Warehouse Denim Contest [pics and discussion]

[beatle]

What else...??? LOL

[dave023]

a sewing machine perhaps?

[beatle]

That would be high maitenance, would'nt it..????

[dave023]

That would be high maitenance, would'nt it..????

That would be just perfect....

[cheep]

from gordon... this may resolve some questions about the construction issues with the jeans.

so I've heard about some crotch tear issues on the sufu660's and I felt I knew the reason but contacted WH to see what they had to say and it was as I suspected.

Basically the inside inseam of the jean is made in such a way that there is a very minimal amount of material there after the seam is stitched close and the topstitching applied (noted in photo of inside of the jean). The finishing of the raw seam is done by a very special over lock machine that allows for puckering once the jean has been constructed and washed (notice photo of outside of jean with faded puckering). The threads are made of 100% cotton and straight stitched as opposed to chain stitched. These are details found of vintage jeans that WH used for inspiration for the 660's. Staying true to the reproduction of these vintage jeans meant not making any improvements to the original. They're well aware that a larger seam allowance and polyester thread would make for a sturdier jean but that is not their purpose, reproducing the original is.

The jeans are made to ripple at the inseam and eventually, with frequent wear, the breaking of the threads. Now how soon the threads break and the entire crotch opens up depends on the wearer and size worn. WH suggests a looser fit for delayed thread breakage and a tighter fit for faster results.

Most of the well worn pairs I've seen from WH or any other brand we carry, mostly those using 100% cotton threads, have had the crotch repaired at least once if not twice. From what I've seen this gives a vintage appeal to the jeans and something that is held in high regards in Japan, they want vintage looking jeans without having to wear them for years or work on a railroad to achieve the same results as the wearers of the days past.

I think one thing to keep in mind when purchasing jeans made from "repro" brands in Japan is that for the most part they are reproducing a vintage product that was made before the current advancements in fabric weaving and sewing construction were introduced. WH have proven themselves in Japan to be amongst the most extreme when it comes to vintage garment reproduction and strive to be as true to the original down to the minutest of details. These are they same guys who dug up a jean themselves in Nevada and transported dirt from the site to hand rub into each of the distressed models they reproduced from the found jean.

hope this helps answer some questions and I'm sure it will lead to others,

Gordon

[Chicken]

it's all about that vintage fade.

thanks gordon and cheep.

[kert]

cool, that definately clears things up. back to the contest!

[batorizer]

it appears you were right about the vintage construction chicken. i feel that all along this construction issue has had a lot to do with informed/uninformed consumers.

[JohnnyRed]

Thanks for the note from Gordon! Personally, I'm not having any construction issues yet, and I've been biking in them daily. But when/if I do have crotch or other construction issues, part of the fun of these is the repair. I'll only do reinforcement if I start to see a problem, but part of the appeal of repros like these for me is the individual damage and repair.

[dunkin deeznuts]

this would be a good defense for toys made in china

"they are painted with lead because we want to reproduce the feel of old school toys as closely as possible"

[juzam6]

only there isn't a market for repro toys like there is for repro jeans

[Chicken]

and the jeans aren't colored with lead paint.

[dunkin deeznuts]

and the jeans aren't colored with lead paint.

not too sure about that...I was sucking on the leather patch of my warehouse jeans and now my tongue is green and I dont feel so good.

only there isn't a market for repro toys like there is for repro jeans

yes there is. gi joes, transformers, all those robot toys from the 80s or 90s...gundams or whatever..........kids love sucking on that sh*t

[Chicken]

but it tastes good doesn't it?

but i do understand people having opposite reactions when reproductions are almost too faithful to the original. to revise your metaphor, i'd say it's kind of like remaking old ferraris with electrical problems.

Overall, 308s - carburetor cars in particular - seem to have weak electrical systems. Fuse boxes melt. Power window lifts, never speedy to begin with, become agonizingly slow. And the electric motors that raise the headlights are prone to fail. On fuel-injected cars, the electronic ignition control units may go berserk; they sit in the trunk where they can get soaked if water seeps through leaky taillight seals.

i guess the true purists could actually enjoy these qualities. maybe.

[RobZ]

Now that I am more informed about the construction, I'm not entirely sure what I would have wanted. It is very interesting how detailed and accurate the construction is, but I am not against the modern improvements that have resulted over the years.

In my opinion, a faithful reproduction can be just as enjoyable if proper precautions are taken. The crotch area will definitely be next on my to-do list for reinforcement, and while I never had to do that with my APCs, as mentioned above, they're not comparable.

[rome1]

I say let the cards fall where they may, if they rip then they rip and I will deal with it, but until then....well let's just see what happens.

[apocalypse later]

Well, I just got these things back from the tailor to get tapered and hemmed since they were dragging on the ground.

Turns out they look awful. The thighs on the jeans are pretty regular but the calves look like they're at Dior 19 cm proportions.

Well, since the guy is a family friend I can't really get pissed Any chance I can just get them "untapered" though?

[Pandemonium]

if you 'untaper' it, you'd have to cut the whole leg to a 19cm (38cm circumference) throughout the whole inseam.

so in essence if you untaper it, it will become even skinnier.

