Tender Co. Denim

[rodeo bill]

For those not on the Hickoree's mailing list, they just sent this one out 

 

We're writing today to announce the completion of an exciting project we've been working on for the past several months -- two awesome pairs of jeans made in collaboration with one of our favorite brands, Tender Co. 

William Kroll, the owner and designer of Tender, has been one of our closest friends and collaborators ever since we first started carrying his meticulously designed products four and a half years ago. Our relationship with Tender is one of the most longstanding and rewarding of any brand at Hickoree's, and these special jeans showcase the innovative designs and rigorous construction techniques that define William's work.

We took two of our all-time favorite styles of pants from Tender's lineup - Type 129 Slim-Straight Jeans and Type 110 Pyjama Trousers - and asked William to make them using two different lightweight, American-woven denim fabrics that we supplied. These special fabrics are made of sustainably grown cotton, which is ring-spun into yarn, then rope-dyed with indigo, and finally woven into denim at a mill owned by the collective of farmers who grow the cotton.

Our exclusive Type 129 jeans are made using 12oz denim, and include all of the classic features from Tender's jeans: a lowered yoke designed for an ergonomic fit, self-fabric front pocket bags, "snob's thumb" coin pocket sewn inside the front waistband, calico-lined rear pockets, hard-wearing seam construction, a removable brass waist button… and, of course, they're cut extra long for "Tender roll" double cuffs. Type 129s are some of the highest quality all-around jeans we've ever had at Hickoree's, and we think this version shows them at their very best.

For the Type 110 pyjama trousers, we started with William's standard design, then selected a lightweight but durable 9.75oz denim, and had two patch pockets added to the front. Like the back pocket, the front pockets' fabric is cut in the opposite direction of the pant legs, giving the pockets volume and dimension. These comfortable trousers taper from the knee down, which results in a surprisingly refined look. They feature a sturdy, quadruple-stitched waistband with Savile Row "strap" buttons, a double-width front fly, and a high front rise. This is the first time Type 110s have been made in denim, and we believe our exclusive modifications have made them as useful as they are comfortable.

Both pants are available exclusively at Hickorees.com and on Hickoree’s Floor Two, and are topped off with our custom HICKOREE'S woven label for proof!

[clawbytes]

I'm willing to give the pyjama pants another go if the waistband is more "giving" this time.

 

And does the denim shrink in the wash?

[rodeo bill]

^^cool! And thanks. They've already been rinsed to fully shrink the fabric, and the denim is a lot more substantial than the calico of the mainline pyjamas, so the fabric holds up more to the elastic. I'm afraid I don't have any here to give specific measurements on, but I'm sure the guy's at Hick's will be very happy to help.

[Graeme]

I'm also a fan of the denim pyjamas. Shame that they're not cut for those of us with long legs though. (The Hickoree's page says a 31" inseam...)

[satchelbmoore]

^^ i think they are short:

 

1: so you don't stand on them because you're the least likely to be wearing shoes.

2: because they are tapered enough that they look awesome.

[rodeo bill]

^1: that's right, and 2: thank you!

 

Sorry for the lack of updates lately. I've been rushing around like mad getting the new production finished and packed up to shops. Some garment detail photos coming soon.

 

In the meantime, here are some photos from a very good customer and friend of the brand. This is a special order hand-wound calendar watch (the standard version is self-winding). Here it is on a Tender black oak bark leather NATO:

 

and again of a Hill-Side pull-through (really like this  ):

[muesive attack]

Just had a look at the new stuff up on Super Denim. Everything looks really nice and I can tell it's going to be another strong collection as usual. I could already definitely go for one of those wool pullovers and a few shirts.  But speaking of the shirts, out of curiosity, can I ask as to why the tie dyed woad shirt is so much more expensive than the normally woad dyed variant? Don't get me wrong, it's clearly gorgeous, but £255 is an astronomical price for a shirt.

[Bobbin]

Just love that dial at 45 degrees. I'd call it a great 'detail' but it's much more than that.

[whozdrew?]

Really been looking into getting one of the wrist watches myself. My biggest concern is the lack of water resistance.Well that and deciding which face color I'd like the most. Leaning more towards the "cream" at the moment. All of the stockists are getting their fall shipments in and I'm having trouble coping with the fact that I just had to spend $3500 on school this last week.

