Some random things and where to find them

I’ve done a fair bit of research when looking for less common items. This is a small compilation of some nice items and where you can source them, on the off chance you’re on the hunt.

1) White linen pocket square

For some reason (likely because most guys only ever buy one) a simple square of linen usually costs more than $50USD. The white pocket square is the most important, possibly the only one you’ll ever feel comfortable wearing and should honestly be worn by anyone in a suit. Pocket squares broaden the chest and make a suit look more complete. A small tip if you’re struggling to fold one: wrap it around a business card and insert into pocket. You might be thingking: Why linen? Why not just cotton? It makes sense when you have one, trust me.

Where to buy: Exquisite Trimmings 15GBP (less 10% styleforum code)

http://www.exquisitetrimmings.com/products/Pocket-Squares/Finest-Irish-Linen-Handkerchiefs.html

ET is a simply fantastic accessories seller. Sure they stock Drakes and Rubinacci and that fancy stuff, but the best value things are their house brand. Great ties and the best value quality white linen pocket square going.

2)Shoe products

It’s tempting after spending big on shoes to skimp out on shoe accessories: shoe trees, polish and brushes. But, six months later you will be kicking yourself when your expensive shoes are a damp and scuffed shade of what they once were. Good shoes looked after properly will last 20 years. Good shoes looked after poorly will last one year.

I’m not going to point you to Kirby Allison’s excellent series if you don’t already know what you’ll need to care for shoes: http://www.hangerproject.com/shoe-care-guide/basic-shoe-care-guide/

You can of course buy from Kirby Allison, but you’ll find it’s rather expensive and pricey shipping. Instead

Where to buy: Exquisite Trimmings

http://www.exquisitetrimmings.com/products/Accessories

Again, ET is awesome for this stuff. Use the code floating around on styleforum (something like SF10) for 10% off. Occasionally on further sale as well. If you buy a bit at a time, I’ve found it’s the cheapest place for Saphir products. If you want to buy from Australia and are only after one or two item, try:

Double Monk http://doublemonk.tumblr.com/

Australia’s best shoe shop stocks a range of Saphir products and if you call them will happily arrange to ship to you.

3) Shaving products

Somehow the barren wasteland of Australian men’s retail still manages to give rise to some gems. One is the aforementioned Double Monk. Another is Melbourne’s MensBiz, which is an incredible local store stocking a large range of premium shaving and hygiene products. MensBiz has a fantastic informative website and the.fastest.shipping.i.have.ever.experienced. I ordered on a Thursday arvo once and had my new blades for midday in Sydney the next day. No idea how they do that.

http://www.mensbiz.com.au/

Special callout for their double edge and straight edge starter packs. There is excellent value in these and they come in a basic pack, medium pack and premium pack depending on price point and wet shaving experience. This is significantly cheaper than buying individually. A little tip, as awesome as straight razors seem, start with a DE blade and learn first lest you be left with an expensive suicide machine.

Where to buy: raw denim

An intro

After years of chino dominance, denim has made a bit of a comeback. Compared to chinos denim lasts longer, looks better after many wears and doesn’t need to be washed as much. In the denim world many of the best jeans (or at least the most hyped) are so called “raw” denim, meaning the material has not been washed which makes it very stiff and coarse. The colour is normally dark, as there are no fades in the denim as can be found on countless shitty prewashed jeans available everywhere. There’s a few things you need to know before looking at raw denim. If you know this stuff, skip to the recommendations section.

Why would I buy really stiff jeans that don’t have any fading or character?

As you wear them, with washes and with time, the raw denim softens and fades. After they’re worn in, raw jeans are often more comfortable than pre-washed and pre-faded jeans. Because you are wearing them as they soften and age, raw denim moulds to your body to provide a great fit. Here’s a look at the sorts of fades you can get with raw denim after many wears:

If you’re not wearing denim regularly, it will take a long time to get fading like this. Some people don’t mind this, in fact some people like the look of new raw denim best. Raw denim is generally a higher quality denim than used in washed jeans, although this isn’t always the case. If you buy a good pair of raw jeans, you can expect them to last a long time and certainly longer than the plethora of average quality jeans available worldwide at department stores and online.

