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New York Market Week AW 16: Liberty Fairs Part II

February 3, 2016, 11:01 pm
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Fade of the Day – Crossover Denim B101 (8 months, 1 Wash, 1 Soak)

February 4, 2016, 7:00 am
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There is nothing like a denim jacket fade to start (or end) your day. This Crossover Denim jacket has fades that would make any denim vet jealous. You would think that the honeycombs on the arms happened over the course of years, not 8 months! They are neatly stacked and go all the way down to the cuff which is really impressive. The discoloring is evenly distributed throughout the front of the jacket which is what happens when you wear it six times a week.

Thanks for the submission!

DETAILS

  • Name: Crossover Denim B101
  • Fabric: 100% cotton selvedge denimw
  • Weight: 14.5 oz
  • Fit: Slim Straight
  • Unique features:
    • Selvedge placket
    • Contrast star pattern fabric inside the pocket flaps
  • No longer available.

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Fade Friday – Unbranded UB221 (1 Year, 3 Months, 5 Washes, 2 Soaks)

February 4, 2016, 11:00 pm
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It’s the end of another week here at Heddels, and what better way to kick off your weekend than with some rad fades sent to us from Rian Satria from Indonesia and his Unbranded UB221‘s. By now we have seen our fair share of Unbranded fades slide into proper fade glory, but they’re admittedly always well deserved.

Heavy fabric means heavy fades with these 21 oz. bad boys, which have turned a pretty shade of light blue after losing a considerable amount of indigo in their year and three month of binge wear. While many people love to point out crazy honeycomb action (which this pair does in fact possess), the distinct fading on and around the knees is equally noteworthy here. Thanks Rian and keep it going!

DETAILS

  • Name: Unbranded UB221
  • Fabric: 100% cotton selvedge denim
  • Weight: 21 oz.
  • Fit: Tapered
  • Unique Features:
  • Available for $118 at Unbranded

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The post Fade Friday – Unbranded UB221 (1 Year, 3 Months, 5 Washes, 2 Soaks) appeared first on Heddels.com.

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The Sales Compendium: February 5

February 5, 2016, 4:00 am
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“So those are your APCs on the floor in there. And I guess those are your Samurais in the wood chipper. And those three pairs of sanded down Levi’s. And for what? For a little bit of fading? There’s more to life than fades, you know.”

If you burn through jeans as fast as Grimsrud, 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 the week. Ctrl-F to find your favorite brands!

 

3sixteen

3×1

4 Horsemen Supplies

A Kind Of Guise

A.P.C.

Allen Edmonds

Ami

Anachronorm

Anatomica

Apolis

Armor-Lux

Arpenteur

Baracuta

Barbour

Barena

Battenwear

Beams Plus

Billykirk®

BIRKENSTOCK

Bleu de Paname

Buttero

Canada Goose

Carhartt WIP

Chamula

Cheap Monday

Chimala

Chippewa

Chup

Clarks

Common Projects

Converse

Corgi

Corridor

Cottonopolis

Dehen 1920

Denime

Dickie’s 1922

Dickie’s x PTC

Eastland

Ebbets Field Flannels

Edwin

Tricker’s

Engineered Garments

Epaulet

Epaulet by Gitman Bros.

Epaulet by Individualized

Epaulet by Luigi Bianchi Mantova

Epaulet by New England Shirt

Epaulet by Southwick

Epaulet Los Angeles

Epperson Mountaineering

Eternal

Faribault Woolen Mill Co.

Filling Pieces

Fjällräven

Flistfia

Folk

Freenote Cloth

G.H. Bass & Co.

Gant

Gitman Bros. Vintage

Golden Bear

Good Measure

Goorin

Grenson

Han Kjobenhavn

Haversack

Head Porter Plus

Himel Bros.

Homespun

Howlin By Morrison

Howlin’ By Morrison

Industry Of All Nations

J.S. Homestead

Japan Blue

John Elliott + Co.

Johnstons of Elgin

Journal Standard

Jungmaven

Kapital

Kaptain Sunshine

Kings Of Indigo

Kiriko

Knickerbocker MFG

Koromo

LA Panoplie

“LEE 101”

Left Field

Levi’s Vintage Clothing

LHN Jewelry

M.H.L. by Margaret Howell

Mackintosh®

Mark McNairy

Merz b. Schwanen

Miansai

Minotaur

Mismo

Momotaro

Monitaly

MP

Mr. Gentleman

Muttonhead

N. Hoolywood

Naked & Famous

Nanamica

Neighborhood

New England Outerwear

New England Shirt Co.

Nezumi

Nigel Cabourn

Norse Projects

Nudie

Oak Street Bootmakers

Obbi Good Label

Officine Generale

OMNIGOD

Orcival

orSlow

OSC Cross

Our Legacy

Palmer Trading Co.

