Aun Tay

February 1, 2018May 5, 2018

Tanner Goods Camera Strap Review

Introduction:

There are so many camera straps available out there in many material types such as nylon or leather. Hopefully, this Tanner Goods leather camera strap review will be of use to you. Shortly after I purchased my first DLSR in 2014, I visited the recently opened Tanner Goods flagship store in Downtown LA. At the time, Tanner Goods was still using Horween Chromexcel as their primary leather with the colorways “Rich Moc”, “Chicago Tan”, “Dark Oak”, Black, and Natural. Every couple of years, Tanner Goods switches the leather on their goods to change things up. I had a hard time deciding between Chicago Tan and Rich Moc. I ended up purchasing the Rich Moc camera strap because I felt that the light brown tone would patina well. The Dark Oak was a medium brown and would have been a solid choice also. I liked the simple design of the strap and lack of “synthetic” materials (other than the nylon cords).

To me, Tanner Goods and Horween Leather come hand in hand. I feel that the brand’s success was because of their selection of leather, particularly Chromexcel, at an early time when not many other leather makers were using it. Nowadays, CXL is very prominent especially in footwear.

Details:

Tanner Goods SLR Camera Strap in “Rich Moc” Leather
Price: $130 USD

Made of 3.5oz Horween Chromexcel Leather
Attaches to camera via two high density nylon cords
Nonmetal hardware attachment reduces possibility of damage to camera
Easily detachable for tripod use
Burnished, waxed, and dyed by hand
Dimensions 36″ end to end
Made in the USA

Impressions:

The design of the camera strap is pretty innovative. It uses Tanner Goods’ signature belt loop and brass button stud attachment which is very secure. While many companies use a button stud, Tanner Goods went further to secure it using a leather loop so that unintended stress in any direction will not detach the leather. While I have no doubt that the button stud will stay secured, the leather loop adds that extra comfort of mind.

The main leather piece that sits on your neck or shoulder has 6 parallel slits on each side. The straps are connected to this piece by weaving through these slits alternatingly and then looping through itself to secure it. This placement allows the strap to occupy 3 of the 6 slots at a time. The camera strap initially comes with the straps at their longest (aka the lateral-most 3 slots of the 6). If you want to shorten the straps, you can remove them and position them in the slots more towards the center. Therefore, there are 4 potential positions to shorten/lengthen the strap. (654, 543, 432, 321).

I’ve carried a DSLR with a hefty lens without any problem or doubt. The main strap actually has a curved side which is supposed contour around your neck. Keep that in mind when you’re re-attaching the cords! Personally, it doesn’t make a difference to me whether the shoulder strap is facing the correct way as I carry the strap on my shoulder not neck.

I have tried to utilize the inner slots to shorten the strap length on several occasions but felt that in doing so, the main leather piece sticks out at its ends, making it look awkward. Also, it takes several minutes to adjust the straps, using the other side as a model to find out what loops through what. Ever since, I just leave it on the most longest position which is the most natural looking as the strap position allows the main shoulder/neck piece to completely curve. Moving to the straps shortest position only decreased the total length by about 4 inches!

The stitching and leather burnishing is very well done on the main leather piece. The lateral straps, however, do not have burnished edges which is one of my main irks. This leads to the straps having “fuzzy edges” which looks like a bad hairday! Perhaps the straps could not be burnished because of they were too thin.\

A trick that I used to get the nylon cord through my Fuji X-T10 was using dental floss to thread it through. On larger cameras, it is more practical to use O rings.

I love how easily the straps can detach so that it does not dangle in the way when on the tripod. Another technique is to to wrap the strap several times around my hand to prevent the strap flopping in front of my camera. The straps do not have any metal hardware that can scratch your camera. The nylon cords at the ends seem very securely riveted to the leather. But if anything were to fail first, it would probably be the nylon cords detaching.

Conclusion:

I nearly forgot about the MSRP of the Tanner Goods camera strap being $130. Even though the price was steep, it’s pretty much been the only camera strap I’ve used. I like the design and innovation of Tanner Goods being made of a material that ages gracefully. You can, however, find the straps lightly used on eBay for around $70-80. That’s a more affordable price!

The Rich Moc Chromexcel leather developed very prominent creases and perhaps even creased in an undesired looking manner. However, this creasing does not at all affect the durability of the product and is just cosmetic. The second Natural tooling camera strap that I also owned has darkened significantly in the places exposed.

