Leepro Appreciation

[JDelage]

On 2/4/2017 at 6:27 PM, JDelage said:

1952 Lee Archive 101Z arrived today. A tad too wide. Will soak & we'll see.

 

Well, after 2 soaks and 1 wash they still have a 36" waist. I'm probably going to have to sell them unfortunately.

[setterman]

woah, a size 33 has a 36 waist?  I've gone back and forth about whether or not I need a 34 or 36, never would have thought for a second a 33 might fit.  If you're in the US, drop me a PM.  Myself or a friend may want them.  

[JDelage]

They are for sale next door: 

 

Final measurements are: waist 36, ft rise 13, bck rise 15.5, upper thigh 12.5, knee 9.6, leg opening 8.6, inseam 35.5 for a 33 tag

[TerryElessar]

Some pics of end-90s 101Z. Worn sparingly last decade. Love the slim cut and S arcs. Bought in HK for about USD100 '98-'99. Remember it was post-handover but no exact date. Made in China editions sz34. Hemmed not chainstitched.

[TerryElessar]

Another end-90s Lee 101B Riders. This time a pair of Hair-on-Hides button flys. Bought somewhere in Melbourne. Dakota 501? Seldom worn as it's a bit of a bootcut! Blasphemous, go figure! Made In China too. Slightly greenish cast showing  on sides of pockets.sz 34

 

 

Edited February 10, 2017 by TerryElessar

[TerryElessar]

Appears 101Z are LHT and 101B are RHT? 101Z on left 101B on right.

[JDelage]

All - What is the Westerner 100J denim jacket, and how does it differ from the Rider 101J jacket?

[JDelage]

On 2/9/2017 at 5:34 AM, JDelage said:

 

Well, after 2 soaks and 1 wash they still have a 36" waist. I'm probably going to have to sell them unfortunately.

Just got another pair, this time from PSA, in size 31. They're tight, but workable. Measurements in a few days.

[Cucoo]

On 26.2.2017 at 5:54 PM, JDelage said:

All - What is the Westerner 100J denim jacket, and how does it differ from the Rider 101J jacket?

In case you're still wondering: the 100J was/is pretty much just a 101J but in Lee's "Westerner Sateen" fabric, a wheat/off-white colored, light non-denim version of the jacket. I have a modern Lee x J.Crew version of it:

https://www.jcrew.com/de/p/mens_category/outerwear/jcrewingoodcompany/the-lee-100j-westerner-jacket-for-jcrew/50170

It's a nice, light summer jacket, fitting a bit more relaxed than the 101J in the same size.

(I just googled a bit to get info on the jacket I have and apparently Sidney Poitier can be seen head to toe in Lee westerner (jacket and pants) in "Lilies of the Field (1963)")

[JDelage]

Thanks @Cucoo. There's one in black on the Lee Archive site and I was wondering if that was black denim. It seems that it isn't.

[Cucoo]

Yeah if it's called westerner it's probably Sateen, not denim.

[cool_hand]

is the Lee 101 Z 16 Dips sanforized denim?

I've also noted that the care instructions for these reads:

Do not Wash
Do not Bleach
Do not Iron
Professional Drycleaning in Tetrachlorethene
No Tumbler Drying

Why are they dry clean only? Seems really odd.

Edited July 21, 2017 by cool_hand
add info

[rodeo bill]

Seems like the right thread for these, Buddy Lee oversized doll's jeans:

[Nei.Nor]

On 23/09/2018 at 10:52 AM, rodeo bill said:

Seems like the right thread for these, Buddy Lee oversized doll's jeans:

I missed out on these when they released (student at the time). I really like the shirts as well. Wish they’d bring this line back.

[Maynard Friedman]

What sort of fabric are those made from, doesn’t quite look like a standard denim to me. I like them but they have something a bit True Religion-esque going on!

[JDelage]

They look super comfy...

[rodeo bill]

1 hour ago, Maynard Friedman said:

What sort of fabric are those made from, doesn’t quite look like a standard denim to me. I like them but they have something a bit True Religion-esque going on!

They're quite lightweight, I'd say 11oz or so, and I think of them as trousers, rather than jeans. The fabric was very flat when they were new, but has shown up a lot of falling slubs as they've aged a bit. They're quite stretchy, a bit big for me, and they don't have belt loops, so I have to wash them pretty much after every day's wearing them, but I like the very soft shade they've taken on. 