Paraboot

Patrik Ervell

Pendleton

Penfield

Pointer

  • AFD 110 66.99

Porter

Post Overalls

Private White VC

PRPS

Quoddy

Railcar Fine Goods

Red Wing Heritage

Reigning Champ

Relwen

Robert Geller

Rocky Mountain Featherbed

Rogue Territory

Rough & Tumble

RRL

Russell Moccasin

S.N.S. Herning

Saturdays Surf NYC

Save Khaki

Schnayderman’s

Schott

Scott & Charters

Sebago

Seminead

Shades of Grey

Shinola

Shockoe Atelier

Snow Peak

Spellbound

Spiewak

Spring Court

Stevenson Overall Co.

Stone Island

Strathtay by Inverallan

Studio D’artisan

Sugar Cane

Sunny Sports

Sunspel

Superior Labor

TCB Jeans

Tender

The Hill-Side

Thom Browne

Tieasy

Trickers

UES

Universal Works

Valstar

Velva Sheen

Vianel

Victory Sportswear

Visvim

Westerlind

White Mountaineering

Wings + Horns

Wolverine

Wood Wood

Woolrich

Y.M.C.

Yellow Rat

Yuketen

The post The Sales Compendium: February 5 appeared first on Heddels.com.

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The Weekly Rundown: Inside Private White V.C.

February 5, 2016, 11:01 pm
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Private White V.C., The Chase Films

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.

The post The Weekly Rundown: Inside Private White V.C. appeared first on Heddels.com.

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Fade of the Day – Hans Company (2 Years, 4 Washes, 8 Soaks)

February 6, 2016, 6:00 am
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This fade is coming to you by Anhindito Bayu from Indonesia. If you haven’t heard of Hans Company yet, you might want to remember them now. These jeans have been worn for 2 years and the natural wear on them has really come through. The overall jean has a sanded coat to it with accents of harsh fade lines. The honeycombs are nicely stacked with a thick wallet fade to add to the overall character of the jean.

You can follow Anhindito over on Instagram.

DETAILS

  • Name: Hans Company HS 202
  • Fabric: Zimbabwe cotton selvedge denim
  • Weight: 17.5 oz.
  • Fit: Slim straight
  • Unique features:
    • Red hickory stripe back pocket lining
    • Hidden rivets
    • Veg tanned Brazilian buffalo leather patch
  • Available for $65 at Hans Company

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SOPHNET x Lee Color Mix Loco Jacket

February 6, 2016, 11:01 pm
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Sophnet Lee Spring Summer 2016 Color Mix Loco Jacket Front

Fresh out of Japan, SOPHNET has recently teamed up with Lee to release this brand new Color Mix Loco Jacket as a part of their upcoming Spring/Summer ’16 collection. Think classic chorecoat meets modern denim chop up and you’ll end up with this guy. Various shades of denim are mixed and matched with contrasting chest and side pockets, along with an added little zip pocket on the lower sleeve for that extra bit of storage.

Available soon at SOPHNET.

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Nudie Jeans Co Brute Knut Denim Fit

February 7, 2016, 4:00 am
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Nudie Jeans Co Brute Knut Fit Front and Back

Fresh out of the Nudie Jeans laboratory comes a brand new fit titled the Brute Knut. Nudie describes this cut as an “anti-fit” with a longer crotch and roomy thighs that taper down in the legs to a narrow leg opening. They chose to use their signature 12.5oz. comfort stretch denim that is 99% organic cotton and 1% elastane for added comfort and mobility.

Interestingly enough, Nudie is only releasing these jeans in select inseam lengths of 28″ to 32″ as they feel they should be worn oversized and short in the leg. This modern fit almost resembles your favorite pair of joggers minus the tight ankle and stretch waist.

Available now for $299 at Nudie Jeans Co.

The post Nudie Jeans Co Brute Knut Denim Fit appeared first on Heddels.com.

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Fade of the Day – Levi’s 501 STF (7 Years, 6 Washes, Unknown Soaks)

February 7, 2016, 7:00 am
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Tried and true, Levi’s 501 STF have been the go-to pair of jeans for countless people for over a century. Akgapak Homsombut sent us his very own pair, reminding us why the 501 has stuck around for so long. His pair has gone the distance, and after 7 years of wear, he’s achieved some seriously solid fades with a dirty tint. He’s kept them going with some hand repairs, only adding to their personality. Considering their condition after 7 years, it looks like he’ll still have them in rotation for a little while longer.

DETAILS

  • Name: Levi’s 501 STF
  • Fabric: 100% cotton unsanforized raw denim
  • Weight: 12.5 oz.
  • Fit: Straight
  • Unique Features:
    • Felled inseams
    • Paper patch
  • Available for $68 at Amazon

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How to Make a Cinch Tote Bag – DIY Sewing

February 7, 2016, 11:01 pm
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A tote bag is one of those things that everybody has, but nobody really thinks about. It serves as a versatile midpoint between a duffle bag and carrying things around in your pockets. Design wise, the tote bag is very simple, and therefore easy to both make and modify.

