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


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4 hours ago, ColonelAngus said:

I like Reigning Champ hoodies and sweatshirts. RC can always be found on discount as well. I honestly think you reach the point of diminishing returns when it comes to knits, but I know that’s a subjective opinion. I say buy whatever brand floats your boat. I like RC because of price but mainly for their fit

I think you’re right in point with diminishing returns… I understand the appeal of $300+ denim but never understood the value of a $300 hoodie when it feels the same as a $100 piece. Someone let me know if I’m missing anything here.

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It's the same concept I think as denim...each brand is different on why their knits are priced a certain way and it all depends on if it matters to you...construction methods can vary, some brands get fancy with ribbing design, dyeing methods, weight, etc. 

I wear hoodies a lot and have owned a bunch of hoodies/sweatshirts from a bunch of different brands...reigning champ, champion, American giant, wings and horn, 3sixteen, strike gold, merz b Schwanen, iron heart, SDA, Stevenson. I think the most important thing for me is the fabric having some some give without using stretch and without being super thin.

The hoodies I ended up loving the most and wear all the time are my strike gold and iron heart hoodies. The strike gold are the most comfortable and the iron heart is the warmest by far. If I was forced to choose the one hoodie I'd wear forever, it'd be iron heart. 

The knits I really dislike are the American Giant ones. I never found them to be that soft nor that warm. They just felt heavy and I hated taking off any of the pullovers and sweatshirts I had from them bc they had very little give to them. Knits is definitely where I realized that heaviness of a fabric really means very little other than that it's heavy. The rest of the ones I've owned were fine...I mostly ended up selling much of it bc the fit wasn't right for me. I remember buying reigning champ stuff and being a little disappointed by it...I think at the discounted prices you can find them at a lot of times, they're fine though. 

 

Edited by youngofthesoonest
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On 3/6/2022 at 4:42 PM, 1fookntitefd said:

Whats the best hoodie?

 

 I’ve been wearing American Giant the oast few years but have been eyeing Ironheart, strike Gold, and others to name a few but is it worth 2x the price? 

Some of my favorite hoodie brands:

3sixteen
Standard Issue Tees
Lady White Co.

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12 hours ago, youngofthesoonest said:

I remember buying reigning champ stuff and being a little disappointed by it...I think at the discounted prices you can find them at a lot of times, they're fine though. 

 

I don't have experience with any other brands that sell sweats so can't give an objective opinion on the differences in quality between them and RC. For me though, RC is warm enough, especially their tiger fleece sweatshirts, and I like their fits. I prefer a slim fit hoodie or crewneck sweatshirt that isn't billowy and RC ticks those boxes for me. I have 2 RC hoodies and 3 crewneck sweatshirts and they've all held up fine over the years.

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  • 2 weeks later...

My birthday is coming up and I haven't bought anything all year which I'm actually proud of.  I want a new jacket but not sure what to get.  I can't get use to the length of my LVC type 1 so I want to get something to take its place(something with a back cinch).

https://hinoya.shop/en/collections/big-john/products/xx601 - I really like the look of this and it has a cool "story"
https://eu.lee.com/uk-en/shop/101-401-cowboy-jacket-L97K.html - Linen Cotton blend so should be good for the summer

Any advice?

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If the Xxxtra series is meant to be something like the old RARE series, I’d stay away—I had two pairs of the R008 and they were both some of the worst-made jeans I’ve seen from a “respectable” company

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I've worn really cheap sweats for years (Costco, American Apparel). Threw down for some Reining Champ sweat pants and hoodies at regular price late fall of last year. Overall I'm impressed with the fabric, cut, construction and details. I got their mid-weight, which is not warm enough for the really cold winter days in CO. I got their regular cut sweat pants, and they're the best fitting, best looking sweats I've had. 

RC really t'd me off tho - I also bought a couple pairs of sweat pants on sale. One was supposed to regular cut in heavy weight fleece and one was supposed to be slim cut in light weight. The cut were actually reversed and not as advertised. When I inquired with them, they shot back saying there was no way their cuts were incorrect, and the heavy weight fleece seems to fit slimmer because of the heavier weight of the fabric. I took pics and measurements. The measurements matched exactly with their posted measurements for both slim and regular cuts. I emailed them back with pics and measurements, and they ignored me. I let it go. The slim cut pants in heavy weight fleece kinda suck. 