[rodeo bill]

^^^MA, thanks very much, and I'm really pleased you like the look of the new production. Superdenim made a good selection, I think. For the tie-dyed woad shirts, they are a lot of money, but they're a special order for Superdenim, and there are only 7 of them anywhere. Intrinsically there's no extra dye in them (in fact there's less), but they have to be done separately from any other items, and dyed quickly, but with enough dips to get a deep clear blue on the un-knotted parts.

 

^^ Bobbin, thank you! Really nice to hear, and ^ Whozdrew, I really appreciate it. Let me know by email if you have any questions. For what it's worth, I'm not especially careful with my watch (or any of my old non-waterproof watches, for that matter) and I've never had any problems- it's really just a matter of remembering to take it off before getting in the shower or swimming. There shouldn't be a problem with normal handwashing, rain, etc.

[rodeo bill]

A little while (and a few pages) back, I posted dyeing photos of a pair of logwood wattle leather sidings boots. A very good customer, and friend of the brand, bought them on Friday and I gave them a final grease and polish over the weekend before they went off to their new owner. With his kind permission, here are some photos!:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm really excited with how these turned out, and excited that they're going to a great new home 

[rodeo bill]

Back to the new season, firstly this just came through in Unionmade's latest mailer:

 

Lovely platycerium.

 

As promised, here are the details on the new type 980 jacket. The 480 shirt is based on the same pattern, and has the same concept. The jacket in the photos is my own, and is the first prototype, which I made myself using just a lockstitch and overlocker, so the detailing and finishing isn't up to the production spec.

 

 

 

Unlike the last jacket, which started with getting rid of the side seam, this one is based around the shoulders. There's no shoulder seam (like Tender Tshirts and some pullover shirts), but unlike Tshirts (which are stretchy) and pullover shirts (which are boxy, with a wide armhole), I wanted this jacket to be quite fitted and flattering over the shoulder. So instead of a seam, or just a flat fold, this jacket has a deep dart, which runs from the armhole all the way to the neck. This takes out the necessary shape, but also creates a shoulder reinforcement (sort of a shoulder pad) which helps it sit quite smartly.

 

Here's the shoulder dart from the outside:

 

and from the inside (again please remember this is my own-made proto, and the production finishing is much cleaner, with no overlocking):

 

Another nice thing about having no seam across the shoulder is that the back and front panels are actually the same piece of fabric. Here's a photo showing how the selvage line continues on either side of the neck:

 

There's an overlap at the front of a jacket, where the plackets cross over, but the back is flat, with no overlap. To keep things tidy I could have simply trimmed off the selvage at the back seam, allowing a standard, even seam allowance, but there's no fun in that, so instead there's a very wide seam at the back, which tapers from the top (the top is darted slightly, there's no pleat in the back) and is sewn down along the selvage. This gives a bit of reinforcement into the back, and echoes the wide seam allowance in hand-made tailored jackets. It may only be psychological, but I feel like the extra body in the back of the jacket helps you stand up straight. The stitch lines on the outside look interesting, too:

 

Finally there are the pockets. In keeping with the rest of the cutting, they're formed from the same single piece as the front/back panel- the fabric is just folded along the front hem line to form a big, deep pocket that runs all the way from the side seam to the placket. Here it is from the outside underneath:

 

and looking down into the pocket:

 

The contrast is at its most pronounced with this rinsed denim version, where there's a big difference between the sides of the fabric. It's a lot subtler in the woad and logwood dyed denim versions, and there's no contrast at all in the molleton and ottoman versions (of which more soon!) as the fabric is the same on both sides. The shirts don't have pockets.

 

No fit pics yet (apart from the photoshoot on the last page) but I'll try to get some over the next couple of days, if anyone's interested.

[muesive attack]

Thanks for the answer! Those boots are pure gorgeousity and one day I will have a pair. That jacket looks pretty damn gorgeous too, look forward to the fit pics!

[Camilo.]

Got a few questions on how your woad-dyed stuff wears over time. Does it have similar fading properties to indigo? Also, is there a lot of woad-bleeding going on, e.g. will the dye transfer easily to other materials that it rubs against? I'm interested in the tees and shirts more so than any other item, if you have pics of worn woad-dyed tees that'd be cool.

 

For my tees and shirts, I'm often looking for a lighter blue than the constant navy-blue or indigo that's so prevalent. Woad could be a good alternative for me.

