A well-worn garment is often times made of denim. When it isn’t, it’s likely made of good leather. Today’s patina of the day is a well-aged minimal wallet, made with some quality leather.
Reader Anojan S. of Toronto, Canada has used this American-made wallet for the past six months, and it’s showing plenty of caramelizing patina. The cotton stitching has turned a shade of blue, too, thanks to the wallet spending much of its life in the back pocket of Anojan’s jeans. With plenty of TLC, no doubt this wallet will hold up for years to come.
We recently had the chance to speak with legendary designer, Alyasha Owerka-Moore. In Part I of our conversation, we learned about Aly’s background, his admiration for PF Flyers, and some interesting insights about the heritage footwear brand. For our second and final segment, we dig deeper into the history and direction of PF Flyers, as well hear more about Aly’s unique perspective on several pertinent topics.
RD: Can you tell us a little more about the Ambassador program at PF Flyers and what the relationship is like between the brand and these individuals? What role does the program play in telling the brand’s story?
AOM: Ouigi Theodore [from the Brooklyn Circus] was the first brand ambassador for PF, and then I came on shortly after. We’re the two brand ambassadors for the brand. I was kind of like the West coast guy, he’s the East coast guy, and we’re almost like the Odd Couple. He’s considerably more polished, I think I’m more like the Oscar Madison.
But, instead of just hiring high profile people to wave the flag, the decision was made to work with people that have a genuine, authentic affinity for the brand, an attachment to the brand. And in doing so it’s been an interesting journey, because we’ve started to discover more and more people that are really fans of PF Flyers, and have their own little collections. So it’s not like, “oh, let’s just use this guy because he looks the part.” We really meticulously spend a lot of time locating and networking, and creating this network of people that are big fans.
Then we have a young man named Cal Travis Oaks, who is from Knoxville, Tennessee. He’s a skateboarder, he’s a film maker, he builds motorcycles, he rides a Triumph. He has killer style, he gets it. He’s nineteen years old. He makes all these really cool Super 8 films. He just fits.
A lot of it is just being involved with creatives. Even with Jason Adams, who I guess might be labeled the skate ambassador, his ambassadorship is more Jason Adams as a personality and as an American icon. He’s a painter, he’s a father, he’s a husband, he’s an iconic skateboarder – definitely an individual.
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PF Flyers Brand Ambassador, Cal Travis Oaks. Image via PF Style Blog.
We just started working with Josh Harmony and Lance Mountain Junior, who are both artists, skateboarders, and also fathers. So the goal amongst the ambassadors is to have a unified visual language, even though it’s their individual take. To find that many like-minded people, it’s really difficult, but something we’ve worked really hard on and is essential to telling the brand’s story.
RD: Although the universe of mens clothing tends to be very segregated in different levels of granularity (i.e. heritage vs. streetwear), there’s seemingly more overlap today between the many “worlds” than ever before. Can you speak to the connection between (raw) denim and sneakers? Specifically, why is PF Flyers relevant for denim heads?
AOM: This is going to hurt a lot of feelings. A long time ago a friend at a “reputable online resource” wrote a review on Fiberops and said, “I don’t know what rockabilly guy is gonna spend two hundred and fifty dollars on a pair of selvedge denim.” That’s really funny, because the Internet has created what I refer to as the “uninformed authority”. Many folks appear as an aficionado or an authority because they are a conduit of information.
If you go on eBay and just type in “vintage selvedge denim”, 90% of the sellers have usernames with the words “pink black Cadillac”, “1945”, “54”, or whatever. All of the seller names were references to rockabilly and/or heritage. The concept of and making selvedge denim comes from the vintage/heritage community, the people that kept selvedge denim alive. Undeniably. You know, even with Evisu. If you went to Evisu store twenty years ago, that whole Japanese denim boom is based off of making better 1940’s jeans than Americans did in the 40’s. That’s why they bought all the looms. So that’s undeniable.
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From the bottom up: PF Flyers Retro Center Hi shoes, Richer Poorer socks, LVC 501-1955 denim, Warpath Leather Goods belt, NMV x Kavemanteeks 1940’s Guantanamo Bay Souvenir Tee, and Shuron Ronisr glasses. Image via Shot by Hardy.
What it’s morphed into is based on economics–making a good pair of selvedge denim is expensive. The concept of sneaker collecting is about aspirational goods. So the way it’s commodified turns into hype and trend. But at the end of the day, for the hype consumer, it’s about aspiration and recognizing a brand and how expensive a brand is. For the heritage consumer, it’s about quality and the style and a lifestyle.
