Hi,
I wanted to share my experience with Spare jeans, a Montreal MTM jeans/jackets, family-owned, operation. I had the pleasure to meet with Prospero Rey, his wife and his kid. I'm in the process of having a jean made, so expect some updates to this post.
First let's get the price out of the way: 200CAD + taxes for a custom pair of jeans. Very reasonable for what you get IMO.
He only uses Japanese denim, from Kaihara, Kuroki and Nihon menpu.
He only has a few rolls available but can order about anything from those mills, as long as he feels he can use the whole fabric roll for other customers (so probably not ultra-heavyweight, ultra-neppy or very special denim). He can only order 59 yards roll and doesn't want to waste anything.
He doesn't seem like a fabric nut and has a very small selection in the shop, which seems fair considering the size of the operation. On the other end, he seems extremely detail-oriented on the making itself.
He uses old sewing machines, a Mitsubishi for the chain stitches (he is looking at getting a Union Special).
Talking with him was a pleasure, and I thought I'd give him a try and report back. I'm passionate about clothing, and wear a mix of sartorially inspired outfits, but also like to venture into workwear from time to time. I'm already familiar with high-end Japanese denim (either because I could see them first hand or try them on, or knowledge gathered from the internet) and own a few quality jeans (a Momotaro, a Blackhorselane, a couple of nudies).
My idea was a pair of jeans inspired by vintage levis (1947). I'm not a repro fanatic, even though I like vintage-inspired clothing, so I didn't want a perfect repro (although I'm sure you could have one made if that's your thing).
I went with a fairly high rise, straight leg fit, using a Kaihara 14.5oz denim. I chose no pattern on the pockets, copper rivets (hidden on the back pockets), button fly, striped cotton half pocket lining in the back pockets, classic white Japanese organic cotton pocket bags at the front and classic gold stitching.
Nothing fancy, something simple and easy to wear. He showed me some pairs he made with flat felling instead of lock stitching along the inside leg seam. Everything was very clean and well made. He also showed me some denim jackets and cinch back jeans with external suspender buttons.
It started with trying on a pair of try on pants. He didn't have any 30 sizes left so you will see me wearing a 31 on the pictures, hence the not so perfect fit. It was already quite good though and we only had to make minor adjustments to the fit. I, unfortunately, didn't take enough pictures of what he can do on the sample jeans he showed me. Some stuff is pretty funky but those are customer's demands.
I hope this will catch your interest and will update with more pics from the making (he will send me a video) and from the finished product.
Thanks for reading!
Album:
https://imgur.com/a/glW9Phq

ACRONYM®
EUROPE:
http://www.acrnm.com 
http://www.nemen.it
http://www.hanon-shop.com
http://www.firmamentberlin.com
http://www.thebureaubelfast.com
http://www.endclothing.com
http://www.peggsandson.com
http://www.18montrose.com
http://www.azitastore.com
http://www.beliefmoscow.com [not EU]

ASIA:
http://www.eliminator.co.jp
http://shop-casablanca.com
http://hbx.com
http://www.digital-mountain.net
http://www.boutique-hermitage.com
http://www.links-gohongi.com
http://store-public.com
https://www.ink-clothing.com

AMERICA:
http://www.fwrd.com
http://kithnyc.com
http://store.unionlosangeles.com
http://havenshop.ca
http://www.revivemi.com
http://shop.bdgastore.com
http://www.thedarksideinitiative.com
http://www.hotoveli.com
http://www.idolbrooklyn.com
http://www.saintalfred.com
http://www.notre-shop.com

OFFLINE:
http://www.andreasmurkudis.com
http://www.cathedral-oj.jp
http://softs.to
 
ARC'TERYX VEILANCE
EUROPE:
http://www.endclothing.com
http://www.norsestore.com
http://www.peggsandson.com
http://caliroots.com
http://www.coggles.com
http://www.nittygrittystore.com
http://nowhere.ie
http://www.oneblockdown.it
http://ist.290sqm.com [not EU]

AMERICA:
http://www.altitude-sports.com
http://www.ateliernewyork.com
http://leoboutique.com
http://www.gerhardsupply.com
http://www.capsuletoronto.com
http://havenshop.ca
http://nomadshop.net
http://www.ssense.com
http://www.eastdane.com
http://cruvoir.com
http://www.thedarksideinitiative.com
http://www.barneys.com
http://understudyshop.com
http://www.gravitypope.com
http://www.mrporter.com
http://www.nordstrom.com
 
