ColonelAngus

@kiya

is the IH 633S OD something that you'll always have in production? Or is this one of those ultra limited releases that will never be reproduced?

On Thursday, July 20, 2017 at 7:32 AM, Iron Horse said:

Just the like eternal search for "cool", if you try too hard or become self-aware then you're no longer cool. It's not really about the clothes, but the attitude in this case, except when it is about the clothes and you don't care (too much) what others think, in which case then it's about the attitude again because you give off the IDGAF vibe, in which case you might have become genuinely cool or are just old, and possibly an accidental hipster.

I think with social media and the like denim hipsters have become as pervasive as ever. I think some don't care while others go to great lengths to show people that they're cool. I know a lot of us buy into certain brands because we appreciate quality, but if you're posting selfies on IG everyday then you do care what others think. It's a mixed bag.

On Thursday, July 20, 2017 at 9:02 PM, dudewuttheheck said:

I don't understand why anyone would even complain about this in the first place...

My thoughts too. Besides, most people would simply follow the size charts. The model's size and fit of the clothes become irrelevant at this point. 

Bummer. Surprised to hear a denim specialist messed up your jeans. Hope your diemma gets worked out

Did you have your jeans taken in by a denim specialist or a tailor?

On 4/23/2017 at 3:14 AM, craneman said:

A late answer but-I'd go IH N-1.  Wet wool will keep you warm in the rain. Wet down-agh. And water resistant is just that, if it rains enough you're gonna get wet. I own down coats & the N-1. Cold & dry down is great- cold and wet wool is better. N-1 should be plenty warn unless you live in Norway.

my response is late too but i'd second the IH N1 because of the alpaca lining. I'm planning on springing for the N1 deck vest sometime soon....it's a beaut.

3 hours ago, Cold Summer said:

LOL, I've never paid any attention to PRPS but I've had multiple people tell me that dude is a huge jerkass. On top of that the advice is BS

yep. This coming from someone that runs a denim company, which is truly horrifying. He's clearly talking out of his ass. I had to re-read what he said about not washing for 2 yrs. wtf? If you want to look and smell like a homeless man, or if you want to achieve epic fades then by all means, don't wash your jeans for 2 yrs. But for the rest of us on planet Earth, denim isn't endowed with some mystical properties that makes them immune to daily wear and tear.

12 hours ago, mlwdp said:

I got a weird one for y'all.

is it in bad taste to wear pinup girls on a shirt?  I've noticed this trend on a few Gitman shirts and Japanese brands.  

Exhibit A:

 

 

reminds me of the shirts Kramer wore on Seinfeld. I'd prefer not being labeled as a hipster doofus

On 5/20/2017 at 8:32 AM, babydials said:

I keep seeing pics of new N&F rusted's, but I have yet to see a fade pic.  Anyone have one?

do a google search for the jade selvedge that came out a couple years ago -- they're essentially the same as the rusted blue selvedge.

25 minutes ago, Niro said:

Wondering what is people's opinions on patches on denim jackets?

 

what one chooses to do with their jacket is their choice. I personally wouldn't ruin an expensive denim jacket with a patch, but that's me. I think, too, that the type of patch factors into it as well.  lapel pins i'm ok with.

3 minutes ago, 1fookntitefd said:

Can someone explain to me the appeal of spending $300+ on a pair of chinos?

I can understand how a pair of $300+ pair of ironheart, flathead, etc... jeans are better/nicer than a $50-$100 pair that you would find at Macys because construction is higher quality, denim is heavier, and because the personalized fading makes wearing more fun. But how is a pair of $300 chinos "better" or "more worth it" than a pair of khakis that you can pick up at Banana Republic?

I'm sure the construction/materials, like denim, makes them worth more. But the whole value thing is subjective. I wouldn't spend $300 for chinos but might drop $200 for a pair. 

On 4/30/2017 at 8:33 PM, Mojique said:

 

WAS my boyfriend , not is!

hes one of the top doctors in the uk and probably earns more than all of you put together, he's also witty, funny and used to be very generous, we were briefly engaged but he cheated on me so I've dumped him permanently, like I'm doing with SUFU denim-you're all a load of judgemental stuck up bullies-except for my dear friend Ruedi.....

And no denim tuxedo, he's never worn jeans in his life, not allowed in his private gentlemans club, he just used to buy me a lot.

i know this is irrelevant, but I don't care because I'm Sick of being picked on.

