AlientoyWorkmachine

Yea I still run in zero drop shoes, I converted like 12 years ago and may never go back. Though I don’t run as much as I used to. I really like the Quoddy Mocs I picked up recently for this same reason - they’re pretty flat and thin soled.

^ mine get here Monday from the same retailer. We'll see if they fit. The lower profile and the lack of toe structure were too hard to not try. I don't expect anything crazy.

I’m roughly your height, with close chest measurements, though 10kg lighter. Anyways, you’re running into the problem a lot of us run into in that the chest/shoulders are too limiting for a given size that has more appropriate sleeve and body lengths, and I think you’ve even got to deal with this issue a good bit more than I do. For me it tends to be shoulders/back that make a problem first (I’m more a puller than a pusher). This is to say, given your build, this is likely the smallest size you could have gotten that would actually be wearable for you. I see what you mean about the length, and there is a way these jackets are worn where a more cropped look is desired. But that’s just one way. The way you’re wearing it is another great way. It’s a fit that works nicely. Is it the fit? No such thing! But it will be even better and fit even more nicely the more you wear it. A good time to remind the beauty of denim workwear is that fit is flexible. There’s rarely a perfect solution, which is part of why I now own a lot of denim jackets in different cuts! I will say, though I don’t own a TCB 20s, my Freewheelers ‘22 I think is in my top 3, in part because of its versatility. It’s a Goldilocks jacket - a slightly long but not much, roomy but not too much.

@beautiful_FrEaK I will hang on to one pair (the 15.5oz) , it’s comfortable but I’ve decided I’ve already got too much to focus on. Bottom line trying to reduce the stuff that doesn’t get worn. I’ve turned into a bit of a collector and I never really wanted to be! The jeans are lovely and I’d love to see them get lived in!

Interest check for Fullcount denim Available jeans: FC 0105SS size 29 (hemmed to 30ish, 11 oz denim) - lightly worn (less than 10 times), have tags FC 0105 BK size 30 (hemmed to 31" ish) - lightly worn, less than 10 times. May or may not have tags, need to look. FC 0105 (standard denim) - BNWT - hemmed to about 31" All hems chainstitched, need to verify lengths so don't hold me to those estimates. Type 1 jackets: Size 40: 2107 Jacket (standard 13.7 oz) - BNWT 2107 SS jacket (super smooth 11oz denim) BNWT Prefer only shipping to CONUS for now but I can look into international shipping if desired.

I’m not sure what “the original 14oz denim” refers to from McFly, but my 506xx ‘22 certainly seems different from their standard ‘51/‘47 denim (not just the darker color but it feels like a rougher, possibly shorter staple cotton) and it’s sure different than the denim on my s601/s506xx too. I’ll go with @Duke Manteehere. It seems like it’s its own thing.

I wish I could see the balance sheet of a company like Russell. On the one hand, I could believe that a good pair of boots costs $800 to make sure Russell stays sustainable, but is not being greedy. But I’d want to know what sort of lifestyle that affords the cobbler and other employees - and not the few at the top. I know that I have more shoes than I need, and probably more shoes than most people had historically. With the exception of training shoes, I quite possibly could not wear out my current collection if I never bought another pair - especially if I can resole. All told in terms of retail expenditure, my shoes and boots equal at least a few pairs of Russels. (I’d wager I’m not alone here in that). I think it’s also worth mentioning that the weak Yen has definitely spoiled me - to the point that I’m aware that my appreciation for even the best goods goes down, and I have too much. I enjoy everything I’ve got and try to give it all fair use in the spirit it was made, but it’s more than needed - much, much more. If I had my druthers better, I’d own less stuff and want the makers of what I have to be able to live a little bit closer to the life I get to live, even as my own industry suffers extreme downward pressure from multiple forces. This isn’t to excuse price gouging - I don’t know enough to know where it’s happening - but it’s just to note that I do feel that even in our world of well made, small batch goods that carries an ethos of extended and prolific use - we are still awash in stuff. Or at least some of us are - and so where does the sense of fair value come from? When I first started taking an interest in clothes I bought more MiUSA things, which at that point were more comparable in cost to Japanese goods. Somewhere along the way it became less important - probably as the Yen weakened and I became more interested in arcane details I couldn’t find here. At that point, the relative cost (for American or Japanese) was also much higher - I had less income and the prices were stiff even before inflation. Even as I find some of the older items more lacking now because of my own knowledge and preferences deepening, they were appreciated in a different way. And so through that lens, $800 boots that are handmade and part of the local economy may indeed not be so far off, and may represent a fair value (they may not if the CEO of Russell is taking home $100 to every dollar the cobbler takes). Not that I don’t see why it’s an issue. I can’t get my head around ever spending that much on boots (my max ever was around $375, and I just don’t like them enough). But, I sure could see a world where for a good pair, instead I had to outlay the same as I did for a few pairs in my closet (that add up to $800) and live with that limitation. How’s that for some ambivalence?

