Jump to content

Denim Blunders, Reflections and General Nonsense.


cmboland

Recommended Posts

Not entirely denim related, but does anyone have recommendations / suggestions for suiting brands?
I'm starting to look for a suit for my wedding in October and I know little to nothing about formal attire.
Any suggestions would be appreciated, I'm trying to see if FW might have something in the pipeline but want to browse around as well.
Orgueil seems to have some nice offerings.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

^Congrats mate!
Hansen Garments seem to have a few interesting suits, interesting fabrics aswell, linen and wool mixes, as far as I've read. 
Depending on how special you want the suit to be and so on, your best bet might even be going for a tailored suit, timing should work out fine until October

Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 minutes ago, Broark said:

Not entirely denim related, but does anyone have recommendations / suggestions for suiting brands?
I'm starting to look for a suit for my wedding in October and I know little to nothing about formal attire.
Any suggestions would be appreciated, I'm trying to see if FW might have something in the pipeline but want to browse around as well.
Orgueil seems to have some nice offerings.

https://masuya1997.com/category/item/brand/djangoatour/

… and your orgueil store

Edited by Duke Mantee
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Been thinking about my personal denim blunders and reflections, I re-read the first ten or so pages of this thread and I never even commented on this subject.

My biggest regret is trying to wear just really skinny slim tapered fits and trying to get all my shirts/jackets/etc. to fit really slim through the body and shoulders. Now I wear straight fit jeans and size my shirts based on making sure the sleeves are long enough for my arms, and everything looks so much better than most of what I wore ten years ago. I wish I could just tell me of 2010 or so to get a Flat Head 3005, or Samurai S0510xx, or Sugar Cane Okinawa, something along those lines. I also was really self-conscious about inseam length, being a tall guy. I thought that if I couldn't make a 1.5" cuff and have a strong break (or have a bunch of stacks) that my jeans were too short. Looking back, I worried about dumb stuff and not things that really mattered in getting a good fit, and feel like I wasted over half a decade in jeans I'd never wear now.

As counterintuitive as this is to current-day SuFu consensus I also wished that I'd waited longer before the first wash on almost every pair of jeans I've worn. I'm blessed with a personal biology wherein my lower half hardly ever sweats, and this combined with my generally excellent hygiene means that I've never had issues with my jeans smelling bad or otherwise getting grungy anyway. In almost every case I ended up washing because I got bored and wanted to "accelerate" the fading process. On one pair (Full Count 1108) I consciously wanted a lighter, softer vintage fade, but on everything else I wish I'd waited until the jeans really needed it. For reference I'd consider this pair of Warehouse to have pretty much my ideal level of contrast.

On a somewhat different topic, I'm frustrated that the trend of relaxed tapered fits still shows no sign of dying. It seems like at least 75% of jeans showing up at hobbyist stores are relaxed tapered fits. While it's a blessing in disguise that I'm tempted to buy less stuff, I can't figure out who these are supposed to fit. It's not a terrible idea in theory, but in my size a lot of these jeans have hems of 6.5". That's smaller than the skinniest jeans I wore back in my skinny jeans days, which at least were made of stretchy, soft fabric and not 23 oz giga-slub. These must be targeted at guys with larger waists where the hem is an inch or two wider. I suspect the whole reason why these are popular is because a lot of denim brands do a poor job of scaling up their proportions to larger sizes. The hem on a Flat Head 3005 is about 8.75" in my size (32), which is fine for me, but apparently gets too big for guys with bigger waists. Why not add a proportional tapered to the bigger waist sizes so that as they scale up, the hem is still around that same size? Seems like there's a lot of room for improvement here.

Earlier tapered fits like the Flat Head 3009 and 3Sixteen CT cut fit nicely and have a gradual taper but everyone seems to have taken it to more dramatic extremes over time. I'm not going to wear a jean that fits in the waist but has a 13" thigh and 6.5" hem.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Really slim tapered denim bugs me too. I need at least 7.75” to 8” with 8” being my preferred width. I could get away with an 8.25-8.5” hem but I don’t want something that looks too bell bottomish on my frame.

