Sacai Denim Jacket w/ MA-1 Pocket

This piece from Sacai reflects their general design philsophy. A mix of elements from iconic pieces from the past, it’s got a slim cut with Levi’s Type II style front pockets. Other elements on it incorporate the look of the MA-1 bomber with a zip pocket at the sleeve. Available at HBX

Weaving Shibusa Denim Documentary

When it comes to authentic reproductions of denim, no country does it better than Japan. Artisans there have sourced many of the original shuttle looms that made crafting denim the traditional way possible. Weaving Shibusa is a documentary that delves into the revival of denim in Japan. The film gives unprecedented access to the storied … Read more

Inside the Levi’s Vault

Levi’s is a brand that needs no introduction. As the worldwide leaders in denim, they need no introduction. The team over at Heddels  visited the Levi’s Archive Vault in San Francisco. The Levi’s archives there house thousands of items from the brand’s nearly 150 year history including jeans and apparel, marketing materials, textile samples, packaging, … Read more

Worn In: Andrew Chen’s Flat Head F380 Denim

While it’s easy to find photos of new product, it’s not very often you come across photos of pieces that have been worn in and well loved for years. Denim is a fabric that conforms to the wearers lifestyle and tells a story through its various fades so it was a logical place to start for this first ‘worn in’ feature.

I caught up with Andrew Chen who is a jack of all trades in the menswear business. He’s a co-founder of 3sixteen, owner in Self Edge New York and also runs the brand new Chapter & Verse agency in New York. No stranger to quality denim products, I took some snaps of him in his his pair of Flat Head F380’s and interviewed him on everything from his favorite pair to what he considered when it came to designing denim for 3sixteen.

How did you come to own these jeans and how long have you worn them?

These are the first pair of jeans I bought as an owner of Self Edge NY. Prior to partnering with Kiya, Demitra and Johan to open up the NY branch of the shop in 2009, I had bought several pairs directly from Kiya – but being on the sales floor and having constant access to all these great jeans every day led me to start trying many of them on. The Flat Head F380 was the perfect cut for me, a mid-rise straight leg with a slight taper from the knee down. I was also anxious to see how the Flat Head denim would wear in over time firsthand. I’ve had them since January of 2010; I took them home with me the night before leaving to Paris with my wife to visit family.

See the rest of the feature after the jump

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Coveted: Worn Skull Jeans 5010xx 6×6

I got this pair of Skull Jeans by an Alchemist denim about 4 years ago. Since then they’ve seen countless wears and have just been put through a lot. These jeans are a slim tapered cut and a sturdy 14.5oz denim weight. The 6×6 refers to the denim thickness of the indigo warp  and ecru weft.

When I first got these they were slightly used but in near-raw condition and I’ve since washed em about half a dozen times and taken them around the world with me. They’ve been through alot and despite their rips and tears I love these jeans more now than when they were still dark indigo.

I’ve heard people say that raw denim is played out in the current men’s market. The concept behind denim repro (reproduction) brands such as Skull Jeans is to pay homage to the denim manufacturing techniques of the past not to become trendy objects of desire. Artisanal jeans such as these are not cheap but once you wear a pair through to this point you will understand the appeal.  I  don’t think I could ever part with these jeans. Just looking at them reminds me of concerts I went to, people in my life, late nights spent partying and early morning workdays.

You can get a brand new pair of these same jeans for $345 at Blue in Greene.

More photos below (after the jump)

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Coveted : Evisu Made in Japan No.1 Special Lot 2000

Despite the current popularity of raw denim it is still rare to see a perfectly worn in pair. My friend Ramon has worn these Evisu No.1 Special Lot 2000 jeans heavily for over two years and this is the result. Beautiful honeycombs, even whispering and a sun bleached indigo fade that pre-washed jeans could never … Read more