This particular variant is about as basic as they come, the shape is square-ish, large, and the handle is one continuous piece of fabric that cinches to close the bag. Feel free to add pockets, compartments, different strap or closure configurations at your discretion. The canvas material (while classic, can also be switched up) can be patched, waxed, painted, printed on, or simply beat up depending on the direction you want to go.

What You’ll Need

  • About 2 yards of fabric (I used unbleached canvas but anything heavy works)
  • Heavy duty needles (optional, but nice to have)
  • An iron

How To

  1. First, you are going to want to cut your pieces of fabric. I found that a 22″x44″ piece works nicely for the body, and 3″x60″ for the strap.IMG_6598
  2. Fold the body in half so it forms a square, and press this into place. Make sure that the side of the fabric you want facing out on the finished product is also facing out at this point.
  3. Sew the side seams shut, leaving a 1/4″ seam allowance (distance between the stitch and the edge of the fabric).
  4. Turn the body inside out, and press the seams flat. Sew along the two sides you already did, this time with a 1/2″ seam allowance. The end result should look as pictured.IMG_6603
  5. Mark a line parallel to the opening of the bag, about 4″ down.
  6. Fold the excess material inwards, and press into place.IMG_6605
  7. Fold this piece in half, and press again. This forms where the strap is going to sit.IMG_6606
  8. Now let’s make the strap. Take your piece and press it in half lengthwise, as pictured.IMG_6607
  9. Press the two edges inwards, so they meet in the crease you made before.IMG_6608
  10. Sew this shut, leaving about 2″ un-sewn at the end so you can connect the strap into a loop.IMG_6609
  11. Connect as pictured, taking care to back stitch so the strap won’t come apart. The connection will not be visible, so this doesn’t need to look perfect, the priority is to make sure the seam is strong. IMG_6611
  12. Now you are going to form the openings for the strap. Mark the mid point between the side seams on both sides of the bag. Now mark 1.5″ away from this on either side.IMG_6612
  13. Position the strap as it will sit in the finished product. Make two quasi-bar tacks by sewing back and forth on either side of the center points. Pull the strap through slightly, and make another quasi-bar tack at the center point. This will keep the strap from slipping back into the bag.IMG_6614
  14. Complete the seam around the opening, enclosing the strap.

Voila–a tote bag is born!

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Oak Street Bootmakers x Uncrate Bison Hunt Boots

February 8, 2016, 4:00 am
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Oak Street Bootmakers x Uncrate Bison Hunt Boots -2

The fellas over at Oak Street Bootmakers, in association with the crew at Uncrate, recently teamed up to create a pair of hand-stitched beauties that’ll turn a few heads. The process of just preparing the upper, a black shrunken bison leather, can take up to three weeks.

With the craftsmanship of one of the last standing boot factories in Maine, the Hunt Boot is built with a water-resistant roll-moc construction, wax stitching, rawhide laces, and Vibram sole. There are only 100 pairs out there, so you can expect them to move quickly.

Available for $350 at Oak Street Bootmakers.

The post Oak Street Bootmakers x Uncrate Bison Hunt Boots appeared first on Heddels.com.

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Fade of the Day – Momotaro x Japan Blue 0700SP (2 Years, 5 Months, 1 Wash, 3 Soaks)

February 8, 2016, 7:00 am
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Fade of the Day - Momotaro x Japan Blue 0700SP (2 Years, 5 Months, 1 Wash, 3 Soaks) Front Back Top

Another day, another dollar, and another set of sweet fades. Today’s Fade of the Day was sent to us by Joseph Andrew from Indonesia, where he rocked these Momotaro x Japan Blue 0700SP‘s for two and half years and got some killer results. While the contrast in the thighs and knees isn’t the most intense, it’s made up for with the back pocket fades (yep–those are brass knuckles).

Follow Joseph on Instagram.

DETAILS

  • Name: Momotaro x Japan Blue 0700sp
  • Fabric: Sanforized 100% cotton denim
  • Weight: 14.8 oz.
  • Fit: Slim taper
  • Unique Features:
    • Painted “battle” stripes on back pocket
    • Pink inseam stitching and selvedge ID
  • Available for $177.25 at Cultizm

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Over-Engineered Tote Bags – Five Plus One

February 8, 2016, 11:01 pm
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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.

A lot of folks think of tote bags as being flimsy and easily replaceable, and to be honest, most are. But like all the products we cover here at Heddels, we like our tote bags a bit beefier than what you get from a PBS pledge drive–to be so overly engineered that no amount of reasonable wear can break them down.

1) Filson: Zipper-Free Tote Bag

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Whenever heavy-duty bags are being discussed, it would be a bit unreasonable to leave out Filson. Their quality-to-price ratio is fantastic, and their designs are classics of the industry. Their Zipper-Free Tote Bag delivers exactly what consumers want: a heavy-duty bag with enough space for everything you need. It’s constructed from their oiled 20oz. cotton twill, bridle leather straps, and brass hardware.

Available for $140 from East Dane.

