Put This On

Two Closeout Sales

Two stores are having closeout sales at the moment, both with pretty good deals.

The first is at Pockets Menswear in Dallas, Texas. The owner is retiring, so everything in the store must go. Things at this point are discounted about 75% off. Nelson there tells me they have

• Zegna shirts for about $120 (sizes 15.5 through 17, and medium through extra-large)
• A few Incotex pants for about $70 (sizes 32 through 34 waist)
• A couple of Boglioli sport coats for about $500 (sizes 44 and 46 in US sizing) 
• Lots and lots of ties from brands such as Luciano Barbera, Zegna, Nicky, Seaward & Stern, and Altea. There’s also a couple of E. Marinellas left, but not many. Prices for these are about $45. For ease of ordering, I’ve included ten photos of some of their inventory. When you call, you can tell them something like “I want the brown tie on the left hand side of picture 8” (or something like that). Note, in pictures 1 and 3, those are mostly wool knits, but there are some in silk. 

When you call, ask for Nelson. He’s familiar with Put This On and the photos above, so he’ll be able to sort you out. Their phone number is (214) 368-1167. Nelson said it’s fine to call today and next week, but ideally not over the weekend, as they get super busy then. 

The second sale is at Independence in Chicago. They’re selling off all of their Swims Premium Classic galoshes and pricing them at $60. Colors available include orange and black. Again, you have to call in the order, however (the number is 312.675.2105). Ask for Timothy. 

The Power of Plain White Linen Pocket Squares

I’ve got too many pocket squares for my own good. I started with squares found at thrift stores and estate sales. I quickly built a collection from eBay and the internet. Then I started manufacturing squares with the PTO brand. At this point, the clear plastic closet boxes where I keep my squares are literally overflowing.

Still, even with all these squares, I find that I most frequently reach for the simplest: plain white linen.

The advantages of white linen are many. It’s not excessively showy. It goes with literally anything. It’s simple and refined.

One could dress well with only one white linen square.

To get a good one can cost a bit of money. Linen quality can vary, and many less-expensive squares have unnatractive machine-stitched edges, rather than full hand-rolled ones. I think it’s worth an expenditure.

Drake’s version are pretty gorgeous, but costly. You’ll need about $125 for a three pack. Our friend Will’s three pack at A Suitable Wardrobe is a bit more affordable at $95. Our Irish linen version, handmade in Los Angeles, are available by the piece, for $45 (less ten percent if you’re in Inside Track or Gentlemen’s Association member). I like the look of Sam Hober’s option, made in Thailand, for $30 each, as well. Kent Wang’s are cheapest of all, at $20, but I’m not a fan of his 12” size.

Even if you decide on a cheaper, machine-edged square, the addition of white linen to the breast pocket of any coat will kick any outfit up a notch. Consider it next time you’re getting dressed.

jessethorn:

Jordan, Jesse, Go! is coming to the Edinburgh Fringe this August. One night only: 8/22/13. Tickets on sale now.

I hope some of you across-the-pond types will come to my comedy show at the Fringe. You’ll enjoy it, as long as you enjoy the combination of warm wit and unspeakable vulgarity.

eBay Roundup

Jesse and I found a bunch of great items on eBay this week. If you don’t see anything here that suits you, try using our customized search links. We have them for high-end suits, good suits, high-quality shirts and fine footwear. Those links will help you quickly narrow in on the things that are well-made, and you can further narrow those searches down by using eBay’s sizing filters, which will eliminate the things that won’t fit you. 

Should You Take a Bath in Your Jeans and Other Common Denim Questions

Denim Lore with Kiya Babzani, Part II

Yesterday, we talked with Kiya Babzani - co-owner and founder of Self Edge - about whether or not people should really wait six months before washing their jeans. Today, we’ll explore three other common beliefs in the denim community, including the one about taking a bath in your jeans when you first bring them home. 

Derek Guy: It’s commonly advised that jeans should always fit extremely tight when you first buy them – to the point where you can barely button them up. Is that true?

Kiya Babzani: Definitely not. There are two deciding factors when buying jeans: does it look good and does it feel good? If you’re stuffing yourself into a pair of jeans two sizes too small because that’s what the blogs and message boards tell you, you’re doing it wrong.

DG: Isn’t the idea that some jeans will heavily stretch over time?

KB: If you’re a 32 and you buy a pair of jeans in a size 30 to account for stretching, you’re going to look like a stuffed sausage and have red slashes at your hips for weeks. That’s neither comfortable nor attractive. Also, most decent jeans don’t stretch that much with wear. The maximum is about 1.5” or so unless you get them extremely tight when new.

DG: How about the idea that you should first wear your jeans in the bathtub while letting them soak?

KB: People like to overcomplicate the wearing of jeans. The idea that you should wear your jeans in a bathtub is a terrible idea. It’s not only uncomfortable, but it stretches out the jeans in unnatural ways. It creates knee-bagging and pulls at the hips, giving you hip-flare.

It’s true, however, that you should always soak unsanforized denim before wearing (you don’t need to for sanforized denim). If you’re buying them from a store, you should find the fit you like then buy one size up and do a 30-minute hot water soak once you bring them home. If you’re buying online, just buy one size/measurement up from your true size.

You need to soak unsanforized denim so that the shrinkage is gone before you start the fading process. The jeans will also last far longer if soaked before wearing. You don’t need to do it while wearing them in the tub, however. Again, this will just create unnatural stretching in areas such as the knees and hips. Just throw them in a tub, sink, or bucket, and let them soak. 