Originally, it’s turned into that to a degree with the hype consumer, but not so much about quality. We’re buying it because it’s expensive and it’s in trend. Recently I walked into a certain unnamed shop and I was wearing a pair of 3sixteenCS-100x‘s, which is one of my favorite jeans, because it’s just a classic 40’s stovepipe denim. The kid at the store was like, “oh, those are really big selvedge jeans, you know that’s a pretty wide leg,” kind of alluding to something about being period correct. I said there wasn’t such a thing as a slim selvedge jean until about 10 years ago, so from a heritage standpoint that concept doesn’t even make sense.
Anybody that’s into heritage, and into the heritage/history of denim. I think that’s where the connection is with PF and denim heads.
RD: In an interview a couple years ago with The Hundreds, you said the one designer that has inspired you the most was Ralph Lauren. How has he affected the way you approach design and in a broader sense, how has he shaped the denim and apparel industry?
AMO: By being unwavering. By being very clear on all fronts what his end goal was from product to presentation to the way he sells the product. It never changes. Ralph Lauren doesn’t follow trend, he doesn’t need to. He’s created a brand that is trendless. The polo shirt has come in and out of trend, but largely the brand and the company as a whole has one of the strongest brand languages ever. He’s created this picture that doesn’t change, and he’s adamant. And at the same time from a business perspective in doing that, you create presence and strength and respect. It commands respect. He’s, in my eyes, a genius.
Even though he’s kind of a newer version of a heritage brand, he’s created and opened the door for a ton of other way older brands, brands that are a hundred years older than him. I don’t think Filson or Pendleton would have the new found interest that they do had it not been for Ralph Lauren or RRL. Gap wouldn’t be making a Chambray shirt had it not been for Ralph Lauren. J. Crew would not be making a chambray shirt had it not been for Ralph Lauren. He didn’t invent it, but he brought it back and he put it on the map, and he made it a staple in all of our closets.
If you look at old ads from the 70s and 80s, like a dude would be wearing like selvedge denim, a watch cap, a denim shirt or a wash plaid shirt, and a pea coat. And then go look at Tumblr now. These are all print ads that he was doing in the 70s and 80s. I feel like Ralph Lauren opened the door for all.
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Ralph Lauren. Image via Getty Images.
RD: How has skateboarding personally influenced your career in fashion and design? How do you think skate culture has influenced the brands we see today?
AMO: Skateboarding is about the individual and its culture applauds individuality and creativity. Anybody who’s a skateboarder has mutual respect for other people that are generally skateboarders just because of the fact we were kind of like–at least in the 80s–the lowest of the low, like the untouchables in the Indian caste system.
And it’s such a DIY culture, one that celebrates creativity and individuality. Some of the most creative and successful people that I’ve met have come out of skateboarding, purely because that mentality is part of the culture. You know you look at a lot of streetwear and heritage stuff, the majority of the guys that are involved in the front line of it are skateboarders. I won’t say were, because you kind of don’t stop thinking like that. Even if you don’t really get on a board that often you’re still a skateboarder.
And just having a different eye. Skateboarders look at things from a different perspective. It’s not the status quo, we covet our industry because we never wanted it to be big box. Yeah we wanted the dollars, but at the same time, we’re very protective of the industry and the culture.
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“Skateboarding is about the individual and it’s culture applauds individuality and creativity.” Image via Shot by Hardy.
I can go anywhere in the world, meet a skateboarder, and become friends with them for life. Nine times out of ten, they’ll also be involved with some sort of creative industry.
It’s just a pop cultural phenomena. There’s tons of brands, I could rattle off forty brands or forty names of people that have that sort of influence that come from skateboarding culture. One of the nicest vintage style tubular shirts that I’ve ever seen is by Phil from Ladywhite…skateboarder.
RD: You’ve mentioned before that brands should have a social or political message. What’s the message behind PF Flyers? How has that message changed during the revitalization of the brand?
I don’t know that PF should have a political message. I think the need for a social political message statement is definitely my own as far as feeling like a brand is a sounding board or a platform to say something.
As for PF though, we recently implemented the “unfollow the crowd” message; basically what that boils down to is express your individuality and don’t be afraid to not fit into the status quo. The mere facts that we have a rich genuine heritage, should be recognized as an American Heritage brand and that we’ve taken the time to produce shoes in the US with long term intent again is a huge social message unto itself.
