Black Friday: Jasper’s Picks

Wow, sales season really came in like Miley Cyrus this year. At this point in my life, I have a pretty short list of clothing I want, and a lot of it doesn’t go on sale that often. That said, this Black Friday has kind of thrown me for a loop, and I’ve managed to grab some pieces I wasn’t expecting to see (I’m not complaining. Your tastes may certainly differ, but here are a few pieces I think are worth capitalizing on this year. Don’t forget to look at our list of all the Black Friday Sales worth your time to see sales codes for the below webshops.


 

  1. Kapital Century Denim at Blue Button Shopjasper's black friday top picks styleforumBlue Button came in YUGE this year. I almost feel bad. They’ve got 30% off of all stock with code THANK30, which means you can pick up a pair of Kapital’s incredible Century Denim for 265 USD shipped, which is about the same as it would cost you to proxy the same pair from Kapital in Japan. If you’ve ever wanted a pair, I’m not sure I can remember seeing a better deal.

  2. Viberg Boots at Blue Button Shop

    jasper's black friday picks sales styleforumDid I mention that Blue Button came up big time? When’s the last time you saw Viberg Boots for 30% off? That puts several models just under 500$ shipped with code THANK30, which is nuts, even if the models on offer are pretty basic. Jump on this, people.


  3. Comme des Garçons Parfum at Notre Shopjasper's top black friday sales picksAgain, 30% off what is (in my opinion) a great fragrance that doesn’t often see discounts. CDG’s incense series is a fantastic blend of natural and synthetic aromas; meant to invoke human spirituality in a way that is both immediately recognizable and undeniably otherworldly. My favorite is Ouarzazate, but Kyoto is great as well – heck, at 67$ a bottle after the coupon code, you might as well buy all four.

  4. Sashiko Shop Coat from Blue Blue Japan at No Man Walks Alonejasper's top black friday sales picks
    How could I make a list of any kind without at least one indigo-dyed item? This shop coat from Blue Blue Japan was a stand out piece from this fall’s collection, and the sashiko fabric with natural indigo dye makes for an incredible color and texture. Did I mention that No Man has it for 371$, which is a must-buy price? No Man’s entire sales list is slightly bonkers, but these pieces are beautiful and unique, which will go a long way this winter – and well into springtime.


  5. Marimekko “Nimikko Mikko” bathrobejasper's black top black friday sales picks styleforumHailing from the land of the Moomins, Marimekko has long offered pop-inspired prints to households that skew towards the nouveau Scandinavian. I have a soft spot for the loud stuff, but these simpler bathrobes are equally fun. Do as Marimekko suggests and wear yours after a long, relaxing sauna.

5 Best Jeans for 2016 and Beyond

The streetwear and denim forum within Styleforum started in large part because I wrote a “10 Best Jeans” post years ago, in the days when “premium denim” was blowing up in LA and the North American Market was just starting to get imported jeans from Scandanavia and Japan.  In those days, the threads were named “5 Best jeans,” or “10 Best jeans,” but it’s really impossible to make a superlative list in such a varied category, so I always tried to make these representative of different styles and needs rather than pointing to one model and saying “Yeah, best jeans right there.”  I do think that the below is a representative list of “best in class” jeans.  Of course, it’s like the 100m dash (or at least, the 100m dash, pre-Usain Bolt).  There are many contenders for the #1 spot, and the winner is usually the first among peers.

This is the first such list that I am writing for the Styleforum Journal, so I’ve chosen the below 5 great jeans with a nod to the past and a eye on the future.


Best wearable art – Kapital Cisco Century Jeans, $375 at www.standardandstrange.com

Cisco - Century Denim No5 kapital styleforum best jeans for 2016

Kapital is perhaps the exemplar of the “mythological folklore by way of Japan” brands, and there are many.  It borrows liberally from Native American imagery, old military uniforms, American workwear, the clothing of some tribes that may or may not exist outside Kapital’s famous photoshoots, and mashes them up with Japanese textile traditions like boro patchwork and sashiko stitching.

Kapital’s cinchback “Cisco” jeans are made from Kapital’s “Century” denim that has been dyed using the kakishibu method, with fermented persimmon juice to produce a deep brick color, and then sashiko stitched using indigo thread.  They are a good (and not inexpensive) example of the combination of Japanese and American clothing and textile traditions and the brand’s general obsessiveness with their production process.  They were first introduced in 2012, but have been popular enough to be kept in the list of “best ofs” that seem to accompany each of Kapital’s collections (other best of Kapital pieces include their moleskin ring jacket and their Old Man and the Sea caps).