The current leather that Tanner Goods uses is English Bridle Leather. I haven’t had much experience with that leather, but the design of the strap is still the same. One thing I love about Chromexcel is how soft it starts with. The Bridle Leather that I felt in person initially felt a lot more rigid and dry.

When I’m not using the camera or strap, it’s stored away safely in my Filson Photographer’s Backpack (check out that review here)!

February 5, 2018May 5, 2018

Railcar Fine Goods Flight Trousers Review

This is a review about the Railcar Fine Goods Flight Trousers in camel. The previous occasion that I owned a pair of tan duck canvas trousers was in 2012. The first pair of raw denim I purchased was a Naked & Famous Elephants in a Weird Guy Fit. I nailed the fit even though I purchased it online. A few months later, I purchased a secondhand N&F Duck Canvas Selvedge also in a WG fit from the Styleforum market.

Duck canvas fabric has its roots in workwear history with the fabric being a plain weave cotton fabric instead of the twill weave most prominent in denim jeans. While both are made of cotton, the plain weave creates a very durable fabric with a smooth surface. Duck canvas is used today in many garments ranging from sneakers to hammocks. The weight of the fabric varies significantly depending upon its intended use. Duck canvas is commonly dyed in dull colors such as tan, olive, or simply unbleached.

I sold my pair N&F Duck Canvas Pants a few months later because I outgrew them. For a couple years after as I was developing my style, I held off on purchasing another pair of duck canvas pants until quite recently. I still it difficult to pair the strong tan color pants with footwear and jackets.

Although my current style caters towards Americana, I initially felt tan duck canvas pants was too “workwearish” for me. However, I saw that many people on Instagram with similar styles to me (@doppki, @marvaments, @vinyl66) all had at least one pair of canvas pants rotated between their denim rotations.

I had a few brands in mind already. The requrements for me was that it is manufactured in a first world country and has a modern slim fit. These brands included Railcar Fine Goods, Epaulet NYC, Naked & Famous, and Unis NYC. The N&F pair I had already owned a few years prior and felt it was too similar to denim in its details (riveted pockets w/ a coin pouch, button-fly, low/mid rise). The pairs from Unis are not actually duck canvas fabric but a twill weave in a chino form. Between the last two, Epaulet and Railcar, the retail prices were about the same at ~$150, but the deciding factor was that Railcar offered free hems if you purchase directly from them.

I was pretty certain of my size before trying on a couple sizes in store at Railcar Fine Goods. Taylor was very helpful and accomodating in determining my Flight Trousers size. She pulled out a pair of size 32 in Camel that she still needed to “clean up” (a few loose threads) and the pockets weren’t sewn on yet. I noticed towards the corner of the store that the Sand and Brown colorways of the Flight Trousers were on sale at 30% off ($99). A few days before I visited Railcar, I was on edge between the Olive and Camel colors, but went with the classic Camel/Tan color. I browsed around in the store as she finished the pair.

Details

Railcar Fine Goods Flight Trousers in Camel

Price 167$ after tax
12oz American duck canvas
Zippered fly and slanted trouser style pocketing
Fit: Slim Fit
Made in-house at The Railcar Workshop

Impressions

The camel color is most similar to a caramel tan, and starts off fairly bold in color. With Steven’s 2.5 year pair with multiple washes, the color lightens up significantly. I initially wore my trousers unhemmed so that the knees could stretch the inseam and I could figure out where I’d like to get it hemmed.

The waist stretched about 0.5 to 1inch after wearing the pair a few times. Compared to the Japan Blue denim in 18oz that I was currently fading, the 12oz fabric is very breathable. These will probably be my go-to pair for spring/summer.

The slanted front pockets are easy to access and I can fit my phone in there comfortably. The zippered fly and top button rivet’s construction feels solid and an enjoyable relief from button fly’s. The fabric is double stitched throughout.

The colors that I found complimented them well were navy, black, white, and brown. I have so many navy/indigo tops/jackets so these pants help break up that Canadian tuxedo look. What I currently find that works well with these pants are white sneakers (Chuck Taylor 2s, Jack Purcells, Common Projects), brown rugged boots (Alden Indys, Viberg Waxed Flesh), and black boots (Viberg Waxed Flesh and Wolverine 1K Miles). Because of the “workwear” color, I don’t think they pair well with dressier boots or footwear such as Alden Longwings or shell cordovan makeups.

