Here are the pictures of the Simon Miller jeans I promised to post for you:

M001/Los Angeles jean; $198  A basic straight fit (compare to A.P.C. New Standard); 5-pkt button fly. $10 from the purchase of this jean goes to Los Angeles Mission.

M002/Pacific;$268  Regular bootcut jean; 5-pkt zip fly

Look forward to seeing you this weekend!!!

-Butch

We are very pleased (and proud) to let you guys know about the new line of denim that we are now carrying, SIMON MILLER JEANS. Created by the designer of the same name, New Zealand-born Miller wanted to make a line that was fully made in the USA.

Although he uses high quality Japanese denim, all of the zippers, rivets, pocket bags and most important, the construction is all made in America, at a warehouse in Los Angeles. What that means to us (and to you the consumer) is a great jean made from superior fabric and excellent workmanship; also it supports the domestic economy.

We now have two fits: the M002 Pacific, which is a regular bootcut jean; and, the M001Los Angeles, a straight cut jean.

Also, with the purchase of the Los Angeles jean, $10 is donated to the Los Angeles Mission (http://losangelesmission.org/index.html) devoted to helping the homeless living on Skid Row in downtown LA.

Pictures will be up very soon. If you don’t want to wait, by all means come visit us!!! Both the Downtown and Fremont stores will be carrying the line.

-Butch

(Remember charity begins at home…support Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission http://www.ugm.org/ and act locally! -B)

If you read our blog on a regular basis you’ll notice that I spend a lot of time focusing on American designers. It’s not that I have particular bias; but, if you notice, there has been a resurgence of classic (and modified) WASP-ier looks that have been showing up on the runways in the past few seasons and shows no signs of stopping (Junya Wantanabe and Number (N)ine’s Fall ‘08 collections for example). You’ll notice that fits are leaner and not as baggy; a lot more patterned wovens (plaids, stripes,etc.) and an overall cleaner look without a lot of over-exuberant distressing such as rips and holes. It’s as if we’re longing for a simpler time where it wasn’t about the bells and whistles, but actually the quality of a garment. It’s also evident in the lines that we carry here at the store: the Ralph Lauren/Filson-esque hybrid style of Engineered Garments and Gilded Age; the neo prep style from lines like Modern Amusement and Shipley & Halmos ; the easy West Coast surfer boy looks of Ever and the sleek scenester East Coast vibe coming from Rogan and John Varvatos USA. 

    
A line that we haven’t given much deserved time here is Relwen; developed last season by former menswear designer for Abercrombie and Fitch,Jamie Rupp. Relwen gets its inspiration from old school Americana: general stores, farm life and military surplus styles. The cargos are made from military grade cotton; the woven shirts and polos have that soft, already lived-in feel and although they are cut more generous than other lines, they still have a cleaner more grown-up silhouette than what you would see at A&F or Hollister. Come in and check the pieces that we have in now for Spring and look for it in the Fall when we will carry even more clothing from the line! -Butch

 
We just wanted to remind you that we still have some great stuff on sale for 30% off at both stores. Great deals from Nice Collective, Rogan,Obedient Sons, Nicholas K , Blue Marlin, Lova, Cynthia Steffe,2K (and now Shipley & Halmos!) plus many more! Move quickly because pieces are selling fast!

Yes, folks it’s true! We are going through some changes! Like for instance, we have officially removed all of the women’s merchandise from the Downtown store and transported it to our Fremont location (501 N. 36th St; next to Rudy’s Barbershop).

We have also turned the upstairs section into a “soft sale” section. There you will find select men’s pieces on sale for 30% off from the likes of Nice Collective, Rogan, Loden Dager, Obedient Sons, Lova and Nicholas K to name a few. Fremont will have pieces on sale as well from Developent, Cynthia Steffe, womens EVER , womens Shipley & Halmos ; also, some pieces from Blue Marlin, Topo Ranch, 2K and Nice Collective for men. So if there is something that you’ve been eyeing, now would be the time to come…

Also, the weatherman says it’s going to heat up this weekend so it’s time to stock up on shorts, tanks, tees and swimsuits! We have nice selections from Park and Ronen, Shipley & Halmos, Relwen, Modern Amusement and G-Star. 

AND speaking of G-Star, I’ll let you in on a Scooby snack: this Fall, the Downtown location is turning the upstairs floor into a G-Star store! We’ll keep you posted on the progress of this exciting project…

 We have also hired some new faces for our Downtown location so make sure you come by and say hello to Max, Kyle and Jessica. They are really great people and can assist you with your shopping needs!

Well? What are you waiting for? Come shop with us! And remember to vote for us on NWSOURCE!

Okay, so you bought the ultimate pair of jeans. They are everything that you could imagine a pair could be: great fit, butt looks good; but, you forgot to ask one thing, ‘How do I take care of them?’
Well, don’t fret because it’s not that hard. Most of the denim we carry require just the basic care by following the washing instructions on the tag which usually means machine wash warm or cold, tumble dry on low heat ( although, I strongly advise just hanging your jeans over a chair or on the door as opposed to commercial dryers which I feel, are way too hot and tend to weaken the fabric over time) .

When it comes to the specialty denim (Gilded Age, Kicking Mule, PS Red Ear, etc.), one thing they benefit from is holding off from washing as long as you can. Reason being is that it allows the denim to mold to your body to give your jeans the best fit possible; and, your jeans start to make their own wrinkled lines or “whiskers” that are entirely your own. When it finally comes time to wash, I recommend to machine wash cold, no soap, then hang dry. Using detergent on your denim with its harsh chemicals speeds up the fading process and softens the whiskering and then all that hard work would have been for nothing. If you want to keep your denim dark, in the wash add a cup of white vinegar and/or a half cup of salt to help set the dye and make it last ( true denim die-hards, you can also wash your denim by soaking them in the tub with cold water for about 30 mins. and then hang dry; also, I’ve discovered that if you  put about a handful of epsom salt in the water it makes them softer).

 Basically, the longer you wait to wash the better they will start to look. The payoff will be a pair of jeans that not only becomes as unique as you; with its own marks, frays and wrinkles but with its own story to tell.

-Butch