brand synergy

[OMG]

Anyone dedicated to just one brand?

[OMG]

Loyally wearing stuff from that one special company? Living in Japan and having access to so many kinds of jeans makes shopping a little overwhelming. Everything seems the same. Nothing is special. It gets to be a little too much. There are a lot of people in Japan that are hardcore for that one special company. Like at the Real Mccoys store. You'll easily mistake some customers for the shop staff. Totally decked out in RM gear only. That's dedication. It's good in that it will save you money and keep you from jumping onto the flavor fo the day. Keeps you from ending up like that edmond guy. Just totally out of control. this may seem limiting to some but each company offers a wide range of cuts and styles that should meet your needs. And some companies are affiliated with others. Like Real McCoys/ Buco, Omnigod/Spellbound, Flathead/R.J.B, Sugarcane/Buzz Rickson... Twice the product line without being disloyal! (kind of ).

Free youself from constant craving. Worked for me, may work for you, may not even care... just my 2 cents

[stabliu]

why the two posts?

and i've barely gotten into denim so im definitely not locking into one brand any time soon

[djrajio]

Bathing Apez!

[OMG]

I pushed submit reply by mistake before finishing... oops

[fre-co]

That's just stoopz

[gimmegimme]

I pushed submit reply by mistake before finishing... oops

You can always click the "edit" button to change your post.

I think everyone has brand loyalty. Even more so with Japanese denim, because its a bitch to figure out what size you are, so when you find a pair that fit right, its usually easier to look at the brand's other styles in the future.

I stick almost exclusively with Samurai because they fit me, the inseam is long enough, and they're good quality.

I've discovered with other brands:

-SDA are too short (although now they come longer apparently)

-Sugar Cane give me a duck tail

-LVC are too short (38" inseam is a bitch to find)

-Eternal are too short

-Fullcount are too short

-I don't like Imperial's cuts, etc. etc. etc.

[Spastic_Koala]

I think it's reasonable to have brand loyalty when it comes to something specific like denim. Because, as gimmegimme mentioned, when you do find a pair that fit perfectly you tend to stick with it and not branch out too much. Unless you're feeling a little daring (because who knows, maybe you'll find something even better).

But to structure an entire outfit around a single brand just looks ridiculous. It looks like you've tried too hard and are a walking billboard. It also makes you look like a person who's easily swayed current fashion trends and have no uniqueness of their own.

Frankly, in my opinion, a person wearing all Bathing Ape or Supreme or whatever look just as stupid as those kids who like to wear all A&F.

[cabl3]

Its a bit early for me to cling on to one brand, only have been into dry denim for a year now and have gotten my hands on 3 different Japanese jeans so far.....much too soon to pick...right now kinda just picking the "best" out of every brand.

I actually dont think I could ever stick to just one brand really..

[n0torious]

Frankly, in my opinion, a person wearing all Bathing Ape or Supreme or whatever look just as stupid as those kids who like to wear all A&F.

I think it makes them look even more stupid than an Abercrombie or Hollister kid, because the one who shopped at the mall didn't take out a mortgage to look like a fucking retard.

[cmo]

After experimentation with Uniqlo, Nudie, APC, LVC, Fullcount, Warehouse and Samurai I too will always stick with Samurai when it comes to jeans.

Perfect length for me and top notch quality!!

[habia]

^I agree all BAPE, all Supreme or all Abercrombie will look silly pretty much all the time.

However, all three of those brands are heavily branding oriented- a large part of the reason it seems most people like them is because they identify with something about the label and want to show everyone what they wear with logos and whatever.

However, some of the Japanese brands to which OMG was referring are much more subtle in their branding and I don't think this would look rediculous at all. Flat Head jeans + Flat Head button up + Flat Head t shirt would look totally fine I think.

Personally I would really like to dress all one brand. I like having simple outfits and simplifying the fashion/clothing process to only one brand which really suits me would be great. I haven't been able to find that brand yet since I am not a super normal shape (tall and skinny.. most stuff is too short).