Most comfortable heavyweight jeans – The Ironheart 17 ounce straight tapered jeans, $295 at www.selfedge.com

ironheart self edge styleforum best jeans for 2016

I’ve owned and worn many jeans that range between “heavyweight”, usually defined as 16 ounces and above, and “monster weight”, which is my personal term for anything about 20 ounces (per square yard).  To put this into perspective, most military tents are made from 12-14 ounce canvas, and lighter weight stretch jeans are often about 9-10 ounces.  It’s rare that I’d call any heavyweight jeans the “best jeans,” but of all of these, Ironheart makes the most comfortable.

Kiya, who owns Self Edge – one of our oldest advertisers – once told me that this is because they use the longest staple yarns, even longer than do luxury brands, which gives the jeans a cool feeling, and because they use a cold water rinse, instead of the usual, hot, industrial rinse,  Back in the day, the consensus on Styleforum and other forums was that you had to (physically) suffer for the perfect fit, that the first few weeks of wearing jeans three sizes small was a trial by fire to be endured for excellent fades.  Luckily for us all, that insanity is behind us.  Also, I am way too old for that now.  I need my jeans to slip on and off effortlessly.  This is especially important in heavier weight jeans.


Best “Starter” jeans – The Japan Blue tapered model, $220 at www.blueowl.us

japan-blue-tapered-jeans styleforum best jeans for 2016

If you want a pair of jeans that fits well, is neither too slim not too loose, is neither too heavy nor too lightweight, neither very high rise, nor very low rise, and without features like a drop crotch that will date it easily, and will generally stand up to the test of time, Japan Blue’s “Tapered” model is a good choice.

The cut is mid rise, with a slowly tapering leg.  They come in a variety of denim weights and types, and I’ve seen them worn in “full workwear”, and as part of our editor in Chief’s indigo patchwork outfits, and I wear them as part of what was once called my “killer cowboy” style, but that I suspect might be considerably less romantic and cool.

While “versatility” of often code for “really boring”, Japan Blue rescues us by using very interesting denim on any otherwise fairly standard, well made, jeans that lack the bells and whistles of jeans by its sister brand, Momotaro, both produced by the Japan Blue Group.

My favorite are in indigo warp with a black weft, and tonal stitching, made in an unsanforized version of Japan Blue’s “Monster” denim, exclusively for Blue Owl (shown above).  They are heavier than most like their jeans, but don’t worry, there are many lighter weight jeans in the same cut.


Best skinny jeans – Saint Laurent Paris low rise slim fit black jeans, $290 at www.ysl.comstyleforum best jeans for 2016 saint laurent paris slp skinny

I heard a story about Jim Morrison once – that he was a skinny, awkward kid with a crew cut, and that over a summer in California, he grew out his famous mane and transformed into the Lizard King.

This is the revenge of skinny, awkward, teenagers everywhere on the world.  According to recent polls, 95% of all models, male or female, report having been “awkward and nerdy” as teenagers.  (the remaining 5% were jock douchebags – sometimes life remains the same).

If you still have the chops to look like a young Axel Rose (as opposed to the much less attractive 50-something middle-aged Axel Rose), you might want to go for Hedi Slimane’s (they are still his) Saint Laurent Paris jeans, that make his Dior Homme era jeans look baggy and overly comfortable.  How times and our perceptions have changed.


Best Discount Jean – Uniqlo slim fit selvedge denim jeans, $49.90 at www.uniqlo.com

styleforum best jeans for 2016

Over the years, on Styleforum, one of the most commonly asked questions, was “What is the best selvedge denim (jeans) for under $100?”  For a while, there was not much at that price range.  During the era of the $300 jean, you could either go to your local Sears for standard Levis, or you could shell out.  Or you could try to get your friend who was living in Japan to buy and send you a pair of Uniqlo selvedge denim jeans.

These days, particularly with the advent of the direct-to-consumer model, there are many more choices, but the under $100 beacon jean for all those years still remains also the standard bearer.  Of course, these days, there is no need to wheedle a favor out of a friend visiting Japan.  If you can’t get to a Uniqlo in person, it’s only a few clicks away.  At $49.90, the Uniqlo slim fit (these days with a bit of stretch) give a good fit and very passable construction.  If you want 100% cotton and a more relaxed fit, the “normal fit” is also available for the same price.  Both look good on, and age reasonably well.

