TCB: happy jeans contest

[Sugar Mountain]

Thanks guys. Flash, I'm posting all of this with the very aim of making you giddy with excitement about your own trip!

 

So, for our last full day in Tokyo we were treated to a beautiful day of weather after some rain and gloom. We took advantage and went to Kiyosumi-teien, east of central Tokyo. The garden was developed by the founder of Mitsubishi as an entertainment venue for top clients before becoming a public park in 1932. It was also the first garden in Tokyo to be designated as a Place of Scenic Beauty by the metropolitan government in 1979. Easy to see why...

 

 

 

I really miss the urban parks of London and though HK has its national parks wihin easy reach, it isn't the same for me. It was a delight to be back in this kind of space. The ponds were teeming with carp that were so tame and used to visitors that they would swarm up to the footbridges with their mouths open in expectation of food. More like dogs than fish!

 

 

 

And a final shot of your correspondent!

 

 

Cheers lads.

[Flash]

well .. it worked , great pic's looked like you had a nice time 

 

those 50's really fit you great , very clean looking fit 

Edited April 9, 2015 by Flash

[rayw44]

After seeing Volvo, Sugar Mountain and others rocking the TCB tux, I think this needs to be the official uniform of this contest. I'm getting one as soon as I can.

[volvo240thebest]

do it Ray you won't regret! of all my well loved TCB pieces the jacket it's perhaps my favourite, never had another jean jacket that fitted me so well. Although I think Sugar has a different brand type II, denim doesn't look quite the same and it's also too short to be a TCB!

[Sugar Mountain]

Volvo is right, I'm not wearing a TCB tux! My jacket is a Flat Head type II.

[Blue Nemo]

hey Nemo any news about your foreman vest? I am still waiting for mine. apparently Inoue is terribly busy these days and had no time yet to make my vest in size 42. I guess I will receive it when it's already too damn hot to wear the vest here!

 

Apparently, I received my vest two days ago. And although I could exchange my earlier vest in size 38 for a 36, the vest still does not fit me. Even though the chest might (big might) fits right, it looks like a sack (real big sack) on me...

 

I am a bit frustrated about that, in the end I will have to sell it and get me something else......

 

The vest itself is superb, I realy like the canvas, it has a dark and rich colour, the onewash process led to some real nice roping all around the vest. The green contrast stitching really looks good, the TCB cat patch is hilarious. Normally I can not pull off anything golden, but the buttons on the vest are not too bad realy!

Its a fuckin' shame it does not fit me 

 

 

HOPE YOURS WORKS OUT!

[volvo240thebest]

Sorry to hear that. I hope it will work out fine.

[aho]

Sugar Mountain, EXCELLENT updates (and photography as well, especially of the sakura)! This is what this thread is all about...

 

BTW, did you chance upon Freewheelers/Desolation Row? 

 

I feel like you could post at least 20 more posts from Tokyo!

[Sugar Mountain]

Cheers Aho. I went looking for Desolation Row but couldn't find it somehow and it was quite dark by that point, so it'll have to wait until next time. Current (very tentative) plan is to head back there in November. 

[bradl]

SM that is what these contests/tours are all about. Love seeing stuff like this. The way you described it, made me feel like I was there. Hopefully in the not to far future I can make my way over there.

 

But I have to hand it to you, you held up to your word on no denim. I couldn't imagine there would be many people on this forum that could do that.

[Sugar Mountain]

Haha, it took a lot of willpower at times man. Those 1001 and the 0105XX almost got me. I miss that feeling of buying a new pair, soaking them and then wearing them straight away though - just not the same when you stash jeans in the wardrobe. It probably would have been different if this holiday was a long-haul ''trip of a lifetime'' but I'm only four hours flying time away and have Take 5 in town as well so denim is easy to cop when the time is right. 

[itsbenhere]

I miss that feeling of buying a new pair, soaking them and then wearing them straight away though - just not the same when you stash jeans in the wardrobe.

 

 

 

 

Soooo true.  This has happened to me for the first time with my 3005-a and it's a completely different feeling.

[volvo240thebest]

28 weeks of wear, the stubborn bastards are slowly giving up after a long fight with the enemy. I foresee a bright future!

[Sugar Mountain]

Too true, these are the most stubborn jeans I've worn. We need some words from Ruedi about the jeans fighting hard against their own death or something... Mine are slowly, slowly giving way to some contrast.

[volvo240thebest]

Mine finally have whiskers and wear patterns formed. I feel I could start to wash often if I wanted to...but I'll hold on frequent washes until the summer. Ahah my previous post was very Ruedi like now that I see it!

[Sugar Mountain]

Personally, I'm going to keep washing mine monthly and see what happens. I'd like the denim to be lighter in colour and for the fabric to really come alive, so... Plus, I live in a grungy and humid city where after a month, the jeans certainly "feel" dirty to me!