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PF’s message, “Unfollow The Crowd”, featuring Ouigi Theodore and Cal Travis Oaks.
RD: I’d say that’s a pretty good social message.
AMO: Especially now, if you do some research, you will see PF is a bonafide American heritage brand, undeniably. I think that’s part of the message too, to do your own research. Create your own closet. It doesn’t have to be what somebody pins on Pinterest, it can be whatever you want.
RD: You started the brand Alphanumeric early in your career and are now launching another, North Manual Vocational. How has starting a brand today changed from twenty years ago? Is it easier because of increased accessibility or is it more difficult as that increased accessibility has made for a more crowded market?
AMO: Both. It’s easier as far as accessibility, and then it becomes harder to stand out in the crowd because everybody’s making the same thing gradually. North Manual is a niche brand, hyper-niche, even within the traditionalists, the concept is hyper-niche. It’s a 50s New York vocational school, street kid style.
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It’s based on a kid that might have grown up in Brooklyn listening to rock & roll and went to a vocational school. So you worked in a wood shop, learned how to be a bricklayer, or maybe took an aviation class which was available. Even from a workwear perspective, 50s workwear is way different than when you say workwear, 90% of people think 30s and 40s dustbowl kind of stuff.
There was a whole other workwear where there was like wool gabardine work pants and jackets. It will take a very defined and confident customer to wear it, but that’s the way to come back. I’m not even worried about fitting in, because it is for such a minute, niche customer. New York gets it, a lot of Japanese kids get it, some people just like it and they’ll just buy t-shirts because it’s something new.
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But you know, I think another hard part, especially for somebody from my generation, is social media. Since people are so conditioned to being fed through the machine, you have to perpetually feed the machine. So I feel like for me the present generation is more about creating content than creating product, and as a designer that’s kind of disheartening.
There were less brands back then too, so it was easier to differentiate. Because of technology it becomes so much easier to build a brand. Back then it was harder: you had to get on the ground, you had to build and visit factories, you had to go talk to the pattern maker, you had to go source fabrics yourself. You didn’t have all these agencies, you didn’t have people that printed stickers online, you didn’t have people that printed t-shirts online that you could just send Illustrator or Photoshop files off to. You couldn’t manufacture from your desktop or your phone, so you had to go run around. So it was easier to stand out, because you had to actually put in more work.
RD: What can we expect to see from PF Flyers over the remainder of 2015 and over next year?
AMO: A lot more content. There’s some really cool and interesting collaborations that are on deck, like what we’ll be doing with the Brooklyn Circus. We have a lot more killer Todd Snyder product, a few other partnerships.
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PF Flyers Made in USA Centre Hi mid-production line at their factory just outside of Boston, Massachusetts.
When we do collaborative projects, we don’t look at them as a flash in the pan thing. We look at them as long-term relationships or partnerships, and that’s exciting. A considerable amount of focus on developing our made in USA product line. A lot of exciting made in USA product in the pipeline. Keep your eyes peeled.
You can follow Aly via Tumblr and Instagram, and head to PF Flyers’s website for more information on the brand and their products.
It’s a shame to see a good thing fall apart (i.e., Maple Motorcycle Jeans). Unfortunately, it looks like the denim world has just been hit with a double whammy.
If you checked out Jack/Knife and/or Lawless Denim lately, you’ll know exactly what we mean. Jack/Knife’s website is showing up as expired, and their Instagram account hasn’t had any updates in two months. There have been no public statements from Jack/Knife regarding the situation.
For Lawless, the story seems to be similar. Their website is also unavailable, and their Yelp page says that users have reported the business as closed. Their Facebook page is still up, though it looks as though Lawless hasn’t been very active. The complaints on their BBB Business Review page where there’s a total of 24 complaints, 22 of which were never resolved.
It seems as though these two brands have been added to the ‘Now-Defunct’ list and we’ll have a deeper scoop later.
If you know anything about denim brand Iron Heart, the words “heavy weight” probably come to mind. These guys are the kings of 21+ oz. jeans and have made a name for themselves in the denim industry producing these bombshell strength pieces. Today’s Fade of the Day was submitted by David Loring-Lee from Brooklyn who wore these Iron HeartIH-555-01‘s just over a year. They have only seen water twice and are starting to show those classic fades in the thigh, knees and ankles. Keep up with David on Instagram.