I'll prolly get more hoodies and sweat pants from them, because I haven't found another brand that I like as much. And their colors are great. I prolly won't get any tee's from them. 

I also have the Flint and Tinder 10-Year hoodie. It's bad ass. F&T seems to be a house brand for Huckberry. The 10-Year is offered in a variety of styles and colors. The fabric is thick, heavy, dense, somewhat stiff, not much stretch. 23oz 70/30 poly/cotton. Hard exterior, brushed interior. The fit is great for me - slim, athletic cut without restriction of movement. I'm 5'-11", 195lbs and a large fits well. An XL could also work, but would be a bit over sized and loose. Some years ago they did a run of sweat pants made out of the same fabric, but haven't done so since. 

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I've never owned a pair of sweat pants.. i had a few pairs of shiny 'tracky bottoms' when i was a kid in the 80's for that breakdance vibe but ive worn jeans exclusively ever since.. I can't even imagine looking at myself in the mirror wearing sweatpants without thinking that i'll look like a born again teenager...I'm smirking just thinking about it.

Oddly I do have some Woolpower leggins which i wear through the winter which are pretty much the same damn thing, i bought them for cold weather camping but they're so dope through the colder months i'll pull them on in the morning, track pants (running/track pants) over the top, cycle to work, track pants off and work jeans on over the Woolpower (they're 100% wool so i can wear them 24/7 with no stink) i'll get home in the evening, track pants off (often to dry) and i'll slob around the house in the Woolpower till i have a shower and then i'll pull on a pair of jeans...till bedtime...rinse/repeat.

The Woolpower have an elasticated hem so same vibe as sweat pants but i don't think i'll ever make that leap even though i'm certain they're much comfier than jeans, in effect the king of slobwear and if you're loungin around the house, you might as well lounge to the best of your abilities..like Guru B)

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My kid wears them all the time but they're a different cut to regular sweatpants.. muted colours and fitted through the lower leg and loose in the top block like urban freerunner pants worn with a long hoodie which only has a half fitting hood so you can have all your mad hair poking out the front, Nikes or Pumas to complete the look, if you can call it a look..  the last time i remember seeing him in jeans was when we we used to choose/buy his clothes, It'd be nice to see him in jeans but i'm also glad that he's dressing like a kid and not a middle aged bloke :D

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Black jeans. I'm going to a cousin's wedding in Vegas in a couple weeks. The invitation say no jeans. Well, too bad... I'm wearing jeans. I'll go so far as to wear black jeans, and I currently do not have any. Here's what I've found so far that's available in my size (honestly, I don't love any of them): 

Freenote Portola

Sugar Cane for Self Edge

Joe McCoy Lot 966BK 

Iron Heart IH-634S-142bb 

Full Count 1108BK

3-Sixteen CT-220X

Open to other suggestions. 

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If the invitation says no jeans, I don’t think you should wear jeans. It’s one day. I suspect they’ve ploughed thousands into the wedding and want it to be just so, so why risk eff’ing that up. Or at least check in with them first. 
If you need any inspiration for how good trousers can look, take a peek at Diggers’ fits in the WAYWT thread. 

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9 hours ago, Geeman said:

Buy some black trousers? 

Suggestions? 

My first thought would be to look into Banana Republic and J Crew. I would only wear them once. 

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6 hours ago, unders said:

If the invitation says no jeans, I don’t think you should wear jeans. It’s one day. I suspect they’ve ploughed thousands into the wedding and want it to be just so, so why risk eff’ing that up. Or at least check in with them first. 

Well, that's a good slap of reality. 

I'm struggling because I have a couple suits to choose from, but they're "old" and although they fit fairly well, they're not what I currently prefer. My general feeling is that it's Vegas, there will be a mix of family (some of which I've never met on our side) but primarily their close friends. The ceremony will be in the evening and short, followed by festivities. The initiation says "semi-formal attire (no jeans)". I'm trying to rationalize in my head that a pair of new black jeans with a new sharp jacket, white shirt and black tie would be acceptable. 

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19 minutes ago, unders said:

Sorry if it came off as aggressive, not my intention @mpukas

HA!, No, no, all good! I was just being sarcastic, like I needed a good slap of reality, LOL! :D

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3 hours ago, mpukas said:

Suggestions? 