16 hours ago, Iron Horse said:

These Tellason socks deserve some sort of honorable mention:

those are hideous

1 hour ago, garden gnomes in space said:

To add to the possession obsession point you make BM, the whole "Need to insta- Cop, limited edition collab" hype that some denim retailers employ(or emplayed) holds very little sway with me these days.  Im no longer interested in the struggle to get my hands on something.  If its not readily available or at least in a semi-regular production run Im not trying to fight to cop.  Over hyping and under producing a garment is not in my wheelhouse these days.  

for me it depends on the article of clothing and how it fits into my wardrobe. I'm not particularly interested in adding more denim to my rotation, so ltd edition jeans do nothing for me. however, I have been slowly adding more shirts to my collection and i've been quite impressed with the flannels that IH have been putting out. I won't jump at every flannel they release, mainly because I simply don't have that kinda spare change lying around, but it sounds like the fabrics they use are woven by a small mill and therefore have limited runs. I don't think IH hypes their stuff, because not everything they do is a winner, but sometimes they get a really nice and unique looking fabric and it's a work of art, so in that regard I it's the customers who hype the brand because everyone wants their latest and greatest shirt.

34 minutes ago, JDelage said:

When one buys clothes from a 3rd world country they help people graduate from life-threatening poverty to dire poverty, a huge gain. Hard to call that unethical.

poverty is poverty any way you cut it. For me ethics has to do with a combination of things, such as liveable wages and work safety. I can't help but think of factory workers that have died because of a building collapse or whatever. I'm speaking in broad terms and many of the companies we buy from don't apply here, but I can't in good conscience support anyone that has little regard for its workers or has poor working conditions. I think the denim companies we support know this and think it's equally important that their clothing is ethically made. I know a lot of you probably dislike N&F but they own their own production facility and their stuff is made in Canada. Rgt, Freenote Cloth & 3sixteen has their stuff made in California from what I gather.

10 hours ago, dudewuttheheck said:

Exactly. For me, the ethics of production are not the biggest concern. It's more about the reasoning behind the brand's decision that matters most. I would prefer them to make decisions based on trying to make the best product rather than trying to save money. However, I know that I can't make all my purchasing decisions based entirely on this.

for me it's a combination of ethics and transparency. I'd be a hypocrite if I said none of my clothing comes from third world countries, but my tastes have gotten a little more refined than 2 yrs ago and thus, I try to only buy from companies who either have a history of making quality garments, like Japanese denim companies, or those that try to keep production local. I've used Taylor Stitch as an example before but to me their business model sums it up perfectly. They started out with the MiUSA messaging and with time they started outsourcing to Portugal. Now, i'm sure part of this decision was probably because they had grown signficantly in the past 2-3 yrs and needed a production facility that could keep up with demand. But, you can't help but wonder if it was also a move to save money. If it's the former I can understand, but if it's the latter then it would put me off their brand completely.

Keeping things local means keeping jobs here and the economy flowing, but at the same time, if those few production facilities here in the US aren't making quality garments then I can see why people would gravitate towards Japanese brands.

On Thursday, April 20, 2017 at 0:12 PM, cusswords said:

The high water look can be cool with the right sneaker or a really nice hem, but the trend of guys cuffing their jeans (usually a slim cut and pinrolled) so high that they can show off their entire boot and a few inches of sock never, ever looks cool. Scroll through a couple of the Red Wing tags or popular raw denim accounts on Instagram if you aren't familiar with the look. 

Another trend I noticed on IG is dudes who cut the hem on their jeans to either get the frayed look or to show off their socks/boots. Looks pretty stupid and when I see guys falling in line and doing the same thing it makes me scratch my head. Why is this even a thing?

https://www.lividjeans.com/pages/our-story

“Why would you consider making jeans in Norway?” A father of a close friend of mine asked. “There just isn’t any economic upsides to doing so, and it will most definitely not be the succeeding factor of your business.” A statement that is perfectly accurate, because the Norwegian index of laboring cost per hour would presumably make the product way too expensive to be competitive. If it were to be distributed the traditional way, that is. But I believe that one gets inspired by going against the current. Especially when doing something others don’t believe to be possible. If it at any point suddenly should achieve success, it demands some kind of creditable admiration. Most importantly, the admiration we praise ourselves with. And I think, exactly the fact that we chose to produce in one of the most cost effective countries in the world, has been a key factor to our company’s success. That it was hard to do, only made us want to do it even more.

you guys probably know about Livid Jeans, who are another Scandinavian brand from Norway that happens to make their stuff in Norway. I only perused their site so don't know with 100% certainty that all of their stuff is made there, but this just shows that it can be done.