Are they the best jeans for under 100$? They’re bare bones, to be sure, and all the bells and whistles of the higher end Japanese brands are not there, nor are you likely to develop one of the very distinctive fade patterns of hardcore denimheads, but at just under $5o, you can’t do better.

 

Styleforum’s Favorite Brands

Styleforum has a lot of “favorite” brands. They wax and wane in popularity over the course of months or years, and because of the diversity of our members these brands range from the rigidly conservative to the breathtakingly avant garde. Although this isn’t a complete list, it does capture a snapshot of some up-and-comers alongside a number of old standbys. Let’s take a look at Styleforum’s favorite brands, and what they say about us – the people who love to wear them.


Alden

Styleforum's Favorite Brands

Photo: Epaulet

The Dream: You’re a globe-trotting gentleman-explorer, and your footwear reflects that. No matter the occasion, you’re always well put-together – but you never stick out. Several people have referred to you as “dashing.”

The Reality: You spend more time applying leather-care product to your massive collection of Alden shoes than you do wearing them.


Brooks Brothers

Styleforum's Favorite Brands

Photo: Brooks Brothers

The Dream: Your life is a perfect blend of work and play. You roll up your chinos and play tag football on the lawn. You are happy and content, your collar roll is always immaculate, and you spend your summers vacationing on the Vineyard.  You know it’s gotten crowded but you just can’t imagine going anywhere else – you’ve made such meaningful connections.

The Reality: You have recently discovered that penny loafers don’t go with everything. You constantly talk about how “real men wear pink,” but you’re uncomfortable and fidgety every time you do. Recently, you have begun to fear that people find you boring.

 


Carol Christian Poell

Styleforum's Favorite Brands

The Dream: You curate a minimalist gallery in a European city. Or if not a gallery, you curate a hugely popular photo-slash-contemporary philosophy website with descriptions of each photo posted in all caps. You curate something. People admire your taste.

The Reality: Upwards of five people owned your “collection” before you. You rarely wear any of it, and when you do, you remember why you don’t. You think about selling all of it constantly, but worry that you won’t be able to make back what you paid. You wonder why you don’t just start curating sweatpants instead. You have begun to suspect that no one cares about your moody photography.


 

Christian Kimber

Styleforum's Favorite Brands

Photo: Christian Kimber

The Dream: You’re a free spirit, the kind of guy who spends weekends at destination flea markets looking for antiques to furnish the quirky studio apartment you keep in a neat, artsy neighborhood. You ride your skateboard to the coffee shop every morning; not to work, but to read several Very Interesting Books every week. Your signature touch is a giant scarf. You eat a lot of noodles.

The Reality: You’re an internet hobbyist who spends his days browsing web-stores.

 


Eidos Napoli

Styleforum's Favorite Brands

Photo: Eidos

The Dream: You are an Italian bon vivant who has excellent hair and rides a scooter through the hills of Tuscany.

The Reality: You got the suit 40% off  at Bloomingdales. Sometimes, guys at work ask if you have an interview.  Now you mostly wear it for your Instagram. You have 200 followers.


 

Engineered Garments

Styleforum's Favorite Brands

Photo: Stitched and Stitched

The Dream: You make a living as a travel correspondent, and spend your days fishing, surfing, and hiking with your group of friends and photogenic dogs. All of you carry vintage film cameras – even the dogs. You routinely get your fancy clothing very dirty, but you don’t care. Sometimes candid photos of you appear in Japanese style magazines, with captions like “How to live a care-free life.”

The Reality: Your apartment doesn’t allow dogs, and people wonder why you’re always wearing the same jacket and carrying a camera around.

 


 

Kapital

Styleforum's Favorite Brands

Photo: Kapital

The Dream: You are a carefree artistic type, a creative director at an independent magazine. You are well-read and your friends are regularly featured in iD magazine.

The Reality: On the street, people wonder if you are homeless.  You tell your friends you got it all on sale so that they won’t ridicule you for the prices you paid. You secretly wish you lived in Japan and owned an Indigo dye-house.


 

Robert Geller

Styleforum's Favorite Brands

Photo: Barney’s

The Dream: You spend your time drinking ironic beer on urban rooftops around the world with your friends, all of whom are models, photographers, and graphic designers. You just launched a fashion magazine that has disrupted the industry and brought you several publisher’s accolades.

The Reality: You have three bomber jackets in your closet. You never know what to wear with any of them.

 


 

Suit Supply

Styleforum's Favorite Brands

Photo: Suit Supply

The Dream: You are a successful young entrepreneur. You are stylish and always up-to-date on the latest New Yorker. You have respected opinions on everything from art to the economy to the state of the Great Barrier Reef.