The fit of the trousers is quite slim (but not skinny) on the top block. At the knees down, the trousers essentially end with a straight leg opening. The cuff opening was perhaps one inch in circumference too large for my liking. In addition, I wanted to wear the pants cuffed twice with a small ~1 inch cuff. I brought them back to Railcar to get the pants tapered from the knees down. Taylor helped me figure out how much slimmer I wanted them while also noting that I haven’t washed them for the first time yet so additional shrinkage needs to be accounted for. The tapering service was 25% off the full price because I purchased them from Railcar and the hem free. I ended up paying about $42.50 for the tapering service. I was quoted 3 weeks for the service because Steven personally does all the tapering himself.

I received a phone call about a week and a half later, and I went to go pick them up. When I tried them on, my left calf felt tight below the knee. The right side felt OK, but I do know that my left calf is about 0.25in larger than my right. Looking in the mirror, the fit actually looked pretty good. I guess I’m just not used to having the pants so slim in the calf region! I do have Uniqlo Slim Fit Flat Front Chinos that hug my calves gently, but they have like 2% stretch so it doesn’t feel as constricted!

Conclusion/Closing Thoughts

While I have yet to wash the Flight Trousers yet, the fabric has faded on its own a bit. I plan on cold washing them soon and line drying. As for stretching of the fabric, the thigh’s have marginally stretched, but I noticed the waistband opened up an additional inch. I’ve done a bunch of chores in these pants and the pair feels softer than it felt from day one. If you’re reading this and interested in a pair yourself, you most likely have to purchase it at the full price of $150. From my recent tour of the Railcar Workshop, the pants pretty much sell out as quickly as they are made. I highly recommend the tapering service also – it’s a pretty unique service offered by Railcar over other denim brand services.

I used to own a pair of Epaulet Rivet Chinos in Olive Ripstop. The fit is nearly the same (modern slim), both have zipper flys and slash pockets, however the Epaulet Rivets have a white cotton herringbone taping at the outseam (Epaulet’s signature detail) that is visible when cuffed.

February 12, 2018May 5, 2018

Blackhorse Lane Ateliers E8 Slim Tapered Indigo Selvedge Jean Review

Intro:

Blackhorse Lane Ateliers is a relatively new London based company specializing in denim and focuses on sustainability, community, and unmatched quality. They opened their doors not too long ago in April 2016 and have manufactured a ready-to-wear line of organic & selvedge denim. Their founder Bilgehan “Han” Ates has more than 25 years of experience in the textile industry. As far as I know, Blackhorse Lane is London’s only jean crafter! When was the last time you heard of jeans that were made in London?!

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March 19, 2018May 2, 2018

Freenote Cloth Indigo/Indigo Rider’s Jacket Initial Impressions Review

Within the last week, Freenote Cloth released a new spring jacket – a Indigo/Indigo 14.75oz Denim Rider’s Jacket in a very subtle manner. No Instagram or other social media posts accompanied the new product in their online store. I stopped by their flagship store in Highland Park a few days ago in the afternoon, and saw this jacket on the racks.

The jacket had a dark indigo color with hues of burgundy. The liner was a cotton paisley pattern Greg (@denimhound) agreed with me that this was our favorite version of the Rider’s Jacket thus far. When I first started learning about Freenote Cloth in late 2014, I had recently missed out on their limited release Raw Flecked 14oz Rider’s Jacket.

Since then, I would say that Freenote’s Rider’s Jackets, specifically the waxed canvas versions, became their staple product. Quite similar to 3sixteen’s Shadow Selvedge Type 3s Jacket (link to my review). There was perhaps one other denim Rider’s Jacket in Cone Mills denim sometime in between.

What’s cool about the Rider Jacket is that it carries features of a Type II denim jacket with the front pleats, but also adds practicality with handwarmer pockets. In my experience, Indigo/Indigo denim tends to fade in a very fast and pleasing manner with high contrasting fades.

In terms of sizing, this version runs slightly larger than their past waxed canvas Rider’s Jackets. I went with the same size as my previous Freenote Cloth Rider Jackets – a size Large. It’s roomy enough to layer a thick flannel or a sweatshirt underneath and still have much mobility. With my initial measurements to my waxed Rider jacket, this version most noticably runs 1.5 inches longer in the sleeves and at least 1 inch longer in the body length. Perhaps the difference may be attributed to the waxed cotton shrinking in wet weather. For now, I’ve decided to cuff the sleeves once upon themselves for a shorter length. In the future when I do wash it, I plan on a hot soak to shrink the fabric in all areas..

The cotton paisley lining is a wonderful pattern that I think Freenote hasn’t used before (?). Most of their Rider Jacket linings have been Chambray (for the Spring edition) or some sort of Jacquard Wool Blend (Fall/Winter). For it being a “Spring” jacket here in LA, it’s pretty darn warm compared to say the 3sixteen Type 3s Shadow Selvedge, likely because of the fabric weight plus a liner.

