OA: The Stanton’s have been my goto jean for a couple years now. I see for Fall 2011 you switched up the denim for this run. What made you choose this particular denim?

KT: The denim is from Nihon Menpu, I gravitate towards this mill because I love the shades of indigo and the quality of construction that they produce. This denim runs slightly heavier then the last batch…closer to 15oz then 14oz. Not a huge difference, but you can feel it when you put them on. The denim has some great character to it. Some visible details are the cross hatch and a slight vertical slub, which give it a more vintage feel. Finally, though the denim is on thicker side it has a great hand and breaks in really nicely and the indigo breaks down really nicely to give you great contrast between high and low impact areas.

OA: (*Grins widely.)

OA: Have you tweaked the design from past Statons’?

KT: Other than the slightly heavier denim there have been some minor changes to fit and construction. First off, I gave a little more room in the crotch and seat (approximately .5″ front and back) and took in the waistband approximately .5″ (the last batch was running a little on the larger side) Other than that the fit is the same from the thigh down. size 31 finished leg opening is 7.75″ or 15.5″ total circumference. Some construction details include heavier/stronger thread throughout the jean. Navy thread used to sew down the lining on the back pocket instead of black. Gives a cleaner look the thread practically disappears. Unbranded rivets and fly button, there’s still the branded crossed feather button on the waistband. I went for unbranded hardware because I wanted the jeans to look more utilitarian and I think they compliment the denim perfectly.

With every production run I’m constantly making little tweaks to try and produce the best quality product I can.

OA: Awesome! The denim sounds amazing and you tweaked the only (minor) changes I wanted with the fit of the existing Stanton: little less waist, little more crotch/seat.

OA: Can you talk about the stretch of this denim as it breaks down? I felt the last denim stretched no more than .5″ throughout the jean, where some other jeans I’ve had stretch anywhere from .5 – 1.5″ throughout. For example, much of the Cone Denim I’ve worn will stretch considerably (more than 1″) and you can’t leave out APC, which are known to stretch an ungodly amount.

KT: This denim will be about the same minimal stretch/shrinkage, I’d say on average about .5″.

KT: Also, keep and eye out for our Navy Overdyed 13.5oz Japanese Denim Stanton and our Black on Black Stantons dropping in the next couple of weeks!

OA: Tell me more about the navy overdyed JDS – is this the infamous Dark Stanton (finally)?

KT: The Navy Overdye is the infamous Dark Stanton! (finally) haha yea that denim is rad. Pretty rigid right off the bat with minimal stretch approximately .5″. the jeans features all black thread inside and out except for a nice bold natural thread for all the overlock on the side seams, fly, and inseam. The Denim has a dark navy top (what you’ll see on the outside of the jean) and a black bottom (what you’ll see on the inside of the jean) so needless to say it’s dark. The cool thing about the denim is since it’s an overdye the dye hasn’t fully absorbed into the yarn, so when it starts to breakdown the white of the core of the yarn will start showing which lends to amazing contrast and an overall unique fade.

—

So there you have it, Karl is kicking out a sweet update to the Stanton and dropping the Dark Stanton – a product I had a chance to see concept images of a couple years ago and have been bugging him about ever since. If you don’t have a pair of Rogue Territory jeans in your closet, you’re a punk. Just kidding, but you’ve really missed out. Karl’s denim selection and attention to detail can’t be touched for less than $300 and provide a more unique experience than most US based denim brands.

Stanton pic from RogueTerritory.tumblr.com...

Prototype shot of Dark Stanton from Rogueterritory.com...

Sapporo Moped Creation from Rob Brooks on Vimeo.

I grew up skateboarding and while I never reached Tony Hawk or Christian Hosoi levels of skill, I enjoyed it.  But at 30+ it doesn’t make sense for me to go grinding on the local hand rails or dropping into a half-pipe somewhere.  I approach my work aggressively, so when I come home I want to chill – and occasionally bomb a hill.  Longboarding is perfect.  The boards are more forgiving, typically built with a little (and sometimes a lot) of flex and paired with larger, softer wheels they definitely inspire a more relaxed session.  Some boards, like those from Loaded, are built with bamboo instead of the traditional skateboard maple, and take “flex” to a whole new level.  As I cruise on my Loaded Dervish, I can use the flex to pump into turns and carve into curbs like I’m turning off the edge of a wave.