[JohnnyRed]

that sucks!

[Blackplatano]

this would be a good defense for toys made in china

"they are painted with lead because we want to reproduce the feel of old school toys as closely as possible"

Exactly, i don't buy it.

If you remove all the euphomism, what he is saying is that vintage jeans are flawed and had poor construction and warehouse takes the reproduction of jeans so serious that they not only copied the virtues of the jeans, but they also copied the flaws of the jeans.

I don't consider this a good thing. When will a company arrive that will actually improve on vintage denim and take it to another level?

Japanese repro's are now officially previous next level. I'm now going to look for next level denim that improves on vintage denim instead copying flaws.

Just my humble opinion, based on common sense.

[JohnnyRed]

I think that's more what Samurai is all about. Repro style cuts, but heavier than vintage denim, stronger construction, etc. It's like repro +

[Blackplatano]

I think that's more what Samurai is all about. Repro style cuts, but heavier than vintage denim, stronger construction, etc. It's like repro +

Samurai flirts with next level-ism with their denim and cuts but when it comes to construction they remain at previous level, look at the traditional cotton threads for example.

Flat head also flirts with next level-ism with the poly-cotton threads, but everything else remains the same.

If others feel the same way as me, then we could go to the english forum were the samurai guy post at, and try to convince them to take on certain changes, at least in some models. This is how SuFu got certain brands to make longer inseems, right?

If enough of us get together, we'll make it happen.

[denihilist]

Japanese repro's are now officially previous next level. I'm now going to look for next level denim that improves on vintage denim instead copying flaws.

Just my humble opinion, based on common sense.

If it means I don't have to suffer through your ego, god speed.

[petng]

The retailer should warn people that the product that they are selling made intentionally to self destruct and that it needs regular maintenance and repairs. If i wish to go ahead with the purchase then i have no-one to blame.To be told after the fact is a bit lame.

" repro jeans are made like they use to in the good old days, when men worn their garments hard" " They dont make them like they use to". " Repro Jeans are tougher than modern jeans" These are the type images I get when I think about repros, not threads coming apart and blowouts.

I bet you that if a farmer or miner got a blowout they would have demanded their money back, especially if the leather logo had two horses unable to rip apart a pair!!!!!!!

I don't hear any construction problems with Sugarcane, and they are known for they repros!!!

Also I dont hear any complaints about the Warehouse 1000xx or Duckdiggers.

To me the blowout jeans should be replaced or refunded. Warehouse is not doing themselves any favors with their cop-out excuses.

[petng]

Every pair of Levis inspired jeans should equal or pass Levis standards.

If a pair of jeans can withstand 2 horses pulling them apart 100 years ago, surely a pair of 2007 jeans can withstand more!!!!

[PG2G]

I don't hear any construction problems with Sugarcane, and they are known for they repros!!!

Also I dont hear any complaints about the Warehouse 1000xx or Duckdiggers.

Most of the people that buy Sugarcanes and Duckdiggers wear them as they were intended.

[petng]

"Most of the well worn pairs I've seen from WH or any other brand we carry, mostly those using 100% cotton threads, have had the crotch repaired at least once if not twice. From what I've seen this gives a vintage appeal to the jeans and something that is held in high regards in Japan, they want vintage looking jeans without having to wear them for years or work on a railroad to achieve the same results as the wearers of the days past."

Quote from Gordon.

This is quite a contradition. On one hand Warehouse is saying that they are remaining faithful to the original jeans, thus the flimsy construction and yet on the other hand designed the jeans to be broken in ultra FAST because their customers are impatiant and want a pair of jeans that look that it has been worn for 10 yrs in the shortest possible time.

From my interpretation the WAREHOUSE jeans are not faithful to vintage jeans and that they are designed to look like pair of worn in originals.

Faithful to me would mean the jeans to wear in like they did in the old days" slowly".

[petng]

Gordons reply opens up the question.

Which jeans are manufactured using traditional methods and fade like they did back in the old days?

Sugarcanes?

Denime?

[bankershill]

Also I dont hear any complaints about the Warehouse 1000xx or Duckdiggers.

My 1000xx are having the exact same problem as others are in this thread. I'm still trying to figure out how to fix it (sewing through the multiple layers at the seam) with out a sewing machine or having to wash them to have a tailor fix them.

[corter]

Gordons reply opens up the question.

Which jeans are manufactured using traditional methods and fade like they did back in the old days?

Sugarcanes?

Denime?

This is crazy, guys, it's called being an educated consumer. I didn't join into this contest because I knew warehouse is a repro brand, and while I love them and respect them to the fullest, I've seen their construction and I know the materials they use and I knew I would rip them riding my bike and working on my car and working on leather and all, before they even had time to fade and show their beauty. It's not even the specific construction, per se, it's even just knowing that they use cotton thread, or knowing what the term "vintage construction" means in a japanese brand's context. Do a little reading next time, do a little research. Gordon is not responsible for hand feeding you the details. Even if you spent 5 minutes reading the BiG website, you'd find a ton of info and which brands are vintage and which brands arent.

I think you guys were a little to quick to jump on the next "Superfuture Denim Contest" wagon.

sorry, im in a ranting mood today i guess