The oversized details are True Religion's whole thing, but I'm completely on board with them in this case, as the whole garment looks pretty true to scale against the original Buddy Lee clothes. I really like that they kept the back pockets plain and single stitched, and they've done a lovely job of the hardware- the buttons and snaps are the same quality as a JP repro, but upsized really nicely. I prefer to think of them as Margiela % rather than TR...

44 minutes ago, JDelage said:

They look super comfy...

Yes, they are!

[428CJ]

^ ^ ^

Funny that these should be posted right now, because I am wearing them as we speak. I put just 28 days of wear on them last year, and took a break of over a year before donning them again this year. I'm now in the middle of my third straight week on them this year.

They are very relaxed fitting and very dark blue. They are denim (10 or 11 oz. by my estimation), but they are not a jeans cut. They are more like an overalls cut with the bib trimmed off. Slash pockets, double button-cinch waist. Kind of like a super relaxed fitting pair of Dickies. The waist is high (14" rise on my XLs). The fabric fades fast and is quite slubby. I don't have any idea how much they shrink up, but I will be washing mine hot regardless, since they run so big (I haven't washed them yet). I roll my waistband and single cuff the legs at the moment. I am hoping to be able to avoid those things after their first wash.

I also have two pairs of the heavyweight gray cotton twill ones. These are very cool; the yarns are comically oversized.

Edited October 2, 2018 by 428CJ
Changed auto correct "stubby" to the intended "slubby."

[428CJ]

P.S. Here is the "proper" thread for the Buddy Lee line: https://supertalk.superfuture.com/topic/34237-lee-japan-denim/

 

[Maynard Friedman]

Thanks to @rodeo bill and @428CJ I just found (and ordered) a pair of BNWT Buddy Lee jeans on eBay for a very good price. The smallest I could find was a 32 (though I believe they are oversized and a 30 would have been desirable) so they may be a bit big. I may be able to have the waistband tailored if that's the case, anyway looking forward to receiving them... 

[428CJ]

Definitely need to be sized down for a more standard fit. I wear mine very loose and sag them, even with both cinches tightened.

I'm not sure if they shrink or not. I'm 70 days of wear in to them, and I haven't washed them yet. I am hoping that they do shrink quite a bit. If not, my attempt to improve them will be moving the cinch straps around half an inch each side, to the outseam area.

[theotherchrislewis]

A bunch of MIJ Leepro Storm Rider jackets have recently dropped. I pre-ordered a blanket-lined with the corduroy collar off Rakuten (the shop also had the plain denim version too 'LM6013-189'). Code on the sticker says 'STORM RIDER 1119-289' (reverse side is white with 'THE ARCHIVES' on it). Mine (42) is soaking now, will post up some measurements in the next few days.

Edited November 20, 2018 by theotherchrislewis
Found code for non-blanket lined jacket

[Paul T]

30 minutes ago, theotherchrislewis said:

A bunch of MIJ Leepro Storm Rider jackets have recently dropped. I pre-ordered a blanket-lined with the corduroy collar off Rakuten (the shop also had the plain denim version too). Code on the sticker says 'STORM RIDER 1119-289' (reverse side is white with 'THE ARCHIVES' on it). Mine (42) is soaking now, will post up some measurements in the next few days.

 

Very exciting, looking forward to this. They should actually be Sanforized so you don't have to soak, but I have known some of that fabric shrink.

On 9/26/2018 at 1:07 PM, Maynard Friedman said:

What sort of fabric are those made from, doesn’t quite look like a standard denim to me. I like them but they have something a bit True Religion-esque going on!

the concept is actually from Levi's; Rikke Korff (Sp?), who came up with the twisted Engineered range in the 90s, followed up with the Type One: with extra large stitching, tags, etc. It was a great idea, I still have one pair. A few people lifted the idea, Miss Sixty (remember them?) did it with their jackets, then True Religion cheapened it and based their whole brand on it.
 

Edited November 20, 2018 by Paul T

[MJF9]

@theotherchrislewis good catch... looking fwd to pics and measurements

[428CJ]

On 11/20/2018 at 2:40 AM, theotherchrislewis said:

A bunch of MIJ Leepro Storm Rider jackets have recently dropped. I pre-ordered a blanket-lined with the corduroy collar off Rakuten (the shop also had the plain denim version too 'LM6013-189'). Code on the sticker says 'STORM RIDER 1119-289' (reverse side is white with 'THE ARCHIVES' on it). Mine (42) is soaking now, will post up some measurements in the next few days.

Very cool, and congrats.

I have a dead stock late '70's one, so I don't think I will be biting...but out of curiosity, do they make them in 44 or 46?

