yung_flynn

This one is from last week but I’m going to share anyway because I really like this rugby. It’s a vintage Rugged Wear rugby from the 80s or 90s with big Rubber buttons that reminds me of vintage climbing rugbies. Chinos are Buzz WW2 (complete 180 from the TCB pair I wore yesterday in terms of fit). Shoes are Rancourt ranger Mocs

As a final addendum, these ultimately stretched to 15.75”. It’s hard to overstate just how stiff this denim is. The fit most reminds me of how WH 1001xx fit me except with rigid and unforgiving denim rather than soft Banner Denim and a more cinched waist. To @AlientoyWorkmachinepoint in WAYWT, they technically fit but the rigid denim and narrow hips makes them like a much less comfortable pair of 1001xx on me. I changed into my 1001xx immediately after and the difference was night and day despite fitting nearly the same from the crotch down. The denim relaxed a lot after some wear and stopped riding up in the back (not sure if you can tell the difference from the after photos). The back rise is only 2” higher than the front rise - another inch would have been more ideal for me. My suspicion is that this denim will soften a lot with wear and that they would be a lot more comfortable at that point. Not sure if I’d reach for them enough to reach that point though. Leaning towards re-selling but I’m not in a big rush to decide, same with my pair of Samurai s211 (if anything these reinforced how much I dislike the tiny leg opening on those)

Here are some details for the TCB Cat's Drive in size 31. Waist:15.25" (stretched to 15.5" after trying on and a bit bigger still after wearing for a bit) Front Rise: 12" Back Rise: 14.5" Thigh (at crotch): 12.4" Knee (rough judgement): 9" Leg Opening: 8" Inseam: 33" (hemmed at factory) Out of the box, they are super stiff, much more than the TCB 50's new. On paper, the measurements are nearly identical to my size 31 Warehouse Duck Digger 1001xx 1947, but the fit of the TCB feels much slimmer, especially in the hips and seat. The top block (really from mid-thigh up) almost reminds me of Samurai S211VX (which I'm also on the fence about selling off), but the taper is much more gentle from the knee down. In terms of sizing, I ordered 2 sizes down from my 50's because they were sold out of 32 when I ordered and I figured that my 50's were maybe a 1/2 inch too large anyway. I'd be curious how they would fit in a size up, but I feel like the pattern is designed to be worn slim and these technically do fit in the waist. Like @alecleamas, I feel like these may be a bit too slim and tapered for my present 1947-1955 taste, although they are certainly less slim and less tapered than contemporary "relaxed tapered" cuts. There are a lot of words here, but I find it strangely hard to describe how these fit. I really like some of the details on these, but I'm a little unsure whether I like the fit enough to keep. I will wear them for a bit to see how they relax. The wide set back pockets are pretty cool and flattering in my opinion. Both front and back pockets are tiny though, too small for a modern cell phone and almost even for a wallet. The denim is much greyer in appearance than the 50's denim, although it's a bit hard to capture on camera. The denim also has some interesting character - the left hand twill is very soft and smooth but there is some roughness (and maybe some nep?) as well. I feel like it will probably age pretty well. The stitching feels a bit sloppier than on my 50's, especially along the pocket bags where the stitches are not aligned (see detail shot near end of photos), but that may be by design. The rayon inside label is a bit confusing as it says "Sanforized Shrunk", but Ryo told me that they were actually unsanforized. Puckering and roping feels much less than on my new 50's too and the yoke is almost flat.. Coupled with the stiffness I almost wonder whether they are sanforized, non-wash - may have to check with Ryo again just to verify. The fly is gloriously long and I really like the buttons. The fit has actually relaxed a bunch within an hour and they ride up much less in the back. I may give them a full day or two of wear to see how they break in before deciding whether to release them.

You'll see in a minute when I post the measurements, but the fit through the thighs is strangely super slim for something that is nearly identical to WH 1001xx on paper

31

I have a lot more detail shots and measurements that I will upload later after I finish a few meetings. I agree regarding the fit of these. They are much slimmer than the measurements would suggest - really Exhibit a for how a few stray measurements don't tell the whole fit story. I agree about the pocket bags- it's hard to convey just how small they are. I'm also on the fence about keeping them, but there are some cool details that I do like about them

@Alec LeamasHere is the TCB Cat’s Drive. I have more detail shots and a write up that I will repost along with these fit shots in the TCB thread later today when I have time. Still trying to decide whether to keep or release. Sweater is a Shetland from Bosie in ugie pearl. Boots are the Byron’s from Rancourt in Black Essex leather

My Cat's Drive jeans sound like they arrived today. I will try them on later and will probably wear tomorrow as long as they fit. I'm a little concerned that the waist may be a bit too small though since I had to order 2 sizes down from my 50's (31 vs. 33) due to availability. However, my size 33 50's have a bit of extra space in the waist and I could have probably worn a 32. The Cat's Drive rise is a bit higher too at 12.5" which should help. Regardless of whether they fit or not, I will try to get some nice detail pics when I get a chance this week or over the weekend even if only to catch-and-release.

