I’m continuing on something remy kicked off some time back. Our new weekly edition for the new year “Stuff to wear…” This week I’ introducing to you something special, a duffel bag. But not just any duffel bag, a Finnish vintage duffel bag. Genuine leather travel gear from few decades back. The bag is indeed made in Finland few decades back (I think it was made in the 70′s)  but is still in what I would call prime condition.

The bag does not only look badass, it’s also very handy when traveling. Just the right size for traveling, in my opinion at least. It also has story to it. If you look at the side of the bag (below pic) you can see a hand print on it. This hand print actually belongs to a Mexican taxi driver, who had apparently just finished mechanic work or something because as soon as he had thrown the bag to the trunk of the car the hand print was stuck there and that was 30 years ago. Ain’t that something.

Well obviously these are stories I heard from the bag’s previous owner (my parents), since back then I was nothing but an idea. But somehow I really find this story amusing to say the least. I adopted the bag a year ago and since then it has traveled with me to here and there, still toughing it out and not complaining. Like a good bag should. A nice vintage bag goes well with other vintage gear like jeans, shirts and shoes. As you can see below, heh.

The pic was taken last summer (ah the summer), and although it’s just something like 6 months back it feels as if it was ages ago. My Vintage Label Momotaro Jeans which are actually stored inside the bag at the moment were a true travel companion to my bag last year and thus I feel that since I am more or less wearing the Copper Label Momotaro Jeans on daily basis, I should keep the jeans I love in a bag I appreciate almost as much as my jeans. Also it saves me a minute when packing for a trip, should I feel a need to pack an extra pair of jeans along to the journey. Next stop for the bag is Copenhagen, Denmark where we’re heading in two week’s time. But more on that later.

That’s all for this edition of Stuff to wear… Stay tuned for more and have a prosperous week ahead everyone. One love y’all, I’m out… Peace.

We’ve all recovered from the Saturday’s party and as I hinted on my previous post, the winter indeed made a comeback. Great! Christmas without snow in Finland does not really feel like Christmas, or so they say. Nevertheless I’m really happy to see snow again. The thing is that along with the snow, came the freezing cold weather. This morning Helsinki woke up to -12 degrees Celsius. Cold… Well that’s not all that cold if you think about the fact that not that long ago we still had (and the North of Finland still has) -20 to -30 degree Celsius climates. Now that’s cold.

Well along with the winter my Momotaro Jeans 0901 project has come in contact with yet another element. I will most likely post more winter x momotaro editions later on but this shall be the first one. No detailed pics this time, but some fit pics that show quite nicely what’s going on with the jeans.

The project has not encountered such cold climates and the heavy oz Japanese denim fares really well in “extreme” climates. Since the denim is rather thick, they keep you warm and I think even though the temperature dropped few more degrees I would probably need another layer of shirts but jeans are definitely not the weakest link.

Hopefully the snow stays on the ground a bit longer than few months back, Finland might actually turn into a winter wonderland by Christmas. There are plenty of winter activities that could further enrich the project but we’ll have to wait for a bit more snow and a bit more solid winter phase before moving into that. But hey, actually getting some snow and cooler weather is a good start.

That’s all for this edition of Vintage 0901. We’ll be back with more to stuff shortly, but till then I’m off to enjoy the “cool breeze” out there. Be easy and remember the reflectors people, it’s really dark out there. Peace.

What’s good at your neck of the woods? Hope it’s all good. For me, today was a good day. An eye opening day of sorts, full of ups and downs of the everyday life, but mostly sudden spurs of inspiration and realization. I mean things happen just so out of sudden and sometimes you can just have a laugh at things as it feels as there’s a certain flow to how your life moves ahead with all the twists and turns.

I was supposed to write a much shorter update today with just a certain teaser pic, but alas my jeans had an intimate meeting with quarter of a bottle of Dr. Pepper (Yes, I do drink that stuff) during a movie describing how the world as we know it might come to an end. Lovely evening and you know what, my jeans didn’t even mind the soda. I could probably go on and wear my jeans with pride and nobody would know about the clumsy little incident, but being the person I am, to the washing machine they go.

Thus a few pictures of the lovely pair of jeans on their 30th week of wearing.

Funny enough this XXX -edition happens to be the thirtieth week of the on-going project. You see, I would not have even realized that would it not have been for that certain bottle of Dr. Pepper. Sometimes it just seems that so many things happen at once and you can see the path ahead of you and all you need to do is run, run as fast as you can and go for the path ahead of you. But then the next thing you know, you’re back to that empty space with no light, no path. But you need to keep those yes open.

Another thing open is the chain stitching at the hem of my jeans’ legs. The cuffs have gotten quite some beating lately and you can see the result. The cuffs are still holding off amazingly well. Just love the character this adds to my jeans, haha.

I wish I could take the pics in nice sunlight, but it is night here in Finland and where as you have no light during the day, you definitely don’t have any during the night.

So, to the washing machine the jeans will go. I do not expect drastic changes, but I do believe the fades will get a bit clearer as they do with every wash. There will probably be some shrinking, but that is so marginal I will not even notice it as once I get back to wearing them, they will get back to their old self in no time.

I love my jeans.

Another thing I love is what we have in store for the next year. I mean damn, it’s like they give you three cases of Legos and just ask you to build whatever you want to. That’s how it is right now. We’ve got those cases on the table and it’s just how we want to put those pieces together. All it takes is a little creativity. 2010, the year of the Tiger, it’s going to be wild one.

