ATWM

@Double 0 Soul I may get to that at some point, I’m still relatively new to my current town and learning the nooks and crannies. Everyone just knows it for the university, understandably - which does brisk business and is a big reason it has not hit the same sort of hard times so many other towns have. Most of my life was in the Chicago area but I’m so tired of moving I’m pretty sure I could die happy in the current place I’m in.

This could be a reach and unrelated but seeing the storefront just brings it up - the collapse of main streets/small retailers in so many towns and smaller cities is one of the biggest bummers of whatever you want to call the highway system/tech boom/post-covid long era we’re in. It’s not happening everywhere but it’s happened in so many places that really would be wonderful little communities if they hadn’t gotten sold out by any number of forces. I hope Hudson’s Hills vagueries keep open the possibility for another spot - but it’s just in the abstract, I’m not sure when I’d pass through Gboro again. I would think the main issue with this stuff is I would bet in a town like Greensboro, the store probably has a tough time making the argument for the cost of the goods to enough of average residents, and that is the support that is so crucial to brick and mortar. I still don’t know how my local shop stays open unless they do brisk online business - every time I’m in there it’s more staff than customers.

That's a real bummer to hear. So few markets are well served with a brick and mortar that stocks this stuff. Even tougher because they're in the hometown of White Oak, so it feels like a bigger deal. But the website just says the physical store is temporarily closed - that's changing? We have something close-ish in Ann Arbor with Today Clothing - which is a much better store than a town this small deserves to have, but it's a small overlap in the venn diagram of what I really prefer and what they carry - still would be quite bummed if they turned over. At the same time, I'm not the type to keep them afloat, though I try when they do fill a gap.

@81FXR is there a reason you’re not considering Full Counts own 1201 (1941) chinos? YMMV but I got them with the same reasoning (wanting 0105 silhouettes in chino) - and I found they fit the bill.

Lovely photos. I second looking out for a pair for my son. He's in an outdoor/forest based preschool and I know he would shred them. He's finally probably old enough to wear a pair of those Nippers, but it seems like that didn't stay afloat. I wonder if they're still out there?

@yung_flynn how are you finding the break in on those Beckman’s? The back mid calf part is rough for me. Rest of the boot is a bit more comfortable out of the box though.

You should. I'd love to read it. And it's great to hear. My experience has been the opposite - and it comes from the side of being a photographer (another industry where an assumed hierarchy loves to exploit workers in legally dubious ways and then tell themselves they're actually helping them out by bestowing deep knowledge), but of course that's only my experience. All I will say is that - and this is just for me - the explanation you give to the RO line doesn't translate in what I see in the way that they market, style, and model their stuff. Perhaps it goes over my head - this is quite likely even, and I'm fine with that. But perhaps it's also a failure to communicate. Either way, it's a breakdown. That's going to happen in any medium of creative expression for some message senders and receivers. Of course maybe I would know more if anything I saw from RO made me want to learn about the brand, but it very much doesn't, so why would I? Even if it's a joke it looks like the sort that just isn't my flavor, and it doesn't have to be! That said, I'm all people doing their thing and making it work (whether it's the designer or the wearer). Responding a little more generally, I don't think saying something isn't to one's taste is shit talking though. Character denigration, sure. That's not cool. Art ≠ artist and all.

Penis balcony pants is the first bit of lightheartedness I’ve seen in the RO collection. Still not for me, but laughter is good medicine any way it comes. Perhaps I need to reconsider my assessment!

Anyone have experience with the strike gold’s sweatshirts and sizing comparison? I see a lot of size up with it, but I’m looking for a slimmer/less bulky fit that can go under denim jacket. Shorter is better. If I fit into a 38 of freewheelers/powerwear (sweat), can I get away with a medium - or should I really go to a L? I know a M will fit my arms and torso length, it’s just the damn shoulder/chest thing.

Still mostly same. Inis meain, Ooe Tux, Kapital, red wing

I think there are quite a few labels appreciated here that are designers. Only speaking for myself but I react to the vision and the aesthetic of a designer - not the fact that they are one. I’d even call most denim labels here designers. But in a narrower sense then Tender, de Bonne Facture, Kapital, 45r, Blue Blue Japan are a few that I appreciate, for example. So yea, love me some weird shit - but not all weird shit floats my boat. One of the worst sorts of brand images to me is a sense of deep and unbending seriousness. The industry of high fashion is about as toxic a concentration of egos as one can find in my experience. I’m sure there are other industries that could tie it but not sure any exceed it. It would be funnier if it weren’t so sad.

Larger jeans won't stretch as much in the waist most of the time because they're not getting the pressure to stretch. I really doubt your size 36 will stretch to 96 cm if your waist itself isn't that big unless you try to wear it lower or put a lot of pressure on the waistband otherwise. I've never had a pair stretch to being whole size too big in the waist. That said, my OA's in size 31 are definitely a little more snug in the waist than my FW in size 30. At this point this is after a lot of wear and multiple washes and even drying for both.

This isn't much help - I don't take before or after measurements usually, I just take note if something fits. (I take measurements before I buy, but after that I just put it on). Anyways, I recall the FW one wash '51's stretching a bit in the waist and more or less staying that way. They've never been as tight as they were the first few days I wore them, even after many subsequent washes - or if they are it's only for an hour or so. I wear a size 30, and their 30 is pretty middle of the road against other brands. But, snug as they were, they still buttoned up just fine without any contorting. All of that said, I wouldn't personally buy any jeans with a waist short of my intended use, not 3 cm, definitely 5 or 6 cm - and I didn't with my '51s. I bought them at the exact waist size I wanted to wear them at.

Damn dude! I'm glad you're okay(ish) - I take it that means you at least walked away. I second getting the jacket repaired - it looks possible from what I can see here.

The only jeans I own that have them are Freewheelers. I leave mine unless the shop already flattened them, which always leaves me a little disappointed - it's one of my favorite features.

speaking for myself and only myself - no. I'm not an RO owner but I do have opinions! I've never thought of SE as my sort of place to begin with - but the stocking of RO, whenever it was I found out about it, only reinforced that notion.

^ similarly I've got a 12 mini, and while I truly hate having a smartphone at all, it's the least bad version because of the size (same as the old iPhone 4). I keep trying to figure out how I can just go without once this thing kicks the bucket but I haven't sorted it - not with the apps I need for preschool, or the doctor, or the gym I go to which makes you register on this dumb app, or maps, or whatever. Every day I ride by a shitty, muck filled duck pond and envision throwing my phone in there and pedaling off into the sunset.

@reallypeacedoff where do you arrive at each pair taking 2.5 hrs? Idc when we get them, fwiw (within reason). It will be a nice thing when it happens, of course. Every day longer these take is another day to wear my Ooe's, which I really want to leave in a lighter state than they're in!

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?