I can't wait till the Archives '59 101Zs are made again. I think I might buy several pair. I'm hoping these get made again, but maybe not. Most people like the earlier '50's cuts. I like the '59 because it has 7 belt loops.

[theotherchrislewis]

Thanks for the comments.  @Paul T Interesting about the sanforized fabric - this may not be a 'true repro' then, as it was advertised as 'unwashed with a 5% shrinkage' (and did shrink a bit). Unfortunately I didn't take any pre-soak measurements but below are my post-soak - size 42:

Centimeters / Inches
Shoulders: 51.5 / 20.25
Chest: 61 / 24
Sleeve: 66 / 26
Back: 61.5 / 24.25
Waist: 53.5 / 21.5

All in all it is a lovely jacket, it feels puffier than what I expected (but have never owned a blanket-lined jacket before) and my favourite small detail is the small folding-over of the cuffs.
I've attached a couple of pics but if you look up the code - there are heaps of good, detailed photos online. Saying that, some of those make the denim look a lot darker than what it is, I feel my shots are a truer blue. @428CJ Sounds like you have an amazing gem tucked away there! I did see a size 44 (but no 46) in both Rider & Storm Rider on Rakuten but can't remember which store sorry.

Edited November 26, 2018 by theotherchrislewis

[Paul T]

Looks lovely. I"d bet it is Sanforized if they state 5% shrinkage. Normal is 10%, Sanforized is supposedly 3%, and most of my Lee Sanforized, which is either Nisshinbo or Kaihara, has shrunk more than 3 per cent.

[MJF9]

@theotherchrislewis looks really good. I was wondering, given the blanket lining, does that effectively reduce the sizes by much? I've never owned, nor tried, a blanket lined jacket so interested to hear how it impacts chest or shoulders sizing.

[428CJ]

On 11/26/2018 at 12:28 PM, MJF9 said:

@theotherchrislewis looks really good. I was wondering, given the blanket lining, does that effectively reduce the sizes by much? I've never owned, nor tried, a blanket lined jacket so interested to hear how it impacts chest or shoulders sizing.

IME, size up two to four sizes from your measured chest size when you have a thick blanket lining, with each "size up" being a 2" increase in chest size. I.e. if you have a 42" measured chest, then get a jacket that measures 46-50 actual armpit to armpit measurement off of the jacket. Go two if you don't need to layer a lot; go three if you do, go four if you do, and you also want a somewhat relaxed fitting jacket on top of a few layers.

But it appears that Lee Japan have done this already in this case, based on the 48" post soak measurements for a size 42.

That is a good looking jacket, I must say. I almost like it better than my late '70's dead stock one, because the lining of the repro is probably 100 percent wool, instead of the blended (or is it all poly?) blanket lining that mine has.

FWIW, my measured chest size is 42, and I like a 46" UNLINED denim jacket (actual armpit to armpit measurement, not tag size). I like my heavy blanket lined jackets at about 49–51" armpit to armpit. 49" for a snugger fit without a lot of layers, and 51" for what I consider to be a "proper" fit for a heavy blanket lined denim jacket, i.e. big enough to wear several layers underneath (thermal, tee, and thick button-up shirt, at least) and still move around comfortably.

Edited November 29, 2018 by 428CJ

[theotherchrislewis]

On 11/27/2018 at 7:28 AM, MJF9 said:

@theotherchrislewis looks really good. I was wondering, given the blanket lining, does that effectively reduce the sizes by much? I've never owned, nor tried, a blanket lined jacket so interested to hear how it impacts chest or shoulders sizing.

To be honest, I didn't take the blanket lining into much consideration - I assumed they would factor that into the cuts & sizing and picked my size based on some basic measurements. 

The blanket isn't really 'that thick' but combined with the denim will need some breaking in to get a better fit. You may be right with the 100% wool - I just checked the store (through google translate) and it only says 'Wool' in the materials list for the blanket.

I'm 6'1" and mine (42) fits me well but it is a generous fit through the body - I think if I went down to a 40, I 'could' maybe pull it off but it would be a snug fit and not what I'm after. That chest measurement also seemed off to me, but if you look at the pic - those pits are quite a way from each other. It's just one of the 'roomier areas' on the jacket.

As a rough guide of overall 'jacket length' & 'where the shoulder sits' - it fits similar to my Iron Heart, IH-x526J (42) + LVC, Type-III (L) - but roomier through the upper body & chest area. Whereas my PBJ, Deep Indigo Type-II (4) + Momotaro, 2105SP (42) + Ande Whall, Grizzy (M) + TCB, 60's Third Type Trucker (42) are more fitted cuts on me - especially through the body & chest area. Hope that helps.