Nordic Denim House Blog » Denim

3sixteen SL-100x – The fit

Taavi Kuisma — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:08:32 +0000

It’s been long time coming, but as crazy as it sounds we have not had a chance to stop for a second and snap few pictures of the new jeans, shirts and all that. Well that’s fixed now. We finally got some pictures of the 3sixteen SL-100x straight leg jeans.

The 3sixteen jeans fit a bit different from most of the classic straight leg jeans we have in house but then again it’s a different brand with its own fit. The jeans fitted, inspected and tried are size 36 straight leg jeans that fit my true 36″ waist very nicely. A bit tight but then again the denim is bound to stretch and adjust after wear. Based on the pair of jeans at hand I would recommend getting your true size. Don’t size down as you might end up with none button unbuttoned. So what about the fit? It’s a bit tighter than what I’m used to, but that’s just me.

Those looking for a tighter fitting pair of premium jeans should definitely try these out. Remember that there is also a tight fitting ST-100x design which I believe would not fit me very well as the straight leg design fits more like slim fit on my case. But I know some of our readers whom have been asking for tighter jeans, thus I am confident you will love 3sixteen.

The fit and jeans have Maxwell’s approval as well.

For more details and detailed pics you can check out our previous post.

To pre-order yours, drop us an email at taavi.kuisma@nordicdenimhouse.com.

Mini Denim at Capsule Paris

Taavi Kuisma — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 03:45:39 +0000

Momotaro Jeans’ Mini Denim is slow and steady becoming an internet phenomenon. It’s great to see so many sources writing about these tiny jeans. The jeans are a great example of Momotaro Jeans’ workmanship. Standing 15 cm tall, the jeans are not just tiny but packed with details you would expect from a pair of Momotaro Jeans. Made by hand, without compromise. I have yet to see the Mini Denim in person but this if something is a collector’s item. I have the Daruma sitting next to Mini Denim, and that gives a good idea of how small the jeans really are. If my memory serves me right, the guys have also produced a “giant” pair of jeans or was it a jacket? I have to check back my archives. Nevertheless, well done Momotaro Jeans.

3sixteen

Taavi Kuisma — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 09:30:38 +0000

Last year we started a dialogue with 3sixteen brand from the US. A relatively new brand established with the core ideal, “what we make is who we are. Long before we decided what to produce, we knew what we wanted 3sixteen to be: a company we could believe in, whose practices exemplify both a pursuit of honesty and a commitment to excellence in our business. We strive to apply our core values to everything that we do.” (3sixteen)

High quality, yet affordable jeans produced in the USA. Pretty good combination. Although our dialogue started while back already, it sometimes takes time to get things moving. However recently we received a pair of 3sixteen SL-100x straight leg jeans from the brand, which give a good idea about the attention to detail 3sixteen is all about.

I decided to split the introduction to few posts, starting with some of the nice details about the jeans/brand and moving along to the fit and rest of the details. My first impression is very good and we are very interested to hear what you think and would you be interested of the 3sixteen brand. Even before we go into fit details and pics, I can already hint that those looking for a slimmer pair of denim with some weight to it (the fabric), this could be the brand you are looking for. But without further due, let’s go through some of the details.

Heavy duty leather patch.

Made in USA.

Pocket bag details.

Selvedge lining on the fly.

Double stitching on the inseam. Neatly chainstitched cuffs.

Branded rivets and hidden selvedge in the cion pocket.

Double belt loop in the back.

Branded hardware. 3sixteen buttons.

And some more key details courtesy of 3sixteen.

- 14.5 oz slub yarn selvedge denim
- Sanforized, skewed, and singed
- 7×6 weave (#7 warp slub yarn x #6 weft)
- Red line selvedge
- 100% Cotton
- Woven in Okayama, Japan to 3sixteen’s exact specifications

The last point is one of the key differentiations between 3sixteen and many other denim brands. 3sixteen spent the past year and a half working directly the denim mill to develop the textile that’s exclusive to the brand, featuring all the properties wanted for a high quality pair of jeans. Some of the details include:

- Minimal processing (this allows the denim to retain some hairiness, and prevents the denim from looking too sleek and uniform)
- Crunchy, yet comfortable from the first wear. The 14.5 oz denim is heavy duty but due to the open ended weft yarns, the inside of the jeans have an exceptionally soft feel to them.

The jeans are very unique. The softness of the denim reminds me of some other denim brands whom use lighter, soft denim to ensure the soft feel. But this one’s 14.5 oz, heavy duty denim that will definitely last in wear. The jeans are combination of unique features from the details to the fit. The fit feels a bit slimmer than some of the other brands I have worn. But I will talk more about the fit in my next post on the brand with more pictures including the fit.

Darning and 3sixteen

Taavi Kuisma — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 02:29:03 +0000

It happens to any and every pair of jeans at some point. The stitching gets loose, the small tear in the denim develops into something bigger and suddenly your jeans need fixing. Now we’ve shared one or two ways you can fix the jeans. DIY and tailor made touch ups, but what about darning? According to Rawrdenim, ” darning involves weaving (and blending) in new threads.” The end result is somewhat different from your traditional patch sewing. Below feature features Andrew Chen, the co-owner of 3sixteen brand of jeans and Self Edge NYC store.

Speaking of 3sixteen and Andrew, we recently got a nice little parcel from the above mentioned inclusive of a pair of jeans that I will be talking about in a later blog post. Thus a little teaser at this point and stay tuned for more.