I’m trying to be better at washing my denim more frequently to prolong the life of my jeans. I’ve already had two pairs go through really bad abrasion and blowouts due to months without a wash. My oldest pair of denim is 7 yo and still going strong because they get washed more often 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, Broark said:

Not entirely denim related, but does anyone have recommendations / suggestions for suiting brands?
I'm starting to look for a suit for my wedding in October and I know little to nothing about formal attire.
Any suggestions would be appreciated, I'm trying to see if FW might have something in the pipeline but want to browse around as well.
Orgueil seems to have some nice offerings.

I know it may sound contrary to what you may be used to but try Nordstrom Rack. You may be able to find a Hickey Freeman suit for a decent price. I’d avoid places like Macy’s and such and not bother with a cheap suit. Otherwise, if you’re not looking to spend much $ then maybe renting a suit might work. I tend to look at men’s suiting/dress shoes as an investment, kinda like with denim/flannels/outerwear. You can go cheap if you don’t see yourself wearing a suit/dress shoes often, if at all, or get the best quality you can afford knowing you’ll have nice pieces later down the road for other occasions that might require you to wear a suit. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think the most important thing I learned about these cuts from seeing hundreds of people try on cuts like the PBJ 019, SDA 08 cuts, 3sixteen NT, and other similar is that it allows people across all sizes to get a jean that's comfortable w/o losing the desired amount of taper. It also allows those people who want a super slim fit who may not have very slim legs for their size get a slim look w/o having to squeeze into the more traditional slim tapered that were super common 5-8 years ago like the FH 3002, Strike gold 09 cuts, etc. That combined with most brands offering jeans in slightly shorter inseams (33-34 as opposed to 36"+), it makes the jeans easier to fit.

Kyle, you're definitely right that this works very well for people who are on the larger end of the sizes but we sell an almost equal amount of jeans to people roughly my size too who have bigger legs compared to the rest of their bodies (although these days my upper body is catching up).  

Obviously fit is subjective and I personally like more moderately tapered or wider straight cuts but from what I've seen, if you're looking for a slim fit and you dont size down aggressively, I dont think the jeans look weird/silly. At least with our customers, I also dont hear as many people complain about not getting their feet through if they listen to our advice to not size down so much. 

It's funny seeing how different forums are. you go onto reddit and the discussion for the most part would be opposite...people dont understand how a leg opening bigger than 7.5 makes sense. Even there, I think we'll see a big shift to more relaxed cuts in the next couple years and then it'll cycle back again like it always does. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, youngofthesoonest said:

I think the most important thing I learned about these cuts from seeing hundreds of people try on cuts like the PBJ 019, SDA 08 cuts, 3sixteen NT, and other similar is that it allows people across all sizes to get a jean that's comfortable w/o losing the desired amount of taper. It also allows those people who want a super slim fit who may not have very slim legs for their size get a slim look w/o having to squeeze into the more traditional slim tapered

Yea - this is me. PBJ 019 fits me like a glove - like in a good way. I don't have big legs but apparently for my waist size I do, because most slim fit jeans sized properly for my waist are just silly in the top block for me. So if I wanted that look, these cuts would be great - but I don't really - the hem at my size of PBJ's was under 6" ... just comical. I'm never a big fan of sizing up or down on the waist to make a pair work - would rather find a different cut - so if I wanted slim, these are the solution. 

The one thing that throws me off is that I think right now we're in a weird sort of plurality of styles - it seems to me that pretty much everything is simultaneously in style and out of style - overall I'm much more pleased with that than the sort decade specific trend recycling that seems to have happened in the past 60-70 years. I mean, there are still trends but they seem more eclectic than in years past from what I've seen. I think generally that the heritage/denim community or whatever you want to call it is...sort of out of step with larger trends though, often intentionally so. Even as Young points out different forums have different trends. Go on to Style Forum and it's a different take there too.