[garden gnomes in space]

add me to the list of strugglers vs TCB jeans.  As much as I dislike the high contrast fades that many go for, Im not really getting much at all out of the TCB's.  The color has lightened up and there is a few creases and whiskers starting to show but man its getting hard to maintain enthusiasm....Lobe the cut, love the denim but I think my day to day lifestyle wont really give these jeans a run for their money haha

[volvo240thebest]

Hey Gnome don't loose the faith!!!

The denim itself fades incredibly well (I've seen it through the TCB jacket) but the nature of a very loose cut makes more difficult to get some good ole contrast.

I like the challenge though, and I am resolute to give these TCB a fucking hard time! Ahah!

As far as washes are concerned I washed these way too much at the beginning (about twice a month for the first couple of months). I didn't plan it but dad's life forces to wash often sometimes...

As soon as I seen a hint of "dadcore" fades I started to hold on washes. Since December I think I've washed the jeans three times. I aim to get a nice balance between contrasty and vintage style fades, the best of both worlds!

[Bobbo]

I do agree we're not really seeing some superspeedy results here, haha. I'm about at the same level of fades that my Warehouse 1001's had after a month. But I don't feel like it's necessarly a bad thing. I know a face or too was a bit jealous after seeing TV_Shooters results in the Devi's contest. I reckon these are gonna be well worth the hassle when we're looking back from the finishline. 

 

On another note, I'm enjoying everyones updates a lot. Was hoping I'd be part of something even a little close to the Ooe one and it lives up the first 6 months have lived up to my hype! 

 

Now go take care of business y'all.

[Bobbo]

Sorry about the double post but a beer filled bump feels legit.

 

 

I was happily surprised by Hapi Daze (from New Zealand) by Garage Project on the far right. Far more hoppy than I expected from a beer with 4.8 %. Also feels a bit dodgy/fun that they craft their beers in an old petrol station.

 

The pineapple american pale ale in the middle was also really neat. From the Swedish brewery called Brewski if you want to look it up. 

 

 

Enjoyed this somewhat crappy DIPA while watching the Manchester derby. Thank god we won this one! 

[volvo240thebest]

Pineapple beer? Jeez... Probably better than pineapple pizza though!!!

[meschan]

always wanted to get a type 2, but weather in singapore is ridiculously hot

[Bobbo]

Pineapple beer? Jeez... Probably better than pineapple pizza though!!!

 

Not as weird as it sounds. Just gives it a hint of sweetness.

[Paul T]

add me to the list of strugglers vs TCB jeans.  As much as I dislike the high contrast fades that many go for, Im not really getting much at all out of the TCB's.  The color has lightened up and there is a few creases and whiskers starting to show but man its getting hard to maintain enthusiasm....Lobe the cut, love the denim but I think my day to day lifestyle wont really give these jeans a run for their money haha

Hang on in there, folks!

 

I'm surprised at this, but maybe it's 'cos I grew up on old Levi's, and have worn a lot of Cone denim. I'm not in a hurry, and I think these are looking great.

 

I also had a very nice Meantime Black IPA last night, which I drank too quickly to photograph. Excellent stuff, without overdone hops.

 

Quick desk shot, while I work on a book edit I'm helping with, 120 pages still to proof...

 

[Maynard Friedman]

Just look at the loom chatter on that!

[volvo240thebest]

your thigh looks good Mr Paolo!

I am not in a hurry myself too but seen what i've done with the TCB 60's I thought the 50's were similar faders, but I'd say they're slighty slower. Nothing bad at all.

I am pretty confident that the Mediterranean heat/balls sweat/frequent summer wash combo will do wonders in the next months. and I also think these 50's will be a great summer jean.

[garden gnomes in space]

Just look at the loom chatter on that!

i have one of those on the back knee area.

[garden gnomes in space]

Paul T killing it again.  Looks great.  Its pics like this that reinvigorate my enthusiasm.  I just need to remind myself its not a race.  Im not really in a hurry either, but Im still getting used to the extra leisure cut the 50's have, and it seems I have been in that in between stage of denim evolution for a loooong time now.  Dad life (from here on out #dadlyphe) activities dont really help the situation, unless yogurt and sweet potato puree can provide some sick fadez

Edited April 13, 2015 by garden gnomes in space

[aho]

^On the contrary, Dad knee fades can be quite epic from all of the crawling!

[erk]

Seconded. If they're anything like cone denims, they're gonna pop one day. I've already started noticing some greatness coming through on mine. Take em as they are and forget about it. One day they'll surprise you and the results will be better and more legitimate looking than any samurais or flatheads. 

Hang on in there, folks!

 

I'm surprised at this, but maybe it's 'cos I grew up on old Levi's, and have worn a lot of Cone denim. I'm not in a hurry, and I think these are looking great.

 

I also had a very nice Meantime Black IPA last night, which I drank too quickly to photograph. Excellent stuff, without overdone hops.

 

Quick desk shot, while I work on a book edit I'm helping with, 120 pages still to proof...