The Hidden Rivet - Japanese & Vintage Denim Blog

Percival

2010-10-09T02:15:00.000-07:00

'Designed and manufactured in london, percival uses lasting, honest fabrics in styles that capture a sense of boyish adventure with playful buttons and lining, but stand alone in their simplicity and fit.

Harris tweed, beeswax cotton from scotland, chunky lambswool, heavyweight melton from yorkshire and fine portugese cotton mélange make up the percival autumn/winter 2010 menswear range.'

They also have an online store now. At the moment there are not too many pieces available, but what they do have looks good to me, especially the shirting and the parka's.

Winter 2010 according to 45rpm

2010-10-05T09:56:00.000-07:00

45rpm released their lookbook for the winter.

"While we are getting into the time of preparing for the winter, 「Badou-R AI 45」Winter Issue is up at last. There is a large choice of warm items in this season again. As the introduction of “Naimono-zukuri”, which tells you about our souls of making, we featured “Cashmere Hand-Spun Ponchos”, “Cashmere Hand Knit Cowichan Sweaters”, “Hand-Spun Tweed”, “Cotton Tweed Down”, and “Scotland Tweed”. We also introduce one of the most popular items, Eto Key Chain of 2011. What is the next Year of the Animals, anyways? Please be looking forward to them!"

Inazuma Festival 2010

2010-10-04T00:19:00.000-07:00

Here it comes again: the one festival that makes you want to live in Japan, as it's probably too much of a hassle/too expensive to go there every year. Inazuma, held on the 3rd of November in Odaiba, Tokyo.

Visited: Tenue de Nîmes

2010-10-01T06:44:00.000-07:00

Today I visited a store that was on my to-visit list for quite some time now: Tenue de Nîmes in Amsterdam. They carry amazing brands (especially for Europe) like Momotaro, The Flathead, Iron Heart, Tender and Tellason. Also, they have a chainstitching machine, so your hems will always develop some great roping.

Tenue de Nîmes has the same great, warm vibe a lot of denim shops in Japan do - which is something very, very rare in Europe.

I took some pics of the store - I didn't bring my DSLR, so my Android phone polaroid pics will have to do the job.

Yes, the pic is on it's side - Photobucket is being a bitch. Here you see some great goods, like jackets from Woolrich and Nigel Cabourn.

Above you see the patch on a pair of Momotaro jeans neither you or me shall probably ever own - these jeans take 18 days to create and will set you back €2000,- . Yes, that's not a typo.

The custom TdN bike hanging on the wall.

Apparently, it's not all fun and games at TdN.

Of course, I could not leave empty handed, so I got a copy of Michael Allen Harris' 'Jeans of the Old West: A History'. Which is a must have for all denim enthusiasts. Note the 'Journal de Nimes' booklet in the back: TdN creates it's very own magazine, and I must say that's it's awesome.

Aki

2010-09-30T13:09:00.000-07:00

Interior suggestions for manly men

2010-09-05T01:35:00.000-07:00

Paint a wall in your house in this colour. Or better, your entire house.

Put This On: Shoes & denim

2010-09-04T04:41:00.000-07:00

Check out the video's by Put This On. The first is about quality shoes, what you need to know to recognize a decent pair and how to tie your laces. Yes, tying you laces. Because you're doing it wrong.

The quality is great, check them out full screen.

Second one is about denim and the guys of PTO visit Rising Sun, but since you're reading this blog, you probably are a Master of Jawnz already, and won't learn much, but still it's cool.

Levi's Vintage Clothing: 1917 501XX

2010-03-20T02:39:00.000-07:00

A fresh pair of jeans arrived at the office yesterday: LVC 501XX, the 1917 model. It's made out of 9oz denim (12 oz post-soak, yet it feels a little heavier) from the Kurabo mill, backpockets with exposed rivets, plain, white selvage, a leather patch, crotch rivet, cinch and suspender buttons. Also, it came with a nice LVC tote and a fancy booklet by Lynn Downey, featuring the history of LS&CO and pics of some great archive pieces.

