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Tellason Stock Jackets, Year 5 Fade Findings, and a Flannel Surprise at Kingpins
For more than a decade, Kingpins has meant looking for stories for me. This week, I was there looking for fabrics I could actually use for Weirloom.
Tellason made a sourcing call along those lines back in 2017. Pete and Tony wanted to buy more denim from White Oak and keep feeding their San Francisco factory, so they added a non-selvedge Cone fabric.
And then there are the shirts. At one stand, some flannels looked strangely familiar. There was a reason for that.
In This Issue of the DH Weekly
- How a San Francisco-made denim jacket can come in under $200
- What the IIY5 Top 20 did not agree on
- Five things worth your attention, from Tsuriami knit to 22 oz. denim
- The flannel coincidence I didn’t expect at Kingpins
- From the archive: heavyweight flannels worth revisiting
What Changes When You Take Out the Selvedge?
Tellason’s Stock jackets cost roughly $100 less without moving production out of San Francisco. The only real difference is the denim.
The interesting question isn’t whether the edge is there. It’s what changed to get the price down—and whether that changes how good the jacket is.
I spoke to Tony Patella about the decision. It hits especially close to home because I’m making almost the same call for some Weirloom AW27 jeans.
So Much for the Six-Month Rule
One fader from the IIY5 went the whole 365 days without washing or soaking his jeans. Another washed or rinsed more than 15 times. Both finished with fades that put them in the Top 20.
I like that kind of slight contradiction, because it takes a lot of the commandments out of raw denim.
More than 2,500 people started Year 5 of the Indigo Invitational, and over 650 finished. This new guide looks at what the Top 20 actually did—and where their answers disagree on fit, weight, washing and durability.
If there’s one thing I’d take from it, it’s that the pair you can actually live in for a year beats whatever rule sounded clever before you started.
Things Worth Your Attention
Five things I’d click on this week:
Loopwheel goes well beyond T-shirts – Levi’s x LOOPWHEELER x BEAMS have made a jacket and trousers from Tsuriami sweatshirt fabric. Same recognisable Levi’s shapes, completely different drape. If the construction is the interesting part, my loopwheeled T-shirt guide explains what genuine loopwheel knitting actually is.
Black over indigo – Samurai’s 15 oz. Aoki Tachikage starts black on the outside but wears towards blue as the top dye gives way. That ageing story is the reason I’d look at this one.
Super soft selvedge – CIOTA’s jeans use Suvin cotton to push Japanese selvedge in a softer direction. Useful reminder that selvedge tells you how the cloth was woven, not how it has to feel.
Plaid, but pick the fit first – KATO has the Ripper and Brace shirts back in different checks. I’d start with whichever cut suits you, then choose the fabric.
The Elephant 2 name is back – Naked & Famous has revived the 22 oz. denim, with jeans and a jacket in the range. The interesting part is that they brought this specific heavyweight cloth back rather than replacing it with another new one.
Building My Brand: The Flannel Plot Thickens
Earlier this week, I posted four Japanese checks I’ve picked for Weirloom AW27 samples. They’re going into two of the three shirt styles I’m developing.
When I got to Kingpins, I spotted some flannels that looked very familiar. Turn out it was the producer of “my” flannels, and those familiar flannels were just the SS28 colourways.
Before I left, he pointed at the heavyweight flannel (from another brand) that I was wearing, and told me he’d made the fabric. Small world, and just confirmed I’d made a good choice with my selection.
From the Archive: Heavy Flannels to Consider
Given how much of this week I spent looking at flannel for shirts that won’t exist until AW27, this one earns its way back.
If you’d rather buy one now, the heavy flannel guide brings together the shirts we keep coming back to, and where to find them.
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