Editor’s Note: Whenever anyone over the age of 40 asks me about getting into raw denim, I always recommend the same pair of jeans–Tellason Ankara 12.5oz. They have a generous fit, they are well made, they have very subtle branding, and they break in pretty easy. Yet I rarely heard the follow up of how these people actually felt with the jeans: were they too heavy, did they not notice a difference, did they quickly join the cult and run for a pair of Iron Hearts?
To answer this question we brought in a real dad, who really had never been exposed to the glories of raw denim, and gave him a pair of Tellason’s slimmer fit John Graham Mellor (he’s still a couple years shy of 40) and asked him to tell us about his experiences.
My name is Drew. I’m a husband and father. I fix stuff around the house and have a woodshop that I don’t get enough time in. In the day, I’m a photographer. Also, I live in jeans. That is to say, I thought I lived in jeans until recently.
I was challenged a few months ago by the good people of Rawr Denim to give up my cheap-as-I-can-get-‘em-and-hopefully-they’ll-last-12-months jeans and try some raw denim. “What’s the big deal?” I thought. Well, apparently, lots. I knew nothing of selvedge or soaking or indigo. To be honest, I still don’t. What I do know is that I need my jeans to be tough and I need them to be comfortable. I need them to stand up to me wrestling with my three kids and to not put on a show when I’m bending down to get a low angle shot on set. I need them to be something that I look forward to putting on every morning and to feel good in throughout the whole day.
Now, I’m a man who likes nice things. I like things that last. My motto with tools is “buy it once or buy it twice”. When I hold a good camera in my hands, I pay attention to the feel of the buttons, the balance and weight of the body in my grip, the placement of controls, the fit and finish of the metal. I love it when I pick up a new lens and feel a focusing ring that glides around the barrel of a lens with just enough friction to make sure it doesn’t move when it’s not meant to. The quality in good tools or cameras or lenses is intentionally present. It is meant to be recognized and desired.
When my TellasonJohn Graham Mellors arrived, I greedily lifted them out of the box. Quality – that was the first thought in my mind, feeling them in my hands. The difference between these and all of the jeans that I had worn for the past 37 years was night and day. In fact, when I next put an old pair back on (only because I was sending the JGMs in for hemming – more on this later), they felt more like jeggings than jeans in comparison.
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For reference, Drew is 6’1″ 180lbs. and wearing a size 34.
It shocked me to realize that I had never applied to my jeans the same quality standard I like to keep for my camera gear but while once I was asleep, I feel as though I am now wakening and it is whole new day. In the Tellasons, the weight of the denim, the stitching, the material itself, the button holes, the pocket liners – everything oozed quality. From the first time I picked them up, they felt like an intrinsically better product than I had ever bought in the past. Sure, if I’m painting or weeding the garden or working on my motorcycle, I’ll throw on an old pair of (disposable) jeans but I just can’t go back to those old rags for daily wear. The allure of being wrapped in quality calls too strongly for me to go back.
I was warned before getting the JGMs that switching to raw denim involves a learning curve. They need to be broken in and the washing regiment needs to be adjusted. After wearing them now for five weeks, I am starting to understand. First, with the JGMs, I had to order 34” waist as the 33” that I typically wear simply wouldn’t fit (though I have tried on a few other Tellason models where 33” actually fit perfectly) and they were long. Very long. I am a little over 6’1” and more leg than torso but had to have 3-4” trimmed off the length and still have a single roll.
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Pre-hemming vs post-hemming.
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Now they fit well (they do stretch out a bit and the 34s went from slightly tight to very comfortable in a matter of days) but the stiffness of raw denim took some getting used to. At first, they really chaffed on the back of the knees and felt tight to sit in but that softened up after four or five days. The pockets started quite tight when reaching in for a phone or keys but feel better now and I have great hope that they will get only better as I wear them more.
Another thing that will take some getting used to, and I realize that it’s part of the give-and-take of good, heavy and strong fabric, is flexibility or the lack thereof. When I need to bend down to pick up something heavy (I noticed this when moving some concrete pavers) or when I have to jump over the fence to get a ball that has gone into the neighbor’s yard or bound up the stairs to break up a fight between the kids, I really feel the stiffness of the denim. Where that rugged tough quality once felt so amazing, I suddenly found myself cursing the jeans for the same thing. Annoying at times, maybe, but not a deal-breaker.