I know sizing a pair of LVC jeans can be a bitch, so here are the pre-soak measurements on a tagged size 30x32 (will update with post-soak later):

Waist: 16"
Front rise: 13"
Back rise: 16"
Thigh: 12"
Knee: 9.75"
Hem: 9"
Inseam: 33.5"

I love the shape of those early Levi's single needle arcuates

A close up of the denim

The leather patch (it folds around the waistband... strange!) and suspender buttons

The plain, white selvage

Tinker Tailor Project

2010-03-08T02:23:00.000-08:00

Japanese brand Edwin has a great little thing going on: the Tinker Tailor project. Here's what they say about it:

'In the pursuit of the perfect denim wash Edwin will embark on a project spanning 12 months that will see modern day society's Tinkers to urban Soldiers live and breathe in their Edwin's.

Edwin reconnaissance staff will be diarising the ‘wear evolution’ through visual mediums from the Photograph to the Blog, giving the public access to the project and its prominent protagonists.

Selected Edwin styles worn by our army of individuals, specifically chosen for their diversity and ‘stand out’ qualities, will be featured with regular updates, thereby cataloguing the chosen ones lifestyles in a pair of Edwin jeans.'

Sounds sweet! Keep an eye on the blog: http://www.tinkertailorltd.com/

Red Wing - A Factory Tour

2010-03-07T06:59:00.000-08:00

Complex.com made a special about Red Wing Shoes - check it out.

Red Wing 8130 x Vintage55

2010-03-06T05:06:00.001-08:00

Got some new Red Wings yesterday. They're actually a collaboration with Vintage55, based on the 8130 model. The only differences I've spotted are the Vintage55 logo embossed above the Red Wing logo, and that they come with big, fat, black leather laces. Which is pretty awesome.

In these pics they're next to my other pair, the reddish brown 8131, which has about 3,5 years of wear into them. As you can see, I still haven't resoled them. Thanks for responding to my cobbler question though people, I'll pay the cobbler in Delft a visit soon!

The Art of Shoe Shining

2010-03-06T04:55:00.000-08:00

Now go try it yourself.

Source: Garra.jp

One Jean To Rule Them All

2010-01-16T03:54:00.001-08:00

Mark Westmoreland, a former designer at Evisu and Levi's, has created a pretty spectacular pair of jeans called 'The One'. It's limited to only 100 pairs, and it features all kinds of design details from all the good ol' big brands. The denim is 14oz, and produced by the Shiotani brothers in, of course, Japan. On to the details:

•Rivets are ‘washer & burr’ – an authentic piece of denim hardware – identified by the cotton threads poking through the middle.
•‘X’ stitched bar tacks on the back pockets are inspired by Lee.
•Pocket bags are 9 oz denim, inspired by Levi’s first jean, the Nevada.
•The fly is one continuous piece, inspired by Boss of the Road denim.
•To keep things as pure as possible, all sewing has been done by a single stitch machine, using cotton threads, with the exception of the belt loops which are from a twin needle.
• The waistband is one continuous stitch, tracking around the patch to the waistband – a Japanese standard.
•The back seam and yoke have been hand finished to produce a ‘french seam’ – a technically brilliant finish that’s rarely found in bulky fabrics.
•Arcuate stitching spells M W – the initials of designer Mark Westmoreland. •Slight knotting might appear in the selvage – a sign of the loom used to weave the denim being re-set.
•The heart shaped fly button has been produced by a reproduction company based on a old railway jacket button (that was originally used by Carhartt). Although only intended for the 20 pairs given away by the designer, it was loved so much by everyone who saw it that in the end it ended up on every pair. The unusual back was a suggestion by the factory.
•And finally, all jeans are sold in an old U.S Mint coin bag, with a Japanese one yen in the pocket. This is pretty awesome as I've always wore a one yen coin in my Skull Jeans coin pocket too!

It's available at 5 stores world wide, and costs about 345 pounds.

Update on the Skulls & PBJ's

2009-12-22T05:14:00.000-08:00

Excuse the lack of updates, life's been pretty busy. Luckily, I got to wear my jeans while I got shit done, so here's a little update.

First up is my pair of Skull 5109xx, at almost 8 months of wear, fresh after a handwash:

And my Pure Blue Japan xx-007's, with 7 full months of wear, also after a handwash:

Thanks for viewing!

