Pean to Lee denim and modern repros

Pandemic said:

And another new option:

https://www.denimio.com/en_US/studio-d-artisan-d4187-blanket-jacket-one-washed-44/D4187-OW-44.html

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Nice, but at that price I'd go for the Lee Archives version, which costs the same (unless tariffs and shipping to the US end up making it a lot more costly; shipping to Europe from Japan is extremely inexpensive and we have no tariffs, just the VAT to add on).

You can order the Studio d'Artisan one directly from Hinoya, again not sure if the savings will be erased by tariffs and US shipping, but to Europe it's worth ordering directly from Japan, as with everything else that Hinoya carries) :

https://hinoya.shop/en-ch/products/d4187

I just saw this crazy Lee Japan 101-LJ special edition for sale used, it was made to celebrate the Harris Tweed centenary. I'd love to see it in person, I have a feeling it looks very different than photographed.

https://www.grailed.com/listings/85...ction&g_aqid=165133b4100c3ef5b075337d5943671e

Here is a Lee 101J (hand warmer era) style jacket in melton wool, currently for sale on eBay from Japan:

Pandemic said:

Here is a Lee 101J (hand warmer era) style jacket in melton wool, currently for sale on eBay from Japan:

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I like that a lot.

Here is a Korean brand doing vintage Lee patterns in aged left hand twill:

https://en.outstanding-co.kr/product/50s-western-rider-selvedge-jacketlblue/4793/

https://en.outstanding-co.kr/product/50s-riders-selvedge-zip-pantslblue/4792/

This looks nice:

https://franklinandpoe.com/products/the-flat-head-fn-oj-d102j-14-5oz-blanket-lined-denim-jacket

Finally bit the ****** and bought myself a Lee Archives 1950 101-LJ from japan. Sold my old one and the proceeded to lose my mind a bit trying to work out the right size - Because it seemed the official size charts were bigger than the actual size. other sites confirmed, that there was definitely something going on. I'm 183 cm, about 80 kg, 107 cm chest - true 42. I ended up going for a size up. This tends to work for me in japanese brands. Needless to say i think i made the right choice. I'm absolutely in love with the jacket.

Pic before wash



And after the first wash at 40 C







And here shown after 2 weeks of constant wear.

Facini said:

Finally bit the ****** and bought myself a Lee Archives 1950 101-LJ from japan. Sold my old one and the proceeded to lose my mind a bit trying to work out the right size - Because it seemed the official size charts were bigger than the actual size. other sites confirmed, that there was definitely something going on. I'm 183 cm, about 80 kg, 107 cm chest - true 42. I ended up going for a size up. This tends to work for me in japanese brands. Needless to say i think i made the right choice. I'm absolutely in love with the jacket.

Pic before wash

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And after the first wash at 40 C

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And here shown after 2 weeks of constant wear.

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It looks fabulous! Well done.

Thanks a lot! It's been a while since i've falled so hard for a jacket - I can't take it off

It did end up costing me a bit, since i had to pay customs and VAT to get it home... But no regrets. It's just so well done on all fronts - It's hard for me to think of a piece of repro clothing that really feels like i went down to the store in 1950 and took it off the rack.

Also interesting considering how it compared to my old original from the late 60s/early 70s. Still really cool, but with a smidge longer silhuette and trim fit - especially in the cuffs, which where super tight. This 1950s is nice and boxy but still flattering. if you get the chance to get a hold off one of these, i can't recommend it enough.

Pandemic said:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWr75-wEmXX/?igsh=YWRxamMxejh6aXEx

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Excellent, he is correct. Such a shame that such an iconic brand with such a great past, so many superb historical products, and an amazing story and reputation behind it is so blowing the present, especially with the current hunger for authenticity, heritage brands, workwear, and Western styles all at once.

He's also spot on about the current Lee 101 models, they've strayed from their earlier excellent approximations and more or less correct reproductions of various iconic models with a few modern slimmer cut interpretations, to their present unhistorical offerings, a Premium line with no focus and no story to tell.

The Archive runs have always been a thing apart, usually very precise reproductions down to the stitch and denim quality, but numbers have always been extremely limited and the availability outside of Japan extremely limited, and the effect on the brand perception next to zero with the general population of denim buyers.

I've been wearing my Wrangler 13MWZ and 936 models all winter, for their warmth, and got used to the wider leg compared to the slimmer Lee 101s I had been wearing for a while. My 1950s 101 Riders mostly have stayed in the closet since I bought them and wore them a few times, but I took them back out today for the warmer weather and completely fell in love with them as I'm more used to the wider straight cut now

They drape so beautifully when worn with a break at the boot, they are such a well cut jean and the flexible LHT denim is such a joy to wear, so comfortable and light feeling while still being a substantial jean.

There are still a few pairs floating around for anyone interested, and quite a few Japanese Archive models at a higher price point. Highly recommended!