Railcar Fine Goods – Ultra Rare Vintage Union Special

Taavi Kuisma — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 07:07:01 +0000

Railcar Fine Goods is all about hand made denim produced using only vintage tools. Like an ultra rare vintage Union Special 1 needle chain stitch machine. According to Railcar, “The machine is so old, it doesn’t have any internal oiling system and has to be oiled manually every time used.” Maintaining such old tools can be challenging. If something goes wrong it takes bit more than making a quick call for a spare part. Finding the right parts and taking time to fix the damaged tool can take time and will also have an effect on the production process. But that’s just part of the meticulous production process that ensures a high quality, hand made pair of jeans. No shortcuts, no easy way out. All done manually. Below few images from the Railcar Workshop. The images and below video shor how the selvedge edge seam is sewn on the Railcar Fine Goods selvedge style jeans. “Railcar jeans first gets sewn then pressed open to reveal the selvedge edge line when the bottoms are cuffed.” (Railcar)

Via Railcar Fine Goods.

Railcar Fine Goods – Chain Stitching

Taavi Kuisma — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 01:27:34 +0000

It’s all about attention to details. Every step of the production process of Railcar Fine Goods is handled with utmost care. Every pair is individually sewn and in the latest video from Railcar we can see the chain stitching of the bottom hem at the Railcar workshop in Arcadia, CA. Every Railcar jeans are sewn just like this, one at a time and square knotted to help prevent unraveling. Pretty awesome if you ask me.

Wash your jeans like real people

Taavi Kuisma — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 15:17:57 +0000

Sunday was a laundry day. Mainly because we just came back from a trip and needed fresh clothing. No jeans were washed but if you are about to wash your jeans, remember to wash your jeans like real people. Shout out to Fredrik from Sivletto/Unionville for pointing us at this video. It’s great!

Wash Your Jeans Like Real People from John Moessner on Vimeo.

Did anyone notice that nobody on the video turned their jeans inside out though?

Railcar Fine Goods production

Taavi Kuisma — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 15:56:52 +0000

I have to say I love these little clips posted online on the Railcar Fine Goods production. I mean it’s all about authentic jeans produced with the right tools and right mentality. I won’t spend too much time talking this time around, let the videos do the talking.

Oh, but I do need to mention the limited edition 002 Viper Brown Denim for ladies, for which we are still taking pre-orders.

Viper 002 – Brown Denim

Taavi Kuisma — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 18:10:07 +0000

Pre-order limited edition Railcar Fine Goods Viper 002.
Nordic Denim House and Railcar Fine Goods are offering a limited run of Railcar Fine Goods Viper 002 Brown Denim for ladies. The limited edition Viper 002 is designed according to the Viper fit but instead of the Cone denim used with X001, it uses Kaihara’s Brown Denim. The brown denim is non-selvedge 12oz 100% cotton fabric that gives the jeans a unique appearance complimenting the great it. The jeans are designed to adjust to the wearer’s body shape after few rounds of wear and although the fabric is non-stretch it will hug the body nicely.

The jeans feature:
- Raw thick and heavy untreated 6oz leather patch with heat burn branding (with Railcar logo.)
- Chain stitched bottom hem.
- Single continuous chain stitch on the waistband that is tucked in to prevent unraveling.
- Railcar “R” stitch in the fly to reinforce the waistband to the fly and the body panel. This also further locks the chainstitching on the waistband.
- 2 piece waistband to prevent rear gapping and to achieve fades on top of the waistband when the jeans age.
- Hand hammered traditional washer rivets
- Branded waistband button (brass color)
- branded fly buttons (black color)
- 2 tone top stitch color (the jeans feature total of 4 thread colors.)
- Screen printing on the heavy pocket bag with Railcar art logo
- Extra clean stitching
- Belt loops tucked into the waistband
- The entire batch is made using non-automated traditional sewing machines made for denim production. No automatic machines was used to make the jeans. 100% made by Railcar manufacturing workshop.
- These jeans fit true to size.

The sizes available are 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30.

The jeans are available through pre-orders. The pre-order period extend until 12th of November 2011. The production for the jeans extends 3 weeks from November 12th. You can order the jeans through our Online Store or by contacting taavi.kuisma@nordicdenimhouse.com. The jeans will be delivered upon completion. Should you have any questions, feel free to contact us for more details.

More Strike Gold

Taavi Kuisma — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 14:30:44 +0000

While back we presented a brand we are eagerly expecting to work with. Another classic brand from Japan. One of those brands that has so much potential with quality and user experiences advocating the brand and products. With so many (Japanese) denim brands out there, it is getting harder for the consumers to differentiate between the brands and even comprehend what makes a brand stand out. It’s all in the fine little details such as gold selvedge, beige weft and hand made finishing that make the products a must have for a denim enthusiast.

I presented details on Strike Gold and its products in the previous post on the brand and although the brand is naturally famous for their jeans, there is so much more to the brand than just the pants. Our friends at Strike Gold sent over pics and details on the brand’s top selection as well. Pretty awesome stuff if I may say so myself.

The Strike Gold 12 oz selvedge denim work shirt.

The shirt is available in sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL. The fabric used for the work shirt is 100% cotton unsanforized 12oz red line selvege denim. The indigo dye gives the shirt a natural fading much like a good pair of jeans would. Would be great to see how the shirt fades. 12oz shirt might be one of the heaviest shirts I have come across with. So not only are the Strike Gold jeans heavy weights, their shirts seem to be as well.

On the lighter note, the brand’s flannel shirts rock as well. Although I have to admit, I do not own a flannel shirt, I would not mind having one of these.

Classic style mixed with a number of colors to choose from. Perhaps something to complement one’s Fall/Winter wardrobe?

If I was not involved with a denim project or two, I would cop a pair of Strike Golds straight away to see how the jeans fade. Perhaps I should try and get some pictures of the existing, faded jeans from the brand. Let’s see what I can cook up for the next post. Stay tuned for more…