[satchelbmoore]

I have a couple woad tees, socks, shirts, a jacket and jeans. i can't say there was ever much transfer or crocking. mostly with the socks i'd say but not much of a big deal. with my henley and l/s tees or jacket, i never noticed anything coming off on any other shirts.

 

it fades beautifully. I know william has often lamented about the difficulties of photographing his natural dyes and it's true, tender stuff is always more beautiful and the colors more complex in person. woad is an incredible color and it sounds like you're on the right path.

[Gump]

I've always thought the the dye extracted from woad is indigo. Just in lower concentrations.

[jason995511]

Hey William

I'm just curious about the pyjama shirts. I've seen the woad one at Hickorees, but not the calico or logwood one anywhere. I see most places got their deliveries, but would love any recommendations on where to find those two.

thanks

[rodeo bill]

That jacket looks pretty damn gorgeous too, look forward to the fit pics!

Thanks for this! Here are some fits:

 

 

 

As I mentioned above, the contrast is a lot more subtle on the woad and logwood dyed denim versions, and there's no contrast at all on the non-denim iterations. I mention this particularly because in fact rinsed denim jackets only went to Japan, so this particular version isn't likely to pop up elsewhere.

 

Got a few questions on how your woad-dyed stuff wears over time. Does it have similar fading properties to indigo? Also, is there a lot of woad-bleeding going on, e.g. will the dye transfer easily to other materials that it rubs against? I'm interested in the tees and shirts more so than any other item, if you have pics of worn woad-dyed tees that'd be cool.

 

For my tees and shirts, I'm often looking for a lighter blue than the constant navy-blue or indigo that's so prevalent. Woad could be a good alternative for me.

Many thanks. Sorry I've not had a chance to take any photos of worn woad Ts- I will do asap, although I'm traveling a lot over the next couple of weeks, so apologies if it takes a while. I think Satchel pretty much has it, though- the fading is similar to indigo but the dye starts off softer, so you get more subtle fades, and less contrast. If you're after something lighter and a bit less standard than indigo it might be the one!

 

I've always thought the the dye extracted from woad is indigo. Just in lower concentrations.

Yes and no… the chemical indigotin is the same whether it comes from indigofera (standard natural indigo), as synthesised chemical indigo, from woad, or indeed from cabbage. As you say, the concentration in woad is a lot lower than in indigofera and far higher than pure synthesised indigotin (although higher than in cabbage!), so you will not get as dark a blue even with multiple dips. (as an aside- Tender woad items are dipped between 8 and 12 times, until the dyer reckons it won't get any darker- this depends on the state of the vat, as well as the particular batch of dye, and the weather on the day. Dipping more times eventually plateaus, after which the garment won't get any darker). However the colour your get isn't just about concentration of indigo. The impurities in dye gained from woad give it a slightly softer, more rounded colour than indigo, even natural indigo, in my opinion. It's very difficult to put your finger on, especially as each garment comes out slightly differently, but I'd say woad is mellower and a bit greyer than indigo, with less of an obvious red/green cast, and more warmth to it. Sorry to be a bit vague! Again Satchel has it just right when he says that it's really difficult to photograph.

 

Hey William

I'm just curious about the pyjama shirts. I've seen the woad one at Hickorees, but not the calico or logwood one anywhere. I see most places got their deliveries, but would love any recommendations on where to find those two.

thanks

Thanks for this! Yes, shops are starting to have things in stock, although generally there's quite a bit more still to come (more at Hickoree's, and a lot more at Unionmade and elsewhere). Logwood pyjama shirts will soon be at Standard & Strange, Oakland CA, bleached at Joinery, Brooklyn NY, and both will be at a new stockist, Linder, online from New York.

Edited September 6, 2014 by rodeo bill

[rodeo bill]

Hi all, sorry for the lack of news in the last week. I've just got back from Japan. Mostly in Tokyo for a trade show, but finishing up in Osaka at the excellent Silver & Gold, where we did a little shop in shop. Lots of pictures to come soon.

 

In the meantime, I just received these great images from the guys at Standard & Strange, in Oakland CA:

 

 

 

 

In Neil (the photographer)'s own words: "I did a quick photoshoot of Jonathan wearing Tender in our trash room at the shop. The trash room has a corrugated fiberglass roof that diffuses the sunlight into an even-warmer natural glow. The brick wall and stench of trash give it a nice ambience."

