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Post by nate001 on Nov 18, 2018 7:46:13 GMT -6
Just picked up a zipper hoodie from Northwestern Knitting Company (nwkc.us). They are a Twin Cities based brand. I think the guy who started it also started Wilson and Willy. Anyway, the fabric is super nice and the hoodie has a bunch of interesting details. They are pricy, but cheaper than IH! They have a cool story about the brand too on the website. I bought the hoodie at the Wilson and Willy store in Minneapolis. Don’t know if anyone on the forum owns anything from the brand, but their stuff looks really good. I would have bought something but I’m pretty good on the clothes for now.
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Post by nate001 on Oct 24, 2018 7:23:34 GMT -6
Really interesting article in this week's New Yorker about the company Rent the Runway. I was vaguely aware of this, but it is a company where you pay a monthly fee to rent clothing (sort of like how Netflix used to be with DVDs). I think its just for women. Here's a nugget from the article: the average American buys 67 (!) clothing items a year. The idea of Rent the Runway (I guess) is that you wouldn't buy all that stuff, which is good I suppose.
My wife did Stitch Fix for awhile. Its a similar subscription model, but you buy the clothes rather than rent.
There is definitely more of a marketplace for this kind of thing for women than men, although I have noticed a few companies who do this with menswear (can't think of any company names off the top of my head though). I have looked over their offerings and the clothes aren't really what would fly with this crowd.
My question: do you think some kind of subscription product (either rent or buy) for MiUSA stuff (also including heritage type products from EU/Japan/Canada) could work with the forum members? My guess is no, since we're all a bunch of picky bastards and searching out this stuff is half (or more) of the fun.
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Post by nate001 on Oct 5, 2018 11:40:23 GMT -6
Aren't they Cramerton? Same as Epaulet? The Bravestar chinos are selvedge. It doesn't look like the Epaulet ones are selvedge (that looks like a herringbone trim sewn over the seam, like CF does on his canvas chinos). I don't know about Cramerton. That mill is shut down as far as I know. The Bravestar site does not advertise the military green as a Cramerton twill. The Bravestar website did advertise the khaki twill chino as Cramerton at the time I bought those a couple of years ago.
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Post by nate001 on Oct 5, 2018 6:53:19 GMT -6
The green chinos are great. Do you have any photos by any chance, as site doesn't have any to see what the real colour really are? I don't have a pic, but the picture of the military green on the Bravestar website is accurate: bravestarselvage.com/collections/selvage-chinos
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Post by nate001 on Oct 4, 2018 11:32:51 GMT -6
Yeah, my kids being stubborn about his balance bike, I think I need to just cave and get him one with pedals. He's a bigger fan of his scooter at the moment. I can't remember how old your kid is, but when he's 4 or so, I'd highly recommend a tag along. I think we got one from Amazon for about $100. So much better than a trailer.
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Post by nate001 on Oct 4, 2018 10:12:10 GMT -6
Nice. I'm watching Defensive Driving at work today. It's 90 here, so not feeling your cool weather talk, but looking forward to jacket weather. I rode a bunch of road miles at the start of summer, but lost momentum. It's hard to get out as much with the kid, especially when it's 90 by 10:30a. Hence the desire to move up your direction. Wife's back on the hunt for a good lawyerly gig in Chicago. Good luck. I love Chicago. I am very lucky to live in a metro area that has heavily invested in bike trails. My ride to work is 12 miles, an less than a mile of that is on city streets. Everything else is a dedicated, paved bike path. Now that I'm an old man of 40, I don't really like riding on streets with a bunch of traffic. Didn't bother me back in the day. With so many trails, there's a ton of stuff we can bike to really easily. If my wife and I are going out for dinner, we usually just ride if the weather is decent. My kids are usually game for a ride of 6 or 7 miles. I've pushed it to 10, but then we get more whining than its worth. My kids are on their own bikes now though, so its much easier.