Alden - A Factory Tour

2009-10-23T03:31:00.000-07:00

The guys from Epaulet, a store in Brooklyn NY, took a trip down to the Alden factory in Middleborough. I love to see a product getting build from scratch, especially things like this. This little movie just gives you a lot more insight and appreciation for the boots.

Ronnie Fieg for Red Wing

2009-10-18T03:59:00.001-07:00

Just came across these great looking Red Wings. I love, love, love these colours, they would look great with just about anything. Might get a pair of them, since my 8131's are starting to get really beat up and need a resole. To all Dutch readers: who knows a good cobbler that can resole my trustworthy pair? Please let me know in the comments or in an e-mail. Thanks!

210 days

2009-10-18T00:53:00.000-07:00

My Skull Jeans reached the 7 month mark yesterday, and I wanted to throw up some pics but the lighting just isn't right at the moment. Also decided I wanted to machine-wash them for the first time before putting up some proper pics. Got some teasers though.

Viberg Boots

2009-10-18T00:20:00.000-07:00

Items for sale - Skull Jeans & Flat Head shirt

2009-09-22T03:54:00.001-07:00

Everything has been sold, thank!

Re-launching Evisu

2009-09-12T02:35:00.001-07:00

Evisu, one of the Osaka 5 brands, is re-launched in the USA this month. There's a new CEO & creative director in charge, Scott Morrison. Scott is known for his work at Paper Denim and Earnest Sewn. Evisu created a new collection that will be available at Barneys New York in November. Let's hope they made some decent stuff, at least the new gull looks pretty good. And I need a pair of Evisu's 'no. 1' denim in my life.

Brand Profile: Spotted Horse

2009-08-13T00:52:00.000-07:00

When you're reading this blog, there's like a 95% chance you're now wearing your favorite pair of Samurai, Flat Head, APC or some other brand. You are wearing them because you like the falling of the indigo, and the unique pattern that shows up with the years. However, there are also people who are either lazy, have a salaryman lifestyle or can't stick to a couple of jeans. For those, there is the company Spotted Horse from Osaka, Japan.

13 years ago the founder of SH liked wearing his jeans from a raw state, and noticed that all the stone washed jeans available then weren't to his liking. Sure, they were faded, but not in a way like you would've worn them yourself. He then invented the 'Magic Wash'. All the jeans are distressed by hand, creating one-of-a-kind washes. I gotta say I'm impressed with the washes, they look pretty authentic. Still, it's not the 3d effect you get from wearing jeans yourself.

Also, Spotted Horse offers a Make Over service. You can bring in your own unfaded jeans or denim jacket, and let them customize it for you.

http://www.spottedhorsecraft.co.jp/english.html

New PBJ model announced: XX-011

2009-08-13T00:45:00.000-07:00

Pure Blue Japan is releasing a new denim this fall, the XX-011 denim. It's going to be a straight fitted, left hand (!) twill, indigo warp and grey weft denim. It's most likely to drop late September. Looking forward to this one!

Pure Blue Japan XX-007: 6 months

2009-08-06T01:39:00.000-07:00

There's now half a year worth of wear in my beloved PBJ's. So far, I soaked the jeans in lukewarm water in my bathtub twice, and as you could see in my last post, ocean soaked them too. I'm very pleased with the construction of these, so far not a single thread has failed on me. The fabric is thinning out in certain area's though, like the belt loops and of course the right back pocket where I keep my wallet. I feel like I should give it a proper machine wash in a month, to get all the dirt and grime out properly, the previous soaks didn't quite do that. On to the pics:

I'll post some detail shots again next month.

Oceanwashing

2009-07-25T02:23:00.000-07:00

I'm back from my holidays in the south of France. Of course, I brought some jeans with me. My Pure Blue Japan and PRPS jeans needed a proper wash, so having the Atlantic Ocean at my disposal, I decided to rinse out all the grime in one of the world biggest bathtubs. After the jeans were done sun drying, they got a freshwater rinse to get all the salt and sand out.