I found a beautiful Archives example of the Storm Rider for sale on eBay, it looked like it was washed once, i perfect shape. It's a size 42, I normally wear the 40 in Lee jackets, but they fit very small (like I like them) in the L101, and a bit bigger in the lined LJ-101, allowing me to wear it buttoned up but without much in the way of layers underneath.

I already had a '70s one that's okay, does the job, but I'm not crazy about the synthetic lining and the stiffer feel due to what feels like a layer of some kind of fabric between the lining and the denim. The denim is nice and the pockets useful, but overall I prefer the original design.

I posted a few pictures of the vintage one I found a good deal on, I've since determined, due to the thinner denim, and the brown rather than golden/tan corduroy collar, that it's a very decent Chinese made model that was produced for a short while sometime in the last decade or so. It's love wearing it because it's super comfortable, not overly warm, and looks good, though I much prefer the original colour to the greenish brown on this model.

So when I saw the Archives model on sale from a Japanese seller, with shipping included, I decided to take a chance on it in the larger size - it showed up yesterday and unfortunately is just too large for me - too long in the body and sleeves, and just a tad too large in the chest and shoulders. It's a real disappointment but at least I now know what the Archive version looks and feel like, and how much I need to find one on my size!

Briefly:

- the corduroy collar is thicker, softer, very luxurious feeling, and the colour pops like crazy.
- the denim is incredible, in the original Lee blue, very flexible, with a great hand
- the wool blend lining is much softer and thicker than both of my other ones
- the only potential negative is a much larger cuff on the sleeve, or a larger button positioning, either way the cuff is much looser. This isn't a problem if your arms are long, but if they are a bit short the sleeve may ride over your hand when at your sides.

In summary, the Archive version I have is a far superior jacket, the overall feel, look, and comfort is really something else, and has to be seen in person. I'll put it up for sale in the Classifieds soon, in the meantime if anyone's interested they can send me a message - I paid USD $370 for it and would like to get that back. Shipping might be a bit pricey to the US due to the weight, so it might be of more interest to someone in Europe. I'd post pictures but the site is bugging terribly and I've had no luck since months getting anything uploaded.

One Drop said:

In summary, the Archive version I have is a far superior jacket, the overall feel, look, and comfort is really something else, and has to be seen in person. I'll put it up for sale in the Classifieds soon, in the meantime if anyone's interested they can send me a message - I paid USD $370 for it and would like to get that back. Shipping might be a bit pricey to the US due to the weight, so it might be of more interest to someone in Europe. I'd post pictures but the site is bugging terribly and I've had no luck since months getting anything uploaded.

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Update : After measuring up the jacket properly and comparing it to the measurements I found for various '50s Jqpanese Archive repros, I realised that it must only have been washed cold, so I followed the old Storm Rider washing instructions I had seen a while back, specifically for the Alaskan blanket version, and I gave it a 15 minute hot wash (40°C), no spin cycle, hung dry, and it shrank just the right amount, and perfectly within the amounts outlined in the Edwin Lee Archives store site, which has incredibly detailed fit and shrinkage information for all of the products they sell.

The upshot is that it now fits perfectly, with room for layering, other than being just a tad long in the sleeve, which I can live with. I'm so happy because it's such a beautiful piece, and I really didn't want the hassle of selling it on.

^
We need pictures

Pandemic said:

^
We need pictures

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I'll take some and try to upload a couple. It didn't lose any of it's beautiful Lee blue colour at all from the quick hot wash.

Freenote has a few Lee inspired jackets now. The fit looks right to me, though the denim is of course very different to the originals. Not really something I’m tempted by but I appreciate their respectful homage:

https://freenotecloth.com/products/high-low-13-ounce-natural-indigo-jacket

Pandemic said:

Freenote has a few Lee inspired jackets now. The fit looks right to me, though the denim is of course very different to the originals. Not really something I’m tempted by but I appreciate their respectful homage:

https://freenotecloth.com/products/high-low-13-ounce-natural-indigo-jacket

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It's a great design, like almost everything Freenote does. The side pockets built in to the seam is a great feature, as are the acorn pockets and the corduroy collar on an unlined jacket (because the collar is usually the first thing to wear through on a denim jacket, with the cuffs). The denim looks to be high quality, with natural indigo dye, probably RH twill.

I'm inspired to keep my '70s Storm Rider and to cut out the liner, that way it will fit me perfectly between a 40 and a 42, without the cheap and fairly nasty synthetic liner that the jackets were shipped with from early in the '70s (mine is pilling a bit already after pretty limited wear).