GLOBAL:
http://veilance.arcteryx.com
http://www.harveynichols.com
 
STONE ISLAND SHADOW PROJECT
EUROPE:
http://www.stoneisland.com
http://www.firmamentberlin.com
http://www.endclothing.com
http://www.e35shop.com
http://www.onyou.it
http://www.cruisefashion.com
http://www.flannels.com
http://www.philipbrownemenswear.co.uk
http://www.peggsandson.com
http://www.zoofashions.com
http://www.triads.co.uk
http://www.nittygrittystore.com
http://www.vanmildert.com
http://shop.goodscph.com
http://www.playgroundshop.com
http://archivio85.com
http://www.urbanstaroma.com
http://www.giuliofashion.com
http://www.aphrodite1994.com
http://www.michaelchelluk.com/shop
http://yoox.com
http://oki-ni.com
http://www.dope-factory.com
http://www.lindelepalais.com
http://www.singolare.org
http://www.alephfashionstore.com
http://www.pockets.co.uk
http://www.brownsfashion.com
http://www.beachim.nl
http://www.slamjamsocialism.com
http://www.correspondances-shop.ch [not EU]
AMERICA:
http://havenshop.ca
http://www.ssense.com
http://www.capsuletoronto.com
http://www.cntrbndshop.com
 
NIKE ACG (LAB)
EUROPE:
http://www.endclothing.com
http://www.hanon-shop.com
http://www.sneakersnstuff.com
http://www.thegoodwillout.com
http://www.nittygrittystore.com
http://beliefmoscow.com
http://www.sivasdescalzo.com
http://www.bstnstore.com
http://www.slamjamsocialism.com
  AMERICA:
http://www.mrporter.com
  GLOBAL:
http://www.doverstreetmarket.com
http://nikelab.com

Greetings Folks! And welcome to the 30-day DIY Techwear Challenge.
My school and industry mentors have challenged me with the task of trying to create a new product - from scratch - everyday - for 30 days...
I'm a second year Student of Fashion Design - studying in the city of Vancouver. Since September I've been interning at a local research and design firm to gain exposure to technical fashion design, construction techniques, and the real-world process behind bringing wild ideas to life...
The studio where I intern is very tight-lipped about their outputs and involvements, however I am allowed to say that they have been quietly responsible for many of the innovations and products seen across the market - some of which I see posted quite regularly in fits around the community. My roll is still at the utmost bottom of the ladder (see:gopher), however my mentors are incredibly supportive in including me in and teaching me the in-and-outs of the nuances fashion design.
To be honest I'm a bit overwhelmed by the idea of trying to create 30x products from scratch, I've never done anything quite like this before... I'm going to give it my best shot to not only come up with a new product everyday, but also document every aspect of the patterning, construction, materials selection, etc. all the way through to a finished product.
I'm taking this online in hopes that of getting feedback/suggestions/criticisms as to what I should construct each day, at this point I've only a very vague plot of where to begin and what to make. Its my hope that I can share with the community a behind-the-scenes look into the production of the products we all love, while being able to experiment with new ideas we'd like to see but don't yet exist.
My obsession with techwear has become clinical at this point, made worse by the simple fact that I'm a broke student very much unable to afford the level of craftsmanship in my attire which has come to haunt me. To try and fix this I've been saving every penny I can since this 30-day challenge was presented to me last November. I'm happy to say -with the support of my friends and family- I've been able to put together a small pot of funds that I can put towards financing 30-days of techwear design.
At the end of this project, I'd like to be able to assemble the 30-day log and the products created into a portfolio which I can use to find a job. I'm still very new to this but it's clear to me that technical apparel and accessories design is where I want to focus my ambitions and career. With any luck this project will be an appealing application for a design position with one of the larger industry players.
The 30-day countdown begins!

Hey, I've created this topis to have a conversation Guys what is your biggest issue with techwear and why ? (personal stories, unpleasant experaince, things that you dislike about techwear in general)
Let's start with me.
My biggest issue with techwear is it's realy hard to find nice jacket that will be affordable and still will look sick (not like standard north face).