Tender Co. Denim

[julian-wolf]

3x Tender-heavy yard work fits from the past couple weeks

[MJF9]

More brown-ish hues coming out on this Stole Pocket Butterfly Chestnut Dyed shirt… but depending on how the light catches it, that changes and could be gray… really nice and different

[MJF9]

401 shirt in grey logwood

It’s too hot to wear but it’s good line drying weather so gave it a pre-season wash and iron.

The colour is nicely non uniform, with varying depth of grey, and really nice. When I step back and look at my wardrobe of predominantly blue, it makes a nice change. It came pretty scrunched, which I assume was deliberate to create the colour variations. I have the 402 (a similar but different design) in hadal blue which is more uniform in colour and came less scrunched. @rodeo bill would be good to know any thought process around this.

Edited August 14 by MJF9

[julian-wolf]

So @rodeo bill—if this is the end of British production for your standard denim wares, what comes next? Are you planning to continue using the same patterns, but contract them to the US-based sewing house(s?) that have handled the last couple seasons’ shirts? Really looking forward to seeing where you take things! (Although, admittedly, if the last of the Type 136 are those that have already been produced and distributed, I may have to go against my usual code and stockpile a couple pairs for the future)

[winteracr]

On 4/23/2026 at 10:00 AM, rodeo bill said:

Thanks for putting these up- I hadn't seen them! I also hadn't thought of this style as a reefer, but you're totally right that it is. It's called the Bourd Shirt (for Anthony), and was based on a chef's jacket. The entire front panel can button on (as in the grey photos) or off (in the yellow), and is reversible, with check fabric and a zipped pocket on the reverse side. I just got my Working order in and was photographing it yesterday. Edits today, lots to do

Thanks also @merzbotfor posing your 903, looking lovely 🙂

Good ol’ Tony Tenders

[rodeo bill]

On 8/14/2026 at 9:17 AM, MJF9 said:

hadal blue is more uniform in colour and came less scrunched. @rodeo bill would be good to know any thought process around this.

Sorry for the delay seeing this. As with so many things it's not exactly intentional in the first place, but an accident which ends up with some sort of coherence. Hadal Blue and the other standard dyes are done in a larger dyeing machine, at a larger dyehouse, where it's all about consistency, and they're very good at getting a clear flat colour and rinsing and drying the garments so they don't end up crumpled. I feel like this fits with the idea of the standard dyed garments- to offer something with a more stable, slightly less esoteric, finish. The natural/historical dyes, on the other hand, are done in a smaller drum and the dye doesn't penetrate as deeply, so there are more creases in the fabric, and the dye isn't as regular. When it comes to rinsing and drying the garments, the natural dyes aren't as harsh of a process as the standard ones, so they don't affect the the fabric as much, so it stays a bit crisper, meaning it dries less smoothly.

Garments are all sewn and then dyed from loomstate fabric, which often still has sizing (starch) in it. Finished garments don't get ironed or otherwise smoothed out. I personally don'r iron my clothes before wearing them, and I think the texture of un-ironed fabric shows more character. Some stockists do press their stock before selling, though, so it partly depends on where you order from. As with all these things, I like it that no two pieces are exactly the same, and you'll get a slightly different experience depending on where you buy from.

[rodeo bill]

On 8/20/2026 at 11:50 AM, julian-wolf said:

So @rodeo bill—if this is the end of British production for your standard denim wares, what comes next? Are you planning to continue using the same patterns, but contract them to the US-based sewing house(s?) that have handled the last couple seasons’ shirts? Really looking forward to seeing where you take things! (Although, admittedly, if the last of the Type 136 are those that have already been produced and distributed, I may have to go against my usual code and stockpile a couple pairs for the future)

Haha, thank you! Everything's quite up in the air, with denim. I can tell you that after the delivery just sent out to stockists (and restocked on Tender Stores) there will be a bit of a gap for new denim. I've used up the last of the fabric that's in the UK, and I'm not ordering more to be sent there. I've done a few jeans experiments in the US but nothing's quite right yet, however I'm working on something now which feels very promising.

Sadly the tariff situation has been a big factor (although I suppose it's achieving its desired purpose in this case, at least?)- the last couple of jeans imports from the UK have been ruinously expensive, and I've had to increase jeans prices to stockists, accordingly. Unfortunately this means I'll be raising prices of jeans on Tender Stores, too, to keep in line with other stockists and so that restocks aren't priced differently from older stock. I've kept them down as long as I can but I'll be updating in the next couple of weeks.

The nice side of this, though, is that moving Tender away from my old factory in the UK has freed up space for Working jeans. The Working/Edwin project has come to an end after three seasons, and we'll soon be delivering the first Working jeans made in the UK- they're lovely.

