^ if you want shrink-to-fit Levi's with decent quality selvedge denim (Cone Mills) but don't mind an iffy patch on the waistband (easily removed) these are good value....
http://www.levi.com/US/en_US/mens-jeans/p/005011995
Oliver, that's unfortunate about the Red Clouds. Looking at the pictures on those two sites, they look like completely different fits. The one looks like it has a decent rise, the others look like crap.
Been asking my denim guru about the Red Cloud and their fits,
they used to trade as Red Banner - an early entrant in the repro denim market but developed a less than great reputation due to poor quality hardware and average quality denim , they re-launched with a new name and upped their game with the finish of the garments.
Here's his some info on the fits ( he say's TUCKSHOP measurements are actually pretty accurate)....
400 - late 40s pre ww2 style ( 1944 LVC 501 best comparison) lowish front rise but comparatively high back rise so sit high into your waist.
423/424 - 50's style ( 1954 LVC 501 for hearest comparison) decent front rise but square top block meaning a mid-rise 'anti ' fit, different style numbers are slightly different leg shape/hem width.
425 - 50's style ( 1955 LVC 501 for nearest comparison) higher front and back rise than 424 but a square top block again so has that hanging off your waist 'anti' fit.
436 - late 40s post ww2 style ( 1947 LVC 501 best comparison) lower front rise but comparatively high back rise so sit high into your waist.
Just to chip in another option and they are made local to you Oli,
Tellason are doing the Ankara fit again, a wee bit pricey ($200ish) but 15oz sanforized (so little, approx -2%, shinkage)Cone Mills denim and measurements...
34W
Front Rise 13.75"
Back Rise 18.25"
Thigh 26"
Hem 18"
These sold out almost instantly last time he did a batch
and Unionmade may be the only place left stateside with stock of the latest edition.
^ calling Unionmade this morning! Thanks bud!!
Those look good, too. But all of the posted jeans have one 'best' IMO - those 'R400'. Cool stuff!
And the Levi's as no nonsense jeans... Those Tellason would be too high for me. But great for Oli and... WM
^ chuck the pre-shrink sizes are...
the 30w have a 8" hem and the 34W have 9" hem.
There's a 1/4" to 1/2" shrinkage post 1st soak/wash.
As an extra note the 551z are now £107 on levis euro website, limited sizes.
Thanks AC - went two order to pairs as you got a 50% discount if you spent over $250 .... alas they don't ship internationally .
Last edited by chuck power (2016-02-07 09:41:05)
^ chuck it's worth checking Levi's 'brick and mortar' stores for stock ( Westfield in Shep. Bush and Regent Street in London had some ).
They are online in the euro Levi's store and at Stuarts but limited sizes .
https://www.stuartslondon.com/denim-jeans-c15/straight-regular-fit-denim-c16/levis-premium-goods-501-shrink-to-fit-denim-jeans-p17110
I just ordered the last size 33 Ankara fit from Unionmade (free shipping made it easier than running over in person) but why am I seeing these listed as mid-rise elsewhere with an ~ 11" front? Do they change specs on the model with each run? I wonder if I could bring these back to Tellason and request a .25" taper from the thigh down the hem? Any idea what the feasibility of that would be? (I really don't know anything about denim)
I hope the dark rinse fades to a lighter blue with some wear and wash; the dye seems really dark in photos.
^I think it's more down to bad measuring than anything else.
They have the highest rise of all the Tellason jeans.
They do fade nicely.
An idea of how they fade
http://www.heddels.com/2014/08/tellason-sheffield-16-5-oz-10-months-about-4-washes-fade-friday/
Looks great all around! I think you may have finally solved the nearly decade-old plight of my jeans - thanks again, bud!
No worries Oli,
I hope they work out for you.
Do you know if there's any difference in the fit with the 16.5oz version? Presumably this was from a different production run; I don't care too much about the weight of the denim but do you know anything about the quality and aesthetic of the denim compared to the 14.5oz model that I just bought?
http://www.sivletto.com/en/artiklar/tellason-ankara-166oz.html
^ the 14.5oz is the closest to the classic Cone Mills denim of the post WW2 Levi's 501.
IMHO the heavier 16.5oz denim is aimed more at the denim-head ,
the extra fabric weight/density contributes to harsher fade contrast on the whiskers ( the fade lines on the thighs) and honeycombs ( the fade pattern behind the knees),
the fabric also has a higher starch content so tends to hold their raw-stiffness and the indigo colour for a few more washes than the lighter denim.
Thanks for the deets, sounds like I made the right choice! 👍🏻
http://www.scruggsfarm.com/key-industries-indigo-denim-5-pocket-jeans-traditional-fit-487443.html
^
Now THAT looks like my kind of jeans! Visit the Key website here:
https://www.keyapparel.com/men/162-heavyweight-denim-5-pocket-jean-traditional-fit.html
Wouldn't even mind some of the hickory stripe overalls for when I want to get really legit.
Last edited by stanshall (2016-02-08 21:48:05)