Summertime

2009-06-24T09:17:00.000-07:00

And the living is easy. No more school and work for a couple of weeks. This picture shows how I'll be spending my afternoons: relaxing with my friends in Sonsbeek park, the best park in Holland. Reading a book, drinking some beer. Looking trough my dirty sunglasses.

Off to the south of France on the 4th of July. Gonna do a little surfing and of course soaking my PBJ's the the Atlantic Ocean. Pics will follow!

Secret Sale @ Oki-Ni: 30% off

2009-06-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

Oki-Ni, a webshop that sells some nice work wear (inspired) brands too, has a special, secret sale going on. All you have to do is enter your name + e-mail address and you're getting 30% off on brands like Nom de Guerre and Haversack.

Follow this and subscribe. You'll receive instructions after that.

Skull Jeans - 5 Months

2009-06-16T06:51:00.000-07:00

It's been 2,5 years since I got these Skull Jeans (by an Alchemist) at their Harajuku store which, unfortunately, no longer exists. You probably expect this to be the slim 5010xx model, but it's not: it's the 5109xx, which is based on a mid-sixties 501. It's made of the same, 6x6 14,5oz denim though and features hidden rivets. The jeans didn't get enough love yet, but as it's a true vintage cut, and I can't get myself to wear them every day.

5 months in

2009-06-06T06:11:00.000-07:00

Pure Blue Japan XX-007: 133 days

2009-05-13T07:08:00.000-07:00

Just a couple of detail shots.

Winter Shoes - Red Wing

2009-04-22T06:25:00.000-07:00

Here's my pair of Red Wings, model number 8131. I bought these in 2,5 years ago, and they have served me well. Actually, a resole would be nice by now... I just need to find a place that's able to do this here in Holland. I won't be wearing my boots for a while though, September is probably a good time to break these out again. A proper polish to breath some life in the leather and they won't come out of my closet for a while.

Summer Shoes - Elia Maurizi

2009-04-19T04:17:00.000-07:00

Got me some new shoes for this years spring and summer. Wanted to get some desert boots for a while now, but finally found a pair that matches my needs. They are made by Elia Maurizi, a small young label from Italy. Already love these to death.

Pure Blue Japan xx-007 at 3 months

2009-03-27T02:28:00.000-07:00

Well, 95 days to be precise. The denim is so damn interesting and it fades faster than I thought it would, which makes them perfect jeans for those with a salaryman lifestyle. I also gave them a soak in lukewarm water when I hit the 3 month mark. On to the pics:

Note the leg twisting!

And the leaf I like so much, has already started to fall apart.

Lynn Downey's Spring Break

2009-03-27T02:21:00.000-07:00

The guys from Denimnews are following Levi Strauss & Co's very own historian, Lynn Downey. She's following Levi's first footsteps in his journey to San Fransisco, where all the magic happened. I think it'll be a fun ride to watch for those interested in the history of denim.

The Workshop by Sam

2009-03-23T06:45:00.000-07:00

I found out that I have a follower on my blog. It turned out to be Sam, who has his own blog where you can order custom made work shirts. It looks as if he could use some attention though, so he'll make more of the following kind of things:

Looks great, doesn't it? Unfortunately, I'm but a poor student, so I haven't actually purchased anything from him... but am planning to do so in the future. His prices are pretty fair, US$180 for a shirt, including worldwide shipping. And hooray for me, he's even doing student discounts!

Go check out his stuff.

The Workshop by Sam

Levi's Vintage Clothing - 1967 505

2009-03-15T04:53:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I posted, life has been busy. In the meantime, whilst working on the PBJ's (almost at 3 months), I decided to show some pics of another pair I used to work on. It's the 505 as it was released back in 1967. Made with denim from the Kaihara mills, constructed in the USA.

These have now seen 5 months of total wear. Unfortunately, they are on the big side (32W) so i decided to leave them in my closet, waiting for me to get fatter. Which might take a few more years.

Full Count Denim Contest 2009

2009-02-12T01:33:00.000-08:00

Just a heads up - another denim contest has just started. New York's number 1 denim store, Blue in Green, has collaborated with the Japanese Full Count from Osaka. Contestants can choose between two models, the 0105C and 1108C. Most people are still waiting for the jeans to arrive, but it'll start soon.

