The Flat Head

[ironheartfan123]

give a toss?

[Maynard Friedman]

give a toss?

Translation for you = care

[ironheartfan123]

thanks, was i the only one who didn't get it? 

[itsbenhere]

Yes.

 

Funny story though (maybe?). I needed a solid blue dress shirt, that's it... I went to like 4 different stores, Macy's, Nordstrom, etc. and all they had were dark blue dress shirts with some cheesy pattern under them. J. Crew was the only store that had a straight up solid blue dress shirt. So at least for me I guess they have a place!

[Geeman]

Maybe contentious to say... but Muji make some really nice shirts! £30-£40 and pretty reasonable quality from the ones I own. Their OCBD's fit me spot on.

[reallypeacedoff]

Cold Summer: I have to agree with you as far as function following form. A pair of jeans (or any item of clothing) could have the best details in the world but if it doesn't fit (as in look good) on you, why bother? Inevitably, you realize you never wear them and have to sell them (for the most part at quite a loss). If they have never been worn, then you could quite easily get close to cost price but then you need to look in the mirror and think 'am I sucker for the latest and greatest?' All too much on this forum (generalization - not finger pointing) people seem to buy from the hype and seem to me like they have a ton on disposable cash, although I know they don't. All too often I think 'the fit aint right for you bud' but...It's got nice pocket bags (that no one will ever see)!?!?

 

This is no way an attack on CS but many times I thought your Flathead shirts looked way too short on you. I'm about the same dimensions (6'3" 180lbs) and I just can't buy any shirts from the outlets we all buy from here. It's the brutal truth unfortunately, but us tall skinny guys just don't fit the product here. We have to buy XL/XXL to get the right length but the chest is 2 sizes too big. Inseams on the jeans on the other hand... :-)

 

As I have said before, a pair of jeans theoretically gets you 2 years of everyday wear yes? Good to have another pair rotating too in case that pair needs repair. How do people have 10+ new pairs in their wardrobe? I mean, even if you wear them for 1 year straight each, you are good for a decade! And in that time, that new super skinny Brand X fit ain't in style anymore.

 

Just food for thought, adding to the discussion.

[Iron Horse]

Maybe contentious to say... but Muji make some really nice shirts! £30-£40 and pretty reasonable quality from the ones I own. Their OCBD's fit me spot on.

 

I like their western shirts; have the denim one, and got a white one but accidentally ruined it. The flannels are a bit cheap though, and lose their shape. 

[itsbenhere]

Kyle and peaced, do you guys at least agree this fits perfect?

 

 

I would love it if my shirts fit like that, they're definitely longer on me since I'm 5'9" and you're 6'3" yet we take the same size. Because of the difficulty with taper due to the length of your legs I see why jeans are a hard fit, but imo pretty much every FH top I've seen you in is spot on!

 

After I get the small orange/black check flannel from this winter I think my backlog of FH shirts I need will pretty much be completed, crazy enough. Although now I'm realizing I'd love the olive native check, it'd probably work perfect for my complexion.

[Cold Summer]

Yeah reallypeacedoff, that's the reason I'm selling some of them! But other shirts fit me well and I'm not giving them up.

That shirt did fit well Ben (I never owned it - just tried it on for that post) and it has a similar length to my good-fitting shirts. I'm not really into the pattern on that one though.

[pudaspriest]

Just picked up a flat head winter flannel, I quite like the fit on the flat head shirts I own. The shoulders are weirdly large but other than that it is all good. 

 

Edited October 20, 2015 by pudaspriest

[Cold Summer]

The reason why the shoulders are often wide in FH shirts is because Flat Head's president Kobayashi has disproportionately wide shoulders for someone of his (quite short) height. This is also why their shirts are comparatively short. Basically, most of their shirts in all sizes are tailor made for him. It does seem a little crazy to prioritize the proportions of one guy over everyone else, but to be fair it is his company so you can't really say he doesn't have the right.

[itsbenhere]

Man, there seriously couldn't be a better reason for that. It's amazing. He's literally told you the reason for it is "they fit me better"?

And you're crazy Kyle! I love that pattern so much. The Orange/black is coming to me, and I had even had half a mind to get that blue one too. Haven't yet because I hate having similar shirts but maybe it's worth it, I only have one other blue flannel that I was thinking of selling.

Also, don't want to seem conceited, but what's funny to be about FH is people always talk about how skinny the shirts torso etc they are, but I am 5'9" 175 pounds, take a 40, and I feel like they fit me great. I must have long arms too or something because the sleeves always end right before my wrist, whereas on these thin Japanese guys they go down to the hand.

Lucky for me

[Geeman]

Kyle and peaced, do you guys at least agree this fits perfect?

 

 

I would love it if my shirts fit like that, they're definitely longer on me since I'm 5'9" and you're 6'3" yet we take the same size. Because of the difficulty with taper due to the length of your legs I see why jeans are a hard fit, but imo pretty much every FH top I've seen you in is spot on!

 

After I get the small orange/black check flannel from this winter I think my backlog of FH shirts I need will pretty much be completed, crazy enough. Although now I'm realizing I'd love the olive native check, it'd probably work perfect for my complexion.

Fit looks good to me but I can see why Kyle might feel they are not quite long enough if they ride up a bit in the sleeves and hem when moving around?

[reallypeacedoff]

Kyle and peaced, do you guys at least agree this fits perfect?

