Denime 66xx World Tour

[chicote]

Hahah, yes it is! And same here; I caught myself doing about that speed going down it last night! I work in the Admiral District and it is pretty odd, feels like a small town. The same few people come into my place almost every day, the old movie theater down the street is still running, and so is the arcade game-filled bar around the corner. Did you go to West Seattle High?

[volvo240thebest]

whoa Chicote for president! Volvo scout, mullet extraordinaire, and all around denim tour bitch!

really appreciated your very entertaining posts, bravo.

We want you for the next TCB contest, dead or alive (mullet is mandatory though)!!!

[Maynard Friedman]

The love child of Volvo and Ooms!

[Max Power]

Great Updates Chicote, always nice to see new places this well documented. The jeans are looking great as well.

[oomslokop]

The love child of Volvo and Ooms!

 

volvoomschicobest!

[volvo240thebest]

^ slendermulletthebest

[louisbosco]

hahaha and also the coin pocket was from my zippo from taking it out and putting it back in. quite the smoker, so quite the fades too..

[chicote]

Sorry for my long absence, i've been working doubles the whole last week and today's my first day off.

 

So I spent the morning talking to (really, talking at) a bunch of high school kids! I was invited to a high school in north seattle to extoll the virtues of postponing going to university and working/travelling/generally figuring out what you want to do with your life. Nobody asked any questions, everybody was on their phones the whole time, and three people made fun of my mullet. So these things go...

 

Anyway, afterwards I went back to work and covered the end of my friend's shift and then went to Alki Beach, which is down the road. On the left side of Alki Road are all these little seaside stores, fish markets and restaurants and the like:

 

 

And on the right side, the ocean!

 

 

I sat on the stairs and smoked cigarettes like the disaffected businessperson I was this morning, and worked a bit on a poem for the poetry slam I go to on Wednesdays. Here's a quick fit pic (these jeans fit so well!)

 

 

A couple of days ago, I slipped into the rails of the new streetcar line and got tossed off my bike. Didn't get scraped up too badly, but the jeans, unfortunately, lost out:

 

 

Oh well! About time these lost some color anyways.

 

On my way back I drove through the city and by this nice mural of Sodo:

 

 

And also by the old Filson headquarters!

 

 

I'm hoping to follow up this evening with some photos from the poetry slam, and (if I make it in time) some photos from Blue Owl in Fremont and from a show I might go to downtown!

 

 

Woohoo! Okay, see y'all later!

Edited June 2, 2016 by chicote

[chicote]

Hey everyone!

 

Gosh it's late, but I'll try and get this done so I don't have to worry about it before work tomorrow.

 

Well, firstly, I made it to Blue Owl!

 

 

Kevin, Alex, Logan and Jay were all working, and it was nice to see them all—otherwise, the shop was pretty quiet. Everyone thought the concept of this world tour was pretty funny, and we sat around and talked for a while up until around closing. But first—they let me take some pictures around the store!

 

The shop was expanded a couple of years ago to take this whole huge back room—when I first came here a few years ago, it was just the front area where Jay works and what's now the storage space behind it.

 

 

Along the front walls they've got a bunch of faded denim; lots of Momotaro, since that is Blue Owl's 'flagship' brand, so to speak, but also 3sixteen, PBJ, Japan Blue, etc.

 

 

So many shades of indigo on this table! All PBJ and SDA.

 

 

Here, actually, is my first pair of Japanese denim, which I bought here almost four years ago—a Japan Blue and Momotaro "collaboration" (though the extent to which it's a collaboration and not just an amalgamation is up for debate, as they're part of the same parent company anyway). Wow, sorry these pictures are all so horrible.

 

 

They poured me a glass of local whiskey while I was in, so nice! Whiskey glass pictured empty (I had some of the peated whiskey from the bottle on the right in the background).

 

 

Finally, a look at their slightly jerry-rigged Union Special, which has hemmed a probably-uncountable number of jeans (at least five of mine!). The thing on the top is the speed dial, which is reportedly set between 640 and 680 stitches per minute for most hems—that's more than 10 stitches per second, for those of you keeping score at home.

 

 

And a clandestine look at their storeroom—ooh:

 

Edited June 2, 2016 by chicote

[chicote]

A block or so out of Blue Owl is this statue of Lenin. I don't know why it's here, but people seem to like it a lot.

 

After some preliminary research, I've found that the statue was originally made in Czechoslovakia in 1988, but removed after the Velvet Revolution, which was the end of communist rule in that country. The statue passed through some apparent period of limbo and then was purchased by an English teacher who came across it in a Czechoslovakian scrapyard. The teacher mortgaged his house to be able to afford the statue and its shipment back to the US ($50,000+ in total) and then was killed in a car accident shortly after the statue arrived at his home. His family placed it here, at this corner, in 1995, apparently as a means of advertising it to potential buyers (current asking price $250,000).

 

 

Moving on now, to get some beer!

 

 

This is Outlander, which is basically a house that had a home-brewery in the basement, but then the brewery took over the house! They're known for a lot of experimental beers, like a basil ale, a mushroom stout, a number of smoked and barrel-aged things, but they also do straight-up ales, stouts and lagers (mainly) very well.