2) Railcar: Utility Tote Bag

RBUTILITYTOTE-2

Some may think that Railcar Fine Goods went a bit overboard on the fabrics when designing their Utility Tote Bag, but to me it’s perfect. The exterior of the bag is constructed of two selvedge denims, one clocking in at 13.75Oz. and the other at 14.75Oz. The straps are also denim, but feature a canvas backing — and the interior of the bag is lined with cotton/poly fabric, but with a different canvas lining on the bottom. Finally, an interior lanyard is constructed using natural selvedge. It’s all put together with the same care and attention to detail that we would expect from Railcar.

Available for $148 from Railcar.

3) Joshu+Vela: Medium Boat Tote (Natural)

Boat-tote-medium-natural-canvas-leather-joshu-vela-joshuvela-made-in-usa-san-francisco-front-medium_22527fdd-178f-4d11-ae45-cf0146d41e33

Joshu+Vela isn’t a brand we get to talk about much but they come out with some fantastic stuff. This tote of theirs, coined the Boat Tote, is one such product. It’s constructed from ultra heavyweight 24oz. canvas, sturdy leather straps, copper rivets, and steel hardware. It’s quite a bit bigger than the other totes on this list, so if carrying capacity is an issue this may be the bag for you.

Available for $265 from Joshu+Vela.

4) Archival: Market Tote (Olive)

Market_Tote_Wax_Bottom_Olive_Angle_F18_1024x1024

For many consumers, “tote bags” are thought of as being taller than they are wide. While I may not necessarily agree that this must be the case, it is certainly a memorable style present for many totes. Archival’s Market Tote follows this design philosophy, with enough height to carry all of your groceries without having an excessive amount of bulkiness. It’s constructed of heavy-duty canvas and Horween leather straps, with a double-layered bottom to ensure it can hold everything you need and more.

Available for $90 from Archival.

5) The Hill-Side: Tb2-305: Heavyweight Covert Twill Heavy Duty Tote Bag (Black)

TB2-305_TheHillSide_HeavyweightCovertTwillHeavyDutyToteBag_L2

The Hill-Side makes some wonderful products, but if there is one thing they are known for its their awesome fabrics. This version of their Heavy Duty Tote Bag comes in Covert Black Twill, a heavyweight twill that appears to have a very tight weave. The bag itself is a bit different from the others on this list: it has a more structured bottom than many of this list, and has an array of pockets both inside and out.

Available for $158 from Hickorees.

Plus One – Samurai: Heavy Selvedge Tote

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I’m going to be honest: I’ve cheated you, readers. There was one, true standout from Pure Blue Japan that should have been this week’s plus one, but sadly I could not find a stockist, nor if it was still being made. Several alternatives exist to the denim-pant tote bag, such as one made by Flat Head (available on Rakuten), but it just isn’t the same. Instead, I offer you something only slightly different from its competitors: the Samurai Heavy Selvedge Tote. And in all fairness, it is in no way less great than it’s PBJ counterpart, just a fair bit more attractive. The main difference between this bag and the others on this list is the full-length zipper, which gives this bag a bit more structure and security.

Available for $225 from Blue in Green SOHO.

The post Over-Engineered Tote Bags – Five Plus One appeared first on Heddels.com.

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Epaulet Leather Bergen Backpack

February 9, 2016, 4:00 am
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NYC brand Epaulet has been no stranger to the Heddels New Releases section as of late. This time, they are back in black with a brand new unisex, soft-construction backpack. Like most of their other offerings, they keep it simple and sleek with a functional design crafted in Portugal using full-grain Italian cowhide.

Three storage compartments inside open up with premium gunmetal Swiss zippers, and the largest compartment is lined with suede to protect your laptop or whatever else you feel like throwing in there. A classic front compartment and a vertical zipper are the only real details seen when looking at the front of the bag, and both are very functional for the wearer. Padded shoulder straps are adjustable using belt-style metal roller buckles for personal preference.

Available for $450 at Epaulet.

The post Epaulet Leather Bergen Backpack appeared first on Heddels.com.

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Fade of the Day – Hanzo CI-105-A (18 Months 6 Washes, 2 Soaks)

February 9, 2016, 7:00 am
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Fade of the Day - Hanzo CI-105-A (18 Months 6 Washes, 2 Soaks) - Front Top

Another pair of Hanzo jeans to put in the fade archives! Fadlan Minallah from Indonesia wore his CI-105-A’s which have taken on some serious character in a year and a half’s time. The overall shade of the jean has completely changed from an almost black indigo to the light shade it has today. His honeycombs are coming in thick thanks to the heavy 19 0z. denim fabric. And, as expected, his dutiful wear has resulted in a repair which only adds to the character.

DETAILS

  • Name: Hanzo CI-105-A 
  • Fabric: 100%  cotton unsanforized selvedge denim
  • Weight: 19 oz.
  • Fit: Slim straight
  • Unique Features:
    • Raised belt loops
    • Rusted laurel leaf button fly
    • Reinforced back pocket with hidden arcuate
  • Available for ~$215 at Hanzo

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Luke Cho of Mildblend Supply Co. – 25 Years Ahead of the Curve

February 9, 2016, 11:01 pm
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Today we’re talking to Luke Cho, the man behind the curtain (and the Union Special) at Mildblend Supply Co. in Chicago. Since opening in 2011, Mildblend has quickly become an anchor in Chicago’s robust, competitive menswear scene, and in particular has become the place to go for denim.