To follow the participants and the progress of their jeans, a blog has been started:

http://fullcountcontest2009.blogspot.com/

Brand Profile - Omnigod

2009-01-24T06:12:00.000-08:00

When i traveled Japan, i ran into the Omnigod flagship store in Kyoto. Back then, i read about the brand once or twice, but never got a good look at the products. The store looked promising from the outside, with big roles of selvage denim greeting the customers.

Here you can see the (orange) selvage denim. Peep my dad's Red Wing 877 for size comparison.

It's Omnigod's mission to create simple, basic clothing for a comfortable everyday life. The brand is part of Domingo (based in Kojima), who also carry the brand Spellbound. The aesthetic resembles to brands like 45RPM and Pure Blue Japan. Relaxed clothing made from the finest cotton available, with great craftsmanship.

Unlike other Japanese brands, Omnigod knows how to create superb washes on their jeans, denim shirts & jackets. So if you're lazy, have a salaryman lifestyle or cannot deal with wearing unwashed denim, the Omnigod prewashes sure are something to look out for. Pricewise as well, as a pair goes for 11.000 - 22.000 yen, which is cheap compared to others.

When i left the store (empty-handed, i didn't buy anything because i had time left in Japan and didn't want to spend money until i handled some other brand as well - stupidly enough i didn't find Omnigod anymore afterwards) the friendly SA ran after us to give me and my dad a booklet about the brand. Unfortunately, i don't have a scanner but i did try to photograph a couple pages. This never really works out properly, but it gives you an idea of the fading capabilities. Too bad Photobucket re sizes the images... I'll find out another way to upload my high-res pics soon.

Check out their website for the latest goods and the 'Standard Lineup': http://www.omnigod.jp/

Pure Blue Japan XX-007 at 2 months

2009-01-21T03:22:00.000-08:00

As i said before, i also want to use my blog as an evolution journal for my jeans. First up is my pair of PBJ xx-007, which is something different as both the warp and weft are dyed with indigo.

It's made out of 14,5oz denim, and the texture is amazing. One of the slubbiest out there!

Brand Profile - Higuma Jeans

2009-01-17T03:16:00.000-08:00

Higuma ('brown bear') Jeans is a small brand from the northern regions of Japan, Hokkaido. The special thing about these jeans is that they are dyed with onions. Sure, we've seen persimmon, mud and tea dyes before, but an onion dye sure is something else.

I tried to figure out what the dye would add to improve the color. Essentially, a normal pair of indigo jeans are dyed to darken the warp and weft. This way the jeans will have a brownish tint to them when worn for a longer period of time.

The denim used on these is 13,5oz and the leatherpatch is made out of goatskin.

On to the pictures:

Back of the jeans, with a lovely cinch back:

The dying process:

Before and after:

The tab:

I'm not quite sure if i'd like to wear this for an extended period of time, but at least it's something different again. Higuma makes two different models, the HWP-1 and the HGM-1. Fitwise, they seem pretty similar, and to be honest i can't really tell where the difference lies.
Unfortunately, for those who just fell in love and are taller than 5', you're gonna miss out on these. There's just one inseam, and it's 32" long. Strictly for the Japanese market, as it seems.

Pictures used in this post are courtesy of Higuma Jeans (www.higumajeans.com).

PRPS "New Fit" Selvage

2009-01-14T08:11:00.001-08:00

These PRPS jeans were my first pair of truly gorgeous denim. Bought in February 2007, but they have only been worn for about 10 or 11 months total. The cotton is harvested in Zimbabwe, and it's extremely soft. They are washed 2 times, and have been soaked once. The 'New Fit' of 2007 was later known as the Tight Fit.

There are many details which make PRPS jeans stand out from other brands, such as the snaps on the waistband and the pocket bags.

The Hidden Rivet - Welcome

2009-01-14T01:32:00.001-08:00

So, i finally started my very own denim blog. I will mainly use this as a changeblog for my own jeans, and to give information about obscure Japanese brands. Soon i'll update with pictures of my projects (which are, at the moment, Pure Blue Japan's XX-007 and Skull 5109xx).