Big ass 75mm Orangatang Wheels

I love it.  I love the style of the boards, the more laid back culture, the fact that I grab it and go for a walk, and since I am 30+ I don’t have to worry about “street cred” with the neighborhood teenagers when I can’t do a kick-flip-360 ollie.

So while I was in London trying on jeans and drooling over my new bag, I tried on the grey hooded sweatshirt from Paul Smith Jeans.  I kinda dug the rainbow zebra and pretended not to think about living in homophobic Kansas where rainbow anything means gay.  Instead I thought, “Holy shit.  This thing fits perfectly.  How do I not wear this home?”

So I did.  And here it is.  I wear it weekly.  In fact, I’m wearing it in the Rogue Territory 6-month Stanton photos (although you can’t really see it and let’s be honest, you can’t stop looking at my superhero ass.)

Anyway, I wish I had bought it in every color. Or at least Navy and Purple.

Moscot has been producing dark acrylic frames so long that they once sold them from a pushcart on the streets of New York.  (This is quite unlike today, where the stuff you buy from a pushcart are things like Gucki or Cooch – knock-off purses made in China.)  So a few years ago when I needed new glasses I wanted classics, not the super trendy Prada or DG glasses that everyone was carrying.   I’m in KS so my options were Oakley, something from Sunglasses Hut, Oakley, crap from Lenscrafters or Walmart, etc..  Instead I gambled and went online to order a pair of Moscot Nebb frames.

I’ve been wearing the Nebb for what feels like forever, definitely longer than any other pair of glasses.  Now you can find thick acrylic frames based on the classic Moscot styles from just about any designer.  It’s time for me to change it up a bit, and I’ll be ordering another pair of Moscots.  This time, the iconic Lemtosh in light tortoiseshell.

I vacillate between loving the idea (I’m both a designer and basketball lover) and feeling bitterly excluded like I can’t get into a special hipster design frat. To be clear, I haven’t applied to be “drafted” into the dribbble community – so when I say bitterly excluded it’s really a self-inflicted wound, but a bitter one never-the-less.  But I’m obsessed with Dribbble.

In the meantime I’ll curate my profile at Behance, where I didn’t have to declare for the draft.

Sometimes you find something that not a lot of people know about and realize you’ve stumbled onto something special.  For me, Rogue Territory was that thing.  I was a year into a pair of APC New Standards, and 3 months into a pair of Pure Blue Japan XX-005, when I decided I wanted something a little bit more.

Specifically, I was looking for something a little more special than the completely nondescript APCs.  A little more slim-straight than the PBJ’s, with a more traditional denim.  Maybe it sounds cheesy, but I wanted to find a US brand that was doing what PBJ was doing, only based here.  What I found was one bad-ass pair of jeans, perfectly slim straight with just a tad more taper from knee to leg opening than the PBJs, and way more interesting than APC jeans.  What has proven over time to really stand out Rogue Territory is an outstanding attention to detail.

First, you can tell when you pick up a pair that Karl (Thoennessen, creator of Rogue Territory,) knows more about denim than any of us.  His denim choice is outstanding – wicked durable with beautiful indigo.  The stitching is spot on (which I can tell you not every brand is that passionate about, but makes a tremendous difference.)  The rivets and buttons are branded, but understated with the Rogue Territory feather (Native American inspired.)  The back pockets are nearly unadorned, save a small loop design in the pocket stitching and a pen pocket inside the right back pocket.  The little details are subtle but outstanding, and there are just too many to mention.