No other store in the city rivals the selection of brands at Mildblend: 3sixteen, Nudie, Railcar Fine Goods, Pure Blue Japan, Freenote Cloth, Rogue Territory, Naked & Famous, Motomaro, Sugar Cane, Eat Dust, Burgus-Plus … you get the idea. Whereas many shops channeling denim/heritage/Japanese/repro aesthetics go the boutique route, with small footprints and focused collections, walking into Mildblend brings to mind a small department store.

In addition to the almost-overwhelming denim selection, the shop also stocks an impressive array of boots, jackets, shirts, bags, leather goods and grooming products, as well as ladies-wear. It’s a serious outfitter situation – an REI for raw – and it’s easy to walk out with new duds head-to-toe.

Luke, when not wrangling invoices in the back office or chatting with customers about the particulars of a pair of jeans, can often be found in the front corner amidst stacks of denim and spools of thread, executing expert repairs and chain stitch hemming. With his low-key personality and straightforward style, you might not guess that Cho has had a colorful past in the fashion industry.

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The story behind Mildblend starts way before 2011. Cho has been in the fashion industry since graduating from college 1989. After studying fine art and communications (and meeting his wife and business partner Candise) at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Cho launched Black Moon – essentially a ready made couture brand.

Cho, along with a designer and two sewers, produced only four items of any piece. The label’s contemporary menswear aesthetic appealed to local celebrities and TV personalities who needed a bevy of unique outfits without the usual couture price tags.

Predating the current trend of upcycling, Cho says, “We shopped for designer remnants and worked backwards. The material informed what we made.” The team found that such small product runs were creatively demanding, especially without formal design training or computer programs. Despite their cost-conscious upcycling efforts, the endeavor was ultimately too small and too labor-intensive to justify. Black Moon shuttered in 1994, and Cho soon opened a more traditional retail space, Untitled.

Untitled focused on English streetwear, along with skate and surf styles. In those long-ago, far-away days before the internet, English magazines like The Face and I-D were his main sources for new brands. Cho pored over ads, and made calls early and late to reach the British brands and request boxes of samples.

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Throughout his career, Cho has prioritized filling holes in whatever market he’s working in, with unique pieces that aren’t readily available. Which means that, in the late ’90s, when a DJ friend came back from playing the raucous club scene in Ibiza, Spain, telling tales of pant legs reaching thirty inches or more in circumference, Cho jumped on the opportunity.

That’s right folks, Luke Cho, purveyor of raw denim and work boots, brought phat pants to America.

Drawing inspiration from British label Joe Bloggs, Cho flew to LA and searched around for a factory to produce the outlandish pants. After receiving lots of hell-no-thank-you’s, Cho connected with a young man, Q, whose family had a factory. They took on the project as private label, producing versions in denim and twelve different colors.

For reasons that perhaps we will never, ever, ever understand, the style took off as rave culture struck a chord with the mainstream. Brands like JNCO, Kikwear and Gypsies & Thieves jumped on the bandwagon, producing phat pants with leg openings up to sixty inches.

While his brainchild was wreaking havoc on the eyes of parents and innocent bystanders across America, Untitled expanded to four storefronts around Chicago. With a team of buyers focused on Untitled, Cho was able to revisit his ever-present interest in manufacturing.

He started another brand, Syndrome, in 2001 with Untitled’s manager Adam Rajcevich, who went on to join Threadless when they (spoiler alert) eventually bought Syndrome. The vertically integrated brand, with its focus on graphic tees and refined, detail-oriented streetwear, surged in the US and approached cult status in Japan.

Syndrome was an early adopter of water-based screenprinting, which produces a soft, long-lasting print that sits in, rather than on, fabric. This technological advance helped fuel the elevation of graphic tees and sweatshirts from workout gear to fashion staple.

Cho and Rajcevich enlisted young design darlings like Cody Hudson–whose work can now be found on brands such as Nike, Stussy and Volkswagen—and Creative Rescue Organization’s Ray Noland, who went on to use his design savvy to create renowned political commentary, including the first grassroots “Obama art.”

Syndrome also incorporated soft colors, polka dots and floral patterns that wouldn’t look out of place at current trade shows. Some of the brand’s Japanese buyers enlisted Syndrome for private label manufacturing. Cho and Rajcevich produced shirts, bags, jackets and pants for the in-house labels of stores like Beams, Isetan and Journal Standard.

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You, dear reader, may be noticing a recurring theme of Cho catching or even creating the front edge of trends. And simply put, Cho is a fashion expert. His perspective is informed by decades of work on a global scale–particularly with the catch-em-if-you-can Japanese market–layered with knowledge of the whole spectrum from design, through manufacture to retail.

