

 

Roy on top, Boncoura on bottom

The Roy doesn't have more room in the hips, just a tighter waist. So it does end up being a little more "carrot-like".

 

No natural light, but had the chance to take a few fit pics this evening to help everyone see the (minimal) difference in fits. The only real differences that I can feel are:

1. Boncoura have a little room in the waist that the Roy jeans do not (as seen by the thumb in my waistband on the Boncoura side pic)
2. Roy legs appear to be just a shade slimmer, but it's very close
3. Boncoura have a shorter inseam, enough that I could not wear them with a cuff

 

Roy Big Bro 2 - Front

 

Roy Big Bro 2 - Side

 

 

Boncoura 66 - Front

 

Boncoura 66 - Side

Updated with measurements. Both pairs fit me quite well, so there's not a really big discrepancy in their size (I wear a 31 in most models), though the Boncouras will be more forgiving to anyone with less taper at their waist.

 

Hopefully in the morning I can get a couple shots in natural light.

EDIT: Measurements for both pairs are at the bottom of this post. Fit pics and denim comparison pictures are at the bottom of the page.

 

Running list of everyone who expressed interest thus far is near the top of page 2 - Currently at 7 people in for a Roy tour and 5 in for Boncoura. I'll leave this up for a few more days to see if anyone else might sign up, then choose whichever pair had the most volunteers. Happy Halloween weekend, everyone!

 

 

So a couple recent discussions in the Boncoura and Roy threads have bemoaned the lack of information on our forum about how the denims fade over time (and in the case of Roys, some skepticism about whether the fades turn out that nicely). I've actually been thinking about a potential world tour for a while, so I'm not just sitting here on a pile of unworn denim like a dragon avariciously guarding his indigo hoard, and this seems like a perfect opportunity to help the community learn a bit more about the denim while also getting to see the fades that I don't have time to make myself.

 

Hopefully we can spread the love around, perhaps let our European and Asian compatriots experience the amazing handiwork of Roy without having to pay outrageous import duties. Or finally see a pair of Boncoura 66 denim from raw through deep fading before they start to become more widely available stateside and through Europe.

 

Details on the potential pairs (Note: edited the fit description for Boncouras on Oct 18)

 

Roy Big Bro Round Two (BB1002), size 30

• First model made with his new Black Seed denim (a Cone collaboration) that is now his banner denim
• High-mid rise fit with a trim waist, roomy top block, and mild taper through the leg
• Interesting pocket and rivet details, see the link above for more

 

Boncoura 66, size 32

• Boncoura's signature denim, slightly irregular with super rich indigo color, reportedly a fairly fast fader
• High-mid rise fit with larger waist but similar hip measurements to the Roys, wide thighs and mild taper. Nearly identical fit to the Roys aside from having a larger waistband.
• Details are standard, but quite well-done from the patch to the rivets and sewing throughout (though 60s model => no hidden rivets)

 

Both pairs of jeans are pretty much new. I've worn the Roys for one or two days, and the Boncouras for one (maybe not even that). The one thing I have to apologize for is overconditioning the Boncoura patch, as only a one-wash pair was available and I tried to restore the dried-out post-wash patch to the glorious state of the raw pairs I've seen.

 

I will add a couple more posts to this thread with some comparison pictures of the denim and details, plus measurements.

 

If people have interest in a tour with one of these pairs, I would prefer to keep it to forum regulars (or semi-regulars) for hopefully understandable reasons. So how about it, is there any interest in showing these pairs some love around the world?

 

 

EDIT

Sorry about the delay. GF and I both have colds, so a quick stop for errands last night turned into watching a bit of Westworld and taking Nyquil turned into goodbye world.

 

I had the chance to take both pairs out for measuring and trying each on quickly, and realized I was mistaken when I described the fits in my original post. The Boncouras are not actually a lower rise, but instead just feel like a lower rise to me because they are close-fitting through the hips but have room around my waist.

 

The upshot of these jeans is that both pairs have almost identical fit. The major difference is that the top block of the Roys tapers slightly above the hips to a trimmer waistband, and that it has a longer inseam. From the butt down, these jeans have virtually the same fit. The larger knee measurement means the Boncouras do appear to have a slightly fuller leg, but it's minimal. Will try to take a couple fit shots tonight to illustrate the point.

 

Here are the measurements for both pairs, taken BiG style.

 

Roy BB1002, size 30

Waist: 31-31.5"

Thigh: 12"

Knee: 8.25"

Hem: 7.75"

Inseam: 33.75" (original)

Front rise: 11"

Back rise: 15-15.25"

 

Boncoura 66, size 32

Waist: 32.5"

Thigh: 12"

Knee: 8.75"

Hem: 7.75"

Inseam: 30" (original)

Front rise: 11.25"

Back rise: 15.25"

Plus, some people are just more prone to blowouts than others due to build, walking gait, etc. I tend to find the inner thigh of my jeans wear out a bit faster than some on these boards even on my looser jeans, despite being a frequent washer. Comes with the territory, I'd say, as these problems would almost certainly arise if I tried to wear any other type of trouser for 150-200 days within a year.