A couple small but major tweaks that I have noticed. The chest pockets are both longer and wider which allows me to safely stash my phone (iPhone X). The front pleats are also slightly wider in diameter. The handwarmer pockets are also denim inside which increases the pockets’ durability.

One major change I noticed was the large price increase. When the Raw Fleck Indigo Rider’s Jacket was released in late 2014, the price was $330. Even considering some inflation, this jacket is priced at $450 which makes it their priciest Rider Jacket to date. Many of Freenote’s products are limited edition because they use custom fabrics from Japan, and I can confidently say (after handling many other brands) that the price reflects the quality well.

The measurements of my three Freenote Cloth Rider Jackets are listed here (in inches). The increased body length and sleeve length of the Indigo/Indigo line up with my experience. I’m surprised that the chest “only” measures 44 inches total but that does line up with the website’s measurements!

Here’s a handful of pics and fit pics for now. If you have any questions about sizing, my opinion, or anything else, feel free to shoot me a DM on Instagram (@imaunit) or leave a comment below!

January 26, 2018May 2, 2018

Filson Photographer’s Backpack 70144 Review

I’ve had my eyes on this Filson Photographer’s Backpack for a couple years now. The two and only major reviews of this bag I was able to find online was by Anastasia Petukhova and Nathan Ward. Both of their reviews were accompanied with attractive, droolsome pics. A week ago, I was able to find a used Filson Photographer’s Backpack in Otter Green on Craigslist for a great price! I contacted the dude, received a prompt response, and we met the following day at a Starbucks. The bag is no longer available directly from Filson, but is currently readily available from Amazon in both Tan and Otter Green.

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January 18, 2018May 2, 2018

Tanner Goods Legacy Cardholder Wallet Review

Back when I started getting into menswear in 2011-2012, the most recommended wallet was a Saddleback ID card holder. I still have that very same one. Front pocket wallets that were slim had a huge popularity then. No one wanted a large bifold wallet that could potentially give you back pain in the long run!

The first time I was able to feel a Tanner Goods Cardholder wallet was at Unionmade’s flagship in San Francisco. I noticed that the current version was made with a full cover flap instead of an angled flap piece that I had seen online.

I purchased the Tanner Goods Legacy Cardholder in Chestnut Dublin leather sometime in early 2015 for about 85$. It was the first time TG brought back the “angled design” now calling it Legacy Cardholder. To me, the cardholder with the angled flap is the iconic Tanner Goods piece. The Dublin cardholder started with very interesting characteristics such as tiger striping. The dublin leather felt very similar to Chromexcel but seemed to have more variation.

What’s cool about the design is that it’s made from only two pieces of leather. On the rear side there are two wrap around leather pieces from where you can store folded bills. The interior can support up to about 15 cards and will still even stretch to accomodate more (depends on the leather). You can also place cash in the interior with a bill folded in half once in either orientation.

What I love: Simple and iconic design. Quality leather and hardware. Made in the USA.

Ehh: Takes time to get used to a cardholder (looking for credit card within the stack of cards) but all cardholders essentially have this problem. Bills have to be folded in an “undesired” way – either folded twice to fit in the back or folded once and creased on the edge.

April 13, 2018May 2, 2018

Viberg Natural Chromexcel Service Boot Review (3 years)

Viberg Natural Chromexecel Service Boot at 3 years — Viberg Natural Chromexcel Service Boot at 3 years

My absolute favorite leather from Horween is Chromexcel – specifically Natural Chromexcel. I love the color depth and variation when the leather ages. I’ll show a before and after conditioning of my 3-year old pair of Viberg Service Boots in Natural Chromexcel. Horween’s other leather/tannages such as Cordovan, Chromepak, and Dublin all come really close as my runner-up favorites!

Here is a tannage chart taken directly from Horween’s website. Out of the 51 leather types listed, I narrowed the list down to 8 of the more commonly used tannages for leather goods. I highlighted what I feel are the key characteristics that makes Chromexcel unique, and I’ll briefly go over each.

Because Chromexcel is a tanning process and not a leather type, you can have both cowhide and horsehide. It is also known as the “original pull-up leather”.

