The State of the Art in Japanese Outerwear: Freewheelers and Co 2012-13 Collection!

[Ishmael]

Just thought there might be some interest here in the amazing outerwear collection of Freewheelers and Co., perhaps the best repro workwear brand around today.

Here are recently released pics of the "clothes of giants" and "Leathertogs" collections for this fall/winter.
http://www.freewheelers.co.jp/collection/10_12-13_fw/index.html

Leathertogs. Particularly like the "aviator's coat" in the center. As well as the beautiful "auburn" shade on the right.

"Clothes of giant" (i.e. giant authors). Particularly like the corduroy shawl collar civilian a-1 folded up on the right bottom!

More pics at their blog.

http://freewheelers.co.jp/blog/

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Very interesting! Looks like some nice leather hides and great designs!
HD

 

[rocketeer]

Had a look at the full site, some nice items, but I personally think wearing some of these things today would make you look like you had just walked off the set of a remake of the Grapes of Wrath!
Ok for some I suppose

 

[majormajor]

Looks good. I guess the stuff is just available through stores. No mail order, sadly.

As rocketeer says, some are a little too retro for me, but some excellent designs in leather

 

[jon11]

Great looking stuff,

 

[Graemsay]

I like a couple of the waistcoats. Unfortunately, Japanese fashion rarely comes up in my sizes.

I do like the six pocket jacket shown on their blog.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

That's some real nice stuff! You can't get too retro for me, tbh, so I love - and would wear - it all.

 

[Sir Jacket]

Gorgeous. Japan is obviously a necessary stop on the retro-clothes-wearer's itinerary. Would have to be a stop, though, because Japanese sizing means remote trying on can't be trusted.

Sir J

 

[Ishmael]

Indeed. Freewheelers definitely push the envelope. There are a number of products that I really admire, but would not be able to wear. For example, the Norfolk coat in beach cloth on the left hand side of the second pic. Looks beautiful, but I tried it on, and, while the fabric is incredible, I would need a few more grey whiskers to pull it off. Or, as another example, their "breeches". They look great, and are probably quite functional for outdoor work with high boots, but you need to be Daniel Plainview to pull them off.

http://store.shopping.yahoo.co.jp/fortyniners1849/fw-1222002.html

That said, all of their leather stuff is wearable without hitch, and very very nice.

John Lofgren at Speedway carries a lot of the Freewheelers more wearable items, but unfortunately does not handle their leather jackets.

http://www.speedway-shop.com/product-list/0/0/photo?keyword=フリーホイーラーズ

 

[Ishmael]

Here is a link to a site with some good pics of their jackets from previous runs (not sure if these are all still in production or not).

http://thewildone.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/2011/11/freewheelersmul.html

 

[Feraud]

That's some real nice stuff! You can't get too retro for me, tbh, so I love - and would wear - it all.

Agreed. You can never get too retro when it comes to material, detail, and cut.

Love this vest-

More awesomeness-

 

[Sloan1874]

I like a couple of the waistcoats. Unfortunately, Japanese fashion rarely comes up in my sizes.

I do like the six pocket jacket shown on their blog.

What is it about Japanese hipsters that they even manage to make beards look cool. Love the lace-up trousers and shawl-collar coat. Wonder if they do UK stockists. ("No, no, that money is for your Aero, l-e-a-v-e it alone")...

 

[Flat Foot Floey]

Wow. This is some really great stuff. My favourite piece (just from the pictures) is the shawl collar / norfolk jacket and also the blanket version.:eusa_clap
I propably won't able to afford this stuff but it so good to know that it is out there.

 

[Feraud]

With luck we may yet see this vintage styled outerwear go from the sub-culture to mainstream. This should bring down prices and increase availability and sizing.

 

[flat-top]

Amazing, inspirational stuff!!

 

[Graemsay]

The Norfolk jacket that everyone is having unchristian thoughts about is around £640 / €740 / $970.

http://global.rakuten.com/en/store/speedway-shop/item/1231016/

The waistcoats are about half that, but they don't come up in my size. That's probably a good thing given my parlous state of finances.

 

[herringbonekid]

inspired use of Brown's beach type fabric. :eusa_clap

 

[Ishmael]

The "Hemingway" Norfolk jacket really is amazing. The fabric is soft and stretchy and moves right along with you, and vacuums tight and warm around you when you cinch it up.

 

[flat-top]

inspired use of Brown's beach type fabric. :eusa_clap

SOOOOOOOOOOOO cool!

 

[Ishmael]

I like their new "Brodovitch" corduroy shawl collar civilian a-1, but have yet to see any good photos of it.

Not an FW product, but definitely state of the art in Japanese outerwear, so I thought I would share it here. Mushmans has some THE FEW jackets in Badalassi Grigio. Here is a pic after 6 months of wear. It's starts out grey / green and quickly turns a mellow brown.

They also have this in an Indy "Crusaders" jacket as well. (and, by the way, the boots are John Lofgren engineers in Badalassi Cognac! They are in production now, and the lone pair of size 12s has my name on it!)

http://blog.mushmans.com/