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Post by nate001 on Oct 4, 2018 9:46:37 GMT -6
Lots to update on the biking front (as you my be able to tell from my flurry of posts, I don't have a whole lot going on at work today). First of all, my bike (Kona Jake, a great all around bike) was stolen when I rode it to a Twins game in April. That really sucked. The other crappy part was it was impossible to find a replacement in stock with any bike shop since I need a 60 cm frame, and they don't make a lot of those. While waiting for a backordered bike that would fit me, I ended up borrowing a vintage Bianchi racing bike (circa 1983?) from a friend who had converted it to a single speed. He'd put bullhorn handlebars on it...I looked like a real hipster. It was a fun bike, though it was a pretty jarring ride. My friend needed the bike back, so I borrowed another bike from a different friend. He'd just upgraded to a Surly steamroller single speed, so he gave me his old single speed, a Bianchi San Jose from 2006 or so. He's letting me keep it, which is awesome. I love it. It's probably a bit small for me, but since it was free I can't complain. Its got 41mm tires on it, so I can take it on easyish mountain bike trails with my kids and ride it when there's slush and salt and crap on the roads here in the winter. I don't think I'll ride it all winter, but it will extend the time I can ride it into the late fall/early winter and early spring. After waiting for about 4 months on a backorder, I finally got my new bike too. I ended up with a Marin Gestalt 2. Its classified as a gravel/endurance bike. Its a little bit more upright than my Jake, which was classified as a cyclocross bike. I like the more upright position. I basically just use it to commute to work a couple of times a week, about 12 miles each way. Rode it in to work today. First really cold day of the season.
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Post by nate001 on Oct 4, 2018 9:25:50 GMT -6
I've been swimming a biking a lot since this spring and have dropped weight. Not sure how much, since I don't have a scale, but enough that I've noticed it in quite a few pairs of pants. My CF canvas chinos and LF heavy slub are probably the two pairs of pants that have the largest waist. I did a warm soak and hang dry on the LF's yesterday. They are still drying, but hopefully I can get a inch or two shrink in the waist. The denim was also still super crunchy, so this should soften it up a bit. I washed my CF chinos in cool water and hang dried. That probably won't give me a lot of shrink, but thought I'd give it a try anyway. I might end up taking these to the tailor. We'll see.
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Post by nate001 on Oct 4, 2018 9:17:27 GMT -6
The green chinos are great. I did wash them to get a bit of the shine off the fabric and shrink them just a bit. Like an idiot, I didn't turn them inside out, so now there are very faint whitish lines running vertically down one leg. It's not terrible, and I think I'll just live with it...it's just annoying, especially since I should have just turned them inside out. Oh, well. I've looked online. There doesn't seem to be a way to fix this, I don't think. Maybe email Mik to see if he has any ideas? Other than my own stupidity, they're great. I love the cut on these. And only $106 with shipping!
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Tech
Sept 28, 2018 11:35:14 GMT -6
Post by nate001 on Sept 28, 2018 11:35:14 GMT -6
Wife is set on either an X3 M40i or an ix3. When is the ix3 supposed to be available in the US?
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Tech
Sept 28, 2018 11:32:15 GMT -6
Post by nate001 on Sept 28, 2018 11:32:15 GMT -6
GTI was totaled, parking garage collapsed at work. Bought another one yesterday. Holy crap! Everyone OK?
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Tech
Sept 27, 2018 15:49:44 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by nate001 on Sept 27, 2018 15:49:44 GMT -6
bentin, did you ever get the model 3 or the mission e? In addition to the Bolt, I am waiting delivery of a XC60 plug in. Should be arriving in a month or so.
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Tech
Sept 26, 2018 15:26:28 GMT -6
via mobile
bentin likes this
Post by nate001 on Sept 26, 2018 15:26:28 GMT -6
Got a Bolt This week. It’s so awesome.
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Post by nate001 on Sept 26, 2018 15:22:57 GMT -6
Just ordered the chinos in green. I didn’t realize they were offered in green until I got an email today. Ordered them this morning and got a shipping notification this afternoon. I have the Cramerton khaki chino and I think they’re great.
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Post by nate001 on Sept 14, 2018 18:56:35 GMT -6
I tried these on the other day: wilsonandwillys.com/collections/men/products/gunflint-trouser-indigo-herringboneOh baby. They’re nice. Wilson and Willy is a local Twin Cities company that has a lot of good looking stuff. I just haven’t bought anything from them yet. Indigo selvedge herringbone twill chinos. Yes please. Didn’t buy them because A) I think I probably have too many blue pants and B) I am in the process of replacing both of our cars and a $200 pair of pants seems a bit extravagant at the moment. Someone else should buy them though so I can see herringbone fades.
