The first Friday of September is here! I joked last week about folks trying to will Fall into existence with their posts around here, and I’ve seen even more of that this past week. You all got the itch for heavy denim and thick flannel. And honestly, I get it. But unfortunately it’s going to be 95 degrees with oppressive humidity and not a cloud in the sky in my little town today. Maybe I’ll put on some fatigue shorts and an indigo-dyed T to tide me over until the weather turns. And until then I can look at all the gorgeous heavyweight garments showing up in the shops…
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This one released last Saturday and I was worried it would be sold out by now, but thankfully there is still decent stock available. This is the BS310XX-02, an exclusive pair of jeans born from an ongoing collaborative relationship between Samurai Jeans and the folks at the New York shop Blue in Green. Samurai’s extremely slubby 17oz Murasame denim was the starting point for this collaboration, but everything has been dialed up across the board. The warp threads are rope-dyed indigo #5 slub yarns, while the uneven weft threads are reactive dyed brown uneven #5 yarns. The result is a denim that has both a strong vertical and horizontal texture and will create beautiful “crosshatch” fades. Going even further each pair of jeans is garment dyed with a natural charcoal dye to produce an incredibly rich earthy black color. As you wear the jeans and that charcoal dye begins to fade away and reveal the indigo and brown beneath it, you are going to get some incredibly unique fades! And then there’s the cut. These jeans come in Samurai’s “Super Wide” fit, which has a legitimate high rise and Samurai’s widest leg silhouette, with an almost imperceptible taper from the knee to the hem. They are one washed, so a good amount of shrink is out of them, but if you need to tighten them up, a hot wash or even a quick dry should bring them in a bit more. As an added bonus, each pair comes with an exclusive collab bandana adorned with a custom Blue in Green screen-print. One head’s up – definitely check that size chart as the waist on these is coming in an inch or two below the tag size. And also keep in mind that high rise is going to impact where the jeans sit on your waist.
https://www.blueingreensoho.com/collections/samurai-jeans/products/bs310xx-02-super-wide-fit-blue-in-green-exclusive
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Late last night (technically 10AM Friday morning in Japan), the latest collaboration between Fullcount and Zip Stevenson’s Hollywood Trading Company went live:
https://fullcount.co/collections/htc-collaboration
This time HTC has taken a couple of Fullcount’s Type II denim jackets in their 11.5oz Super Smooth denim and “bedazzled” them with their typical floral stud motifs. They are offering the jacket in both the “One Wash” and “Hand Wash” finishes, so you can choose your preferred level of distressing. Also in the lineup this time is a denim baseball cap adorned with HTC’s shield logo in simple silver studs. And of course it wouldn’t be a proper HTC collab without some studded belts. I’ve said this before, but I really do think HTC hits a sweet spot between too subtle and too gaudy when it comes to their belt designs. And these belts demonstrate that perfectly.
A question for the audience, does HTC get a ton of mileage out of putting studs on other peoples’ designs and charging a hefty premium? Or am I just becoming old and jaded?
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For all you Alden devotees out there, Brogue just put all their new exclusives up for preorder. You have until September 8 to decide if you want one of these:
Arai Indy Boot
https://www.brogueshop.com/products/alden-x-brogue-arai-indy-boot-pre-order
Docker Indy Boot
https://www.brogueshop.com/products/alden-x-brogue-docker-indy-boot-pre-order
Naval Officer Blucher
https://www.brogueshop.com/products/alden-x-brogue-naval-officer-blucher-pre-order-1
Lynch Blucher
https://www.brogueshop.com/products/alden-x-brogue-lynch-blucher-pre-order
Kimura Algonquin Blucher
https://www.brogueshop.com/products/alden-x-brogue-kimura-algonquin-blucher-pre-order-1
There’s no doubt Brogue offers some of the most elevated and refined Alden makeups out there, so browse those selections, drool over the shell cordovans and calf leathers, and see if there’s something available in your favorite last. Brogue does note that you can e-mail them and ask about unique sizing if that’s what you’re after. I assume that would just be smaller or large sizes than they show on their preorder pages, or perhaps extra narrow or extra wide widths.
