Got some new leather hides to make some bags. Â Spanish and Brazillian raw vegetable tanned hides. Â A couple of Horween cordovan shells.
Let’s see how long it takes me to make something in-between childcare duties.
Got Leather
February 7th, 2010Wrangler Blue Bell
February 5th, 2010Blue Bell web site by KOKOKAKA in Sweden. Needs flash, so don’t try to view on iPhone or iPad. 
http://eu.wrangler.com/bluebell/
Nice interactivity.
Red Bull Stratos (videos)
January 30th, 2010In 1960 Joseph Kittinger rode a specially designed helium balloon higher than anyone had been. Â At the top of the atmosphere (102,800 feet/31 km) he looked around and then jumped off. Â He free fell at close to the speed of sound (614 mph/988 kph) and then parachuted to the ground.
Felix Baumgartner aims to break Joe’s records and jump from 120,000 feet for the Red Bull Stratos Project. Â Joe is assisting the Red Bull team.
I thought I’d also show you a recent Toshiba advertisement which took a chair up to 98,000 feet and filmed it with 8 HD Toshiba cameras.
The Toshiba ad is especially enjoyable if you’ve recently watched the Pixar movie UP!
Imagine sitting in that chair.
What killed denim in the 70’s? This type of attitude…
January 23rd, 2010H.i.s.’s Press-Free Jeans (1966) (via Vintage Ad Browser, via Cottonduck i think?)
“Be a Neatnick”
“Dress-Up Jeans with a permanent crease down the center of each leg…”
“Press-Free Jeans by h.i.s.”
Yes, you’re thinking what I’m thinking… Â it was the Baby Boomers who killed off quality denim!!
Frankenstein
January 22nd, 2010
Studio D’Artisan make a jean that is a mix of left-hand twill and right-hand twill. Â It’s a nice combination of Levis versus Lee in one package.
Studio D’Artisan SP-005 23oz Crazy Jeans
But sometimes this concept can be taken too far, and a freakish monster – which should never have been born – is released upon an unsuspecting public.
Buzz Pea Coat
January 20th, 2010My wife & daughter got me the Buzz Rickson’s Pea Coat for my birthday.
I’m very happy with the coat, but  Melbourne weather will be too warm to wear this until April.
The Pacific
December 27th, 2009I doubt The Pacific can be as good as Band of Brothers, but I will be watching in 2010 to find out.
Just reading through the Wikipedia article on The Pacific, a lot of the filming has taken place right here in Melbourne. Â We saw them blocking off Flinders Street stations for a few scenes.
Hysteric Glamour Protopunk Kids Clothes
December 24th, 2009The Japanese brand Hysteric Glamour make some amazing protopunk clothes for babies and children. Here are some of my favourites…
Iggy Stooge
Ramones Comic
Velvet Underground – All Tomorrow’s Parties
MC5
Stooges – Search and Destroy
They also have a bunch of Andy Warhol stuff
Varsity/Letterman Jackets
And L-2B flight Jackets
Browse more of the collection in their online shop (warning, the prices are more than you would pay for the adult version of these types of garments)
http://store.hystericglamour.jp/_search/search_result.html?p_cutyid=3&p_tycid=101
Have a good xmas09!
USN Denim Jacket
December 16th, 2009
Recently got this USN Denim Jacket from Real McCoys. Â 10 oz denim.
https://www.realmccoys.co.jp/catalog/products/detail.php?product_id=2269&pg=3
It was no-wash, and shrank a lot. Â You can see a lot of shrinkage in the chain-stitching across the top of the pocket in the below pic.
Even after the wash the sleeves were very long… Â so I decided to do a home-style stitching.
A blanket stitch using my leather stitching tools and linen thread.
The coat buttons are listed as iron. Â They are a flat black, but I’m expecting that they will burnish over time to something more like the Buzz Rickson’s version of this jacket.
http://item.rakuten.co.jp/hinoya/m13157/
Hawaiian Shirts
December 12th, 2009I was never into Hawaiian Shirts. Â I thought that they were too flamboyant. Â I must be getting old, cause I kinda like em now. I’ve been wearing a few over the past couple of summers… and in the Southern Hemisphere it’s getting into Summer again, so I thought I’d take some pics.
Here are some of my collection.
Studio D’Artisan goldfish kingyo. Â This shirt is cotton and has a nice pattern in the weave which you can’t see in the picture.
Polo Sailboat design. Â This shirt is a nice nautical piece. Â It’s 80% silk, with 20% cotton. Â It’s a great mix so that you don’t get the flimsy/shine of the silk.
Toyo Sun Surf Sweetfish design.  This shirt is rayon crepe.  There’s an interesting property of rayon crepe and the silk materials…  when the shirt gets wet the fabric actually gets stiff and so it gets less clingy.  The material is more comfortable when damp.  That behavior makes these materials ideal for tropical weather.
Here’s a detail shot of the Sun Surf. Â They’ve gone to the trouble of matching the print up for the pocket, and the buttons are made of a type of wood.
And if you’re at a loss as to how you can wear a shirt like this…
Here’s a pic of H.I. showing you how to wear a hawaiian shirt. Â If you haven’t seen it, Raising Arizona is a great movie. Â It also taught me a lot about how to be a father. Â 
