Urban Techwear

[Igneousity]

Anyone know of some good field pants or something hiking-like (for hot weather) that aren't cut to fit around elephant legs? I'm already a small guy and even "slim" stuff tends to be pretty loose on me. Just because I'm hiking doesn't mean I have to look like my legs have their own individual dresses, I hope.

[kH0yA Sw@Gp0o]

^i return to a pair of fjallraven pants i have in black with orange bartacks around the top block. very slim cut with bungee cord hems and knees are articulated to consider hikes and such but they would benefit from crotch gusset.

other hiking-like options... battenwear has the 7/8th climbing pant (leftmost on second row)
http://battenwear.com/Collection/SS2014.html

gramicci narrow pants fit nicely it seems
http://www.goout.jp/category/A001002/GRM0801NOJA.html

 

[01spirilla]

Bought the blue SISP sweatshirt last week at nittygritty in stockholm. Super comfortable, but pretty slim fitting...

[Igneousity]

Glad to hear it, all the model shots out of them on Haven are hella baggy.

[fungz0r]

Anybody have recommendation on technical books? I'm curious about fabric knitting and treatment

[Igneousity]

Anybody have recommendation on technical books?

 

I've always had luck with these.

[Nebulae]

^think he means books on tech fashion 

[dareone]

Anybody have recommendation on technical books? I'm curious about fabric knitting and treatment

 

are you referring to actual fashion books?

 

don't know of any off hand, but there's always that stone island archives book:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stone-Island-Archives-Nick-Griffiths/dp/8836623816/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1342730661&sr=1-1

[lxh]

Anybody have recommendation on technical books? I'm curious about fabric knitting and treatment

 

I would highly recommend Ideas from Massimo Osti 

 

There is a whole section that specifically speaks about textile innovations including garment dying, bonding natural and synthetic fabrics (technowool and rubber wool), heat sensitive fabrics (stone island ice jacket), etc. 

 

The book provides insight behind Osti's process and thinking as well as a history of Stone Island and CP Company. It's laid out almost like a sketch / scrap book with bits of fabric samples, sketches, photos, notes, quotes - it's great to just flip through. 

 

Anyone who nerds out about this techwear stuff should definitely check it out. 

Edited February 15, 2014 by lxh

[fungz0r]

Thank Ixh, that is one pricey book

 

Yeah I'm not looking as much for a fashion book, something more along the lines of a textbook that explains textiles or the process of fabric innovation. I've been toying around with some fabrics and begun to realize just how intricate the whole knitting and texturizing process can get, so I'd like to know more about it.  

[SuE]

Thank Ixh, that is one pricey book

 

The actual sticker price is much lower but the first print run has sold out and some resellers are exploiting the scarcity. Wait for the publisher to reprint (send an email and request one).

 

As to your original question: are you asking about the creation of fabrics (i.e a cotton fabric or a schoeller nanosphere fabric) or something else?

[fungz0r]

Yeah I'm interested in the creation of fabrics, and I'm not sure if such a book even exists that explains the common techniques used 

[scamster]

I loved that neck brace/scarf - inspired by F1 cars wasn't it ? the folks at the shop are always as frustrated as me I think as they always seem to get held back by the marketing dept or whoever is behind taking photos of the clothing.

 

Still really glad you got hold of that scarf, kudos to the SI team coming through for you on that score.

 

now where is my blasted modular down vest dammit !!!!!

 

think it was inspired by f1 but not entirely sure but its's damn cool!

 

it isn't just taking photo's, fourmarketing (distributors for stone island among others) run the store almost like a showroom for stone island in the uk & ireland and being a flagship you'd think they would want to release their wares first and have all or at least most of the items from sisp.

 

maybe it just highlights that being an independent you can and have to move fast due to competition. with the hideout store closing it's a good example of not moving with the times.

[carlanton]

Anyone know of some good field pants or something hiking-like (for hot weather) that aren't cut to fit around elephant legs? I'm already a small guy and even "slim" stuff tends to be pretty loose on me. Just because I'm hiking doesn't mean I have to look like my legs have their own individual dresses, I hope.

 

Arc'Teryx, always. 

[Igneousity]

I can't even begin to think of why I didn't look at Arc'teryx. Thanks for reminding me!

 

Arc'Teryx, always. 

[SuE]

Yeah I'm interested in the creation of fabrics, and I'm not sure if such a book even exists that explains the common techniques used

 

I've heard Textiles by Kadolph and Langford is the standard textbook. I have Clothing Technology and it's a useful introduction on the subject. How far down the rabbit hole do you want to go? You might need a BSc in Chemistry to understand some of the more technical membranes — then another degree in Biology for the plant based fibers haha.

 

There is an MIT OpenCourseWare, New Textiles, that you may also find interesting.

 

__________________________________________________________________

 

Thermal Colour Change Fabrics at Alexander Wang [FW14 Collection]

 

For some designers the true cycle of innovation each season seems to be firmly rooted in the textiles and materials that they use, which can help to produce unique collections that distinguishes their work from other designers and also helps to ensure that the collections are less easily copied. For the Alexander Wang collection for Autumn-Winter 2014, some silhouettes were built around heat sensitive fabrics, which were laser cut, or cleverly woven and knitted so that neon colours glowed out of black garments.

The colour change features were by no means the only textile trickery of the collection...

 

 

[Brainboy]

think it was inspired by f1 but not entirely sure but its's damn cool!

The Modular Neck Protector was "based on a shape of the Formula 1 helmet brace...(src)" device also known as HANS system.

 

 

 

I've heard Textiles by Kadolph and Langford is the standard textbook. I have Clothing Technology and it's a useful introduction on the subject. How far down the rabbit hole do you want to go? You might need a BSc in Chemistry to understand some of the more technical membranes — then another degree in Biology for the plant based fibers haha.