@Alec Leamas I can see that. It has its’ place for sure. I’ve come around to - out of the repro’s I’ve put time into - that FW is the most rewarding denim. The thing is it takes a good bit more patience. I only wear my ‘51’s less these days because I feel like they are just my perfect pair of jeans in almost every way and I don’t want them to change much.

129’s (woad) after another wash - these are a size 2. Again close ups are more accurate colors. Repairs have all just been seam reinforcement/overstitching aside from the hand stitched button hole reinforcement with the only thread I had around at that moment (contrast stitching!) - and no shortage of those but still simple enough. Crotch darning is imminent, but this is definitely the toughest denim I’ve put this much wear into - a relatively slim fit and probably over 18 months (and maybe closer to 2 years) of real wear and it’s still intact, which is probably a record. Eventually I’d love to beat up a pair of 132’s in a size 2…but so many pairs to get to first.

DD1003xx ‘46 after another wash. At this point repairs have been done to yoke, crotch, cuffs, pocket stitching. Pocket stitching needs yet another one. For the wear, this amount of repairs are a bit much. Got these in 2020 (?) - probably not more than 15 months total wear. Just a few times a month these days. Color is more accurate in the close ups. I do really like this pair, the denim is still quite stiff and crunchy given the amount of washes now (probably 10?) - the cut still works well for me too. Just wish they felt a bit more robust overall (I’m a broken record on that at this point I get it).

I won’t lie the brown cotton is quite appealing to me. The spaghetti look definitely is not, I wish I knew if it was an attempt to be absurd and cheeky. Intent matters! Ha. I hope it is - same with the ridiculous Levi’s tag they got sued for. What is Miki-San on these days? If this is a genuine attempt to cash in on this look then the longer the excess thread, the shorter the garments are on dignity, and by extension, the brand…which I’ll concede is already an appropriate question. But I could trim those threads, because I’ve wanted some unbleached cotton weft in my life quite a bit. And I know I like these cuts. Oh what to do.

I have the jacket as well. I don’t wear it now, but I like it - it’s the same as the pants. It’s a great fabric.

Ha yea it is probably my shortest jacket (or tied w my ranch blouse) but I’ve gotten used to it, mostly. It’s definitely one of my favorites.

Nice. Not sure that could fit any better.

@shredwin_206how do you like the proximity mills denims? How would you say it differs from typical FW fare?

Fashionship.jp is legit also fwiw. Limited selection tho.

Haha I knew it! American exceptionalism was inherited trait from the founding lot all along.

I was just an hour ago on my bike behind the Rivian R1s (we see a lot of them where I’m at). For US roads, it fits in the Goldilocks spectrum I would say. It might not on your roads. Honestly, I think the issue here really isn’t America’s cars but Britains ones, no? We’ve got our own problems, but can’t regulations address this at home? If cars are too big for the road that sounds like an issue for government. (Yes, I’m aware that’s not an inspiring response, but really, it feels like the right place no?) This is again overly cynical IMO. It depends on the car - some cars are pretty awful emitters and getting them off the road is better than keeping them on, and at some point the lower emissions from getting the exhaust off the road is significant. If the battery powered cars kicking the can down the road - what’s the solution? There is no perfect thing, it’s about what’s realistic and significant. I’m skeptical of this whole “push” to get everyone to drive EV’s. No one is stopping anyone from going to the dealer and buying up a ton of ICE vehicles right now. No one is telling anyone they can’t drive what they want to drive. Some govt incentives for objectively better environmental technology is only that, an incentive. It’s not a push. Yes, if you’re charging your EV with coal power you can do better, but that’s honestly fixable and it’s getting relatively easier all the time - whether if that’s by using more renewable energy from your utility (which many are working towards, if too slowly), or putting solar on your roof or whatever. It’s one step in a few that need to be addressed but we can’t wait for them all to happen at once. Basically - what’s the argument to not kick the can down the road, if that’s even possible?