 

I had the "que pasilla" amber, which supposedly had some kind of chili in it, although I didn't taste it much.

 

 

And after a half-hour there, struggling through this Vollman book, I left to go catch the poetry slam!

 

But first, a stop at the ~~world famous~~ Fremont Troll!!!

 

 

It lives under the bridge and was captured in the process of eating a (real) old car! I'm surprised there weren't a bunch of tourists climbing on it when I came by; usually it's hard to get a clear photo. Enjoy it while you can!

 

Anyway, then I got to the slam—Alex Dang was the feature, who came up from Portland and kicked ass! This was really one of the best slams I've been to in ages, definitely the best one this year.

 

 

Unfortunately, someone stole my bike while I was in there, so I won't be able to adventure quite as much unless it somehow makes its way back to me. We'll see!

Edited June 2, 2016 by chicote

[oomslokop]

some videos of your slam would be great @chicote!

[chicote]

There's a youtube channel, but it's not updated very frequently. Anyway, Ian performed this one again tonight, so hopefully it sort-of counts!

 

[chicote]

Hi everyone!

I suppose it's high time that I begin to ask: who else wants to wear these pants?

I think I still have a week or so left, but it's looking as though work will continue to deny me the opportunity to share this wonderful city with you all. I'm planning to go on a hike next Monday but that may be my final contribution to this leg of the tour.

[mandel9000]

It would be fun to wear and document the jeans in August as it's the most action filled month of my (work) year, but I guess someone can take a turn in between, depending on how long it takes to send them. I'm in Norway by the way.

Any month works for me though!

[Hendsch]

I could probably do it, and I'm just down in Portland. Has the waist stretched at all? I'm in between a 30 and a 31.

[chicote]

The waist and entire top block shrinks a lot when they're out of the wash, but the denim gives within a few hours and could end up working for you. If you'd like I could try and drive down to portland some time next week to have you try them out—i have some friends down there i've been meaning to visit anyway. (edit: contingent upon the guidelines we've set out for this world tour—I'd like to at least get flash's approval to pass the jeans along to somebody who wasn't on the original list.)

Edited June 9, 2016 by chicote

[Flash]

Fine by me , this is your tour guys

[louisbosco]

i thought there was a list on the first post. check with those there. from when i last updated, people might have changed their minds...

[Hendsch]

Don't want to step on any toes, so go with the list people first    

 

But if no one wants them, I'll gladly put my mark on them for a bit.

Edited June 9, 2016 by Hendsch

[louisbosco]

Calling anyone in the order the list if they want the pair next.. if not they can go to hendsch..

 

The list so far:

1) louisbosco

2) lukenstein

3) Rightyow77

4) chicote

5) Artisandenim

6) Lendo

7) Mandel9000

8) SLAB

Edited June 13, 2016 by louisbosco

[Artisandenim]

Hi guys, sorry I haven't been posting (anywhere) for a while - there is a reason which I will explain shortly...

 

I have been following with interest though - well done everyone so far, its been really interesting and enjoyable having a little window into your neighborhoods and lives, thank you!

 

No problem with them going to Hendsch before me especially as he is so (relatively) local to Chicote. Enjoy 

[mandel9000]

No problems at all with Hendsch taking June-July, but would you mind trading places with me, @Artisandenim? I have so much fun going on in August and close to nothing in September, just thought it would be more interesting to follow for the rest here. We're both in Europe, so shipping should work out well. 

 

Edit: Just saw that @Lendo is in-between too, no worries if it's a lot of hassle to change the order. 

Edited June 13, 2016 by mandel9000

[Flash]

Don't think lendo is taking part anymore ( but check first )

[Hendsch]

Thanks for having me guys! Gonna be an interesting time in my life as my wife and I are moving everything to LA mid-July. Gonna take the time I have left here as a goodbye to Oregon, so I'll make it fun for you all!

[louisbosco]

Hi guys, sorry I haven't been posting (anywhere) for a while - there is a reason which I will explain shortly...

 

I have been following with interest though - well done everyone so far, its been really interesting and enjoyable having a little window into your neighborhoods and lives, thank you!

 

No problem with them going to Hendsch before me especially as he is so (relatively) local to Chicote. Enjoy 

 

 

hope everything is going well with you..

Edited June 13, 2016 by louisbosco

[Cucoo]

hope everything is going well with you..

 

He's fine, we ran into each other in April

[chicote]

Sorry for the cell phone pic, but here they are after their third and final wash of my leg, just about to be driven down to portland to pass on to Blake! The denim is puckering at the seams, marbling under the pockets and just beginning to get streaky down the thighs. It's been a wonderful month, thanks everybody for following!

[Lendo]

Don't think lendo is taking part anymore ( but check first )

I'm too fat to participate.

 

[Hendsch]

Ian just dropped off the pants! I'll get a proper fit pick up tomorrow, but for the time being here they are.

[louisbosco]

nice one. where's this leg gonna take us?