Semi-OT: chambray

[Jay Lonner]

I just pulled my trusty MUSA blue chambray shirt out of the wash and it is on its last legs, so to speak - significant fraying at the cuffs and collar, worn elbows, missing buttons. I happened to get Grant on the phone yesterday during a call to HQ on an unrelated matter, and when I pivoted to this topic he indicated that new ones aren't in the pipeline. Any suggestions on where to source a replacement that checks many/most of the boxes of the original? There are commodity-grade options available from the usual suspects (Carhartt, Duluth Trading, etc.) but I really love the synergy of that supple Japanese chambray while supporting living wage domestic craftspeople.

Alternatively, does anyone have the genuine article for sale in size XL?

Jay Lonner

Bellingham, WA

[Paul Richardson]

i've only ever worn their pants, but maybe epaulet would fit the bill?  looks like they've got two chambray offerings. 

paul

takoma park, md.

[Tom M]

It sounds like your shirt is too far gone for this to apply, but on a few favorite shirts I've had the collars removed and sewn on again so that the worn side faces down. You might be able to do something similar with the cuffs. Patches for the elbows. Depends on how much you like the shirt.

Tom Milani

Alexandria, VA

On Friday, March 27, 2020 at 1:54:11 PM UTC-4, Jay Lonner wrote:

[Brad]

There are a handful of small companies out there making reproduction vintage workwear. 

Check out:  Left Field, Post Overalls, Engineered Garments, etc. (There's also Iron Heart, which is made in Japan.)l

They manufacture domestically and use high-quality materials. And they're expensive enough that they make you realize what a good deal Riv's MUSA gear is. I'm far from an expert on this, but it's my understanding that a lot of these companies make clothes for the Japanese market. There's a strong demand there for vintage US workwear. 

One of the companies (I think it's Post Overalls) is owned by a Japanese man who studied fashion production management in the States. His clothes are made with old machines from defunct factories in the US because collectors can tell the difference in the stitches made with new machines and old machines. You can really go down the rabbit hole with this stuff!

Brad

Queens

On Friday, March 27, 2020 at 1:54:11 PM UTC-4, Jay Lonner wrote:

[Jay Lonner]

The Epaulet stuff looks really nice, maybe too nice for stuffing into a saddlebag and general bike-y use. The reproduction workwear is more what I had in mind. I’ll check out those links for sure, but in the meantime ended up placing an order for a Buzz Rickson chambray shirt because a) it seems like a good shirt for my purposes, and b) that brand has been on the fringes of my consciousness ever since reading “Pattern Recognition” by William Gibson when it first came out. I’m a little concerned about the sizing since I’m probably a few standard deviations taller than their domestic Japanese market, but I just ordered the biggest one they make and we’ll see how it turns out. Agreed that the MUSA stuff is a relative bargain, so I’ll just have to stock up if/when they ever do another run. 

Jay Lonner

Bellingham, WA

Sent from my Atari 400

On Mar 29, 2020, at 1:09 PM, Brad <br...@bradparis.com> wrote:



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[Brad]

I was thinking about Gibson and Pattern Recognition when I was writing about repro workwear. Buzz Rickson is right in line with the other brands I mentioned. 

Brad

Queens

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[Dan McNamara]

I’ll throw Gustin into the mix. I have a couple of their workshirts and they are pretty nice. And a chambray shirt which is more dress shirt than work shirt. The business model is a little RBW-like as they don’t start a run unless they have the run funded enough to cover costs. All the clothes are MUSA (primarily SF.)

The jeans are also an awesome deal for the price, quality and MUSA-ness. 

Sizing is a bit of an issue as they tend to run slim. 

Dan

Marin, CA

On Mar 29, 2020, at 4:44 PM, Brad <br...@bradparis.com> wrote:



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[Patrick Moore]

Good dry cleaners often offer repair services; I inquired a few months ago at mine whether they could reverse collars and cuffs. The very helpful woman "manning" the desk said that she did not know, but could ask (I forewent the opportunity; since I buy my shirts -- only very good ones -- at the local Goodwill, it's just cheaper to buy a new one, except for very favorite ones).