16 minutes ago, JDelage said:

What do you all have against Portugal? Is the quality not there?

i'm speculating here but I think some people are opposed to Portuguese made stuff because they want their goods to be sourced locally, which translates to jobs and a more robust economy. I know nothing about the labor practices of Portugal but my assumption is they don't pay their workers a decent wage. I'm being ignorant on this issue but my opinion stands because why would a company like Taylor Stitch outsource to Portugal if it wasn't to save money on manufacturing costs? Same goes for Indigofera. It could be that there isn't enough skilled labor in the the US or Sweden for that matter but with the rise in popularity in handmade goods I find find that argument implausible.

26 minutes ago, mrman said:

I wouldn't call xx-003 skinny, it's regular staight and strider has a slight taper. Of course fit is subjective but after decades of squatting my thighs are not the smallest and neither fit pantyhoselike.

Haven't handled their exclusive denim so can't comment on that.

i'm basing my response on the fit charts i've seen from both companies. Either the thigh/knees are too skinny or the hem is too big. I need something that has a good thigh/knee/hem ratio that doesn't look silly on me.

14 hours ago, dudewuttheheck said:

I think the tarnishing of the MiUSA image is definitely a cause for concern for many US and potential future brands in this industry. Personally, I only own 1 single item that was made in the USA that was not made by 1 single Craftsman. That is my Freenote Cloth Mackinaw which I bought for 3 reasons: 

1. Its quite a unique item and fits the California climate perfectly.

2. I got it for a great price.

3. It was purchased at Inspiration and my fiance fell in love with it on me so how could I not?

Otherwise, I don't own made in USA items. I think one of my MFSC pants are USA made, but  I'm not 100% sure and either way, that's the only other one. I honestly don't think US made items are worth it in terms of design, materials, and construction vs. Japanese companies. Why would I buy 3sixteen or Rgt when for not much more, I can get what likely be a more unique and better made item from a Japanese brand? Heck, some of my Freewheelers shirts cost less than 3sixteen or Rgt shirts! 

I buy MiUSA when it is a single Craftsman, however. I own or have on order Masterson's, Role Club, WH Ranch, Hollows, and Roy. The appeal here is not the USA part, but the fact that one single, passionate, talented person is making the item and if they were from China, I'd still buy from them. It's not the geography that matters there. I'll throw Himel into this as well. He employs only a couple of sewers, pays them well, has incredible designs, and has quality on par with Japanese brands in my personal experience.

On principle I will not buy from brands like Indigofera who are based in Sweden, but manufacture in Portugal. I think many of the Japanese brands will survive and proven, passionate labels like Role Club, Himel, Roy, etc will continue to do well also. As much as I am not a fan, I'm sure 3sixteen and Rgt will last quite some time as well because they have established names now. I just doubt anyone like them will be able to get to their level from the US.

With Japan, it's different. They perfected denim construction and the modern raw denim market before the US did and will always have that going for them. Japan tends to have more unique fabrics, designs, and goals. PBJ, Flat Head, Freewheelers, and Conner's are more unique from each other than the range of US brands are, even including the 1 man brands. I still sometimes confuse Rgt and 3sixteen products for each other's at times.

Also, Japanese brands are revelling in the denim culture explosion that is still happening in southeast Asia right now and that trend could explode in other places as well, we don't know. I don't think the US brands are benefitting as much from that as Japanese brands are.

I see your point but don't know that I could stick to the single craftsman rule. I agree that there are a lot of makers out there doing things by themselves that are quite successful at what they do, but for me it's about variety, and whether or not a company has 1 employee versus 10 makes no difference. I've found that quality can be subjective with anything we buy. For example, a lot of people swear by Filson's bags, but if I was in the market for one i'd likely buy from Vermilyea Pelle. Also, I know a lot of people swear by Ashland Leather but a couple years ago I bought a shell cordovan front pocket wallet from them and it looked like it was sewn by a blind man who didn't know how to put a wallet together. The edges weren't beveled/waxed and a piece of the leather was folded over on itself when it should've been cut/aligned/sewn correctly. I was pretty pissed about that and will never buy a wallet from them again. Red Moon and TFH make nice looking leather goods but I can't justify the price tag, so from an affordable viewpoint Guarded Goods, Tanner Goods or First Settlement Goods (Context Clothing's in-house leather brand) make nice looking stuff.

