Denim Blunders, Reflections and General Nonsense.

[edmond]

Oh right yes! Ill check that out for you dont worry!

[Cold Summer]

I feel like if you're not wearing an outfit that you pulled out of a mine shaft you don't get much respect around there.

 

 

Haha yeah, this (along with the general over-the-top pretension) is why I almost never visit that site. Yuck.

 

I hate the Reddit format but there's some good discussion on /rawdenim. And I like that the community is pretty friendly (Superdenim is good now but when I first got into raw denim it seemed like a bunch of obnoxious jerks.) Then again, I only read a very small slice of topics of discussion on that site (same here) about the brands I follow.

 

The biggest problem with /rawdenim is how much it focuses on starter brands like Unbranded or Gustin and boring brands like Tellason and Baldwin. 

[Raoul Duke]

Funny, I find the /r/rawdenim/ community too friendly.  If you ask some dumb shit question that you can find the answer to on google in 5 seconds, you should be lambasted for it. 

[itsbenhere]

I never get people who would rather have a few pairs of really shitty raw denim than one nice pair, and that seems to be really common there.

 

Personally if I couldn't manage a way to swing the money I don't think I'd interest myself in this stuff at all, I'd rather save my time and wear "normal" clothes.

 

Another thing I've been thinking is that if I had to recommend anything to anyone, I'd say hands down that high quality denim, t-shirts, and a leather belt/wallet are the best investment and give you the most bang for your buck. Whose with me? I think no matter what I will always have those things.

 

T shirts were added since I bought a 20 buck t shirt from this random place and it got a huge hole in the sleeve after I wore it a few times...

[Iron Horse]

Good boots too; they'll likely outlast your favorite jeans. 

[Broark]

Totally agree with you on the quality basics Ben, it's stuff I never get tired of and will hold up for years to come.

Although I bought a stripe boarder LVC tee on sale a few months ago and washed it twice and it started developing holes on both sides. Some brands aren't worth the asking price...glad I didn't pay anywhere close to retail for it.

But my other nicer tees (TFH, IH, RMC, Tezomeya, etc.) are fantastic.

[Iron Horse]

Respectfully, anyone who pays full retail price for LVC probably has too much money on their hands.

[bradl]

My loopwheel IH pocket tee has two small holes in it, happened in first three months of having it too, yet my Stone Cold Steve Austin shirt from Walmart I got in 2002 is in perfect condition.

But I still agree

[Quoise1203]

where to cop the stone cold?

[FreeCharlesManson]

i think my biggest blunder was a pair of nudies that i bought when i was getting into the raw scene, now i don't even like the cut(slim straight) or the denim(too boring). I wish i had heard of japan blue earlier so i could have some decent quality raws when i started.

[DhaDha]

Another thing I've been thinking is that if I had to recommend anything to anyone, I'd say hands down that high quality denim, t-shirts, and a leather belt/wallet are the best investment and give you the most bang for your buck. Whose with me? I think no matter what I will always have those things.

 

T shirts were added since I bought a 20 buck t shirt from this random place and it got a huge hole in the sleeve after I wore it a few times...

 

I agree with denim, leather stuff and footwear, but i don't really feel T-shirt costing $90-200. yes they are better made in every which ways and feel hella nice, but i don't see their value proposition over, say, Uniqlo supima T costing $12 at most. Maybe it's because my wardrobe is far from complete, and right now a luxurious T shirt is not on my to-buy list yet though. 

 

 

Respectfully, anyone who pays full retail price for LVC probably has too much money on their hands.

 

 

ouch. out of the two LVC pairs i have, the '33 were bought full price, since i didn't know better, and the '47 were bought at 40% off, but then i got hit with 40% custom duty (again, didn't yet know any better), they were as good as full price. lesson learned. 

 

while we are on the topic of LVC, why so much hate? places like stylecreep.com (amateur and professional on eBay) got them pretty much discounted all year round. while their quality isn't top notch like flat head, iron heart, etc. etc. i am also under the impression that they are never meant to be. levi's of old was never a high end company, making clothes for people with garment fetish (let's face it thats what we are). while companies like WH can get away with denim changing from lot to lot, LVC get a lot of shit for the same shortcoming (character?). i heard Paul T asks this question somewhere sometime ago, which is more accurate, LVC whose products show as much variation in denim, details as the original, or japanese repro, whose replication of a few selected original garments are refined to the nth degree?

