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How about that vintage western look

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13,678
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down south
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Peckinpah

Familiar Face
Messages
51
Location
Glasgow, Scotland
Not sure where to ask this, think it may fit here.

Does anyone have any experience with Selvedge Denim or thoughts?

I ordered a Selvedge Denim shirt from Lee that's in their 101 range. Description has it as being 7 oz created in the Kuroki mill in Japan using dry stiff Denim, with detailed 1950's styling.

Now the shirt is lovely, sawtooth breast pockets that look slightly oversized (compared to my other shirts) and the denim looks nice (if that makes sense). I've never knowingly purchased Selvedge denim, was it more common in the '50s? I was reading that it is becoming very rare due to lack of equipment and those that know how to work it.
 

Blackadder

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,826
Location
China
Not sure where to ask this, think it may fit here.

Does anyone have any experience with Selvedge Denim or thoughts?

I ordered a Selvedge Denim shirt from Lee that's in their 101 range. Description has it as being 7 oz created in the Kuroki mill in Japan using dry stiff Denim, with detailed 1950's styling.

Now the shirt is lovely, sawtooth breast pockets that look slightly oversized (compared to my other shirts) and the denim looks nice (if that makes sense). I've never knowingly purchased Selvedge denim, was it more common in the '50s? I was reading that it is becoming very rare due to lack of equipment and those that know how to work it.
Not rare. Just not cost effective as the old looms is mechanical and smaller plus the selvedge restricts the usable surface of the cloth.
The Japanese mills dominate the market for selvedge denim as they still use the old style Toyoda loom while the rest of the world replaced their old style Draper looms with newer more productive looms. Japanese have a huge market for selvedge denim so even Uniqlo sells selvedge denim. Just bought a pair hours ago for 38 bucks Kaihara mills.
Levi's 501 have been using selvedge cloth from 1880s until 1984 while the rest of their collection turned non-selvedged gradually after the 60s.
It has become "popular" since 50s because denim had been worn only as work wear, uniform before the 50s.
 

Peckinpah

Familiar Face
Messages
51
Location
Glasgow, Scotland
Not rare. Just not cost effective as the old looms is mechanical and smaller plus the selvedge restricts the usable surface of the cloth.
The Japanese mills dominate the market for selvedge denim as they still use the old style Toyoda loom while the rest of the world replaced their old style Draper looms with newer more productive looms. Japanese have a huge market for selvedge denim so even Uniqlo sells selvedge denim. Just bought a pair hours ago for 38 bucks Kaihara mills.
Levi's 501 have been using selvedge cloth from 1880s until 1984 while the rest of their collection turned non-selvedged gradually after the 60s.
It has become "popular" since 50s because denim had been worn only as work wear, uniform before the 50s.

Just in case you were interested to know, I received my Lee Selvedge shirt. A few days after posting that I actually went ahead and ordered a Lee Storm Rider Selvedge Denim Jacket. The shirt came a few days ago and the Jacket came today. Both of them are incredible, unlike any denim item I have owned before. Glad I got them and I think any denim shirt I purchase in the future will have to be Selvedge, would like to get a pair of selvedge jeans to try them out.
 

regius

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,309
Location
New York
I found the RRL washed denim shirt nails the looks to a T, better than other premium makers. But they don’t identify the source of the fabric, I wonder if anyone know if the cotton is from China? Egypt? Africa? Japan? US?
 

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Edward

Bartender
Messages
25,111
Location
London, UK
I've quite taken to bits and pieces of Western wear. The full Nudie suit would be a bit much for me, though I rather like toned down bits deployed in more of a rockabilly vibe. Jewelled belts, piped shirts but without so much flowery embroidery. Dave Vanian (of the Damned) does it well on the rare occasion you see him as casual as that. (He's common a very 1930s dresser, and apart from being one of the nicest men in rock is also famously one of the few that dresses down to go on stage.)
 

Edward

Bartender
Messages
25,111
Location
London, UK
View attachment 442342 View attachment 442343

Vintage western style bowling shirt.

I love a good bowling shirt as much as I do a good pearl snap shirt, and this one's the best of both worlds. Somebody order up a pitcher.

I keep meaning to hunt out some true bowling shirts at some point, the ones with the underarm pleats. Great for freedom of movement when jiving... the killer app would be one where the 'inside' of the pleats is done in an aertex fabric.
 
Messages
11,408
Location
Alabama
Long been a fan of the fancy western shirt, more as an observer than a wearer. Always knew the colorful embroidered shirts would be closet dwellers for me. I have over twenty five pearl snap westerns and only four are anything other than a solid color.

I have spent some time looking for earlier shirts, pre snap that is. Pearl snaps didn’t come along until 1946 and prior to that, western shirts were often a wool or rayon gabardine with simple, subtle stitching or none at all. Some used Bakelite or carved wood buttons. I’ve bought a couple of those shirts over the years but they all had issues. Usually the cotton thread they were sewn together with.

RRL has put out several limited edition embroidered westerns over the years done up in wool gabardine with some beautiful embroidery. A navy blue one and a green one come to mind. Images can be found. Both of those were very pricey and continue to climb when seen on the secondary market. Thought a couple of times about throwing all sensibility aside and buying one.
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I did decide to buy something a little more subtle. This blk on blk is made from a heavy cotton that drapes like gabardine and the blk on blk ‘embroidery make it a little to easier wear. Wood buttons.
 

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