 

980 dart shoulder logwood ottoman jacket, 480 dart shoulder woad calico shirt, 129 rinsed jeans. I'll try to put up some closeup shots of the ottoman fabric in the next few days. It's woven in England to my spec, especially for these jackets. Ottoman fabric originally emerged in Turkey as a silk weave, and has a horizontal rib, created by using a thick weft held together with a very fine warp. 

 

More soon!

[rodeo bill]

So, as promised, here are some photos of Tender items on last week's Japan trip. It's always such a pleasure to catch up with shop owners and meet some customers.

 

Akira in a beautifully faded AW12 wattle dyed cotton satin tail shirt, the boss of the trade show we were at in a new bleached dart shoulder shirt:

 

A blurry ecru calico butterfly shirt:

 

Woad denim 129s, with some awesome boots (Danner?):

 

A nicely ageing Trestle Shop black leather wire buckle belt:

 

And a couple of tan leather belts, wire and hook buckles:

 

 

A lovely pair of 130s, worn from raw for coming on 2 years, with some great twist:

 

 

[rodeo bill]

Woad denim 130s:

 

This one was super-exciting! I found out the designer of Haversack, a brand I'm a big fan of, uses one of my wallets! He has a sticker on each side:

 

 

Next up, some photos from Silver & Gold, in Umeda, Osaka.

 

S&G special turmeric calico tail shirt and a nicely worn tan oak bark leather hook buckle belt:

 

Turmeric and bleached tail shirts:

 

Cross-cut mattress ticking guard's jacket (I hadn't seen one of these for ages!):

 

A beautifully faded short sleeve logwood camrbic short sleeve tail shirt:

 

Woad calico pyjama shirt:

 

A terrific pair of tan wattle denim 132Ds:

 

[rodeo bill]

 

Trying on my own rinse denim dart shoulder jacket:

 

Logwood cambric tail shirt:

 

And a logwood calico tail shirt:

 

Woad denim 130s and woad denim 132s:

 

A shortsleeve bleached cambric tail shirt and a tan leather wire buckle belt:

 

A Natasha Kroll T:

 

Aside from all of this, among lots of good food we had a great dinner one night at an Izakaya restaurant in Shibuya with some guys from the Taste Makers shop and Popeye magazine. Among the dishes were the oysters, from Tokushima. They were so big they were served cut into four pieces each, and each piece was bigger than any oyster I've ever seen. There's no foreshortening in this picture, and those are full sized limes….. crazy!:

[Graeme]

I went to visit a friend in Germany last week, who had been giving me trouble about my rather pink Tender shirt. Anyway, he underwent a Damascene conversion, and was last heard muttering something about bothering Will to get one...

Here are a couple of photos. He's about the same size as me, so I had to keep a close eye on it.

[dwarffruit]

 I just received these great images from the guys at Standard & Strange, in Oakland CA:

 

Did S&S by any chance take delivery of the Type 128s?

[rodeo bill]

^thanks for this. No, 128s are only on the Stores. Please just let me know by email if you have any questions about them

[rodeo bill]

I just received this photo from my animal-maker. More natural black sheepskin bears coming soon, along with a new mystery guest! More soon

 

[rodeo bill]

a slightly unhappy Plautus face arrived a few days ago, from a very good customer and excellent friend of the brand:

 

This is a traditional hand carved seal cut from soapstone. Here's the finished seal, and the tools used:

 

 

I'm really impressed by the skill that's gone into this, and extremely flattered by the time taken on my logo! Seal carving is a fascinating subject, and one that I know very little about. I hope to find out more...

[whozdrew?]

Looking for a quick sizing tip on the Type 204 Keeper Belt. I'm a 32.5 waist, always nervous about ordering the wrong size. I was thinking a 3?

Here is the belt:

http://www.tenderstores.com/type-204-lost-wax-cast-brass-keeper-buckle-oak-bark-leather-belt/

Thanks.

P.S. Is that one above the same belt Unionmade has right now? I'd much rather purchase through Tender Stores.

http://unionmadegoods.com/product/tender-keeper-buckle-tan-leather-belt-in-polished-brass/

Edited September 30, 2014 by whozdrew?

[rodeo bill]

Thanks Drew! Size 3 measures 33" to the middle hole, so if belts that fit you as you like are 32.5" that should be perfect. The two links above are for the same belt, yes. 

[cool_hand]

is the darted shoulder shirt in knotted woad made from the same fabric as the darted shoulder shirt woad (looking at these on the superdenim site). is it just the tie-dye which is the difference?