Combination tanned: Chromexcel is both chrome tanned and vegetable tanned which brings in qualities of both processes! Tanning is the process of permanently altering the structure of animal skin. Chrome tanning is a faster method using chromium and makes the leather soft and water-resistant. Vegetable tanning uses organic tannins from trees and other plants along with other oils/waxes and creates a very durable leather. Veg tanned leather is not water-resistant, so water may stain.
Hot stuffed: Chromexcel is heavily nourished with oils and waxes that creates the pull-up effect and water resistance.
Air dried: Chromexcel is naturally air dried for about a week such that the leather shrinks to its original size.
Aniline finished: The leather is saturated with soluble dyes such that the texture/irregularities of the leather is left untouched which is ideal for a raw enthusiast like me!

My Natural Chromexcel Leather Goods:

These are a few of my other small goods in Natural Chromexcel. The most wears are probably seen on the One Star Leather Park Sloper and Hollows Leather Rail Belt as they were worn/used nearly every day. Both these are at about 3 years plus of age. If you don’t want excessive stretching on a belt, I’d shy away from CXL as it initially stretches significantly!

One Star Leather Park Sloper and Hollows Leather Witherward Belt Loop both in Horween Natural Chromexcel

The leathers of both pieces started off as a light brown oak color. The leather color darkened quite quickly within the first few months to a rich brown by oils, dirt, and abrasion. I noticed that direct sunlight also sped up the darkening process. The leather also picked up significant indigo dye from my raw denim. After the initial and drastic color change, the color becomes quite saturated and will not darken all that more.

Hollows Leather Rail Belt in Horween Natural Chromexcel

Teranishi x 3sixteen Travel Coffee Kit in Horween Natural Chromexcel

I have not felt the need to condition the leather, and they both still display a lot of pull-up. With the amount of oils/waxes in the leather, most superficial scuffs/nicks have been easy to rub away with my fingers.

Viberg Natural Chromexcel Service Boots:

Natural Chromexcel
Captoe
7 Brass eyelets
Dainite sole
Stitchdown construction
Partial structured toe
Made in Canada
Price: $720 USD

Natural Chromexcel, Partially structured toe, 7 brass eyelets, straight captoe

When I purchased this pair, there weren’t too many pics of Natural CXL Vibergs online. There has been at least one similar spec MTO arranged by Styleforum around 2014-2015 but with an unstructured toe.

I purchased this pair of Vibergs from Mr Porter back in mid 2015. I believe it was the second restock of this makeup on Mr Porter. When I received it a few days later, I was blown away by how thick the Natural Chromexcel was. The leather arrived with a significant sheen to it. It took quite a while for any visible crease to form (in contrast to my Viberg Color 8 CXL pair). For the price of $720 USD, I’m glad Viberg used high quality hides!

The boots arrived with a small, adorable 1oz jar of Venetian Shoe Cream, a pair of flat waxed cotton laces, and a spare pair of brown rawhide leather laces in the box. I initially kept the flat waxed laces as I wanted the laces to accentuate the sleek, narrow 2030 last. Yet, I had a hard time deciding which laces suited the boots best. I eventually switched over to the leather laces after a few months. The flat laces reminded me much of the laces used on Alden’s boots (although this Viberg pair of laces were thicker and sturdier), and I feel that the leather laces fits the rugged Viberg brand aesthetic well.

I like the pairing of brass eyelets with this leather. They seem to make the rich brown tones “pop”.

The toe box is partially structured and is further reinforced by the thick Chromexcel leather. While the right boot’s toe area has flattened a bit, the toe box is still quite firm to the touch on both boots.

The boot tongue is also made of a thinner, softer Natural CXL which was different than my color 8 CXL pair that had a black contrasting oil tanned tongue. The black oil tanned leather is the standard go-to tongue for Viberg boots. I feel the CXL tongue fits this boot better than a contrasting one would. The leather used here is very much pliable, soft, and shows creases from the laces well.

Conditioning/Care:

For conditioning/care, I’ve kept to a simple regimen of applying Venetian Shoe Cream every 6 months or so. I apply it onto the palms of my hands (minimizes loss from using a rag) and rub the cream onto the boot. I let the cream dry for a couple of minutes, I brush them down with a horsehair brush. Initially, the cream darkens the leather and provide a glossy sheen. The color lightens back near to its original after some time outdoors. Every few wears, I wipe the boots down with a damp rag and brush away any dirt with a Horsehair Brush.

The cool thing about CXL is that you can rub away most scuffs/scratches because of the oils/waxes embedded in the leather. Down below is an example of superficial scuffs that went away after some VSC and brushing. I used a polished deer bone in circular motions in the area to create friction so the cream penetrates.