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Post by nate001 on Jun 22, 2018 20:08:29 GMT -6
If you want to try another denim repair service, check out Science and Kindness, run by my buddy Satchel. Based in St. Paul, MN. I've used them many times. There wasn't a wait list or anything, but I might have gotten expedited service since I was a local and just dropped my jeans off at Satchel's place. He does a great job. www.instagram.com/scienceandkindness/Does he also do repairs? I've got a pair or two that are getting the dreaded cuff holes that I'd like to get fixed eventually. I'd try Indigo Proof but dont wanna wait too long Yep. He has a darning machine and can fix pretty much anything. Check out the before and after pix on his Instagram.
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Post by nate001 on Jun 22, 2018 7:27:51 GMT -6
My 3001's are about due for their second wash. They lost a total of .75 inches (this is what they have settled at after shrink and stretch) throughout the entire leg. Only around two months of wear. Crazy how much they shrink. I need some repairs already on them and am on the waitlist for Indigo Proof. Will try and post a couple photos at some point. If you want to try another denim repair service, check out Science and Kindness, run by my buddy Satchel. Based in St. Paul, MN. I've used them many times. There wasn't a wait list or anything, but I might have gotten expedited service since I was a local and just dropped my jeans off at Satchel's place. He does a great job. www.instagram.com/scienceandkindness/
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Post by nate001 on May 18, 2018 10:08:46 GMT -6
cool post. Good point though mentioning that Trump manufactures his sh*t overseas. I've taken a hardline approach as a consumer. In the case of TS, I will not buy from them anymore because of the way they've outsourced most of their production. I know i'm beating a dead horse here but it's the principle of it all and the only thing that some companies respond to is money. Take that away from them and they sometimes fall back in line or they go tits up. I'm not prepared to say that US manufacturing, especially with clothing, is the highest quality but if it means keeping jobs here and creating more jobs in an an industry that is on the decline then I will choose to support US companies. Wouldn't buying TS made in California products also make the statement? Keeping a few US workers working I suppose it would, but do they make anything in CA anymore? I don't really check out their clothes anymore. EDIT: OK, I looked. They make a few things still in USA, but the numbers are dwindling.
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Post by nate001 on May 18, 2018 8:51:49 GMT -6
I've purchased a few things from Todd Shelton. Their stuff is pretty good, a little expensive, and not really what I'm going for in denim, but their dress shirts and trousers are pretty good. After the presidental election, Todd had an interview with the LA Times. Just google Todd Shelton LA times. It should be the first hit. Anyway, in the interview he said he voted for Trump, because he thought that would be the best chance for American manufacturing. Not surprisingly to anyone who has read my posts on this forum, that didn't sit well with me, and I have stayed away as a customer for the past year and a half. Recently Todd Shelton started making lightweight wool trousers and they sucked me back in (I haven't had much luck finding MiUSA dress trousers that aren't super expensive), but I wrote a note to customer support at the time of my order voicing my concerns. Within a day I received a response from Todd: "Hi Nate,
Amy mentioned your concerns and I really appreciate you bringing it up.
I believe a country needs manufacturing for so many reasons (jobs is not my top concern here). It's more about the fabric of a culture (working with hands), innovation, and greater opportunities for non-metropolitan communities. I don't take sides politically, am a strong believer in free will - I see too many grey areas on issues to pick sides or get involved. But I don't see grey areas on US trade policy, I'd like to see our government do more to support manufacturing by renegotiating trade.
I believe the past few administrations and CEO's gave away too much, too cheap, with free or loose trade policies. Some people got rich, but more lost a lot - and will continue to lose. Also, I believe the cheap product culture we're adopting here (due to the exploitation of poor countries) is not good for the environment or consumerism. Renegotiated trade (tariffs, quotas) could be good for US manufacturing and pump the brakes on wasteful consumption.
I'd like to ask you to wait a year and let me answer your question about whether my mind has changed, I want to see what happens with trade negotiations which are underway now. In the meantime, I'd ask you to judge us on the values in which we operate our business daily.
More directly, I know Trump is a jerk and makes half of this country very uneasy - and I hate that reality.
If you still feel unsettled, I'd suggest us hoping on a call.
Thanks for the support,
Todd S."