The Reality: People wonder why your pants are so tight, and most women you meet find you just creepy enough to avoid. Your boss thinks you spend too much time looking in the mirror.

 


 

 

Visvim

Styleforum's Favorite Brands

Photo: Antik Boutik

The Dream: You drive a vintage Defender, and all of your most precious belongings can fit into a single well-worn duffle bag. You live authentically. You eat interesting street food all over the world. You laugh constantly. Visvim is the only brand in your closet.

The Reality: You talk about hating John Mayer because he’s not authentic but deep down you burn with unbearable jealousy.

Sashiko Fabric: The Elegant Heavyweight

“Sashiko” is translated from the Japanese as “little stabs,” and refers to a traditional form of needlework often used for decorative mending. The technique gained emerged within Japanese peasant classes in the mid-1800’s as a way to increase the longevity of the heavily-used hemp and cotton garments they relied on. Running stitches were used to decorate as well as reinforce layers of fabric, most of which were cut from older garments or scraps and reused in a quilting technique called boro, or “tattered rags;” at least one example of which is now a necessary staple in every Styleforum member’s closet

Sashiko fabric, however, is a much more recent development (and is the product, almost universally, of mechanical looms). It refers to a tightly-woven cotton fabric reinforced with a equally tight running stitch of embroidery-weight thread that imitates traditional sashiko needlework.

The weaving technique ensures that objects made from sashiko fabric will be able to take a beating – both literal and figurative. Sashiko gi are the traditional garb for aikido, judo and kendo practitioners, and act as an added layer of (light) protection for the wearer. Although many garments used for gi are bleached and left white, sashiko fabrics are also commonly dyed in indigo. Folk wisdom holds that naturally-derived indigo is an anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial agent (and that it keeps snakes away). I’ve yet to see clinical proof, but being covered in blue dye can’t hurt. Right?

Although they come in various weights, most sashiko fabrics are heavy and utilitarian, and its use in contemporary garments generally reflects that fact. Outerwear and the occasional heavy pant are where you’ll most often find it, and a handful of companies offer street clothing made from the hard-wearing fabric.

It’s a characterful fabric to be sure. Not only is the texture very distinctive, but the fade patterns (oh, yes – we must talk about those) result in beautiful contrast after some heavy wear. But more than that, one of the things that I like the most about the sashiko chesterfield I own (it’s from Blue Blue Japan) is that it’s a good stand-in for a leather jacket. Like a hide, it’s tough at first, but with use will soften up and mold to your body. It’s not as restrictive, either, which depending on who you are I suppose could be either a good or a bad thing. Plus, you can wash sashiko garments in cold water the way you would a pair of denim. Here’s how mine looks after a couple of years of wear:

img_0508

Speaking of Blue Blue Japan, they’re a favorite of the Styleforum editorial team (and carried at affiliate No Man Walks Alone), and they offer several sashiko garments, including chesterfields and a great hunting jacket for this season (you can read about our visit to their showroom here). So does Gaijin Made, another Seilin brand. Kapital makes a range of sashiko-reinforced denim that they refer to as the “Century” line.  Luxire, another Styleforum affiliate, now offers a sashiko jacket as well. Newer brands, such as Nine Lives, attempt to marry American heritage with Japanese workwear traditions, which results in clothing such as a sashiko-gusseted yak leather rider’s jacket.

The point is that, if you’re interested in giving sashiko a shot, there’s probably a piece of clothing out there that will appeal to you, whether it’s one of Blue Blue Japan’s more elegant pieces, or a rock ‘n roll indigo leather from Nine Lives.

One final note is that most sashiko garments, by virtue of the fabric weight and thickness, are relatively heavy and structured. They’re also often backed with another layer of cotton canvas, so don’t expect a great deal of “drape.” Instead, you get some nice creasing effects that really come to life as you wear the garment in. Do note that the weight of these fabrics varies depending on what the maker has in mind, so I recommend inquiring with a retailer before you buy. For example, Blue Blue Japan is offering a lighter-weight sashiko fabric this year that appears as a beautiful women’s robe-style overcoat, and some of Gaijin Made’s outerwear is designed to be lightweight.

Regardless of the garment, sashiko fabric is made to last. It’s abrasion-resistant, and despite being a cotton weave it’s tight and thick enough to use as a winter layer in many climates, especially when worn on top of a heavy knit. If you’d like to make a sashiko garment part of your wardrobe – and I recommend it – expect it to last a long time. And wear it hard, because that’s the point.