Denim Blunders, Reflections and General Nonsense.

[dudewuttheheck]

It's funny how so many narratives begin with a kind of psychological neuroticism and, over time, move towards an awareness, acceptance and therefore overcoming of the neurosis.

 

Denim is therapy guys; probably more expensive than going to a psychologist too.

Yeah, but it's more fun too

[FeloniousMonk]

Anyone have any theories about letting denim "rest" between wears? As in, and I'm not sure how much truth there is to this, people claim rotating pairs of shoes gives them longer life because the shoe gets a chance to dry out from moisture and bacteria.

 

A bit of daily rotation does seem to help, and it's part of why I always keep at least two pairs of jeans in rotation. When I tried wearing one pair every day, they felt like they needed a wash almost every 2-3 weeks even in the fall/winter. It's not so much that they would start to smell (though that definitely could happen), more that a pair of jeans getting worn too often starts to get stiff and a little scratchier from the buildup of oils, salts, and grime in the fabric. If I've got two pairs in rotation, I tend to wash them about every two months in the fall or spring, so they're getting closer to 4-5 weeks of wear before hitting the same point.

 

In NYC July/August, all those average times between washes roughly halve.

 

Also not quite sure why this helps, but hanging the jeans up outside in the sun and a breeze seems to keep them even fresher for longer. This may all be placebo effect, but they do seem to stay comfortable and clean a bit longer if I hang my jeans out on the fire escape for an afternoon while puttering about the neighborhood.

[mlwdp]

I'm actually thinking about becoming a proxy buyer for Greensboro/Winston Salem/Asheville/Raleigh stores. I live in NC by way of Greensboro and have access to Cone Mills denim products, etc. Some of the stores I go to only list half of their available inventory online anyway. Just need people to tell me what they want I'll check and I'll think about it/see what I can do.

Edited August 19, 2016 by mlwdp

[SuperJackle]

I think I've grown fatigued with the "workwear" aesthetic. As I see RgT's new fw16 drop, I cant help but think - perfect, more flannels. It's taken me quite awhile to realize how much workwear was in my wardrobe from all different makers, USA and Japan, and I guess I never really wondered why so much focus on this type of clothing. These types of clothes aren't the only things that can be made well and to last. Granted, there's only so much one can do with a shirt/fabric without taking on some weirdo, high fashion, robert gellar shit, but companies like FH can so some cool fabric tweaking.

 

As I've had to move to more office appropriate attire, Ive had to move on from flannels, boots, workshirts, etc. I'm diggin the kind of 60's ivy league vibe that warehouse and full count dabble in, and have a few jeans and shirts from both. Any other Japanese makers that go this route instead of so much workwear? Anyone have experience with kamakura shirts?

 

Okay, rant over

Edited August 26, 2016 by SuperJackle

[mlwdp]

Maybe Nanimica or Beams. They seem to do the Ivy/business attire well.

[Geeman]

Maybe Nanimica or Beams. They seem to do the Ivy/business attire well.

Agreed, also engineered garments do some nice pieces to mix things up with. Gitman are also worth considering.

I've also been tempted by those kamakura shirts, just need to decide on the sizing and I'll pull the trigger.

[redragon]

@SuperJackle

http://dieworkwear.com might be what you are looking for.

[Niro]

Check out Ring Jacket. They are a Japanese brand but they have some stockists in USA.

 

Have a look at their blog page. They have that look on lockdown, 

 

http://ringjacket.com/blog.php

[SuperJackle]

Thank you for the suggestions gentlemen! I've been getting some stuff from tailor stitch and others which is great for the price. It definitely lacks the attention to detail that most of us are used to getting in our jeans and other garments though. Ring jacket looks pretty promising...

[mlwdp]

Thank you for the suggestions gentlemen! I've been getting some stuff from tailor stitch and others which is great for the price. It definitely lacks the attention to detail that most of us are used to getting in our jeans and other garments though. Ring jacket looks pretty promising...

If you can find it. I think it's long sold out unless you can find it online or someone posted it here.

Edited August 28, 2016 by mlwdp

[Iron Horse]

Workers (ironically) would be right up your alley, especially their spring/summer clothes.

http://www.e-workers.net

[denihilist]

the pieces I regret sleeping on the most are workers pieces.

[Maynard Friedman]

I know what you mean, sleeping on stuff can really leave it crumpled but if you iron it or simply hang it out, it should be OK.

[mlwdp]

When it comes to rain or snow, do most of us wear a different denim specifically for the elements or just deal with it?

[setterman]

I wear the same jeans year round, and between the depths of winter and the peak of summer there's about a 60 to 70 degree difference in the high temperature.