So yes, there are some aesthetic, fit and quality benefits to raw denim. But, in fairness, the main reason people wear raw denim is a psychological one. There’s something very cool about wearing something quality that will look personalised; rejecting the mass-produced clothing marketplace. Raw denim jeans also have a great history. If this sounds like a giant snobby wank to you, cool. If it doesn’t sound like this, also cool. Like everything clothing related, there are lovers and haters and nobody is right. There a few more things you need to know:

Selvedge/Selvage/Self Edge

If you look at the cuff of a normal pair of denim jeans you’ll see something like this at the seam, usually called an overlock stitch:

If you look at the cuff of a pair of jeans that are “selvedge”, aka self edge, selvage, at the seam it will look something like this, with no stitching:

The seam looks like this because the jeans are made from material that is woven in a certain way at the edge such that it will not fray or unravel, which you may have experienced with cheap jeans. Clearly there’s a quality benefit to this, but the main reason people wear selvedge jeans is because they like the look of the cuffs. You might also find selvedge detailing on the pockets. Selvedge jeans ARE NOT always raw jeans. It only refers to the material used, but be aware many people use “selvedge” to mean “raw”, mistakenly. In general, however, most raw jeans are also made from selvedge denim.

Sanforised v Unsanforised

Sanforisation is a fabric treatment process that’s not worth learning in detail about unless you’re a true aficionado. What you need to know is that unsanforised denim needs to be soaked prior to wear, usually in a bathtub or bucket. It will shrink up to 10% or so, which is up to 1.5 sizes. This means you need to be really careful when buying the right size for unsanforised raw denim. Something might fit like a 34 when you first try in on, but after a soak it might be a 32. After being soaked, denim will be very tight but when worn it should expand based on your body. Basically your jeans will go from too big prior to soak, to too small after a soak, to juuuuust right after wearing.

Not all raw denim is unsanforised. If your jeans are sanforised, there is no need to soak prior to wearing. Arguably sanforised raw denim defeats some of the point of raw denim, but if the soaking process sounds too cumbersome or risky to you then they might be for you. Most raw denim jeans are sanforised, and unsanforised jeans tend to be more expensive. Denim only started to be sanforised in the 1930s.

Weight

Raw denim comes in a real range of weights, normally measured in ounces. Most stuff is around the 12-14 ounce range, which is relatively versatile. Hardcore denim gets up to a crazy 30 ounce, which is a winter only weight.

Recommendations

I’ve split this into three tiers based on your budget and experience. If you’re new to the game, even if you’ve got cash to burn, I’d suggest you start with the cheaper stuff to see whether it’s for you and decide what works for you.

Beginner/$

1) Uniqlo http://www.uniqlo.com/uk/store/goods/124313 $55USD/$65AUD

Somehow Uniqlo is able to sell quality clothing items a lot cheaper than everyone else. I think it’s part economies of scale, part magic. Uniqlo raws can be a bit hard to find, but are truly amazing value. Now finally available in Australia. These normally come in a straight and slim fit. They’re no longer made in Japan (China now), but are still very good for the price. Don’t expect quick high contrast fade though, you really need to pay for a higher quality denim for that.

2) Unbranded http://theunbrandedbrand.com/ $85USD/$93AUD

These get recommended as great starter raw denim jeans all the time. They’re not amazing quality, but for <$100 it’s hard to expect that. They also tend to fade very quickly if that’s what you’re after. Great value.

3) Levis http://us.levi.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2076855&locale=en_US&clickid=prod_cs $65USD/$75AUD

Levis calls their raw “shrink to fit and it mostly it comes in the 501 fit. It’s hard to find in Australia. Levis is probably the only large mainstream denim company making raws that aren’t stupidly overpriced for what they are.