But talk to anyone who worked in the late 2000s and chances are the Recession will come up as a harbinger of change. It helped spark some brands and killed others. The downturn forced the closure and sale of the Untitled stores and Syndrome (purchased by Threadless) around 2008.

Which leads us back up to Cho’s current project.

Mildblend opened its doors in 2011, and the space caters to a variety of style-seekers with a American/Japanese inflection. The store could be seen as a capstone project for Cho, bringing things back around to his personal style.

Cho ascribes to the adage “fashions fade; style is eternal” (widely attributed to Yves Saint Laurent), and he’s always decked out in brands he champions in the store. And it’s embodied in the store name, too: Mildblend is a simple, straightforward combination of Mild and Blend. In Luke’s words, “to us means timeless classic style that is not overwhelming or trend setting and tend to get better with age.”

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Depending on who’s walking through Mildblend’s doors, all the racks may look totally the same or dizzyingly different. Is it a teeming sea of navy blue, leather and waxed canvas or a schooling in the encyclopedic nuances of materials and manufacturing techniques?

Well, kind of both.

Cho addresses this with a small, well-trained team that knows everything about everything in the store, and reflects the diversity of Mildblend customers. The goal is for every visitor, whether they drop a whole paycheck or buy nothing at all, to leave the store with an understanding of the products, their value and their story. 

In his eyes, value comes before branding, before trendiness or popularity. And it depends on the person. “It doesn’t mean you’re paying less. It means you’re getting what you pay for.” In his words, “You’re buying the denim for the future, that’s yet unseen.”

As the sole buyer for Mildblend, Cho makes a point of finding and showcasing young, under-the-radar brands. He flexes his manufacturing knowledge by providing feedback on construction details to brands large and small, and will pass on a product until, say, a rivet is more securely attached or a chronically bunched layer is smoothed out.

Cho is loyal to the brands he stocks and always seems to have a new collaboration in the works, having recently worked with 3sixteen, Naked & Famous, Railcar Fine Goods, Winter Session, Rogue Territory, Motomaro, Oak Street Bootmakers, Freenote Cloth… you get the idea.

So, what’s next for Luke?

For once, Cho seems content where he is, helping to shepherd brands into the spotlight, building strong relationships with customers as their denim caretaker and attracting a range of shoppers from curious raw-newbies to picky connoisseurs. He’s also proud to report that his daughter is the top salesperson at Nudie’s New York Bowery location. 

Next time you find yourself in Chicago, be sure to stop by Mildblend and say hello to Luke Cho. And come with every question you’ve ever wanted to ask about menswear. Chances are, he’ll have a story for you.

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To learn more about Mildblend Supply Co., visit their website or their retail store at 1342 N Milwaukee Ave. in Chicago.

The post Luke Cho of Mildblend Supply Co. – 25 Years Ahead of the Curve appeared first on Heddels.com.

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Fade of the Day – Rogue Territory Stanton 11 oz. (14 Months, 1 Wash)

February 10, 2016, 7:00 am
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Fade of the Day - Rogue Territory Stanton 11 oz. (14 Months, 1 Wash) Front Back

Never ones to let a bit of heat get in the way of wearing their jeans, the denim community does produce some lighter-weight jeans, and today’s Fade of the Day is one of them. These 11 oz. Rogue Territory Stanton‘s come to us from reader Dominic Murray in sunny Cape Town, South Africa. He’s worn these hard almost every day in the past year, and has given them a few simple repairs with some purple thread. These jeans are far from kicking the bucket, and we’d love to see how they continue to fade.

DETAILS

  • Name: Rogue Territory Stanton 11 oz.
  • Fabric: Nihon Menpu sanforized pure indigo selvedge denim
  • Weight: 11 oz.
  • Fit: Slim straight
  • Unique Features:
    • “Lasso-stitch” detail at back pockets
    • Hidden pen pocket
    • Selvedge fly
    • Made in USA
  • Available for $267.51 at Cultizm

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The post Fade of the Day – Rogue Territory Stanton 11 oz. (14 Months, 1 Wash) appeared first on Heddels.com.

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Why Okayama? How the Japanese Region Became the Denim Capital

February 10, 2016, 11:01 pm
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The author of Ametora: How Japan Saved American Style digs into the history to find why exactly Okayama became the spiritual center for Japanese jeans.

In the last two decades, Okayama Prefecture in Western Honshu has become famous around the world as the main source of Japan’s high-quality, vintage-inspired jeans. And within Okayama, denim heads make pilgrimages to a small seaside city called Kojima — “Japan’s Denim Capital,” the “Birthplace of Japanese Jeans,” and even, the “Holy Land of Jeans.”

Jeans hanging in Okayama's Jeans Street.

Jeans hanging in Okayama’s Jeans Street.

With Japanese brands often linking Kojima’s modern industry directly back to centuries-old traditions, it may sometimes seem natural for a relatively obscure region of Japan to be country’s spiritual center for American-style denim. But myths often obscure the real history: so let us look at the fortuitous circumstances and savvy business decisions that turned Okayama into the global symbol of Japanese denim.