Here's my response:
"Todd -
Let me start by saying thank you for your prompt and thoughtful reply. I don't think there are too many other clothing company founders that would reply to a customer email at all, much less within a day. That responsiveness is one reason why I came back as a customer.
I also think it is important to cultivate American manufacturing jobs. If a thoughtful and nuanced program of tariffs and quotas can help bring that about, great. I'm just not sure our President is up to that task. So far he has called NAFTA and TPP terrible deals, and has (almost) implemented tariffs on steel and aluminum. Other than that, I haven't seen much of plan. Meanwhile, American manufacturing jobs have continued to increase, but at roughly the same rate as under President Obama since the recession of 2008-9.
Even if President Trump is able to grow the manufacturing sector (and I'm skeptical he is), is it worth the damage his administration is doing to the environment, to the civil rights of immigrants and people of color and the ability of lower and middle income workers to afford good health care?
If nothing else, he made ugly ties in China, ugly shirts in Bangladesh and his daughter continues to make clothing in SE Asia.
That said, I am back as a customer of your company because I believe in deeds, not words. Your company appears to care for its employees, give a crap about the environment and make quality garments that will last. That's enough for me for now, but in 2020? We'll see.
Good luck in your endeavors,
Nate"
Not really sure what else to say. Thought it would be an interesting conversation starter on the forum.
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Socks
May 8, 2018 7:05:53 GMT -6
Post by nate001 on May 8, 2018 7:05:53 GMT -6
Now that it's warming up what are some good no show socks thar are durable and comfortable? I know smart wool has some but I'm iffy on their quality, and darn tough just came out with some that I'm going to try out. I have Wigwams. They are MiUSA, they have several options for color, size, etc and are just $10. They are a nylon, acrylic, spandex blend. Don't know if the lack of natural fibers is a problem for you, but it definitely makes them durable. The Darn Toughs look nice too. My Wigwams show no sign of wearing out anytime in the near future, but if they do, I'll check out the Darn Toughs.
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Post by nate001 on Apr 16, 2018 12:36:21 GMT -6
Between epic snowstorms (16" over the past couple of days!), it actually got sort of warm here in MN (high in the low 50s), so I was able to bust out my Ratio linen shirt for the first time. Highly recommended. The texture is really cool and the material drapes differently than any cotton garment I've owned. Yes, Ratio fabric offerings are limited, but take a flyer on a linen shirt.
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WAYWT
Mar 29, 2018 13:17:05 GMT -6
Post by nate001 on Mar 29, 2018 13:17:05 GMT -6
I love me some tonal crotches!
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WAYWT
Mar 29, 2018 9:36:35 GMT -6
Post by nate001 on Mar 29, 2018 9:36:35 GMT -6
You can't swing a dead cat on IG without hitting someone wearing Railcar flight trousers, but you're right, the denim seems to be a different story. I like that Railcars are all made in house. Are you talking about the Railcar slub denim? Denim from Turkey? Interesting. I guess they make really good towels, why not denim? Yeah, were you around for the Turkish guy on this forum? Really curious if that who Dang went with. And why are all Flight Trousers camel? I never see the other colors. The Turkish guy might have been before my time. I think I would have remembered him. I don't see any colors other than the camel either. Not sure why. My CF chinos are the same canvas. It is a classic Carhartt's/Dickie's color, so maybe it's that?
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WAYWT
Mar 29, 2018 8:45:28 GMT -6
Post by nate001 on Mar 29, 2018 8:45:28 GMT -6
Yeah, not sure why LF doesn't get the love of other brands. Railcar too. I think I'm grabbing a pair of his proprietary slubs. You can't swing a dead cat on IG without hitting someone wearing Railcar flight trousers, but you're right, the denim seems to be a different story. I like that Railcars are all made in house. Are you talking about the Railcar slub denim? Denim from Turkey? Interesting. I guess they make really good towels, why not denim?
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Travel
Mar 29, 2018 8:32:28 GMT -6
Post by nate001 on Mar 29, 2018 8:32:28 GMT -6
I'm going to San Francisco for spring break next week with the fam. I think it is unlikely I will have the time or be in the Mission, but just in case I can steal away for a couple hours and I can only go to one, it's gotta be Self Edge, right? Standard and Strange, AB Fits and Unionmade are other options I suppose, but they seem like runners up compared to the mothership. Also, I've been to Unionmade before. Any thoughts Bay Area natives?
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