THIS OR THAT? (Use me for all your Should I Buy...? questions)

[UkeNo]

1 hour ago, Double 0 Soul said:

They are lovely! I bought one from VP.. maybe 10yrs ago when they were first released.. it was a repro'd from the original which was on loan from John Chapman at Goodwear... i sold it to sugar mountain years ago in a jacket purge.

 

Think I bought mine about the same time for what seems like Pennie’s at the Mccoys store in Tokyo. Around half of the retail now. It was a really good shopping-in-person experience. 
 

that’s back when mccoys were expensive, but pre-astronomical price boom we have now. 
(gets worn about 5-8 times a year) 

[sven]

Denim Chore Coat recommendations? Would be nice to have something to switch up my outfit from the Sugar Cane Type II I wear all the time.
Have been eyeing the TCB Cathartt one, but would appreciate tips on any good alternatives.

[julian-wolf]

The Tender Co. Type 900 is essentially a chore coat, and is one of my favorite pieces of clothing

[AlientoyWorkmachine]

2 hours ago, julian-wolf said:

The Tender Co. Type 900 is essentially a chore coat, and is one of my favorite pieces of clothing

Second that so much that I bought it in two versions. I don’t love most traditional version of chore coats and this one is just unique enough to pivot away from all that baggage just slightly. Part of that is to do with the garment dyed releases. 

[Kankurou]

Any recs for good denim brands these days, it's been a while since I've been in the game.

[Talan]

14 minutes ago, Kankurou said:

Any recs for good denim brands these days, it's been a while since I've been in the game.

Warehouse, Freewheelers, Ooe Yofukuten, Full Count.

[CSL]

Good suggestions from Talan. I'd say Mister Freedom is worth a look too. They make a few different styles.

[Toegun]

I second that about MF, interesting range of cuts and denim. Wish he would revisit/restock some of the older pieces. 

[bootsofmannishleather]

On 3/23/2023 at 9:30 PM, Kankurou said:

Any recs for good denim brands these days, it's been a while since I've been in the game.

For more "modern" stuff - Oni (I enjoyed their "Secret Denim"), Tanuki, Samurai, PBJ seem to be the kings, the usually suspects some would say....I'm more into classic/repro stuff these days. The only repro brand I'd add to what's already been said is TCB; insane value. That might be a better entry point too, versus Warehouse/Freewheelers etc, cuz they're less expensive and/or easier to find. All that said, I do absolutely love my Warehouse 1001xx Duck Digger '47 so far (banner denim - muah) and feel they're worth every dollar ($275 vs ~$200 for some TCB). I've just barely started with these brands, so others will chime in with much more experience than I.....Some might add Sugar Cane to the mix, but I tend to like what I see from TCB more than Sugar Cane when comparing at same price tiers. I liked my Sugar Cane 47s a lot for the price (~$150), but I wasn't wow'd. I do hear Sugar Cane's Okinawa denim is NICE, but you pay much more for it.

Edited May 15, 2023 by bootsofmannishleather

[discwork]

How’s the fit compare between the Sugar Cane 1947 (and Hawaii and Okinawa) and the TCB 50s? I have a pair of 50s I wore for some months, but they sat in my closet while I wore my S40s. The 50s unfortunately don’t fit well in the waist anymore, so I’m considering buying another pair in the right size. SC’s fabrics always interested me though, and the measurements look similar to the 50s. 

EDIT: Did some digging in past threads and seems like the Canes fit tighter in the waist and have a slightly different shape overall. 

Edited May 21, 2023 by discwork

[oomslokop]

the 47s, hawaiis, and okinawas all have slightly but perceptibly different fits as well. for me at the same size, the okinawas have tighter thighs, the 47s have a tighter waist but are almost billowy after the hips, and the hawaiis are more or less straight up and down with a tiny bit of taper towards the waist and the hem (still more straight than "slim straight" but enough to be noticeable in a good way (not culotte-ish)). my fave is the hawaiis. 

[julian-wolf]

^ Started typing pretty much the same thing as the above but got distracted. The TCB ‘50s are probably most similar to the Okinawa

The best comparison would probably have the TCBs a size bigger than the Cane’s (I generally wear a tag size 34 in both, but the TCBs are much tighter in the waist)

Edited May 22, 2023 by julian-wolf

[vlad_III]

On 3/24/2023 at 1:48 PM, Talan said:

Warehouse, Freewheelers, Ooe Yofukuten, Full Count.

WH the front pockets seem really shallow

FW on my first pair. 90 days in. Love them so far. 

Ooe - I wonder what the hype is about here 

FC - tried them on in their store. Generally feel great. Really Don’t like the staff there. That has put me off. 

Edited July 4, 2023 by vlad_III

[Talan]

3 hours ago, vlad_III said:

WH the front pockets seem really shallow

FW on my first pair. 90 days in. Love them so far. 

Ooe - I wonder what the hype is about here 

FC - tried them on in their store. Generally feel great. Really Don’t like the staff there. That has put me off. 

A small number of OA's should be available in a few shops today or in the next few days. Check out their IG account for sellers list. 

I don't quite understand your problem with FC. People are all different, customers included. I've bought FC products online, from their website too, the service is ok and some issues are handled even better than average.

[vlad_III]

They only made up to size 36 for this batch. At least for the Japanese retailers it seems. 

[vlad_III]

1 hour ago, Talan said:

A small number of OA's should be available in a few shops today or in the next few days. Check out their IG account for sellers list. 

I don't quite understand your problem with FC. People are all different, customers included. I've bought FC products online, from their website too, the service is ok and some issues are handled even better than average.