But mostly, the fit and wear are crazy good.  I’ve tried slim straight jeans from just about everyone, and I can always find a complaint – too narrow, too much taper, way to slim in the seat, the thigh-to-knee width is either too wide or too skinny.  From the moment I pulled them on, the Stanton had the right proportions – right thigh to knee dimensions, perfect knee to leg opening taper (slight.)  The needed to stretch a bit in the thigh and seat to be just right, which they have, but the denim hasn’t stretched nearly as much as my APCs.  (Sizing note: I only sized down one, and it was exactly the right size.  I have thighs and an ass, so if you’re a stick legged son-of-a-bitch, I suggest going down two.  The denim has stretched nicely, but not too much.  Also, I should have been more disciplined about wearing a belt because the waist is a half size bigger than perfect.)  It’s hard not to be effusive about the Stanton.  I love sliding into these in the morning because they feel like they were tailor made to my body.

Which is why I got into raw denim in the first place.  I fucked hated buying jeans.  I would have allowed someone to yank my short hairs one at a time until I was hairless before I went to the damn mall to buy jeans.  They are either dull and boring, or you look like a bedazzled gay pirate.  Since getting into raw denim in 2007, I’ve had the pleasure of wearing some fantastic denim from Pure Blue Japan, Evisu Heritage, PRPS, Imogene + Willie, APC, Rogue Territory, Nudie and others.  Nothing fits quite as nicely as the Rogue Territory Stanton, which at 6 months is easily going to make it 9-12 months before I rinse or wash.  (Look for a post coming soon that compares all the different jeans in my closet.)

They are fading nicely, and at 6 months without a wash (no stink, btw,) I can see wearing these for at least another 3-4 months without a wash.  And if you’re a work wear denim person, these things are indestructible.  I actually emailed Karl after wearing these for about 3 months and said “Dude, this denim is indestructible.  They barely look worn.”  So enjoy the pics, throw away your True Religions, and order a pair of Rogue Territory Stanton’s immediately.

My trip to London was amazing. Not only did I LOVE the city and avoid 2 major snow storms, I found the worlds best shopping at Selfridges department store and at all the shops at Carnaby Circus.  I could have spent two days just shopping for denim in Selfridges – Evisu, Edwin, APC, Dior, Paul Smith Jeans – but it wasn’t a pair of denim that made my eyes turn into little hearts.  No, it was a bowler style bag from Paul Smith Jeans that lifted me off the ground and my feet flutter.

This bag is the perfect carry on.  Why?

1. Because it fits above and below on small and large planes.
2. It holds a tremendous amount of shit.
3. Everyone with any style gawked at it, and me, when I walked by.

Seriously.  I got aped at because of this bag.  THIS is what is wonderful and crappy about men’s style – if you do it right, it’s clear that you have style but subtle enough not to draw any attention.  The days of the MetroSexual are dead, mostly, and replaced with ManlySexual – rugged, fitted denims, classic work boots, oxfords, etc.  I’m not a Louis Vuitton guy.  So when I saw this Bobby Bag from Paul Smith Jeans I believe I dropped what I was holding, muttered some incoherent gibberish to the clerk, and swiftly bought this bag for the flight home.

I got a “great bag” from the only other guy on the flight wearing raw selvage denim.  It was a cool little moment.  Luckily this bag isn’t available everywhere…so…hahahaha. So I went to London and all I got was this killer bag.  And a few amazing James Jean t-shirts from Upper Playground.  And a Paul Smith Jeans grey hooded sweatshirt that I wear all the time.  But mainly the bag.

See! How awesome are these!

I feel like obsessions are much like addictions.  I’m obsessed with raw, selvage jeans and that obsession started with boredom, followed by curiosity, which led to a gateway drug (The New Standard from APC Jeans.)    New obsessions are like Alice In Wonderland, you never know how deep the hole will go and where it will lead.  With denim, the rabbit hole (which started with APC) has led me to one of the most inspiring brands I’ve had the fortune of seeing.

I remember reading an interview once where someone said the first time they heard Bob Dylan they wanted to quit music – that he set the bar so high that they would forever underachieve by comparison.  Of course, they were being interviewed by Rolling Stone, so you know how that story went.  Karl, the man behind Rogue Territory, is like my Bob Dylan – equally inspirational and intimidating.