4) GAP 1696 Raws http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=85597&vid=1&pid=918078002/ or In-store  $100USD/$120AUD

GAP is one the cheapest raw denim option open to Australians which they can actually try on. GAP does quite a few sales which should shave off a few $, so look out for them. GAP 1969 raws use quite a thin selvedge denim. This makes them more versatile in different weather, but also means they don’t last quite as long and bunch easier. Still a good option.

5) Edwin http://www.asos.com/au/Men/A-To-Z-Of-Brands/Edwin/Cat/pgecategory.aspx?cid=7438&xr=1&mk=VOID&r=3 $130-200USD/$150-$230AUD

Edwin is a Japanese company that has been around for a long time. At various points Edwin has made jeans which have been rebranded by companies like Lee and Wrangler. Watch out for sizing, particularly in the Sen model, as Edwin denim seems to stretch about 1-1.5 sizes as it’s worn in, which can ruin the fit they originally had. At this price, there are better options, but Edwin is one of the only good raw denim brands available in Australia and occasionally goes on sale at places like The Iconic and Maple Store.

Intermediate/$$

1) 3Sixteen http://www.3sixteen.com/ $220-240USD/$250-280AUD

Source: Upthere Store

3Sixteen has been one of the most hyped menswear brands over the past three years for a reason. There’s no better combination of price and quality. This is some of the best Japanese denim and made in the USA. The Tanner Goods leather patch is a big bonus. Note the two different fits, a straight leg and a tapered fit. 3sixteens are going to last you a long time and always look great. Available at uptherestore in Melbourne and Capsule in Sydney.

2) Rogue Territory http://www.rogueterritory.com/ $210-$225USD/$230-250AUD 

Slightly cheaper than 3sixteens, but the same high quality Japanese denim made in the USA. Choosing between 3sixteen and Rogue Territory is just a matter of fit, you’re getting a great product regardless. Only available online,

3) APC http://www.apc.fr/frfr/index.html $200USD/$220AUD

Many people refer to APCs as "gateway denim”, meaning it’s what made them fall in love with raw jeans in the first place. APCs are good, and many people like the fit, but in terms of quality they pale in comparison to 3Sixteen and RT. APC use a lower quality denim and are made in Macau, which would be irrelevant if it were not for many reports of them falling apart relatively quickly. If you’re not wearing your jeans all the time and like the fit, they’re still a good choice though.

4) Momotaro http://www.okayamadenim.com/collections/momotaro-jeans $230USD-$260AUD

The most “fashion forward” of the brands mentioned here, Momotaro jeans are Japanese milled and made denim. You’re either going to love the “battle stripes” along the pocket of some of the models, or hate them for being too “brandy”. Superb quality and a good gateway into the world of Japanese denim.

Advanced/$$$

1) Iron Heart http://www.ironheart.co.uk/ $350USD/$400AUD

Iron Hearts are for experienced raw denim lovers only. These things are brutal. They are made from the toughest, hardest, stiffest, coarsest denim around and breaking them in could be considered a form of torture. Iron Heart jeans were originally designed for bikers, but built a cult status. If you live in a warm climate, be wary these might be a late Autumn and Winter jean only.

2) Real Japan Blues http://www.selfedge.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=76 $365USD/$400AUD

Crazy quality denim, heaps of little details and a pricetag to match. Self Edge is probably the best place to buy.

3) Samurai http://blueingreensoho.com/site/index.php?page=shop.browse&category_id=14&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=62&vmcchk=1 $345USD/$390AUD

One of the kings of Japanese denim. Samurai makes some very heavy duty denim, often around 20 ounce, which is not warm weather appropriate. Some Samurai denim fades very fast, some takes a very long time, do your research.

Conclusion

Don’t be sucked in by the hype, raw denim is not the only denim worth buying. There’s no shame in preferring something washed, particularly if you’re a jeans-on-the-weekend type of guy. If raw denim is for you, it’s a very satisfying, worthwhile, and inevitably expensive way of dressing, verging on a hobby.

Links

Soaking your denim: http://ofironandoak.com/2012/06/the-definitive-guide-to-raw-denim-care/

Looking after your denim: http://ofironandoak.com/2012/06/the-definitive-guide-to-raw-denim-care/