[irual]

The collection keeps growing. 130, 132X and 136

Edited September 12 by irual

[MJF9]

@irual can't see your post mate... new 136s?  Interested to see them if possible...

[irual]

Maybe now? @MJF9

[MJF9]

@irual thanks yeah that works... nice trio... how are you finding the wider legged 136?

[irual]

Here they are in action: 

They feel quite different compared to the other two, but I sized up to a size 5 as I wanted a bit more room on the top block which I have found to be a little constricting on the size 4 in the other fits. Also having cuffed my jeans for over 10 years this time I went for a shorter length. 
 

All in all really good fit I think and the leg is indeed really wide. Oh and featuring the groundalls type 1 for @Well27

[Well27]

@irual, thanks! The jacket looks nice.

[oomslokop]

strolling around my old neighbourhood in kauman, yogyakarta (central java, indonesia), in my old woad tail shirt

[JDelage]

@rodeo bill - William, how do 157, 125, and 136 compare with the 132 in terms of leg width & shape? Also interested in ranking those in terms of rise, again compared to the 132 if I may.
 

Also, are you done with sand-cast buckle belts?

[rodeo bill]

Thanks for this, here's a set of measurements for each fit, in size 3:

125 size 3

waist: 33"

front rise: 11.75"

back rise: 15.5"

thigh (3" down from crotch): 12"

hem: 8.5"

inseam: 36"

 

132 size 3

Waist: 33"

Front rise: 11.75"

Back rise: 15.25"

Thigh (3” down from crotch): 12.5"

Hem: 8.5"

Inseam: 36”

 

136 size 3:

Waist: 33"

Front Rise: 12"

Back Rise: 15.25"

Thigh (3” down from crotch): 12.75"

Hem: 10.5”

Inseam: 36"

 

157 size 3:

waist: 33"

front rise: 13"

back rise: 16"

thigh (3" down from crotch): 13.5"

hem: 10.5"

inseam: 36”

 

so: in order of leg with (slimmest to widest): 125, 132, 136, 157

in order of rise (lowest to highest): 132/136, 125, 157

 

All these are washed/dyed measurements- Unborn denim will arrive large and shrink down to size.

[rodeo bill]

On 9/21/2026 at 7:31 PM, JDelage said:

Also, are you done with sand-cast buckle belts?

Sorry just realized I never answered this. Lost wax-cast, actually, not sand cast!

I stopped making leather goods a long while ago, and was working down through my stock. I'm now pretty much out, but I do have a few belt blanks, and some buckles, so if you're after something please let me know and I'll see what combinations I can offer you.

[JohnM]

I had a chance to meet up with Julian for a burger and beer last night -- great time.  He brought his 136 and 132 jeans for me to see, as well as his 10th Anniversary 900 (wool-lined) jacket, which I'm wearing in the pic.  I now understand how special Tender is -- the details, construction, heft, fit, and practicality have to be experienced first hand to be fully appreciated.

 

[Broark]

I've often regretted selling my 900, fits you nicely John!

[JohnM]

1 hour ago, Broark said:

I've often regretted selling my 900, fits you nicely John!

Which one did you have?

I'm tempted by the hemp-wool versions (srudy's is great).  After seeing Julian's 10th anniversary 900, I'd love to see William bring something similar back (e.g., 16oz with wool lining) once he get settled with moving his production from the UK to the US.

[Broark]

I actually had the same one you tried on, the 10th anniversary version.
Was too warm for me to wear regularly so I moved it. 

[JDelage]

I thought of selling mine but I'm glad I didn't.

[MJF9]

Still got mine, albeit less worn in

[JohnM]

After reading through this thread, I can see that the 10th Anniversary 900 was highly anticipated in 2020 ... and there are quite a few out there.  After briefly wearing Julian's on a chilly evening in Oakland, I can see why -- extremely comfortable, versatile, and warm.  Looking forward to the 17th or 18th Anniversary reissue 😉 

[ATWM]

Following the 10th anniversary version there was a slate of others released in different dyed denims, some with a different (solid color) wool liner. I went back and forth on all of them, but I’ve already got two - one in the 19 oz cross weave, and a regular denim one - both over dyed in “Indian black” as William calls it…and I have a 901 Achilles heel jacket. It gets cold where I am though, so I still want one sometimes! Speaking of the term, jackets - but especially Tender jackets are probably my own achilles heel. 

Edited October 3 by ATWM

[JohnM]

I see many of you have the 900 in heavier 16 or 19oz denim with the wool lining.  How does it work in hemp wool or lightweight denim without the lining?  I know srudy loves the woad dyed hemp wool.