I would probably join as well as long as it's not something that is not super tapered (e.g., leg opening > ~7.5" for 31" waist) or something that I could not wear to the office (e.g., overalls). I do feel like these sorts of contests work best and are most valuable and interesting (to both us and the brand) when they're large sample size attempts to see how a new fabric and/or cut fades over time

I would probably do a 30's contest. Or a non-Levi's repro - something like their own spin on the Sugar Cane M-series?

We're having our first kid in about a month so my time is spoken for at the moment, but I'd still participate. A more outside the box (or less common) repro would be interesting if they have a sample for a model

@discwork Any indication on what the hypothetical contest pair would be?

@Talan The one wash inseam on TCBs is usually close to 35" if that would work. I'm also pretty tall and even would preferably hem them

Honestly, I just bought my pair secondhand in almost unworn condition and the original owner picked the arcs out already. I don't mind the standard double arcs, so I'm unsure whether I'd pick them upside-down ones if I were the original owner.

I’ll say that I feel like any vintage repro from 1947 on can be dressed up or down pretty well. It’s probably easiest with 1947 and 1966 cuts, but even wider 1955 cuts can pair well with a blazer, Shetland sweater, and/or Oxford shirt if you get the proportions eights. The pre-WW2 repros (20s and 1937) may be a bit harder though. More traditional WW2 repros are more of a grey area in terms of styling. Wearing a pair of CSFs with a blazer may be a hard look, but @yokohama_menswear on instagram had some good examples of elevated styling of Warehouse 1003xx Warehouse 1001xx would be a good option from Osaka 5 once it’s restocked. Here are some of my examples of the Duck Digger 1947 worn 3 different ways if that helps (with tweed blazer and mocs, with Rugby and loafers for more preppy/Ivy look, and with denim workshirt and boots for more workwear look)

Anyone pick up the new 1105 Big E? They look like the new late 70's 505 equivalent of the 1101, including the same 7 x 7 denim. Hinoya and Warehouse JP (Bears sold out) still have some in my size and I'm curious. The more period appropriate denim appeals more to me than the previous Banner Denim run of 1105 and there are not too many 505 repros out there

My pair is a size 31 (one-wash) that I bought secondhand, but in very new condition. I've washed them a few times and waist measures 16.2" with waistbands aligned after a few wears post-wash. Inseam has plateaued at 31.7". I avoid the dryer because they are already bordering on too short

Inspired by @Thanks_M8 to pull out my Aran before it gets too warm North face puffer/J Press Aran/TCB 50s/Rancourt Ranger Mocs

Levis Vintage 1950s/60s Lot 502SX Selvedge Denim 'Big E' (Store Display 76W – Marrkt In case anyone is a 78"x45" or if anyone wants to reconstruct their own "Banner Denim", these are a massive store window display Big E pair from the 50s-60s

Maybe ranger mocs instead of boots? Aran, denim, and mocs is a common look for me It doesn't matter though - looks good regardless and I'm no stickler for style rules.

If you're not completely set on a 1966 501 repro (or are willing to go for a 505 type repro), there is also Warehouse 1105 - an early 60's 551zxx repro - that you can occasionally find 2nd hand. Later runs use Banner Denim though, which while great probably does not scratch the historical accuracy itch for you in terms of denim (less sure about cut). 1105 is top of mind because I stumbled across a NWOT pair that I've been contemplating.

Maybe the "Blue Mogganer" sweaters sold by Bosie are worth looking into? I feel like some of them could fit in with the handful of Tender pants that I've seen - the moss stitch sweaters in particular. They're inspired by vintage mariner knits and most are made of 4-ply Shetland wool, which should be sturdier than cashmere or merino. They are super warm though, so they really only work in deep winter and probably would still be susceptible to snags.

I've never had DSB denim, but based on my pair and the other Banner denim pairs on the last few pages (mostly DD 1947 pairs, including my own) and some of the DSB examples that I've seen, it seems like the DSB may fade faster than the Banner denim. I don't know if I've seen anyone fade a pair of each though, so the comparison may be skewed a bit.

I wonder if it's just challenging to pattern jeans in this way based on the way that manufacturers design their sizes - select a master model size and then extrapolate to other sizes. Maybe the extrapolation gets wonky if the leg opening is kept constant. TCB new Cat's Drive jeans feels like the closest that I've seen to what you're describing. Leg opening only varies 2.5 cm/1" from size 29 to size 36, while the thigh measurement varies 5 cm/2" in the same range. So the fit is probably closer to a WH 1001xx style straight fit at smaller sizes and more of a modern tapered fit above about size 34. Or alternatively, the measurements above the knee in my size are almost identical to Samurai S211 while the measurements below the knee are closest to 1001xx.

Forgot to post this a couple of weeks ago but here’s my stab at a Take Ivy esque look (also no denim) Columbiaknit rugby shirt/J Press shirt/Buzz Rickson WW2 chinos/Rancourt beefroll loafers in eggplant honcho leather