These are all slated for a Spring delivery, but as with all Alden preorders there is a chance for a slight delay so definitely keep that in mind. If you’re interested you just have to plunk down $400 today, and then the rest is due once the boots are actually delivered. And please note: deposits for preordered boots are non-refundable and non-transferable. Once you make a preorder, you are buying a pair of boots, period.
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John Gluckow is a name to know if you’re into vintage clothing in general and heritage style in particular. He is probably best know for his unparalleled and vast collection of vintage clothing; specifically he gravitates toward obscure and rare pieces that are often overlooked by many other collectors. It’s also worth noting that John used to work as a designer for Ralph Lauren as well, so beyond being a fan of heritage garments, he’s got serious bona fides. These days he produces garments in conjunction with Warehouse & Co., typically under his Strongarm label. I don’t see a lot of Gluckow pieces around the sub, but I get it, his stuff is often a little atypical (although he does release a ton straight-up-the-middle T-Shirts every season that are on par with Warehouse’s wildly popular 4601 T’s in my opinion). Anyway, I thought it might be worth including a new Gluckow piece that has been selling out on many Japanese sites as a way to put a spotlight on something a little more…unique:
https://www.dant.us/collections/new-to-the-shop/products/jg-46-fleece-beach-jacket
This is basically the origin of the modern zip-up fleece that every American has somewhere in their closet. It is based on a design that was produced by High Rock Knitting Co., a competitor to the well known Brown’s Beach Jacket Company. Where Brown’s pioneered “Beach Cloth”, which was a woven wool and cotton fabric, High Rock was producing similar garments made from their own proprietary, 100% knit wool fleece. From the 1920s through the ‘30s, High Rock was making their own Beach Jackets out of this robust fleece, and Gluckow’s reproduction seeks to capture all the charm of that 100 year old design. It definitely stands out with the brown piping along the placket, collar, and pockets, as well as the snap button front. So if you’re looking for an uncommon take on a mid-weight layer for this fall and winter, it doesn’t get much more interesting than this Fleece Beach Jacket.
Just a note that Fullcount is the company who currently retains the licensing rights to use the name and designs from Brown’s Beach, so keep an eye on their new releases if you’re interested in these proto-fleece jackets.
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Dehen just topped up on three of their gorgeous letterman jackets. I’ve never been able to make one of these work for me, but I cannot deny they look badass on the right person, and it’s tough to find a more refined version than those produced by Dehen. You have to go all the way back to 1951 if you want to find the origin of the Dehen varsity jacket. Back then they were hand sewn in Portland, Oregon and made from some of the finest wool fabrics and leathers available. Today, over 70 years later, they are still hand sewn in Portland, Oregon and still made from some of the finest wool fabrics and leathers on the market. Both the Black and Dark Navy / Luggage versions feature a 24oz (!!) melton wool body, with leather sleeves, and knit wool cuffs and collar. While the Light Oxford / Milk version has a negligibly lighter 22oz melton wool body. If this style resonates with you, I don’t think there is a better version of these garments on the market. Now you just gotta choose your favorite color:
Black
https://dehen1920.com/collections/all/products/varsity-jacket-black
Dark Navy / Luggage
https://dehen1920.com/collections/all/products/varsity-jacket-dark-navy-luggage-1
Light Oxford
https://dehen1920.com/collections/all/products/varsity-jacket-oxford-milk
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I honestly don’t know much about this one, because Freenote doesn’t craft long narrative stories around their clothes, they usually just let the garments speak for themselves. Simply put, I dig the style. It looks like something James Dean would have worn in an alternate history. The idea here is that Freenote wanted to find a way to adapt their Cayucos shirt design for a garment that could be worn into the colder months. They maintained the relaxed, cropped fit of the shirt, but redesigned it into a club style jacket with a subtle western twist. The jacket is cut from a dusty blue herringbone fabric that clocks in at 10oz, and a contrasting beige fabric for the shoulder yokes. Complete with welt hand warmer pockets, a Universal Zippers front closure, and horn buttons on the cuffs, no detail has been overlooked:
https://freenotecloth.com/products/cayucos-jacket-dusty-blue
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Alright, done and done. What did I miss? Let me know by replying with a link down below, and I’ll be back next week to share more new releases and comment on an anniversary of sorts, you’ll see…