Go to their Harajuku store. The guy with the long hair and pony tail is terrible. He just makes you feel unwelcome. 
 

i wouldn’t buy online when I can try things on in person. 

[Talan]

1 hour ago, vlad_III said:

Go to their Harajuku store. The guy with the long hair and pony tail is terrible. He just makes you feel unwelcome. 
 

i wouldn’t buy online when I can try things on in person. 

I live in Europe, but thank you anyway.

Do not think I will meet long hair guy in Harajuku store any time soon, but I think every encounter is a dance for two. Probably he didn't feel comfortable with you. People are strange animals and compassion instead of demanding is a way to go each and everytime, imo. Try again, be kind, maybe a nice surprise is waiting for you.

Edited July 4, 2023 by Talan

[Maynard Friedman]

1 hour ago, vlad_III said:

Go to their Harajuku store. The guy with the long hair and pony tail is terrible. He just makes you feel unwelcome. 

He still hasn’t got over the decision to remove the red tab and arcs.

[Talan]

1 hour ago, vlad_III said:

They only made up to size 36 for this batch. At least for the Japanese retailers it seems. 

If so, that's just wonderful. I just couldn't decide whether to buy a pair exactly identical to the one I bought last summer, just in case. But I need a bigger size, and now the problem is removed, all happily resolved.

[vlad_III]

3 minutes ago, Talan said:

If so, that's just wonderful. I just couldn't decide whether to buy a pair exactly identical to the one I bought last summer, just in case. But I need a bigger size, and now the problem is removed, all happily resolved.

Yeah easy. Less decisions to be made. 

[vlad_III]

13 minutes ago, Maynard Friedman said:

He still hasn’t got over the decision to remove the red tab and arcs.

Maybe that’s it. He was super sensitive. Came in with a stroller, “don’t park there”. Touched a 0105 and asked about size, “don’t touch merchandise” etc. that type of stuff. Just didn’t feel like he wanted to sell anything. Same thing every time I went there, which was only 3-4 times. 
Their jeans look great though. Just don’t feel like going in there and supporting him.  

[Talan]

1 minute ago, vlad_III said:

Maybe that’s it. He was super sensitive. Came in with a stroller, “don’t park there”. Touched a 0105 and asked about size, “don’t touch merchandise” etc. that type of stuff. Just didn’t feel like he wanted to sell anything. Same thing every time I went there, which was only 3-4 times. 
Their jeans look great though. Just don’t feel like going in there and supporting him.  

That's too bad. 0105 is a lovely piece of denim art. Probably the best expectation/result ratio for me in a long time. I'm delighted with these jeans. And in a strange way, all the bad reputation FC has had lately, which almost everyone has been talking about, is not only not hindering, but perhaps even helping me. Tired of the customer orientation of the last few decades, and artisans by definition just have to be unbearable. 

 

[Geeman]

2 hours ago, vlad_III said:

Go to their Harajuku store. The guy with the long hair and pony tail is terrible. He just makes you feel unwelcome. 
 

i wouldn’t buy online when I can try things on in person. 

I had no such issues with him or any of the staff there. He even posed.for.a.pic with me outside the store when I went back to pick my pair from being hemmed. 

 

[vlad_III]

8 minutes ago, Geeman said:

I had no such issues with him or any of the staff there. He even posed.for.a.pic with me outside the store when I went back to pick my pair from being hemmed. 

 

Did you speak English with him?

[Geeman]

Yes, his was better than my Japanese! 

Not the most Smiley guy but was friendly enough 

Everyone has bad days I guess 

[vlad_III]

Maybe that was it. He had a bad day. Or you can try again with a stroller and see how it goes. 

[vlad_III]

1 hour ago, Talan said:

That's too bad. 0105 is a lovely piece of denim art. Probably the best expectation/result ratio for me in a long time. I'm delighted with these jeans. And in a strange way, all the bad reputation FC has had lately, which almost everyone has been talking about, is not only not hindering, but perhaps even helping me. Tired of the customer orientation of the last few decades, and artisans by definition just have to be unbearable. 

 

Interesting. Need to check the pockets entrance and bags of FC. 
What do you like about the 0105 so much?

[Geeman]

Still worth considering FC though,  their XX denim is fantastic.

[Talan]

47 minutes ago, vlad_III said:

Interesting. Need to check the pockets entrance and bags of FC. 
What do you like about the 0105 so much?

Basically: the overall feel, the denim. The quality, the cut, the fit. The whole history of both the brand and this model. Somewhere in the FC thread there is a nice interview with the owner, who is also very sympathetic to me. He talks about 0105 in detail.

[AlientoyWorkmachine]

People do indeed have bad days. I’ve had more this year than I often do and haven’t been as kind as I’d like to be treated. That could be the case - and I try to not let one encounter form my opinion (but two or three probably will). 

But the idea that artisans by definition have to be unbearable I find tiresome. A lot of them are but having an idiosyncratic profession is no better reason to be a general jerk. I work in the arts and some, even most people are indeed actually quite kind and wonderful people and others, yes, terrible people. They suck and good work is no excuse.  

It’s funny of these brands mentioned - I have FC0105 and OA jeans waiting in my closet since winter - before this year I never really had anything waiting. I’m excited to get to them both but with the life my current rotation has - mainly WH, FW, and TCB it looks to be awhile. Right now I am favoring the TCB 20’s for the reasons people like the full count. Lighter weight denim and fuller cut - but still slimmer than the 0105, though I did size up in mine - which I rarely do, because the cinch makes that convenient which I really like. 

The hype with OA (as far as I can tell) is a combination of just about the most perfect stitching you can find coupled with all the things people like about supporting a two person shop that by nature has very limited production and is really good at marketing themselves on social media.