So to heat things up a bit to commemorate this XXX edition of my Momotaro project, we have a little sneak peek from our good friends in Tokyo. Shout out to KIKS TYO.

Be easy y’all, this is just a sneak peek. If you like this, you are gonna love what we got coming your way.

Now I have a meeting with the sandman. So until next time, appreciate the art of life and things around you and be easy, the weekend is almost here. I’m out like last season. Peace.

Progress process always has some bumps on the road and we had to go through some growing pains with our recent server upgrade. As some of you might have noticed, we experienced some server hiccups which limited the usage of the site to some degree. So sorry for the inconvenience and sincere thanks for the support.

But everything is running smooth again, smoother than ever might I say (touch wood) so let’s get back to business. Those who happened to check the site yesterday morning, might have noticed my latest blog entry titled Where Vintage meets the Future, however the above mentioned hiccups sadly forced me to postpone the release of this post. Well, it’s good to take a fresh perspective to things and sometimes enjoy the fact that you get a chance to rewrite some stuff. You never know, it might turn out even better.

Vintage is the word of the day and you can’t help but to notice the number of brands releasing their vintage lines, and people going back to wearing the same styles that we last saw decades ago. Well the fashion cycles are short and well as the name says, move in cycles. But what I appreciate about the past is that at least back then, things were made to last and done with careful detail. Even the vintage clothing today just expresses the styles of the past but the production seldom involves the meticulous work that used to go into making a product. For instance my Nintendo (NES) 8-bit console from 1990, is still in running condition and provides countless nostalgic moments along with Super Mario Bros and Super Mario 3, to name a few. Then take the more recent consoles, I’ve already had 2 PS2s in the past 6 years and well the life cycle of a games console is pretty much the same as that of any electronic gadget, two years give or take.

Now I’m not saying that I don’t love the new games and gadgets. Hell, I change my phone at least once a year and couldn’t live without my smart phone and notebook. But I hope you get the point. I truly respect the brands that still go through the production processes of the past and produce truly tailor made products with the essence of artisan spirit. What these brands and artists working for the brands are doing is paying homage to the old ways, to the times when things were “better”.

We should appreciate and learn from the past but still look ahead into the future. Find a harmony between the old and the new and forget all about maximum efficiency with lowest cost. There is so much more to things around us than that. It’s very easy to forget to appreciate the art around us.

I could go on about the topic for ages but I think the core was expressed in the above paragraphs. Speaking of vintage meeting the future, we have exciting news. We’re bringing in a classic design from The Year Of…

Lil’ Brooklyn as the design is most commonly known represents the brand’s Year of the Dog era and is probably one of the most known designs not to mention rare, especially today.

The design will be available in sizes 32, 34, 36 and 38. We are taking in pre-orders until the end of the week and you can ensure a pair by contacting us at info(a)nordicdenimhouse.com. Should you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. We’re glad to help you out.

With that I leave you for now. But I will be back for more soon. A shout out to our very own remy_le_beau, who is out of the field for a moment. Get well soon homie. Prosperous end of the week to everyone and appreciate the art around you. I’m out, peace.

In addition to the shuttle looms and natural indigo dye, another important aspect in the production of Vintage denim is the sewing.

At the early stages of the Japanese denim industry, production equipment including Union Special sewing machines were mainly imported from USA. This was changed in the late 1970′s when the domestic producers introduced mainstream equipment more suited to the needs of mass production, increasing efficiency and replacing the classic imported models.

The modern sewing machines used for mass production have differences due to their structure especially when it comes to chain stitching. Chain stitching used to be the default mode in sewing machines, but was later replaced by so called lock stitch. In a chain stitch you have two threads that form a chain like lock together forming a much stronger stitching than single stitching. Lock stitch again is considered stronger form of stitching using two threads (upper and lower) locking together in the hole in the fabric creating identical stitching to both sides. This method however does not provide the thick stitch-line at the hem seen on majority of the selvage jeans. Denim enthusiasts would also highlight that the jeans can not be considered vintage, without been sewn with the “Rolls Royce” of sewing machines, the Union Special.

Thus even today the denim artisans who want to create the finest denim wear still use the classic machines not produced in 40 years to provide us with garments that can truly  be considered Vintage.

Now I am off to enjoy the rest of Sunday…

One of the most essential elements of vintage denim is the selvedge (also referred to as selvage). The term originates from term self-edge, a natural non-fraying edge in a fabric. The selvedge often includes stitching in a contrasting color, which was originally used to differentiate between different types of fabric. Selvedge is proof of the fabric being only weaved by the vintage looms called “Shuttle Looms”.

Shuttle looms were originally invented in England in 1785 and later developed in Japan by Sakichi Toyoda in 1890s’. Shuttle looming is time consuming but produces a tight weave and thus heavier long lasting fabric. Today the traditional production method has nearly disappeared due to demand for lower cost mass production of denim following the popularization of modern looms designed for mass production.

Shuttle looms are still fundamental in creating true vintage denim. Though selvedge denim is not the only form of genuine vintage denim it is often considered to be of higher quality. Producing heavy ounce denim with a classic vintage feel requires careful selection of right looms to retain the original character of the denim.

Although the classic weaving techniques are seldom used today, denim artisans in their pursuit to create high quality denim have harnessed the classic weaving processes and still keep the traditions alive.