Edited August 24, 2015 by DhaDha

[Blue Nemo]

LVC is LVC, I have no problem with their product range, nor with their flawed accuracy in terms of their historical details. You just got check out Paul Ts thread to read this.

My problem is, that it's rntirely overpriced stuff, that isn't even entirely made in the USA. And that is what LVC was about when they started, at least for me. Accurate details and entirely made in USA. Vater&Sohn started with LVC in their lineup, the first stuff was all great and made in the USA, one year ago they got a whole bunch of stuff made in Portugal. Same tags, same price, and no communication regarding he change at all......

I have no problem with Made in Portugal/EU. But when it comes to LVC this development is just bullshit, pure hypocrisy and greed!

Edited August 24, 2015 by Blue Nemo

[Blue Nemo]

It's the same with RRL. Just don't know yet if I equally despise both brands... Oh and Lee 101. From the three I hate 101 the least, but only because they are not as successful as the other two! And I hate Evisu International, for what it could have been, although it amuses me how successful it was some years ago.... Oh and it's very depressing to see what it is nowadays. Still shitty, but with zero success IMO.

So much hate!!!

Edited August 24, 2015 by Blue Nemo

[Iron Horse]

DhaDha, perhaps I should say "consistently buys LVC at full retail price..." 

 

The impression I get is that their target is some denim heads, and rich dudes who don't know better. I feel the same way about RRL, though the latter has no compunction to sell you a made in China leather jacket for $1,800. 

 

Then again, who among us hasn't overpaid for something? I still can't believe how much I paid for my Lee 101 Riders jeans.

 

Edit: Damn, Blue Nemo beat me on both the RRL and Lee 101 points...wavelengths...

Edited August 24, 2015 by Iron Horse

[Blue Nemo]

^ good to have you on board!

[Broark]

Totally agree on both LVC and RRL, I've only ever purchased items from both on sale and I'd likely never pay full retail for them considering the quality I've experienced.

It's a shame since they have the capability to produce some solid stuff, but they choose to skip on quality and sell at an incredibly high price that isn't justified.

I'd like to get some 1947 501's just for my collection, but I wouldn't even consider it at unless it's during a sale...

[DhaDha]

my impression has always been that RRL/LVC target a very different group than FH/IH/etc. The way I see them is really the americana cosplaying offshoot of the mainstream menswear world, not the details and quality orientated niche of Sufu-like crowd. these are the people who are buying brands like engineer garment, namamica, visvim, etc. and as such the made in usa isn't that big of a deal (after all RRL is still doing quite well).

 

i agree that, going back to the old discussion here on sufu, LVC started off with a noble if lofty goal, and over time their production and outlook degraded, which is a shame. But i don't think they would have survived otherwise. after all you just cannot dissociate LVC, a supposedly high end brand, with levi's, a mall brand. there's just too much overlapping in brand image to make LVC a truly high-end brand, image wise, and that bled into the overall quality and production of the garments. now, as for the price, nobody ever consistently pay full prices for seasonal stuff anyway (well, after they made a few painful and expensive Suggested Retail Price purchase). on discount, the price/quality ratio is quite decent. 

 

after all is said and done, i went back to my 1947 today, and that warmed my heart a little you know. somehow they still have the soul (albeit mangled out of shape) of the blue jeans that changed the world. i still want them all, the '44 '66 '55 '37 and the rest of them, with the right arc and tab and patch, although probably not at full retail price haha. 

Edited August 24, 2015 by DhaDha

[itsbenhere]

I agree with denim, leather stuff and footwear, but i don't really feel T-shirt costing $90-200. yes they are better made in every which ways and feel hella nice, but i don't see their value proposition over, say, Uniqlo supima T costing $12 at most. Maybe it's because my wardrobe is far from complete, and right now a luxurious T shirt is not on my to-buy list yet though. 