In more Lee news, I found a great deal on a NWT pair of Italian made Lee 101 Riders (subtitled on the rear pocket flap as 'Authentic '70's Cowboy Jeans') made from the same great LHT Japanese cotton the the '50s Cowboy' 101s that I have. I compared them to my vintage '70s 101 pair, they are identical in the proportions and construction with the only difference being the addition of the rear pocket liners that had disappeared by then on the originals. I just washed them for the first time in 40°C machine wash, I'll post the difference between the rigid measurements and the hot washed ones as a data point for anyone interested.

One Drop said:

In more Lee news, I found a great deal on a NWT pair of Italian made Lee 101 Riders (subtitled on the rear pocket flap as 'Authentic '70's Cowboy Jeans') made from the same great LHT Japanese cotton the the '50s Cowboy' 101s that I have. I compared them to my vintage '70s 101 pair, they are identical in the proportions and construction with the only difference being the addition of the rear pocket liners that had disappeared by then on the originals. I just washed them for the first time in 40°C machine wash, I'll post the difference between the rigid measurements and the hot washed ones as a data point for anyone interested.

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On closer look these are an odd duck, being made in Italy and branded Lee 101, but having many of the features of the Japanese made Archives models that the European 101 line doesn't, such as the authentic one eared selvage construction, the inside pocket graphic as seen on the '90s Archive versions, and the true-to-the-era extra thick leather back patch as seen on the recent '62 101-Z Archives model. The denim is from Kaihara mills, and has a nice sheen.

Here are the measurements of the tagged size 34w / 32l 101 Riders, before and after a 40°C regular warm wash cycle. The fit and cut are absolutely perfect for me - I have a 33" waist, and pants that measure 34" at the waist usually fit the best. I find that most clothing brands add an inch to the tagged waist size, or calculate the expected shrinkage so you end up with this extra inch after washing in warm water. But IME jeans are all over the place and you really have to try the brand to get an idea of the sizing, and then adjust from there depending on expected shrinkage, which depends on if the denim is Sanforized or not, rigid or one wash, and how you plan on washing them (or not washing them).

Before and after 1 hour Warm wash (40°C, 104°F), hung to dry :

Waist, buttoned, laid flat, not pulled even, doubled : before 91cm ( 35.8"), after 88cm (34.6")
Inseam : before 82cm (32.3"), after 79cm (31.1")
Front rise : before 29cm (11.4"), after 28cm (11")
Back rise : before 41cm (16.1"), after 38cm (14.9").

Notes :

- I didn't pull the legs out to maximum stretch after washing, just pulled a bit lengthwise a bit to flatten the seams and pull the jeans into shape as I'm going to shorten them a bit and don't want them to end up too short after a bunch of warm machine washes. Had I pulled them more vigorously they would have dried to the tagged 32" inseam length
- They have some fancy tailoring going on at the crotch that makes the top box fit really well, giving good range of motion while being noticeably slimmer at the top of the thigh (they don't flare out there like the proper straight leg Lee '50s or the Wrangler 13MWZ cuts), and high at the back but noticeably less so at the front, making for a mid rise pair that stays put.
- If you wear them long enough to break at the shoe or boot, they drape really well and look fantastic on the leg. I think that these are as close to a perfect classic cut possible, that defies the vagaries of fashion, and can be worn anywhere and with anything, without looking out of place, and that's flattering and a bit fitted looking without being at all uncomfortable.
- For comparison's sake, my later 70s vintage Lee Riders have larger back pockets (wider and taller), a much smaller watch pocket, and are no longer a selvage finished denim, but the cut is identical, albeit a bit tighter in the waist due to shrinkage due to the probably multiple warm or hot washes they received in their past life
- For the kids reading this, most people machine washed and dried their Sanforized jeans back then, and if they bought them new in rigid form, they either wore them rigid for a few days or weeks before washing and hemming them, or just washed them right away before wearing them. Shrink-to-fit Levi's were a different story, some people did the bathtub thing or wore them damp after the first wash or so, or just got the shrinkage down to an art with experience, washing them to shrink to size and wearing them normally to eventually break in to the right size. This doesn't mean people didn't care about the fit and the wear - I had friends who rubbed dirt and ashes into the front of the thighs to get more fades there, and it was commonly believed that to get the best fades you'd have to wear them until they were really dirty. A lot of women got their jeans tailored, I even remember Levi's shops offering free tailoring in the '70s, probably meant to help prevent people going over to designer jeans at the time.

The real pity now is that you rarely see someone wearing a pair of well fitted quality denim jeans that have worn in over years of wear and washing, something that simply cannot ever be reproduced no matter how authentic the prewash and wear treatment. Maybe that's changing now as people are getting back into vintage fades, but I haven't seen it on the street yet here in any real way, to the point of it really standing out when I do see it. I still think the ***iest trousers on a woman are a perfectly fitted well faded pair of jeans, not skin-tight but broken in to follow the contours of her form, and a guy wearing naturally faded and worn jeans that fit him well still demands attention.

I wanted to add a few photos of these and the Archives Storm Rider but the site still won't let me, it's very frustrating.