From School Uniforms to Cowboy Pants

Official histories of Okayama such as Shinsaku Sugiyama’s The Story of Japanese Jeans (echoed in this Krash Japan article) often begin many centuries ago with the rise of small-scale cotton agriculture and a textile industry around Kojima. In this context, jeans seem like a natural and obvious outgrowth of a region rich in cotton, indigo dyeing, weaving, and sewing. But the coast of Okayama was by no means the only region of Japan that produced textiles — nor was it famous for indigo dyeing. The only important thing to note about Kojima’s pre-history is that local industry focused on crafts rather than agriculture.

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The entrance to Maruo Clothing’s factory with timeclock. Image via Big John.

Inside the Maruo factory. Image via Big John.

Inside the Maruo factory. Image via Big John.

Ultimately, the rise of Okayama as a denim mecca comes down to the actions of a single company — Maruo Clothing, which later changed its name to Big John. Maruo was a leader in Kojima’s greatest export at the time — school uniforms. After the war, however, cotton was in short supply, so Maruo made uniforms from a cheap synthetic fiber called vinylon. This went well until textile powerhouses Toray and Teijin started selling a better polyester called Tetoron and locked Maruo out of the supply. Suddenly schools asked for Tetoron uniforms, and Maruo’s vinylon uniform business slid towards bankruptcy.

In the postwar years, Maruo had also produced winter jackets, wholesaling them to a shop in Tokyo’s Ameyoko black market called Maruseru. As a supplementary source of income, Maruo took contract work from Maruseru to re-cut discarded old American jeans to fit Japanese bodies. Maruseru then had an idea of how to solve its perpetual supply problem for jeans: Maruo could just make its own jeans, sure to be much cheaper than American imports. With the school uniform business crashing, Maruo staked the entire business on becoming a jeans manufacturer. This must have felt like an insane move at the time, when almost no one in all of Okayama owned a pair of jeans.

Examples of school uniforms produced in Okayama. Image via Okayama Kanko.

Examples of school uniforms produced in Okayama. Image via Okayama Kanko.

At first, limited access to denim forced Maruo to sew jeans under contract for the Canton brand based in Tokyo (related reading: “Who Made Japan’s First Jeans?“). But by 1967, Maruo convinced North Carolina’s Cone Mills to send them scraps, short rolls, and B-grade rolls, with which they created an original line called Big John. This brand went on to become the best selling jeans brand in Japan through the 1970s — even beating out the American originals Levi’s, Lee, and Wrangler.

On the floors in the Cone Mills White Oak weave room in North Carolina.

On the floors in the Cone Mills White Oak weave room in North Carolina.

The move into jeans not only saved Maruo Clothing’s business but also transformed Kojima. Japanese consumers liked pre-washed jeans, which created lots of work for businesses specializing in washing and treatments. And once Big John secured a stable supply of denim from Cone Mills, they invited other Kojima companies to jump into the jeans industry. Maruo’s president recruited his younger brother at Yamao Clothing Industry to launch a lower priced denim line called Bobson in 1971. The same year, the older brother of Big John’s Toshio Ōshima started producing a women’s denim brand called Betty Smith (“Betty” being Bob and John’s sister). Kojima’s Kanewa Clothing, a tabi socks company, struck a deal with Tokyo’s Edwin to sew the brand’s jeans, and after two years, started an original brand, John Bull.

While no companies in Kojima made denim at this time, they did help spur Japanese textile makers to give it a shot. In the early 1970s, Big John asked Kurabo (Kurashiki Boseki) to start producing denim in Japan. Kurabo could spin the yarns but could not do the dyeing. So they worked with two companies from the nearby Fukuyama region of Hiroshima — Sakamoto Denim and Kaihara, who both had a long history using indigo to dye bingo-gasuri. Okayama certainly started the first widespread industry around making jeans, but it was the Bingo region of Hiroshima made the first Japanese denim.

The Rise of High-end Denim Brands

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The brands of the Osaka Five.

For decades, Kojima acted as the country’s design, sewing, and washing base for jeans, but few consumers knew much about Okayama’s role in the “jeans revolution” beyond what they saw in the fine print on Big John or John Bull tags. It did not help in the 1990s with the appearance of the “Osaka Five” high-end reproduction lines: Studio D’Artisan, Denime, Evisu, Full Count, and Warehouse.

These brands established Osaka as the place in Japan where designers truly understood great jeans. Behind the scenes, however, Evisu and Denime were highly dependent upon Okayama factories for sewing. And Mikiharu Tsujita got Full Count off the ground working with Kojima’s upstart textile mill Collect to make the world’s first denim made from Zimbabwe long-staple cotton.

Momotaro Jeans Vending Machines

Momotaro Jeans Vending Machines on Jeans Street.