DG: OK, let’s do one last bit of denim lore. I’ve read that raw denim will mold to your body. Is this actually true?

KB: Yes, all raw denim will mold to your body, but sanforized denim only slightly molds, while unsanforized denim will take on the shape of your figure. If you take two pairs of jeans in the same fit and size, one sanforized and one unsanforized, soak them both in water for five minutes, put them on, and let them dry (not something I recommend doing, by the way, for the reasons mentioned above). This will quicken the process of “molding.” Afterwards, you can take the jeans off and lay them down. You’ll then notice that the sanforized pair will be nearly like they were before, while the unsanforized pair will look like you’re still wearing them.

DG: Thanks for taking the time to speak with us, Kiya

KB: Thank you.

(Photo credit: Farhad Samari)

Levis Vintage Clothing and Levis Made & Crafted Sample Sale

If you’re in New York, don’t miss the LVC / Made & Crafted sale. It’s tomorrow (Thursday) and Friday in New York, and from what the Choosy Beggar tells us, it’s usually quite an extravaganza. They’ve got all the details here.

Trad Nirvana: J. Press Tweed, Circa 1953

One of the great things about thrift store shopping is finding something that seems like it comes from another world. This J. Press coat I found over the weekend is a perfect example. It’s a custom job, completed in October of 1953.

The tweed on this feels like it could stop a bullet. In fact, sixty years later, it’s completely unscarred by time. It could well have just come off the production line. Unlike J. Press today, which usually features a single hooked vent, it’s unvented, but it still features the classic three-roll-two button configuration.
 I only wish that it fit me.

Should I Really Wait Six Months To Wash My Jeans?

Denim Lore with Kiya Bazani, Part One

Jesse’s excerpt from Marc Maron’s hilarious NYT article yesterday coincidentally comes just a day before I finished my interview with Kiya Babzani. As Marc’s article alludes to, there are some seemingly strange beliefs today on how to get the perfect pair of jeans: wear them in the bathtub when you first get them home, don’t wash them for six months, stick them in the oven (!) or freezer if they start to stink, run around in the ocean with them on, etc. 

I asked Kiya if he could talk with us to see if some of these things are true. Kiya is the co-owner and founder of Self Edge, a very popular shop for jeans with locations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York. On menswear forums, he’s commonly considered an expert on denim, so I thought he’d be a great person to talk to about denim lore. 

Derek Guy: Let’s start with the most popular piece of advice: that one should not wash their jeans for at least the first six months of them being worn. Is this true?

Kiya Babzani: To my knowledge, that’s something that was started by APC and/or Nudies. There are a couple of reasons why someone would recommend that you shouldn’t wash your jeans. First, people getting into raw selvedge denim are usually looking for a certain type of look – one that has high contrast fades with dramatically defined lines around the top of the lap and behind the knees. This kind of fading is difficult to achieve with denim that has been done to death, which is what most brands use.

DG: Can you explain what do you mean by “done to death?”

KB: I mean fabric that has been singed, mercerized, calendered, and sanforized. They’ve taken every bit of life out of the fabric, leaving something very smooth and even. With denim treated like this – yes, you’ll normally need infrequent washings to get a very high-contrast fade at the end. But what most people don’t talk about is how if you buy a pair of jeans made from unsanforized denim, you’ll get these kinds of fades even if you washed your jeans every two weeks.  

With unsanforized loomstate denim, the fabric is rigid and creases set in far faster. Additionally, due to the micro-hairs on the fabric (which are sometimes visible), the denim is more abrasive, which will allow you to get that very defined, high contrast look naturally, even with frequent washings.

DG: So denim that has been heavily treated – singed, mercerized, sanforized, etc. – will need longer periods of not being washed in order to get those high contrast fades, but unsanforized loomstate denim can achieve that with regular washings (every two weeks or so)?

KB: Yes, but add to this the fact that washing your jeans regularly is the sanitary thing to do, and doing so will make your jeans last longer. Cotton fibers become brittle with time and they need to be routinely “moisturized” (for lack of a better word). The longer you go without washing, the more prone your jeans are to crotch blowouts and “punch holes” behind the knees.

In the end, however, you never get fades on sanforized denim that are as interesting as you would on unsanforized denim. Of course, this is all very subjective, but in my opinion, unsanforized denim will always develop a more beautiful and interesting look.

DG: What about denim that has just been sanforized, but nothing else?

KB: Sanforization is the leading cause of what I explained above, with everything else being a minor addition.

[Check back tomorrow for part two of our interview with Kiya]

(Photo credit: Farhad Samari)

Two Sample Sales

For our readers in New York City, J Press is holding a sample sale starting today until May 10th. The event is being held at the 29th floor of 530 7th Avenue and doors are open from 11am until 6pm. 

Unfortunately, there aren’t any Shaggy Dog sweaters available (bummer) but a friend of mine who went reports seeing ties for $15 (including the knit ones you see above), shirts for $35-45, and sport coats and pants being discounted by 70%. 

Speaking of sample sales, Ovadia & Sons will also be holding a sample sale next week. Theirs will be on Friday, May 17th from 9am until 4pm, and Sunday, May 19th from 11am until 5pm (two days only). The event will be held at 155 Wooster Street, Suite 4R in New York City.