 

Sorry, I should've mentioned the price on those... if you know what size you are and are ok with buying from japan and whatever that comes with, you can cop flat head tees for 50-70 bucks. Over 100 is too much for a tee in my opinion, but 60? Shit, you can go to whatever "chill" store you want and buy some chinese-made garbage with a cool graphic on it for that price.

[cmboland]

Sorry, I should've mentioned the price on those... if you know what size you are and are ok with buying from japan and whatever that comes with, you can cop flat head tees for 50-70 bucks. Over 100 is too much for a tee in my opinion, but 60? Shit, you can go to whatever "chill" store you want and buy some chinese-made garbage with a cool graphic on it for that price.

 

 

Someone thought my $5 clearance target tee was a MF tee. im good with that

[dwilson123]

One issue I've ran into with the graphic T's from most Japanese brands is they love the automotive and biking culture.  Obviously inspired by 50's motor clubs which is the era they're trying to reproduce.  The issue is I don't really have much of a passion for bikes or cars.  So I feel like a bit of a poser when I wear something like my TSG Hot Rod Customs t-shirt or a TFH graphic.  I love the shirts and the design but I've been asked a few times what kind of car I own and I have to kind of reluctantly say .... Um a honda civic.

[Blue Nemo]

Just say it as if a Honda civic is the real shit!

But I agree with you on that, I prefer blank white tees anyway.

[DhaDha]

white T is the hallmark of civilisation 

[Blue Nemo]

the word civilization always leaves a bad taste in my mouth...

[Geeman]

Sorry, I should've mentioned the price on those... if you know what size you are and are ok with buying from japan and whatever that comes with, you can cop flat head tees for 50-70 bucks. Over 100 is too much for a tee in my opinion, but 60? Shit, you can go to whatever "chill" store you want and buy some chinese-made garbage with a cool graphic on it for that price.

This. If you know your size there really is no reason not to buy TFH tshirt from Japan. I pay around 35 to 40 GBP from Yuichi, absolutely the best tshirts I own. It's even worth paying more to get your first one outside of Japan to get your size nailed. Granted some of the logo ones are a little over the top but the plain ones or the simple logo ones are bang on.

[SuperJackle]

... if you know what size you are and are ok with buying from japan and whatever that comes with, you can cop flat head tees for 50-70 bucks. Over 100 is too much for a tee in my opinion, but 60?

This. No offense to self edge or others but since I've started buying shit from pirates, 2nd, denimio etc, I cant see myself paying US retail prices.

 

 

EDIT: Geeman, you beat me to it!

Edited August 25, 2015 by SuperJackle

[SuperJackle]

One issue I've ran into with the graphic T's from most Japanese brands is they love the automotive and biking culture.  Obviously inspired by 50's motor clubs which is the era they're trying to reproduce.  The issue is I don't really have much of a passion for bikes or cars.  So I feel like a bit of a poser when I wear something like my TSG Hot Rod Customs t-shirt or a TFH graphic.  I love the shirts and the design but I've been asked a few times what kind of car I own and I have to kind of reluctantly say .... Um a honda civic.

I with you on this, I love FH and IH but don't relate to the hot rod/bike angle. But FH has a lot of really cool other designs which are old western, space age themes, retro casino/bar culture. Some really cool shit. Browse 2nd sometime for FH tees. Enormous selection.

[dwilson123]

I with you on this, I love FH and IH but don't relate to the hot rod/bike angle. But FH has a lot of really cool other designs which are old western, space age themes, retro casino/bar culture. Some really cool shit. Browse 2nd sometime for FH tees. Enormous selection.

 

Yep I really love their native American themed shirts.  They're my favorites.  But I overall prefer TSG t-shirts to TFH.  TSG shirts just fit me perfect.

[unders]

At the risk of multiple neg reps, you can't beat a Motörhead tee.

[Blue Nemo]

At the risk of multiple neg reps, you can't beat a Motörhead tee.

 

 

well, it's a product of modern-slave-labour-- but its an awesome band!!

Edited August 25, 2015 by Blue Nemo

[cmboland]

On another note, I really want a pair of skull 5010xx. Problem is not enough legs.