Ooe tux would be amazing, but I know I'm in a minority here for preferring the type III. Still waiting for a brand other than Levi's to do a short, tapered type III with handwarmer pockets...

 

Though admittedly that sort of design alteration is not their MO

Samurai just launched the S0511XX model, which may be what you're looking for (big top block, plenty of thigh room, aggressive lower taper).  Flat Head 3012 is another very extreme version of that cut, and just hits your 15 oz cutoff. They both look a bit carrot-like, with close high-cut waists above a large top block and narrowing to the ankle, so you'll want to try on a one-wash and see if it's appealing to you in person.

 

If you're ok with sanforized fabrics, the Charles Atlas cut from Left Field is a really nice blend of roomy hip/thighs and plenty of taper without looking too carrot-like. I've had my eye on their Collect Mills 18oz Heavy Slub jeans for a while, and it sounds like it fits the bill.

 

Japan Blue's Hi Tapered fit would probably be another option. They've come out with a lot of ultra-slubby fabric options lately, one of which was recently reviewed in the Momotaro / Japan Blue thread (sometime in the last 2-4 pages).

vjiforlife: There are some fit pics of the wavy standard SExSG jeans on page 77

Same situation here. They're still in the closet, and my limited wear time is spent on the Ooe contest jeans. Haven't seen any fade pictures yet on reddit either, though it has only been about a month since they came out.

^^ Damn, those are looking good.

 

Boss cracked down about three weeks ago on "business casual", so sadly I'm down to nights and weekends only. Plus the occasional Friday when he's out. 

 

The denim is holding onto its dark shade astoundingly hard, so the very light streaks on the thighs and some lighter blue on the wallet and knees really stand out. It'll be interesting to see if these ever really lighten up all over like I had been expecting from the initial fade photos that Hiro and Ryu provided...  I think I'm going to switch to a very frequent washing schedule also, since I feel pretty good about the contrast at the whiskers and thighs already.

 

Will give an update in the next week or so. Been a very uneventful couple months, mostly work, so not as much inspiration to post anything.

What the hell does that even mean?

 

I'm guessing he's implying some of the reviews are "sponsored", similar to Mike's comment upthread

Is there any chance you might be able to add a photo of them directly against a dark denim finish (OA or otherwise)? It's difficult to see the contrast in the photo of the 125 year vs new finish shown further up this page, and I'm curious to see how noticeable the greencast is in the 50 year finish.

 

I too need another pair of jeans like I need another hole in my head, but my older pair of OA02XX are probably my favorite jeans out of everything I've worn. The possibility of a pair with a leather patch and slightly lighter/greener cast is very very tempting.

Nice, your pair is showing a lot more lightening up than mine so far. Are you wearing them pretty much every day?

Huh, guess I'm just wrong then. I wear a size 30 in these, but there's been no hemming. That cuff pulls them up to about a 31-32" inseam.

 

It is weird that they seem much more tapered on you. No idea how to explain the difference if it isn't a shift in sizing.

These more-tapered cuts seem to appear quite different depending on which size you wear. Soks's pair looks quite a bit more tapered than mine does, mine look more like a classic slim cut with a bit of extra taper.

 

 

 

They use the standard Ooe hardware on those jeans, so you should be able to get a replacement. But since it's a flat-front button (not sure of the technical term) rather than a doughnut-type button, it might be difficult to replace yourself unless you know somewhere with a button press. I've tried using a hammer at home to replace buttons of that style, yet have never gotten it to sit quite right.

I have rotation for summer and a rotation for winter...dictated by the temperature and nothing else...

 

Same here. Anything really tightly-woven (looking at you, Flat Head) or over 15 oz just feels uncomfortable in the NYC summers. So I always have a couple mid-weight jeans on rotation in the summer and heavier jeans in the winter. No real rhyme or reason to when I switch the rotations, just typically sometime in Oct/Nov and March/April when it makes sense to wash the pairs I've been wearing for the past several months.

 

Denim in the rain is fine, just like wearing jeans when running around in the park or going for a bike ride (or moving). It puts some good wear into them, and tends to leave a nice story in the jeans. But you want to make sure you can change out of them right after, or else you're going to have a miserable rest of your day.

Well, how unbelievably lame their sales pitch is, not necessarily about the jeans. Their so-called story does seem to be a mash-up of every successful hook for Japanese-made denim in the past five years. But who knows, the jeans might be great!

 

Will be interesting to see this thread in 6-12 months as the first pairs get bought and worn in for a while.