 

If you're going to be outside for an extended amount of time in sub-freezing weather, just put on long underwear.  No reason to have a specific pair of jeans for the winter, especially since most of us don't live our lives outdoors then, and if we do, there's better choices to wear other than heavy weight denim that loses its insulation properties when it gets wet.     

[Bobbo]

I mostly agree with Setterman. I tend to lay off jeans that are too tightly woven during the summer. But when it comes to rain and snow I just treat my jeans like the workwear they are - no need to treat them with silky gloves and wear longjohns if it gets too cold.
 

Edited September 1, 2016 by Bobbo

[Niro]

I have rotation for summer and a rotation for winter...dictated by the temperature and nothing else...denim sucks in rain.

 

Extended time in the rainy outdoors? Then waterproof coveralls are your best friend

[stadsvandringar]

As there's quite a bit of difference in seasonal temperature where I live (Japan), I don't think it's physically possible to wear the same thing year round. I guess it's possible, but it would make me ridiculously uncomfortable. Denim-wise it's absolutely lighter weights for the summer (linen blends are even better) and heavy weights for the winter. Houses here have really poor insulation, making my place crazy hot in the summer and crazy cold in the winter. I have an aversion to long johns too, I find them really uncomfortable. Heavy pants and insulated tops are the way to go, layering up when necessary.

 

I agree that for rain it's not a big deal to wear jeans. If you're expecting a downpour or to get soaked you may want to take some precautions, but otherwise it's all good. I personally don't like wearing jeans in the snow if you know you're going to get salt on them. It's really annoying.

[Iron Horse]

Wax-coated denim is the only way to go in rain, IMHO.

[spitfiredealer]

I used to wear the same jeans all year round but these days i don't see the point in wearing super heavy denim in the really hot months. Guess that is down to me not being so concerned with getting the killer fadez

[oomslokop]

the amount of leg hair you have is an often overlooked factor when deciding whether or not it is wise to wear heavy jeans in hot weather. i'm asian, my legs are hairless as a babe, and have no problem wearing 19oz in the dry season.

[BrownMetallic]

I have rotation for summer and a rotation for winter...dictated by the temperature and nothing else ...

Agree__ for muggy NYC mid-summers, lighter/looser weaved & old/worn in pairs for breathability. Also, I try not to sched breaking in RAWs, as they're stuffy [like wearing a plastic bag] ... 🔥schweaty balls, is not how I roll

Edited September 2, 2016 by BrownMetallic

[FeloniousMonk]

I have rotation for summer and a rotation for winter...dictated by the temperature and nothing else...

 

Same here. Anything really tightly-woven (looking at you, Flat Head) or over 15 oz just feels uncomfortable in the NYC summers. So I always have a couple mid-weight jeans on rotation in the summer and heavier jeans in the winter. No real rhyme or reason to when I switch the rotations, just typically sometime in Oct/Nov and March/April when it makes sense to wash the pairs I've been wearing for the past several months.

 

Denim in the rain is fine, just like wearing jeans when running around in the park or going for a bike ride (or moving). It puts some good wear into them, and tends to leave a nice story in the jeans. But you want to make sure you can change out of them right after, or else you're going to have a miserable rest of your day.

[Geeman]

the amount of leg hair you have is an often overlooked factor when deciding whether or not it is wise to wear heavy jeans in hot weather. i'm asian, my legs are hairless as a babe, and have no problem wearing 19oz in the dry season.

Leg hair is an overlooked factor and I'm Asian my legs are hairless as a babe are not quotes I often read and would only find here!!! LMAO Ooms,you've made my day

[ColonelAngus]

When it comes to rain or snow, do most of us wear a different denim specifically for the elements or just deal with it?

I just deal with it. Like some of the others, I avoid tightly woven denim in the sumners cuz it feels kike i'm wearing a burlap sack in the heat. I get warm easily so I mostly wear shorts when it's unbearably hot out. In the winter I just wear thermals. I have 3 pairs of 17oz denim that I haven't worn yet because i'm breaking in other jeans.

[SuperJackle]

Anyone else take issue with people describing their outfit as "kit" as of late? Seems like an RgT/Reddit/Instagram thing. Maybe I'm just becoming a cranky old geezer though.

[itsbenhere]

yes its annoying and i hate it too... were both cranky

[Niro]

'kit' is British slang word for outfit/clothing

 

another slang word that has got popular outside UK in social media/internet

[Iron Horse]

Maybe they forgot their caboodles at home?

[mlwdp]

Imogene + Willie are in the news, but it's not good:

http://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2016/08/31/imogene-willie-investors-accuse-founders-fraud/89670592/