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Another practical design issue of note: the rear pockets have a reinforced lower section which is awesome for wear and tear but creates a seam that my fingernails catch on whenever I reach in to retrieve my wallet.
As for the washing, I really needed to get my head around not throwing them in the laundry regularly. I used to (correction: my loving wife used to) wash my jeans inside-out and hang dry about once every week or two in rotation with maybe one other pair. I was dubious at best about the prospect of washing so infrequently as I was first told to for raw denim. Here I am, five weeks on wearing the same jeans everyday except for the few hottest when only shorts would do, and the Tellasons don’t smell or look dirty or feel greasy or anything! I am shocked, and pleasantly surprised. Maybe I am babying them or maybe raw is just different. Whatever it is, I like the change but have asked my coworkers to let me know if I start smelling funky in case I have become desensitized to it, just as a precautionary measure.
I think the thing that I like most about the Tellason John Graham Mellors is that I already trust them. I trust that they won’t pill or fray as I’m crawling around with the kids. I trust that they won’t have a worn-out and ripped outline of where my phone sits in my left front pocket anytime soon. I trust that they won’t reveal too much when I’m working on that low-angle on set. I trust that they’ll take what abuse I can throw at them at work or at home. I trust that they’ll keep feeling and looking better as time and wear make them my jeans.
I’m not entirely sure yet whether I am willing to jump into the pool of raw denim culture. I have dipped my toes in and the water feels good. I would be happy to wade in it but the deep end of the raw denim pool seems daunting, scary even. From the little that I have learned through the Tellason JGMs and Rawr Denim over the past five weeks, I’m sold and will happily stick with raw for my next denim purchase. I will learn how to care for my jeans to make them last. I will appreciate the quality each and every day I wear my JGMs. But will I dive into the culture of raw denim? Will I submerge into the depths of learning about caste and overdye techniques? Will I search out Japanese, American, Italian (etc.) brands and commit to finding the perfect pair? Maybe. Maybe I’ve started down that path already and the only logical endpoint is buying in wholly to the entire culture of raw denim. Or maybe I will be able to take things one pair of jeans at a time, enjoying each for what it is. Wherever I end up, I’m confident that I’ll be walking the path in better jeans than when I started.
The Tellason John Graham Mellors are available for $220 at Huckberry.
One of the great things about the denim community is it’s variety. Submitted by RD reader Nattapon XXX from Thailand, these Unbranded UB101‘s are a quite popular pant but they also prove that you don’t need to spend big bucks to achieve a handsome result. All it takes is commitment to some steady wear (living in Thailand helps too).
DETAILS
Name: Unbranded UB101
Fabric: 100% cotton sanforized Japanese selvedge denim
Thank God it’s Friday, because that means we have another Fade Fridayfor you guys. This time, it’s a well-worn pair of jeans that spent some time down under. This pair of 3sixteenSL-100x jeans comes to us from reader Nathan Crawford of Portland, Oregon, but he put 10 hard months of everyday wear into them in Australia.
There’s very little indigo left on his jeans, aside from the blue that’s hiding in the crevices of his 3D honeycombs. Since Crawford has had these jeans for so long, they’ve had a number of repairs at Self Edge. There are darns all over, repaired pocket bags, replaced buttons, and more that escapes his memory. Seeing how much wear he’s put into these beauties, Crawford might be ready to start his own Hall of Fades.
Sales come and go, which is why we’ve dug deep to compile a list of all the current special offers. This near-exhaustive list is posted every Friday, so if you nothing catches your eye this week check back with us next week.
There’s a ton of great stuff out there. And, while we would love to cover it all, we thought it best to just give it to you straight. Here’s The Weekly Rundown with the latest happenings from around the web.
Gary Warnett takes us through the cultural history of the hoodie – Show Studio
This submission couldn’t have been better-timed now that fall is just around the corner. This deep indigo jacket by Pure Blue Japan is a wardrobe staple and Edwin Song understands that. Edward wore this jacket camping, hiking, and just on a daily basis. What’s really unique about his jacket is the intense seat belt fade over the left shoulder! Edward says he commutes a lot by car and by the looks of it, that’s an understatement.
After 10 months of use, this jacket shows a lot of promise. The honeycombs on the arms and the fades across the chest add to the beauty of what PBJ has produced. Can’t wait to see what another 10 months will do to this jacket.