If I could wear their stuff, I think I would be wearing mainly 45rpm everyday though.

[n0torious]

I'd never place Supreme on the level with BAPE or Abercrombie. Supreme built up their reputation with years of careful and deliberate decisions, sponsoring sick skaters, and doing top notch artist projects. It's unfortunate that they've become so appealing to hypebeasts, but that's not necessarily their fault. I have a Supreme flannel that's one of the best pieces I own...I just think people look stupid in head to toe anything.

[Spastic_Koala]

I'd never place Supreme on the level with BAPE or Abercrombie. Supreme built up their reputation with years of careful and deliberate decisions, sponsoring sick skaters, and doing top notch artist projects. It's unfortunate that they've become so appealing to hypebeasts, but that's not necessarily their fault. I have a Supreme flannel that's one of the best pieces I own...I just think people look stupid in head to toe anything.

I'm not comparing quality between Supreme versus BAPE or A&F. I'm just saying that you look equally ridiculous decked out in all one brand regardless of the brand. This is particularly for brands like that like to do billboard logos on their clothes.

[Gabriel]

For jeans, it seems normal to stick to one brand, or even better one model, once you've found the right one. Although you could spend your lifetime trying out different brands, I guess.

[darkanimal]

Maui & Sons

[kiya]

This is actually a thread i'd been meaning to start for a while..

Many of the brands that i deal closely with in Japan are always getting a kick out of seeing photos of our customers wearing a pair of Iron Heart jeans, Flat Head shirt, SDA belt, and a Skull wallet. They always tell us that in Japan, most people that are really into this style of dress are extremely loyal to ONE brand. That you'll never see somebody wearing multiple brands from the same genre.

But on the flip side, they always try and tell me that wearing Iron Heart with Somet or wearing Flat Head with Sugar Cane doesn't work, that it's two totally different styles and that they find it strange that people would wear them together.

When the president of Iron Heart came out a few weeks ago he kept saying "hip hop style" with a giggle as people walked into the store, because he was overjoyed to see customers wearing his products with such a wide range of other styles, saying that in Japan it's rare to see somebody outside of a certain mold being a big Iron Heart fan.

[fndmybetterhalf]

i live and die by my Seven for all humanity.

[gimmegimme]

i live and die by my Seven for all humanity.

Word up to that.

I remember when I was in high school (shut up), it was suicide to wear more than one sportswear brand at a time. Nike shoes and adidas pants...oh no! :eek:

[jake431]

I'm definitely a mix 'n' match guy. Honestly, if I've discovered anything it's that a lot of the japanese brands don't fit me that well. (Don's flame suit and hunkers down, prepares for the worst). I seem to have better luck with brands made elsewhere. I'm not sure if it's that the Japanese body type is mostly dissimilar to my own (5'11", 200 lbs, 34 waist - not a skinny boy) or what, but (again ducks behind flame shield) Nudies probably look best on me of any denim I've yet owned, although an old pair of LVC 1966 501's were pretty tight too.

The frustration of course is that all the Japanese denim companies are delicious and I'm one hungry (but alas not cash-rich) motherfucker.

I'm torn between my love of denim-porn and desire to look good.

-Jake

[jake431]

Word up to that.

I remember when I was in high school (shut up), it was suicide to wear more than one sportswear brand at a time. Nike shoes and adidas pants...oh no! :eek:

As Adidas goes, so goes my nation.

-Jake

[blm14]

U know dat shitz be hawt.

No seriously though, I feel like if we're talking about these japanese brands they tend to such a low distribution and availability, to say nothing of low number of actual items per brand, that it would be very limiting to stick to just one brand. Plus I personally frequently find examples of brand where one thing fits me great but not other things. For example I love my samurai S5000VX but none of the samurai tshirts I tried on at BiG fit me right, so the likelyhood of me ever wearing them is low. Similarly with evisu. I find some of their tops really cool but I hate the way the jeans fit in most cases. I think the whole too-many-logos issue is less of a problem with the japanese brands because other than evisu they TEND towards less obvious logos and visible branding than other companies eg: diesel who tends to put DIESEL in bright colors on every tshirt they make.