 

I would say he could get away with the length, just. The rest of the fit is spot on but to me, an extra 1"–2" would be perfect.

 

 

Yeah reallypeacedoff, that's the reason I'm selling some of them!

 

Oddly enough, the only shirt that has fit me as far as Japanese brands are concerned is the SS Summer Linen by TFH. It was an abnormal length though...

 

 

The reason why the shoulders are often wide in FH shirts is because Flat Head's president Kobayashi has disproportionately wide shoulders for someone of his (quite short) height. This is also why their shirts are comparatively short. Basically, most of their shirts in all sizes are tailor made for him. It does seem a little crazy to prioritize the proportions of one guy over everyone else, but to be fair it is his company so you can't really say he doesn't have the right.

 

Plus, the Japanese are significantly different in proportions to us. Remember, US retailers (for the most part) are bringing over goods from there, they are not being made "for us". I mean some are but then again, that's why Imperial and Strike Gold and Momo are my go to's because they are slim and more modern for us skeleton types.

 

 

Fit looks good to me but I can see why Kyle might feel they are not quite long enough if they ride up a bit in the sleeves and hem when moving around?

 

Agreed and that was a only a try on yes Kyle? I mean it's new so one wash and a dry and it decreases in length at least an inch and there goes the passable length.

 

Like I said CS, not being negative on you, I'm in the same boat. Good thing for us is we get long inseams galore!

[itsbenhere]

Pretty much every shirt that flat head sells is one-washed, none of the shirts or tees I've bought from them have shrunk at all if treated with a normal washing regimen.

 

I love that indigo dyed linen short sleeve, but don't own it for the same reason you love it, too damn long!

[reallypeacedoff]

Pretty much every shirt that flat head sells is one-washed, none of the shirts or tees I've bought from them have shrunk at all if treated with a normal washing regimen.

 

I love that indigo dyed linen short sleeve, but don't own it for the same reason you love it, too damn long!

 

Haha. I washed mine and hang dried it but it still lost an inch. Fit's perfectly though. Great shirt!

[Maynard Friedman]

I have bought 5 Flat Head shirts that were unwashed, all of which shrunk further with a wash.

[itsbenhere]

Hmm, strange. Did they have W at the end, like CO-25W? 

 

Maybe it's because I don't think I've really measured my shirts after I wash them so I wouldn't know they shrunk if it was just a bit.

[Maynard Friedman]

I'm not really sure that means 'washed'. If you look at the FH shirts on the e2nd site, nearly all the shirts end in a W or WR, including those I've bought unwashed from them.

[itsbenhere]

How did you know the unwashed ones were unwashed? I ask since to my understanding W did mean one-washed. I'm sure Kyle knows...

[Maynard Friedman]

The last shirt I bought (black cotton with red paisley print) was stiff-ish with a smooth, raw finish and shrunk an inch in all directions with a 40C machine wash, no spin or tumble dry. It is now much softer too. I knew this would happen as I have the blue/white one too, which also started raw and shrank. The labels are also more pristine when the shirts are unwashed. You can just tell, as you can with jeans, but to a lesser extent.

Edited October 21, 2015 by Maynard Friedman

[itsbenhere]

Gotcha. 40C is incredibly hot though right, I should preface that when I say won't shrink, I mean if you wash it in cold. I usually like to wash it in cold to keep the fabric from being damaged. I love that shirt though, as usual wish it wasn't on the long side.

[Maynard Friedman]

40C is completely normal for me and what I use to wash most clothes other than delicates. I even wash my John Smedley merino wool jumpers on a 40C wool wash. I don't cold wash or hand wash anything.

Which shirt do you think is long? Give it a 40C wash and it probably won't stay that way!

Edited October 21, 2015 by Maynard Friedman

[reallypeacedoff]

I was talking about this one MF: Indigo-Dyed Linen SS

 

I washed it cold but it still shrunk about an inch or so, just pulled it out a little when damp.

[Cold Summer]

To be honest, I don't remember exactly how that shirt fit, since I only tried it on once, about two years ago. For me, the best thing about the FH fit is how slim it is, I wish other brands did the side taper like on FH's western shirts.

 

And yes, the W in the shirt names does mean "washed", for example the 7001 lacks it because it's unwashed, while the 7002W is one washed. I've owned tons of FH shirts and have never experienced any shrinkage from cold washing them.

 

Kobayashi didn't specifically "tell" me that, but I've been in the room when he's tried on new stuff and critiqued the fit along those lines. 

[bod]

How did you know the unwashed ones were unwashed? I ask since to my understanding W did mean one-washed. I'm sure Kyle knows...

 

Wouldn't seams be puckered if washed!  I've had a few FH shirts from SE and 2nd, they all shrank in the wash.

[itsbenhere]

I think it depends on how hard/hot you washed it... Are you washing 100F like MF? Am I the only one who thinks that thats super damn hot? If you boil your shirt, yes, it will shrink haha

[FeloniousMonk]

Am I the only one who thinks that thats super damn hot?

 

Yeahhhhhhhhh. That said, I'm now feeling like a filthy mongrel because I still haven't washed my FH flannel after a few months of sporadic wear. I only ever wear it over t-shirts and henleys! Hopefully it won't shrink much.

[Maynard Friedman]

As you know Ben, boiling water is 100C, not 100F!

[holio cornolio]

Edit - deleted

Edited October 22, 2015 by holio cornolio