Keep buckling up and stay raw!
DETAILS
Name: Pure Blue Japan Deep Indigo denim jacket
Fabric: 100% cotton raw selvedge denim, indigo warp, indigo weft
Heavyweight denim fans rejoice for Naked & Famous is back at it again with their lead-legged series, the Elephant 5. The denim is practically as thick as elephant skin and, this time, just as textured.
It uses a 20 oz. Big Slub Selvedge Denim woven in Okayama and is paired with a 12 oz.buffalo leather patch. It’s available in both their Skinny Guy and Weird Guy fits as well as, for the first time in the series, their Denim Jacket.
The jeans retail for $186, the jacket for $210, and you can pick them up at Tate + Yoko.
10 plus years, no-name shrink-to-fit, and a lot of wear makes for a great fade of the day. Nick Brady from North Hampton, Massachusetts got these when he was a freshman in high school and to this day doesn’t know what brand of jeans they are – which makes them all the more intriguing.
Brady has had many different jobs over the last couple of years which helps make the jeans what they are today. The rip over the pocket along with the knee rip were likely formed o the construction site every day, then again, they could be a result of getting dragged behind a car as he’s told us. Nevertheless, these jeans have some serious character and we love how there is barely any indigo left.
We all know leather to be a beautiful, natural material that has a variety of uses. Whether it’s your leather boots, leather watch strap, leather bag, or leather jacket, it’s clear that leather—and especially raw leather—ages in a particular way. For those who don’t own something made with raw leather, they might be wondering: What’s the big deal? The big deal can be summarized in one word: Patina.
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DaLuca natural watch straps; raw on left, aged on right (Image via DaLuca Straps)
What is Patina?
Much like your favorite pair of raw denim, leather ages in a similar way, developing a “patina” as oils from your skin and other elements of the environment absorbs into it. Patina isn’t a negative; instead, it’s the main reason people fall in love with natural leather in its raw state. Starting with a beautiful pale tan shade, it eventually develops into any range of browns through wear and use.
Much like a pair of raw denim, you might not notice day-to-day changes. Instead, it’s much more dramatic when “before” and “after” images are paired up against each other.
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The Statue of Liberty (Image via Baaghi TV)
What Develops a Patina?
Leather isn’t the only thing that develops a patina. Wood, waxed canvas, metal, and even stone can also develop the signature sheen through use and exposure. The first two might be more apparent—on a wooden chair the arms develop a patina from the skin oils on a person’s hand, and waxed canvas on a jacket or hat gets a similar look from exposure to the sun and precipitation.
Metal and stone are less thought of when it comes to acquiring a patina, but perhaps the most obvious example is to look to New York City. The Statue of Liberty is made of copper, and in its original form had a deep golden appearance of the metal. However, after continued exposure to the elements and overall oxidation, copper develops its signature green surface from chemical compounds in the atmosphere–just like rivets on a pair of jeans.
Stone is another example that might not be especially obvious unless an older facade is set up against a new one made of stone. The older stone tends to have a darker, weathered appearance thanks to continued exposure to the weather and the sun.
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Gustin Natural High Tops; unworn on left, worn for 1 week on right (Image via Gustin)
How Do I Get Patina On My _______?
First of all, let’s assume we’re focusing on leather. In order for your leather watch strap, wallet, or belt to show patina, you’ll get the most dramatic changes if it’s unfinished. A leather bag with a finish on it will likely show much less to no patina over the years. A matte, aniline or completely raw piece of leather will show patina the most (in increasing order).
In order to actually get a nice patina on your item, you have to do one simple thing—use it. Much like the ongoing debate on whether people should actively be trying to get quicker fades on their denim or just simply wear them, those looking for a patina on their leather can start with the latter. Over time through natural wear, splashes of water, oils from your skin, and even the sun will cause a patina to develop.
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Naked and Famous Natural Leather Belts; unworn on top, aged on bottom (Image via Blue Owl Workshop)
If you’re one of those people who want a shortcut, there are plenty of things you can do (like for fading raw denim) to hasten the process. One is to maybe not be so careful when washing your hands while wearing a natural leather watch strap. Another is to leave the item out in the sun or wear it when it’s raining/snowing outside. The sunlight will naturally tan the leather, and the moisture from any precipitation will age it in a similar way.
Whether you want to speed up the process is up to you, but it’s clear that we can all agree that much like raw denim, both the ongoing changes and eventual end result are worth the journey.
