Shadows on the Wall: Rogue Territory Stealth Stantons

There are some brands I'm just drawn to. I've been this way my whole life. I suppose it stems from living inside my own head. As an only child, I spent several hours playing with Lego, designing, building, creating what I drew with my mind's eye. The notion of a platonic ideal, not understood as such by my child brain, was nevertheless the driving force behind such creations. Several components would work in concert, synthesizing a multitude of influences, yielding something which look like it's influences, but be it's own unique thing. I'd watch Buck Rogers, Battlestar Galactica, Airwolf, Blue Thunder, Firefox - if it flew or went into space, I'd labor over creating some new vessel that was at once derived from, but not present in, those universes.

Years later, as an adult, I find these same processes driving my eye toward clothing and accessories. I love clothes that are classics and look timeless, but at the same time, possess their own characteristics to make them their own interpretation, their own twist, but rooted in that same desire to reach for a Platonic ideal.

Rogue Territory is one in a long line of premium menswear companies who offer their own spin on classic jeans, jackets, shirts, and pants. What I particularly like about their jeans are two things - the fit, and the details. I purchased a pair of their stealth Stantons - a classic slim-straight silhouette, constructed in LA - in a sturdy, "murdered out" flat black (black warp/weft) selvedge denim from the Nihon Menpu mills in Japan.  Unlike some black denim, these never started out shiny black, they were always an inky flat, abyss. The faint scent of sulfur (sulfur being used to dye the jeans) lingering on the finished product, only added to the menace. At 15 oz, the fabric has some real heft, and character. Before long the scent and stiffness dissipate yielding to your form, and becoming yours. These are far and away my favorite jeans these past 9 months. To my mind, as black denim, they are almost perfect: only the white inseam and button fly lining breaks the mood of these stealth jeans.

The photos below are of my pair - get your own pair, and put your own spin on them.

Luther's Denim - A New Jean on the Scene

It's hard to separate the blue jeans from America. When Bruce Springsteen has a record cover with him, in jeans, standing before an American flag, it sort of drives the point home.

Blue jeans are quintessentially American.

So when I was approached by Luther's to review a pair of their jeans - unsanforized, made in the USA Cone Mills redline denim - I jumped at the chance. Full disclosure, I was given these jeans free of charge, and while I still intend to give an unbiased review - I want to be out in the open. Their jeans are utilitarian - no hidden selvedge belt loops or coin pockets here. These are designed to be worn like their predecessors. Their nearest comparison might be to the LVC range, albeit focused on the mid-20th century, rather than running the gamut of denim history. Focus is good for a young company, and really, who doesn't like blue jeans and rock and roll? They have three fits at this time - the 47's - a slim model, the 55's - a regular fit, and the 66's - a tapered fit.

I asked for, and received, a pair of the 66 model. Raw out of the box the quality of the finished construction impressed me.

 

In particular, the denim looks really great. Of the two below pictures, the bottom is probably more accurate in color, a deep blue-black, which should wear nicely. And check out that nice white/red selvedge!

 

Another aspect I like is the hardware - the rivets, the buttons and patch, all have a heft, and really nice finish, while still looking the part, evoking the classic style associated with blue jeans.

But all do they fit? Well, raw, they fit big. But they should shrink, according to their website, by about 2 inches in the waist and 2-3 in the legs. Pre-soak fit pics:

Stay tuned for post-soak fit pics. Anyone starting a new denim company in this day and age needs drive and direction. It looks like Luther's has both - the question is do the public want traditionally detailed selvedge jeans? I'm betting they will.

3Sixteen Jeans: I Wanted Black

When I went to San Francisco last fall, I knew I'd go to Self Edge. I spent my first full day wandering around the city, taking Caltrain to BART, and wandering the mission, while my wife attended various work functions in Palo Alto, which seemed to be a city worth missing. After a nice breakfast sandwich and coffee from Bar Tartine, I wandered over to Self Edge. Before going, I had a pretty solid idea that I was going to look at the 3Sixteen jeans, and due to my strangely over-large calves, I'd be looking at their slim straight cut. Likewise, for whatever reason, I knew - I KNEW - that I was going to pick up a pair in black.

I was half right.

Once I saw the Shadow Selvedge, I knew that was what I was going to get. With indigo dyed warp threads, and black dyed weft threads, initially they have a very dark, almost formal denim look, if such a thing is possible. But as they wear, they get fantastic, almost electric contrasts. With the cognac leather patch, they are definitely worth picking up.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention my post-purchase libation celebration, recommended by Kiya - Zeitgiest. Go there and enjoy yourself.