Anyways being that I'm a size 36 or 38, I am precluded from wearing a lot of stuff from japan so I literally am unable to stay true to a single brand even if I were so inclined (which I am not)

[theetruscan]

Anyone dedicated to just one brand?

There are a few brands I could see being dedicated to, but even then it would be a handful of brands. I couldn't imagine doing one brand. Even my favorites at the moment aren't something I would wear exclusively.

In the case of the Japanese denims, I love the jeans, but I'm not into the workwear look. I wear chelseas and high boots, not ever indys or whites. I'm not going to be wearing plaid shirts any time soon.

If a brand came around that made exactly what I wanted better or cheaper than anyone else, I'd probably give it a go.

[jake431]

U know dat shitz be hawt.

No seriously though, I feel like if we're talking about these japanese brands they tend to such a low distribution and availability, to say nothing of low number of actual items per brand, that it would be very limiting to stick to just one brand. Plus I personally frequently find examples of brand where one thing fits me great but not other things. For example I love my samurai S5000VX but none of the samurai tshirts I tried on at BiG fit me right, so the likelyhood of me ever wearing them is low. Similarly with evisu. I find some of their tops really cool but I hate the way the jeans fit in most cases. I think the whole too-many-logos issue is less of a problem with the japanese brands because other than evisu they TEND towards less obvious logos and visible branding than other companies eg: diesel who tends to put DIESEL in bright colors on every tshirt they make.

Anyways being that I'm a size 36 or 38, I am precluded from wearing a lot of stuff from japan so I literally am unable to stay true to a single brand even if I were so inclined (which I am not)

I myself am a 34 or 36 in most STF denim - what cuts do you favor? I am not a huge fan of the skin tight Sufu fit; I'm just not slender enough for it.

-Jake

[Spastic_Koala]

This is actually a thread i'd been meaning to start for a while..

Many of the brands that i deal closely with in Japan are always getting a kick out of seeing photos of our customers wearing a pair of Iron Heart jeans, Flat Head shirt, SDA belt, and a Skull wallet. They always tell us that in Japan, most people that are really into this style of dress are extremely loyal to ONE brand. That you'll never see somebody wearing multiple brands from the same genre.

But on the flip side, they always try and tell me that wearing Iron Heart with Somet or wearing Flat Head with Sugar Cane doesn't work, that it's two totally different styles and that they find it strange that people would wear them together.

When the president of Iron Heart came out a few weeks ago he kept saying "hip hop style" with a giggle as people walked into the store, because he was overjoyed to see customers wearing his products with such a wide range of other styles, saying that in Japan it's rare to see somebody outside of a certain mold being a big Iron Heart fan.

Loyalty seems to have a strong meaning in Japanese culture. I could see that translating into clothes.

[stabliu]

i imagine if more of us lived in japan and had physical access to all the brands and only had to pay domestic prices more of us would only wear one brand.

[tweeds]

i think the term we need here comes best from MilSpex...BRAND SYNERGY

it's interesting to see how people all over the world wear that oft-trumpted "high quality japanese denim". what type of footwear, what shirts or tees, jackets [repro flight jackets vs hoodies?], accessories...the list goes on.

[blm14]

I myself am a 34 or 36 in most STF denim - what cuts do you favor? I am not a huge fan of the skin tight Sufu fit; I'm just not slender enough for it.

-Jake

I have two sugarcanes (sc40400 and the mixed-indigo okinawas) and those are both very nice. The S5000VX cut is also a nice flattering cut on me.

[cheep]

if i could afford it i would dress head to toe in RRL. or evisu.

[gimmegimme]

If I had to pick one brand...it would be Margiela. Aside from the wacky stuff, I really like everything they make, and it all seems to fit me well.

Still waiting for their Japanese denim line though. :-\