Patrick Moore, who, since he works at home in the dark, fugitive anonymity of his own house, can -- like Bike Snob -- handle his executive clients in his underwear, if he likes (he does not like).

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Patrick Moore

Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum

[Jay Lonner]

Thanks for pointing me in the direction of Gustin - they weren’t on my radar at all. At first glance they do give off a Riv-ish vibe. I backed one of their work shirts, it’s supposed to arrive in May, and if it meets expectations I could see them becoming my go-to source of practical bike-friendly clothing. 

Jay Lonner

Bellingham, WA

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On Mar 29, 2020, at 7:16 PM, Dan McNamara <djmcn...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[bo richardson]

the best denim shirt i ever had was Stronghold denim from LA
hugely expensive but on sale at orvis yers ago.
i lost it half way through its work life.
they have different colors now.
sizing is wierd, although they may have it straightened out by now
Bo Richardson
Bellingham

so Jay do you ever stop bu Cafe Velo?

[Jay Lonner]

I've only been to Cafe Velo once, and that was 2-3 years ago. I prefer do my own wrenching, brew my own coffee, and make my own baked goods, so while it appears to be a cool business it doesn't really fill a niche for me. I went to Alleycat a few weeks back to buy some parts, and that place seems interesting - I'd take a bike there for service. I also hear good things about Earl's but have never been.

Sorry to the rest of the list for hyperlocal content, happy to take it offline from here out.

Jay Lonner

Bellingham, WA

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[chris feczko]

Seconding Gustin. I’ve always had trouble finding clothes that fit well being a bit of a string bean. It’s pretty much all I wear now and I do wear them enough that I’ve gone through a number of pairs of pants. They’re expensive but since they are crowd funded It’s cheaper than a fancy retail store. Luckily you can find a good amount of their stuff on eBay.

Chris

Queens

[Michael Baquerizo]

@brad

Mostly correct. Takeshi of Post O'alls moved to Japan and along with it went his production. He has very high standards and labored to find the right place to do it and so it should be on par with the US product.

With that being said, there are certain qualities he prefers that might not mesh well with the masses (not that RBW Owner's are the masses). Mostly those are cotton threads (which shrink as you would expect cotton to, thus making the garments warp in weird ways all throughout and are more expensive) and typically shorter sleeves akin to older work shirts where ppl feared getting sleeves caught in machinery. 

[Clayton Scott]

Taylor stitch may have something too. Tellason may as well.

Clayton Scott
HBG, CA

[Mark Roland]

On topic, re: chambray. My friend recently made me a garment using this fabric. Pleated, too! Uses two sets of drawstrings made of proper shoelaces:

[Brad]

Thanks for the update. It seems like it's hard to find info in English about Post O'alls. 

I hear you with the sleeves (and fit in general). That vintage fit can look strange, especially if you're tall and skinny.

Brad

Queens

[Dan McNamara]

Here is another option for a chambray shirt that just came back into stock and is a good price. 

https://edgevaleusa.com/products/elwell-chambray

I have one from a few years ago and it is a great shirt - just bought a backup. I also like their pants for everyday wear or doing heavy work around the house. 

Glad that there are options out there. 

Dan

San Rafael, CA

On Apr 7, 2020, at 9:38 PM, Clayton Scott <clayt...@gmail.com> wrote:

Taylor stitch may have something too. Tellason may as well.

Clayton Scott
HBG, CA

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[Jay Lonner]

Thanks for the Edgevale link - I just ordered one of their herringbone chambray shirts, and we'll see how it works out.

As mentioned upthread, it really is possible to go down a rabbit hole with reproduction workwear - I had no idea! So far I've received shirts from Gustin and Buzz Rickson's, and while there's a lot to like about the fabrics and construction, the vintage fit has proven to be problematic. I am tall (6'3") with most of my height in my torso (32" inseam) so that can present a sizing challenge. I typically do well with tall or long sizes when available, which isn't an option in these shirts. So even in the bigger sizes there just isn't enough length in the arms or torso. My wife has claimed the Gustin and I'll probably end up reselling the Buzz Rickson's on eBay. It's amazing that Riv's MUSA shirts fit me so well, and makes them an even better value.

Jay Lonner

Bellingham, WA

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