 

There is an MIT OpenCourseWare, New Textiles, that you may also find interesting.

 

Great sources for learing but I don't think you need any university degrees, some technical knowledge sure, but any of this can be absorbed through intense self-study. I've been to a lecture on nanomaterials and polymers in the textile industry at Faculty of Maths and Physics in Prague, it was fun but not more in depth than Schoeller textile promo materials. 

 

 

 

Thermal Colour Change Fabrics at Alexander Wang [FW14 Collection]

For some designers the true cycle of innovation each season seems to be firmly rooted in the textiles and materials that they use, which can help to produce unique collections that distinguishes their work from other designers and also helps to ensure that the collections are less easily copied. For the Alexander Wang collection for Autumn-Winter 2014, some silhouettes were built around heat sensitive fabrics, which were laser cut, or cleverly woven and knitted so that neon colours glowed out of black garments.

 

Nothing new really, Stone Island did this with less crazy garments years ago. (First Ice jacket - 1987)

 

Edited February 16, 2014 by Brainboy

[Dolphinski]

Utope http://utope.eu/clothes.html have just mailed me to say the crowdfunding campaign for their Supaheroe jacket (i know, it's a terrible name!) is now live at http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/sporty-supaheroe-jacket-by-utope if anyone is interested.

 

Edit: I'm chasing them for details about availablity of the rest of their range. Will let you know!

Edited February 17, 2014 by Dolphinski

[Igneousity]

I keep waffling on it, but ahead of a move to Honolulu I think it'd probably be a stupid buy no matter how I slice it. Really tempted by the SISP basic wool sweater, I've got one of their zipper-cuff basics in maroon and it fits so well.

 

Also, that new bomber is disappointingly bland.

[Igneousity]

I'm going to guess hiring a room full of chipmunks being fed only Ritalin to do quality control finally caught up with them.

 

Things are changing. Fast. And when big changes start happening you either speed ahead or get left behind. At ISAORA we’re moving forward. That’s why as of today, the same products you’ve found at so many of the best stores around the world over the last four years will now be available exclusively at ISAORA.COM. From now on it’s just you and us. That’s it. No third-party stores, no selective merchandising. Just our uncompromising vision for clothing made for people who appreciate that trifecta of performance, design, and quality – which we will now be able to deliver for less… markedly less. A win/win in our books.

In moving all our operations online, we are presenting ISAORA in its purest form. So much is lost when we rely on others to sell our product. The vision gets altered, the story half told, prices inflate. With products like ours – made with our dedication to finding the best fabrication, latest innovations, and state-of-the-art construction – our jackets aren’t simply jackets, our pants not merely pants. ISAORA is more, because we expect more. And the best way to communicate that is directly to you, with no one messing with the message in between.

Don’t forget this relationship is a two-way street. Like never before, you – the person wearing these clothes, living these lives – will have wider access to us, an open dialogue. We crave customer contact. We want to know what you like and what we could do better. We want to work with materials and technologies that you are excited about. We want to deliver the best product that works for your life and costs less than it ever has. By selling online, we can do that now. Better than ever before.

This is the new ISAORA.

Let’s get started.

 

Edited February 18, 2014 by Igneousity

[shoreman]

Who are these people wearing ISAORA? 

 

Seriously...

[shadows]

Lol that's a positive way to say that you are almost broke and need to scale down operations in order to save your business from going bankrupt.

[Igneousity]

I bought a small Isaora shirt on sale and I swear to god I could stick a pole in the middle of it and comfortably use it as a multi-person tent.

[WillKhitie]

The person who wrote that sounds like he just watched 'Jobs' the movie. 

 

EDIT: Or one too many Apple product rollouts. Seriously.. "Let's get started'?

Edited February 18, 2014 by WillKhitie

[BRICK DOM]

I owned a pair of Isaora pants once and after the first wear, the seams split right at the crotch. Mind boggling. I wasn't even doing anything and the pants were already one size bigger than my normal size. I think they split right as I was about to sit down. 

Sent them to ISAORA (even though I bought them on sale from Machu's) and the guys took care of it for me I guess. Still ended up letting go of the pants though. Based on my own experience and what I've heard from others, I'm not surprised by this move lol 

[SuE]

What about their iO Merino line? Well it's cheap so any quality issues would be in line with the price...

[Northwest]

I remember looking at their website a few times, never being terribly interested in anything but being absolutely baffled by their measurements for their clothing. The sheer number of disappointed reviews I have read on sufu alone was enough to ensure I would never send my money to them over Outlier. And with Outlier being an online company was the plan from the start...so many things wrong with this, not going to buy from them, adios Isaora.

[thefuture]

they crossed between urban and snowboarding too much imo. shoulda picked one and done it well

[Igneousity]

I think their bigger problem is there's a line between "shit" and "good" and they actually never crossed that line. They just kind of pitched a tent firmly on the "shit" side, maybe using one of their small shirts.

[Flipflop214]

I almost pulled the trigger on IO Merino tshirts, henleys, tech shirt and pants from the main line. I hesitated because of some feedback here on Sufu and also how they responded to my email when asking for measurements...

Me: my best fitting shirt measures..

21.5 inch p2p

25.5 inch sleeve

28 inch top to bottom (measured from top shoulder.)

17 inch shoulder.

Isaora: I think an XS is best. You can always order both and send back what doesn’t fit.

Best,

Robbie

XS?! I thought, wow their shit is all messed up. Also, I'm not going to waste my time sending their shit back when I can get the exact measurements and get it right the first time around.

No thanks Robbie. Smh.

Edited February 19, 2014 by Flipflop214