These interactions gave Okayama companies the idea to make their own high-end denim, and it is from here, that the modern legend of Okayama truly starts. In 2001, sewing factory Capital started its Kapital line based in Kojima, and then in 2005, Collect (i.e. Japan Blue Group) made its own vintage-inspired jeans named after the local Okayama legend, Momotaro. These new brands took Kojima from a sewing base and manufacturer of mass-market jeans to a city known for artisanal, cutting-edge denim.

Sashiko woven denim from Kapital.

Sashiko woven Century denim from Kapital.

One of the smartest moves in this rebranding effort was the renovation of Kojima’s downtown. Like so many small towns in Japan, most of the shops along the shopping avenue “Ginza Street” were shuttered. In 2009, Japan Blue Group led an effort to resurrect the area as “Kojima Jeans Street” — a celebration of Kojima’s history and brands.

A special jeans-themed bus takes tourists to the street from the train station, where each of the local brands have their own little shops. And to make things more fun, they even serve denim-colored blueberry ice cream. Betty Smith meanwhile opened a Jeans Museum. Kapital does not participate on Jeans Street but has added to Kojima’s attractions with several large retail spaces.

Jeans Street Selvedge Line

Jeans Street Selvedge Line

Jeans Street not only attracted tourists to Kojima (perhaps for the first time) but made the entire Okayama prefecture synonymous with high-quality Japanese denim. This has been great for the Kojima brands, but often eclipses the important production happening elsewhere. A lot of Japan’s premium denim is made by Kuroki Mills over in Ibara, which is at least Okayama, or at Kaihara in Fukuyama, which is in Hiroshima. Okayama has just done a much better job branding itself, for which Japan Blue Group and Kapital should take most of the credit.

Regardless of where exactly great Japanese denim is made, the rise of Kojima as a jeans mecca demonstrates how small town revitalization can work when most of Japan’s economic activity is being sucked into Tokyo’s vortex. The Okayama denim heritage may be more recent than the myths suggest, but Momotaro and Kapital are working hard to keep the pioneering work of Big John and the other brands alive in the birth place of Japanese jeans.

The post Why Okayama? How the Japanese Region Became the Denim Capital appeared first on Heddels.com.

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Fade of the Day – Samurai S710xx (1 Year, 2 Washes, 1 Soaks)

February 11, 2016, 7:00 am
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Fade of the Day - Samurai S710xx (1 Year, 2 Washes, 1 Soaks) - Front Top

Liem Hu Sen from Indonesia submitted his pair of Samurai S710xx’s for today’s featured fade, and once again, upholds the Samurai standard. Wearing them only Fridays through Sundays, these jeans have just as much character on them as an everyday pair.

The front has a well-worn lap fade with complements of whiskers going all the way up to the waistband. Of course the honeycombs are stacked and the entire jean is toned with the grain that we all know and love from Samurai. The leather patch has gotten some charter to it topping off the overall look of this jean.

Check out Liem over on Instagram.

DETAILS

  • Name: Samurai S710xx
  • Fabric: Slubby unsanforized Japanese selvedge denim
  • Weight: 19 oz.
  • Fit: Slim taper
  • Unique Features:
    • Silver ‘sword’ selvedge
    • Jacquard pocket bags
    • Hidden rivets
  • Available for $345 at Blue in Green

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The post Fade of the Day – Samurai S710xx (1 Year, 2 Washes, 1 Soaks) appeared first on Heddels.com.

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Fade Friday – Tellason Ankara 16.5 oz. (5 Years, 3 Months, 3 Washes, 1 Soak)

February 11, 2016, 11:01 pm
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It’s the end of the week y’all, and boy do we have a treat for you in today’s Fade Friday. This wonderfully worn pair of Tellason Ankara‘s was submitted by Nick Williams from West Essex, UK. While Nick loves wearing denim, as can be seen in the photos, he also works WITH denim. After working for Levi’s for over 6 years as a graphic designer, he took his skills to the next step and created his own design studio called 4th Avenue Graphics. They work with clients such as Levi’s, Lucky Brand, Patagonia, and Triumph Motorcycles–just to name a few.

This was Nick’s first pair of Tellason jeans and he has since gone on to purchase 3 more. Worn almost every day for 5 years, these jeans are a true example of how awesome fading can be. While not the most contrasty or destroyed pair of denim, the integrity of the jeans is upheld. Beautiful whiskering and subtle honeycombs are accented by the almost completely white belt loops and patina’d leather patch.

Five years and just one crotch repair later, these jeans have easily proven their worth. Keep up with Nick and his design work on Instagram.

DETAILS

  • Name: Tellason Ankara
  • Fabric: 100% cotton sanforized cotton Cone Mills White Oak selvedge denim
  • Fit: Straight
  • Unique Features:
    • Partially lined back pockets
    • Leather Patch from Tanner Goods
    • Made in San Francisco, USA
  • Available for $220 at Tellason

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The post Fade Friday – Tellason Ankara 16.5 oz. (5 Years, 3 Months, 3 Washes, 1 Soak) appeared first on Heddels.com.

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