Rogue Territory

Rogue Territory creates bespoke denim the old fashioned way, but has recently launched an off-the-rack line of denim jeans, pants and shirts aimed at freaks like me who can geek out on details like selvage lines, branded rivets, and how .25 inches of rise, thigh, knee and leg opening can make all the difference between your perfect pair of jeans and just another 501 revision.  Besides having one of my favorite brand executions of the last few years, Rogue Territory has managed to launch a denim line that can still be passion inducing to those of us who have nitpicked at every brand of selvage jeans available in the last few years.  With brands like Jean Shop, Momotaro, Somet, Sugar Cane, Kicking Mule Workshop and more, plus a lingering economic downturn, the prospect of launching a raw selvage denim line would seem overwhelming.  But amidst this climate Karl has done something I have literally daydreamed about, launched a line-up of awesome clothes backed by a fantastic brand, that somehow manages to stand out.

Freaking WORK PANTS!

Is it an obsession, or a crush?  Good question (that I’m afraid to answer.)  What Rogue Territory has done is tweak the modern standard fits (skinny, straight, and 501) and find unique twists.  First, according to what I’ve read, the jeans are made from denim from some of the top denim mills in the US and Japan (Kaihara and Cone Mills are examples.)  His run of each line seems to come from denim that will not be seem again, thus making each season unique – even if he continues to make the same fits.  Why does this matter?  Because while it’s great to know that a pair of APC can always be counted on, it’s nice to know that sometimes you are wearing something truly unique.

Granted, the way I break in my APCs or Pure Blue Japans is always going to differ from someone else’s, a truly unique pair of jeans is like art.  Which, by the way, is the other kind of jeans created by Rogue Territory – a truly made to fit, tailored pair of jeans.  I’m not in LA, nor will I be soon, so I’m unlikely to ever enjoy this process.  Instead I will settle for a pair of the Stanton (and probably the Work Trouser DBL, which is easily one of the coolest items of clothing I’ve ever seen.)

Have I gone overboard yet?  Suck it.  In fact, if you’ve read anything else I’ve written you know my penchant for snark.  So, other than Apple I can think of few brands and products that have ever caused this kind of reaction in me and I’m not going to hold back.  Partly because I not-so-secretly fanaticize about designing (or contributing to) my own line of denim and like the earlier Bob Dylan quote, Rogue Territory makes me want to get off my ass and do it except that it makes me want to put my head down and never design again. I love when anyone has a clear vision and executes is so well.

So, in closing, I’m madly obsessed with Rogue Territory, a brand you will likely hear about in the future.  And by the way, here are some pictures from his website – I hope he doesn’t ask me to take them down.

Buy from him now.  Support this talent so he doesn’t get gobbled up by some major brand.

And…looky here.  I got through the whole post with nary a spot of negativity save the “suck it” towards the end.

Yes, THE jeans.  APC jeans are magic.  They require commitment.  A new pair of APC New Standards comes to you hard, unwashed, stiff and TIGHT.  You are supposed to order them 2 sizes down from your normal size.  You are supposed to wear them for 6-12 months without washing them.  You are supposed to enjoy the pain.  For a month, it’s like having your dick in a vice.  Then they slowly release their grip.

Then they deliver denim magic.

April 2008 will mark my 6th month with my first pair. Still unwashed. Still wicked awesome. I love them. What started as tight, stiff, comical pants are now comfortable jeans that look tailored to my body (not tight anymore, just well shaped.) You really do have to persevere though. Eventually these jeans will look great worn with almost everything, from the t-shirts you’ve had for years at the back of your wardrobe, to new pieces of jewellery from 77Diamonds.com. However, it takes time and effort to get jeans that look this good. Are most people likely to buy a pair of jeans that are ridiculously tight and uncomfortable and wear them for 6 months without washing? Absolutely not – which means more magic for freaks like me who are willing to commit.  Thanks APC, for making sure I’ll always have at least 1 thing that is unlikely to ever catch on and become a fad.

If you have ever longed for the perfect pair of jeans, or spent countless hours trying on jeans and then going home irritated, depressed, enraged…then APC, and the ridiculous process that comes with them might just be for you.

By the way, my pants got press.  That’s how awesome I am.  If you wrap yourself around my butt for 6 months, you too will get an article.  Like the bearded douche from the cheap suit commercials says, “I guarantee it.”