Fall is officially here and New York-based Epaulethas got your back. They’re coming in strong with a handsome set of jackets, all of them priced to raise an eyebrow or two. The one closest to our rope-dyed hearts is Essex Denim Jacket. It’s their take on a Type III jacket, made of a once-washed 13 oz. Kaihara denim and is as classic as a jean jacket can be with a single, subtle twist – the collar. Rather than the conventional pointed collar, Epaulet took the liberty of softening the points into a semi-club collar. Aside from that, it’s equipped with all the features typical of a Type III: waist-adjusters, dual breast pockets, hand pockets, and even a little more. Made in Los Angeles, available for $145.
The rest of their lineup is a team of varsity jackets they dub the Thorpe Varsity Jacket. The body is made of Navy-worthy 22 oz. melton wool that’s dense enough to shield you from the wind. Buttery full-grain Italian calfskin is used for the sleeves and trim. Some of the features include two besom pockets, horn buttons, and interior pocket. It comes in four different color combos, all available for $495.
Check out the entire collection at the Epaulet website.
5 years is quite a commitment to a pair of jeans. But that’s exactly what we love and today’s Fade of the Day is just that. This pair of Gilded AgeRaw Red Selvedge Baxten jeans have held strong for almost 5 years with 2 years of dutiful wear before becoming a part of a jean rotation.
Carrying several knives which were rotated between the pockets, reader Evan Blanshan produced some idiosyncrasies at the coin pocket and rear pockets. He’s had them repaired at Denim Therapy several times and has only washed them twice, the first after 2 years of wear and in the Pacific Ocean.
Five Plus One is our weekly series of buyer’s guides. We pick a specific category and dig up five great options along with one that’s a little outside the norm.
Despite boots being considered more sturdy and protective than shoes, that doesn’t mean all boots can stand up to cold weather conditions equally. There are three main factors that need to be looked at to determine whether or not a boot is suitable for bad weather: traction, warmth, and ability to repel water.
Some boots that meet this criteria are kept stocked while others may require a custom order. As such, we’ve compiled a list to help you select a boot that properly fits your needs.
1) L.L. Bean: 8″ Bean Boot with Goretex and Thinsulate
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L.L. Bean Boots are the gold standard for bad weather boots. Their leather shaft and rubber sole will keep your feet dry without fully sacrificing breathability. Their tread offers fantastic traction and is designed to not accumulate snow on the sole. This particular model features Thinsulate to maximize warmth and Goretex to ensure your feet stay dry, although these features do make the boot less breathable. When it comes to cold weather boots, sometimes you have to accept the negatives along with the positivess.
Thinsulate is not the only way to make a well insulated boot. One more traditional method is to line the boots with shearling, which is not only warm but also incredibly comfortable. This option by Rancourt takes just this approach. The Christy sole on this model might not be ideal for icy conditions, but it would be more than adequate for most levels of precipitation. Furthermore, Rancourt takes custom orders, so adding a shearling lining to one of their other models is far from out of the question. If you live in an area with heavy ice and snow, customizing a pair to have both a shearling lining and a large tread would be an excellent option.
Not everyone finds hiking boots to be stylish, but if you do then the Mountain Light might be the perfect pair of winter boots for you. They are seamlessly constructed from a single piece of leather to keep water out, which is further ensured by their Goretex lining. Their sole offers incredible traction and Danner’s stitchdown construction is fully rebuildable. Keep in mind, these boots are shorter than many of the other models on this list, which is less than ideal for deep snow.
Frye boots don’t always get the love they deserve from the raw denim community, but some of their products really hit the nail on the head. The Warren Battle boot is a Goodyear welted boot with a heavy lug sole and shearling lining. Not only will they give you excellent traction in icy and snowy conditions, but they will be incredibly soft and comfortable while doing so. This combat boot is finished with brass hardware, rawhide laces, and tonal stitching.
Many of boots in Red Wing’s Heritage line are not ideal for bad weather due to a lack of insulation and soles that lack traction; however, the Ice Cutter addresses both of these problems. This boot is lined with wool to keep your feet warm and toasty, and the lugged sole offers excellent grip in all weather conditions. Finally, these boots are finished with a stormwelt to keep them watertight.