Left Field High Slub Jeans

On December 30, 2009, Context - who I have written about in the past (click here or here) - launched a New Years Eve flash sale. Immediately, I was drawn to a pair of Left Field jeans. Described on Context's web site as "high slub rinse" - basically a very slubby fabric (16oz.- which is substantial), which was rinsed once, to get shrinkage out of the way, they were lovely, slim fit, with high placed back pockets, great hardware, and dynamite bandana cloth pocket bags. The best part? The were half off - $99. They remain one of my go-to pairs of jeans. Worn cuffed they fit trim and the slubbiness has given way to yield great vertical fading with a soft, near towel-like interior texture. Behold:

Taylor Stitch, Let Me Into Your Pants

Maybe it's the fact that the last two days in Chicago have inspired many a Hoth joke (tip of the cap to all your Empire Strikes Back, SW Ep 5 nerds out there), but of late I have been preoccupied with how one goes about dressing in a thoughtful and stylish manner during cold snaps. 

I've gotten a lot of miles out of a pair of flannel-lined J.Crew khakis, but what about when I'm not commuting to work (don't get me started about a jeans-less dress code), how do I stay warm then? I think Taylor Stitch has provided me with an answer, and something new to crush on, to boot: flannel-lined jeans. Behold: 

Flannel Lined 13 oz. Denim

Flannel Lined Interior

These lovely jeans have been produced as part of a special project, Taylor Stitch for Solitary Arts.  Solitary Arts is a skate company which makes it's products - boards, hard goods - in California. Flowing from passion for skateboarding, their functional, yet artistic expression blends nicely with Taylor Stitch, who most of us know primarily for their excellent shirting. At $128, their jeans are a steal. Snatch a pair up today; I bet they'd go great with a pair of Vans and a skateboard. Just saying.

First Crush of the New Year - Outlier

This one has been lurking for a long while, but it's finally blossomed to a full-fledged menswear crush status. I don't care who knows it, either. I say it loud: I love Outlier Tailored Performance clothing. I mean, Just look at this jacket:

Supermarine Soft Core Jacket

What I love about Outlier can be distilled into just three points:

1. They make their clothes in the USA - New York City, to be specific.
2. They use innovative, performance fabrics with desirable properties such as water resistance, yet breathe well and  have good stain resistance, 
3. They use classic, well-loved templates for their clothing. Nothing looks too technical.

Focusing on lean silhouettes, they create tough clothing that moves with you, clothes that can suffer a rainstorm or steamy commute.

There's just one problem for someone like me - I'm not skinny enough to wear a lot of their styles! Most slim fit pants are too slim for me (as an example, J.Crew "classic" fit chinos fit me slim; so do Uniqlo vintage chinos, though they are listed as "regular fit"). But I think I couild swing a few of their pants, Specifically:

New OGs

-and-

Keirin Cut Dungarees

Garments like these really speak to my aesthetic - traditional, but with a functional yet edgy look to them. And built to take hell, too. Hopefully this year I'll have the chance to give them hell, myself!

I Demand the Supply Jacket

This Christmas holiday, snow fell outside the suburban Cleveland windows of my in-laws house, as I reclined on their leather couch, a fire going in the fireplace behind me. Recent wants having been sated by gifts, good food, more than adequate alcohol and relaxation, my mind drifting in the winter wonderland haze turned to...why spring wardrobe possibilities of course! I mean, what do you think about when reclining by a fire during Christmas time, Christmas movies?

A few days before our Christmas trip, I read about Rogue Territory's Houston pop-up shop. Filing it away in my mental rolodex, I thought perhaps I would check out their site to see what else they had of interest aside from the well-buzzed about (and deservedly so) Stanton cut jeans - sold here in Chicago at Haberdash.

I immediately noticed their Supply Jacket on their homepage, and in three different, but equally beautiful denims:

SUPPLY JACKET-LTBLUBRKTWL- $195

SUPPLY JACKET-ISC- $210

SUPPLY JACKET-DKIND- $210

I admit, I am something of a sucker for a jean jacket, but I particularly admire the qualities of this cut. First of all, it's long in the body, a nice nod to those who don't dress in a vintage, high-waisted style. Second, it's got hand warmer pockets; even though this jacket is meant for spring and mild weather, hand pockets are absurdly useful. Lastly, each of the three varieties are cut from wonderful, high-quality selvedge fabric, sanforized to minimize shrinkage, but hard wearing. I am most drawn to the DKIND model - dark indigo in 10.5 ounce sanforized fabric from Kaihara Mills (bottom). The lighter weight of the fabric would make it an ideal spring/fall garment here in Chicago. But honestly, any of these jackets are a great cut, well-priced, and tasty as all get out. While this cut (hopefully) will be around a while, these particular denims are very limited, so order one while ye may.

I May Have

A problem.

I dig these Made in USA Eastland of Maine moccasin chukka boots too much. It's gonna be a chukka-filled fall for me, I can tell. Available online at Blackbird.