Here’s a rear heel counter shot of a few pairs. You can see that the natural chromexcel pair on the left has minimal creasing compared to the color 8 CXL and Olive Chromepak.

Natural CXL, Color 8 CXL, Olive Chromepak, Color 8 Cordovan

Compared to the other 3 pairs, the captoe on this makeup seems a bit shorter, but I hardly notice it when it’s not next to my other pairs.

In conclusion, I think that Natural Chromexcel is an easy to care for, interesting, and beautiful leather. The selection of hides that Viberg uses on their boots is second to none. If I were to only own one pair of Vibergs, this pair of boots would be it! Although this exact makeup isn’t readily available, a handful of retailers such as Lost & Found, Brooklyn Clothing, and the Viberg.com site recently have stocked a Service Boot with this leather.

April 7, 2018May 1, 2018

Railcar Fine Goods Chore Coat in Camel Review

Written by Mallory

Railcar Fine Goods Chore Coat in Camel

I purchased the Railcar Fine Goods Chore Coat on November 25th, 2017, after seeing fit pics of Taylor (of Railcar) on her Instagram. After asking Aun for other chore coat recommendations, I chose this chore coat because of their petite (XS) size and “not so boyish” look. I was in between the Apolis Chore Coat (Aun’s review here), but decided that I could always borrow his coat. Railcar Fine Goods is an extremely local business to myself and Aun, which made this product even more appealing when deciding which item to purchase.

This unisex Duck Canvas chore coat is made from 12 oz. American canvas fabric, cut and sewn at Railcar Fine Good’s workshop in Monrovia, CA. According to Railcar Fine Goods, each button and rivet was hand sewn at their workshop. There are four pockets, two breast pockets and two hip pockets. The two hip pockets are great for holding your phone and loose change. My first grade students also like sticking rocks, bracelets, and notes into those pockets. The left breast pocket appeared, in photos, to be sewn to hold pencils and other small objects , similar to my Ginew Heritage Coat. The pocket is not divided into two compartments, giving you three full pockets and one buttoned flap pocket.

Railcar Fine Goods also has flight trousers made from the same duck canvas material, which Aun states is equally as breathable.

Impressions

My intial worry was that the coat would be too manly and the color too “out there” for me. I thought of different tops I could pair this jacket with to reflect various vibes. Some days I want to show a women’s workwear vibe, while others I want to be cute and girly. I have paired this chore coat with dresses and with raw denim and tops ranging from dark collared flannels and off the shoulder ruffle blouses. This makes the coat incredibly versatile.

Duck canvas begins with stiff and rigid, but becomes softer with each wear. The jacket shrunk a bit upon doing a cold wash and hang dry. The 12 oz. fabric is very breathable and suitable as an all year jacket here in warm Southern California. Over time, the fabric will show signs of fading, as my jacket is showing signs of fading around the arms. Also, this jacket is well-made and durable. The seams are triple stitched.

Conclusion

The Railcar Fine Goods Chore Coat is a great, staple jacket for those of you looking for a year round jacket and a #buyitforlife item. For women, you can wear this jacket to complement any style you wish, it doesn’t only have to be a “workwear” jacket. The caramel color is a great spring and summer color, and the added pop of color needed for the darker fall and winter hues. Railcar makes this jacket on-site, which is an added bonus!

January 28, 2018March 26, 2018

Freenote Cloth Waxed Canvas Rider Jacket RJ2 Review

Freenote Cloth has been a low key, hidden gem brand that I recently found in the past few years. I first saw their product instore at Standard & Strange in Oakland in around 2013. Ever since I purchased my first Freenote Cloth jacket at a pop up in March 2016, I’ve really been a huge fan of their outerwear. I met Dave, one of the three owners and also the sales director, and had a real down to earth talk about the retail side of menswear. I remember hearing that vendors typically purchase wholesale at 50% of their price, so when a store has a typical sale of 15-20% off, they still make a large chunk profit even after overhead costs. When items go further down into 30-40%, likely for reasons to clear space for new items, they’re still breaking even.

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February 15, 2018March 26, 2018

Nigel Cabourn Cameraman Jacket Review

I’ve admired Nigel Cabourn’s pieces for the longest time, especially the Cameraman Jacket. The garment is inspired by a replica of the jacket worn by the cameraman Wilfrid Noyce on Sir Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norgay’s 1953 expedition to Mount Everest. It’s essentially a combination of two vintage pieces, top being a British naval jacket with Fireman clip closures and bottom a British hunting/fishing jacket with multiple pockets.

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