I never understood the appeal of Indigofera, but some people like their stuff so whatever. I do agree that if they're selling goods at a premium but manufacturing in Portugal it instantly puts me off. It's the same with Taylor Stitch, who upon starting their company drew people in with their MiUSA pitch but are now outsourcing a lot of their stuff to Portugal. I like some of their stuff but don't think I could buy anything from them unless it was on steep discount. I find TS's scenario more aggravating because MiUSA was why customers supported them and now they've taken a corporate approach and are outsourcing overseas.

33 minutes ago, mrman said:

It goes without saying that they should fit. With japanese makers it is a bit risky but because the fabrics are so much more interesting than with the western counterparts I'm still inclined to try. When you compare eg PBJ denim to, say, RgT, the difference in staggering.

I don't own jeans from either brand because their fits are too skinny. I'm sure PBJ denim is more interesting but I think this is why you see brands like Rgt and 3sixteen using Japanese denim milled exclusively for them rather than Cone Mills denim.

12 minutes ago, Cucoo said:

(Not trying to counter your argument in any way) Personally, I'm a westerner but I don't really have a problem with Japanese sizing at all... sure, my Samurai shirts may be sizes L and XL and fit like an M, and SDA t-shirts may say M and fit like a S. Just saying that there is a market for Japanese sizes in the Western world, but of course, experiences differ   It's just one (the only?) area where being not really tall works out as an advantage

I think the confusion for customers is that sizing for a lot of Japanese brands seems to typically be 1 size smaller than their US counterparts. For example, my SDA flannel is an xl but it fits me like a US large. Again, I have very limited experience but my IH shirts are size large and fit me like my other size larges from US makers. I realize that my personal fit experience only makes up a small fraction of customers and that B&M stores do try and get companies to make bigger sizes (as Danny from R&H mentioned in another thread).

10 minutes ago, Cold Summer said:

Exactly the same thing in my case, 3Sixteen shirts/jeans and RGT outerwear fit me just right. Japanese brands don't. For me, it really comes down to that. Right now the only Japanese stuff I still own/use are a pair of Samurai S710s, Flat Head denim shirt and heavyweight flannel, and two pairs of sneakers from FH/RJB. These are all great, but every one of those were things I bought in Japan, either in person or where I could conveniently return the stuff if it didn't fit. 

 

I agree. US denim companies make stuff that fits me, for the most part, whereas, IH is the only Japanese maker that seems to make clothing that fits Westerners. In my very limited experience, i'd pour over fit charts from various Japanese denim companies and the fits are weird, which is why i've hesitated buying from more Japanese brands. I actually don't have many Japanese brands represented in my closet -- I have a pair of TSG's that I never wear, an SDA flannel, 2 PBJ type II's and 2 IH tops. Everything else is US made. To me fit reigns supreme and I don't care how cool the fabric is for any given piece of clothing....if it doesn't fit me then i'm wasting my money.

15 hours ago, aho said:

Slight change of topic here, but I feel I need some denim confessional time...

 

At the end of the day, I'm a denim head through and through. I wear all denim every day, all day, and don't think I could wear anything else. But have any of you ever gotten...fatigue...of it all? Maybe I need to switch it up, maybe my priorities and spending habits have shifted, or maybe I'm just in a drought period, but I no longer feel the same amount of excitement when I see the latest collections drop, or the latest seasonal brand releases. I no longer check the usual sites every day, and post even less frequently. Haven't purchased any denim items since maybe end of 2016, and generally even stopped scoping out vintage on the bay. And yet, I can't imagine wearing anything other than denim. Am I going crazy?

 

I suppose innovation is difficult when the past is your inspiration, and chambray is chambray, wabash is wabash, etc, etc. 

 

Perhaps it is just a slump, or a temporary state of mind, but I wonder if anyone else ever feels the same. To this issue, I have no solutions, but hopefully I'll get that sense of excitement and inspiration back soon, as this is a blue life after all...

 

I think fatigue happens to everybody. my experience has been that once you first get into raw denim you start small and then it snowballs from there. Eventually you wind up with 15 pairs of jeans that end up in your closet as you discover new brands and new obsessions, whether it be leather goods, jeans, tops, etc. I've grown tired of jeans and leather goods but have narrowed my focus to jackets and shirts. Sometimes i'll reflect on my spending habits and think how ridiculous it was how much I spent on X when I could've saved that money for Y. But, all hobbies eventually come to an end.