Plus One – Russel Moccasin: 9″ Featherweight Double Vamp Birdshooter
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Russell Moccasin produces custom boots using traditional moccasin construction, which helps to create the perfect boot for winter. This model features a double vamp, which means there are two layers of leather around your foot instead of one–this helps to ensure that no water will leak into the boot. And to help with warmth, four different levels of Thinsulate are available for a small fee between $22 and $37. Since most of their boots are custom, Russell is able to offer a multitude of soles, vamp layers, leather types, and the aforementioned Thinsulate levels to make exactly the boot you want.
Available for $448 from Russell Moccasin, which includes the double vamp and 200g of Thinsulate.
Self Edge is once again stocked with some fresh new Roy goodness. This time it’s his Cotton Duck Foreman Pants. They’re made of a Cone Mills sanforized 10.5 oz selvedge duck cotton that’s been fiber dyed in a fit that’s able to be sized up or down.
It’s built with pockets aplenty including slant front pockets which use the same duck cotton fabric in the pocketbags, two hidden on-seam coin pockets below the waistband, and jetted rear pockets which have cotton dobby fabric pocket bags also produced by Cone Mills.
It’s got all the attention to detail for which Roy is famous and you can get it for $350 only at Self Edge.
What better way is there to start college than with a pair of crispy raw jeans? Today’s submission comes to us from Seean Kim of Maryland who wore this pair of Pure Blue Japanxx-020‘s walking several miles a day running between classes.The deep indigo is beginning to reveal its inky character with the help of Kim’s large cell phone, a Samsung Note, as well as his Norse Projects wallet.
Ever the helpful boyfriend, Kim helped his girlfriend paint her room which resulted in some paint splatter at the cuffs. For Valentine’s Day, his girlfriend had his name engraved on a small metal plate which he keeps in his rear pocket. There you have it. The way to a man’s heart is not through his stomach, but via fades.
For pictures of Korean food, you can follow Kim on Instagram.
DETAILS
Name: Pure Blue Japan XX-020
Fabric: 100% cotton deep indigo-dyed selvedge denim
Editor’s Note: We’ve spent the better part of five years featuring examples of worn, beaten up, and faded denim, but rarely do we get a look into the people that made it that way. In our new monthly series Behind the Fadeswe intend to do just that, examine the jeans but the lives that shaped them.
I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect when I first heard the name “Craftsman and Wolves”. It sounded like a socially conscious metal band that dismisses the notion that metal bands need to dress a certain way but at the same time, it could’ve also been a restaurant with an intimidating prix fixe menu where everything sounds amazing and foreign at the same time. I would’ve just been satisfied with submitting one of the two guesses as my final answer if it weren’t for the fact that I was looking at a dark pastry box with “Craftsman and Wolves” written in a sleek font (“wolves” was intentionally printed upside down).
This was in 2012 and I was celebrating my 27th birthday with a few friends who had brought the box with them and they were particularly excited about it. Inside was a cake in the shape of a cube that was perfectly formed, minimally decorated, and aesthetically matched the packaging it came in. It was nothing like the birthday cakes I was used to getting and almost looked too good to eat. Almost. We finished it in one sitting and for me, it became the cake against which I measured all other cakes.
A couple months and many cakes and pastries later, I was pretty hooked and had developed a delicious habit of making trips to Craftsman and Wolves on a weekly basis. In my mind, William Werner, the founder and head chef, was a wizard whom I pictured as a tall bald man with wireframe glasses dressed as though he exclusively only wore clothing from Rick Owens. My first time actually seeing and meeting William wasn’t at his shop on Valencia in San Francisco’s Mission district but instead just a couple doors down at Self Edge.
Instead of the magical mod baker I had imagined, here he was standing in the store wearing a pair of well worn 3sixteen jeans and a heavy Flat Head flannel enthusiastically talking about how much he loved Pallbearer, the band playing over the speakers inside the store. I was 0 for 2 when it came to knowing what to expect with Craftsman and Wolves and I began to realize that a lot of what William does regularly goes against expectations.
The wearer of today’s fade is certainly not a stranger as he submitted a couple pairs of Levi’s five months ago. Sekti Wara‘s third submission is a beefy pair of Naked & FamousElephant 4‘s, made of a heavy 22 oz. denim that fades like no other. Wira has worn them everyday for four months and has the foundation of what will be a great jean. Wira’s honey combs look like he had a machine press them on the early standout.
DETAILS
Name: Naked & Famous Elephant 4
Fabric: Sanforized 100% cotton selvedge denim, deep indigo warp, black weft