@Cold SummerThose Warehouse are nice and all but I think however your jeans turn out is fine! Like what is really the point I guess. There are things in life to regret and I get wanting the fades I think the minute the desired aesthetic overshadows the utility of the garment it becomes a little bit of a goofy game, no? I always wash my jeans a decent amount - usually can't get more than 3-4 months til the first one til they get offensive to me. Now that I don't live in the swassy south maybe I'll get a bit more out of it but 100 wears before a wash is a stretch for almost any human I think - aside from the unique specimens haunting these little internet corners I guess. I don't care how hygienic one is, for jeans that is quite a stretch - and it usually does show. Greasy/shiny lookin denim may tickle some folks but that's a sign, man. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It all depends on the person, I guess. A few years ago I wore a pair of 3Sixteen RH15 jeans that I didn't wash until after ten months of wear and they weren't dirty or smelly even then - AND this was a pair that fit extremely slim, unlike the jeans I wear nowadays. But I realize my situation is somewhat uncommon. If your jeans get gross, by all means wash them. I definitely don't advocate a one-size-fits-all approach. It's all going to come down to your personal biology, hygiene, and desired type of fade. The amount of variation in how a well-worn pair of jeans turns out is one of the things that's continued to keep this hobby fun for me over the years.

Edited by Cold Summer
Link to comment
Share on other sites

As above, fit is really individual. You all know I wear a tapered fit but having a short inseam for my height means hemming them as much as I do loses some of the taper and leaves me with a nice fit (in my opinion) Wider fits and hems 8 inch and above just don't feel comfortable/look right on me (again, in my opinion)

For me a hemmed 019 or 108 as referenced above are great fits. Comfortable in the top block and don't swamp me at the ankle. They are also worn without a big turn up so I can wear with sneakers/T-shirt or a bit smarter for when I'm in the office. 

Re fade/wash routine regrets I left that mindset behind 10 years ago. Fades have never been my primary focus, although I obviously appreciate a nice worn in pair, for me it's fit, fabric  construction that counts.  If it don't fit well it doesn't get worn.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

23 hours ago, Double 0 Soul said:

Congrats B!

Sup with the tux from your highschool prom?

Thanks 00, I'm pretty sure I wore one of my dad's suits for prom...I've always been a big guy. :D

Appreciate the feedback provided, DA seems like another good option.
Might do some shopping locally, we used to have a nice local shop offering suiting but I think they closed a few years back.
Only people in Austin that wear suits are government employees and lawyers. Of which I am neither.
Don't need anything incredibly over the top, still hunting for something FW as I feel like I'd be more apt to wear it again.
Jackson suit perhaps?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, goodrain said:

FW is not gonna go with what your bride is wearing

I mean the Jackson suit isn't that over the top in my opinion. I just would actually wear the jacket in a causal setting as well.
Not considering any of their more attention seeking offerings.

1 minute ago, Maynard Friedman said:

Congratulations Broark! You can’t beat a Birthday Suit on your wedding day.

 Now this might raise some eyebrows. :D Thanks Maynard! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not set on it by any means, I was just trying to buy something that I might actually wear again.
Rental might be the best option if I go traditional.
I think they have other pants that don't have all those buttons up the hem.
And I wouldn't go for the vest I don't think.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Double 0 Soul said:

I'd just wear whatev's you like, i did, you can put way too much consideration into this kind of thing...wanting it all to be perfect but within a few short months nobody remembers what you wore anyhow.

This is the best advice. :D At the end of the day I'm just trying to justify a purchase for an alternative use.
No one gives a toss about what I look like on that day after all!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Broark said:

This is the best advice. :D At the end of the day I'm just trying to justify a purchase for an alternative use.
No one gives a toss about what I look like on that day after all!

Exactly. Keep your cash for a great honeymoon Broark. That'll be something worth investing in, a treasured memory that will last a lifetime. You got enough clothes :laugh:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When it came to the suit, I def went more practical with mine and got a suit that I could wear for other people's weddings to maximize the amount of times I could wear it. I pretty much wore my exact wedding attire for at least 4-5 weddings minus the shirt because somehow I got a giant stain on the shirt. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...