My first thought would be to look into Banana Republic and J Crew. I would only wear them once. 

I'm in the UK so can't recommend a retailer for you, I'd go black chino / flat front trousers. You never know when you may need them again and it's not going to pain you to leave them in the wardrobe if you didn't spend a lot on them.

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5 hours ago, mpukas said:

Suggestions? 

My first thought would be to look into Banana Republic and J Crew. I would only wear them once. 

Do this. You should be able to find something presentable and inexpensive at either of these stores. My thought would be to respect the wishes of the bride and groom since it's their one special day. I can't remember but my wedding was also semi-formal, but we didn't explicitly state that no one should wear jeans. Although, I probably would've been irked if someone showed up dressed like a slob, say in shorts and t-shirt. Not saying wearing jeans can't be presentable but I try to follow whatever the etiquette is of the event i'm attending. My worthless 2 cents

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On 3/17/2022 at 3:55 PM, julian-wolf said:

If the Xxxtra series is meant to be something like the old RARE series, I’d stay away—I had two pairs of the R008 and they were both some of the worst-made jeans I’ve seen from a “respectable” company

Thanks for the heads up btw, I didn't pull the trigger

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  • 1 month later...
On 3/23/2022 at 1:35 AM, suchislife said:

Thanks for the heads up btw, I didn't pull the trigger

A Type I from almost any other manufacturer than LVC will probably feel better to you as far as length goes – my experience: I lucked out with two Valencia St LVC jackets from a second-hand place near my home... as they were Type I and II, I've a feeling whoever priced them thought maybe they weren't genuine Levi's as they didn't look like the stereotypical Type III. At around $20 each, it was a foregone conclusion (apart from anything else, size 44 is seldom seen) – I love them, but they are indeed short – like, almost bolero jacket territory – so they mostly work with pants that are a bit higher-rise and a shirt tucked in. They sit right on the top of my belt line, whereas in order to feel "covered" I'd want something sitting at the bottom or very slightly below – an additional two inches or so.

Most manufacturers seem to take into account the Western preference for a couple of extra inches in length – since acquiring the LVC jackets, I've made a few more second hand purchases (none to equal that deal, but I've not paid more than 50% retail on any jacket I own)... Freewheelers Type I, Sugar Cane 1953 Type II, and Flat Head Type II, and so far all of the non-LVC jackets have been that little bit longer. Type I armholes are typically more roomy, so I find the FW will fit more underneath (e.g., t-shirt plus sweat) and still looks trim. The SC pockets are a bit smaller than the others, so it sees less wear (I like to be able to fit my phone and still close the flap – I know this is not a period-correct consideration, but... yeah anyway..)

On a side note, I snapped up another jacket around the same time as the LVCs... a Big John Type III for $12... (now, that is something that's gonna scream "fake Levi's!" to a thrift store employee)... and it, too, is a bit longer. It's got the hand warmer pockets, so is a bit more like an '80s-style Type III, and it's actually been a great jacket, roomy without being billowy. No information inside about place of manufacture, though – characters are Japanese, but the parent company at the time would appear to be Chinese. The Big John story is cool, but I rather think they've been eclipsed by almost every other Japanese maker these days.

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Stevenson Unionist is a good option. Django Atour has been recommended a slew of times, but I’ve never gotten to try them out due to sizing concerns. If linen blends work for you, Freewheelers has plenty of options

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  • 1 month later...

Not the jeans, but I have a blanket lined chore coat that I've worn a lot.

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On 5/29/2022 at 8:49 PM, Geeman said:

Might cop some flack for this,  but considering a pair of Lee 101 just for the back pockets!  

Any experience with them?

have/had a pair, must be at my parents place somewhere. 

cool jeans, run big in the waist and small in the thighs. pretty high rise and solid construction. denim fades nice aswell IMO. but they use poly thread for the stitching if thats a turn off for you.

might as well consider the length on them, mine were a tagged L34 and came in at about 92 cms or so

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Thinking of getting a Carhartt Detroit jacket for when fall comes and a denim jacket is not enough. Seems to be durable and goes well with anything.

Are there any alternatives in the same style worth checking out?

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