Yea, I like small cars too. (Just to be clear, I like bicycles the most). Actually, our Volvo EV replaced our Honda Fit - which was great - but my wife did not feel comfortable with our kid in it and while I didn't mind as much, it clearly was not the best option, and it genuinely sucked whenever it snowed or there was an ice storm here, which happens often enough. It was too light. The time she got stuck on the way to an emergency was the last straw. It also struggled mightily to keep up on Appalachian highways or even couldn't traverse some roads in North Carolina where we used to live, (rutted out mtn roads and low clearance, especially in borderline freezing weather or even a lot of rain are a bad combo). The limitations were real. Other takes here I can understand but just can't get on board with. I'd happily get in a crash in a modern safer SUV that saved my hide than die in my cool old car. I think my toddler son would not really ever be able to understand that sort of attachment over life. I get (or hope?) the comment is partially in jest, but it's still a little intense for me to read. But yep, the biggest thing, as has been said is that you can't buy them. Where the blame lies is contestable. Crony capitalism is definitely a part of it, I think that take is spot on. I also think the caricature of dudes compensating really just points at a small niche in the overall issue. Those are the easy ones to spot, but not the majority. But @Double 0 Soul I'd invite you to the US here to try to talk to my wife, my mom, my mother in law, my step mother in law, or frankly most of my friends to tell them why they should put aside their valuation of safety (even if only perceived) and convenience 😃 In spirit, I'm with you - it feels a runaway problem, but like, we've got to pick our battles. The SUV we have now was actually the result of me persuading my partner to go down in size from what she wanted, which was a response in part to the driving of the Fit and feeling unsafe in the tin box in snowstorms on the highway etc. There are a lot of buyers decidedly not into cars that literally are just looking for safety and convenience and the industry has decided on pitching this for a long time now. The new Rivian concept R3 looks like to be a Golf style competitor, fwiw. I am not sure how it will do, but I like the looks of it. The only car I ever had that I really enjoyed was an old Saab 900 manual 2 door, but god that thing was always a thousand or two thousand dollars away from working properly. An EV version of that (or aforementioned Volvo Wagon), I'd be a happy camper. Last thought that I think backs up what @jkbrwn is saying - last year I worked with a bunch of international professionals, many of whom arrived to the university town set on not owning cars because they hadn't where they had lived before. By the end of the year, most of them did, and many of those were SUVs. Not because they wanted to, but because they realized they literally couldn't access a whole lot of what life is out here without it. It sucks, but while we advocate for better public transit and bike infrastructure, gotta have a way to get to work/life etc.

You’re missing the speed/distance part of the equation here. It’s not just road width in an urban space. It’s far flung bedroom communities being possible - and everything that entails on an infrastructure scale. I don’t think it’s an excuse, but it is a notable challenge that even the most well meaning city councils have to deal with. Add into this the fact that living somewhere bikeable in a mid sized town becomes a real issue of housing affordability. Most people who work in the city center can’t afford to live there, and live on the outskirts where there is quite possibly dirt roads for the last few miles of their drive. So they’ll buy for where they live and drive that beast into the city center. The best parts of the small city I live in, that I will never afford, where biking/walking is the most feasible for most people, houses are north of 1 million easy. That’s impossible for most. It’s essentially a luxury lifestyle perk unless you’re willing to add extra miles every day (I am, for now). At this point with the SUV thing this a sort is a chicken or egg question. It’s hard to change buying habits because the industry - including European manufacturers have quite forcefully fronted SUV’s here for a long time. I think this ship has sailed because very few want to go smaller (my car is a 2014 Mazda 3 hatch…I have no feelings towards it other than I appreciate it goes). When that thing dies I will try hard to find a comparably sized or smaller EV. It will be tough. When we were in Scotland last summer, I wanted to rent a car, but they gave me damn Santa Fe, which I agree was a bit of a squeeze!

Another data point - a 2025 Volvo XC40 is about 3900 lbs (depending on the trim level). The EX40 (same exact car, but electric) is about 4700 lbs, again, depending on trim level. I don’t think EV’s are a savior, and each person has different needs - and out in rural areas charging infrastructure is an issue etc, but there is a lot of bad info out there that dissuades people from looking into them. I am pretty convinced that if you live or work at a place where you can charge and you drive less than 150 miles a day round trip (conservatively), they’re quite likely to be well suited and make your life easier and save you money over the long term (maintenance is basically changing cabin filters and tires and…that’s it) at least when held to a comparable gas model.

No, they’re a little heavier but this is generally incorrect.

It may be rather obvious, but so much American development occurred after the invention of the automobile. So the scale of development became commensurate with that, and really rather hostile towards pedestrian/cyclists. So much of Europe was developed before the autos, so the roads are on a smaller scale and have been (often uncomfortably) retrofitted for autos - which also makes a lot of those places better for pedestrians and cyclists just because of density. This is a big simplification - we definitely need to do better here (one reason I like my town, they’re constantly working on bike accessibility and it’s made a huge difference). But if you live a highway commute away from work like so many, there’s just no practical other way.

@Double 0 Soul - we aren’t given many options for just cars here anymore, which is a real shame. A lot of people drive SUVs just so they feel safer/ don’t feel smaller on the road stuffed with them. Obviously some need the utility but in a town like where I’m at, it’s just not the norm. I’m mostly with you here - I am on my bike more than in a car, and I wish to go there were less of these on the road. @julian-wolf what i’d really love is an EV Volvo wagon. They have them in Europe I believe (I swear I saw one in Scotland this summer). But the polestar 2 is the closest thing to that for now in the US, since car makers again don’t give us as many “car” options, and the PHEV v70 they offer is crazy expensive.

@julian-wolfwe drive a 2023 c40 and would totally vouch for it. I’d get it again 10 times out of 10. Xc40 too, but we got a deal on the c and the shape didn’t matter much for us, no practical difference.