Friday, September 3, 2010
Lusting After: Creep Selvedge Chino
Creep can sometimes be a little "out there" for lack of a better phrase (read: chambray chef hats), but Hiroshi Awai also does some seriously incredible stuff. For example, these gingham selvedge chinos are off the charts. They're on some restrained Junya 2.0 type shit, giving you more style than necessarily fashion, and ultimately resulting in some of the coolest chinos on the market. The only thing that concerns me about these is how well they could transition into F/W. I love chinos because of their year round versatility, but the addition of blue gingham could potentially counteract this. Or maybe not. Maybe I'm over thinking it. I mean, who wouldn't want to wear these pants as often as possible?
-L.A.S
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I think the gingham here is a big plus! It also shows off how well-finished they are. Great stuff. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteThese are constructed from selvedge fabric? "Selvedge" typically refers to a fabric with built-in finished edges. The fabric here appears to have had its edges "capped" with a sewn-on strip of gingham. Hard to say whether the fabric underneath is truly selvedge.
ReplyDeleteIs that pedantic? Sure. But fussing over a trivial textile detail in the first place is pedantic, genuine or no.
Incred- Superficially these look like taped seams, but I am trusting Commonwealth's copy.
ReplyDeleteMore importantly...
ReplyDeleteYes it's me again
And I'm back
Oh I oh I oh I yeah
Oh I oh I oh I baby
Oh I oh I oh I yeah
Verse 1
The 22nd of lonliness and we've
Been through so many thangs
I love my man with all honesty
But I know he's cheatin' on me
I look him in his eyes but all he
Tells me is lies to keep me near
I'll never leave him down though
I might mess around it's only
Cause I need some affection oh
Chorus
So I creep yeah
Just keep it on the down low
Said nobody is supposed to know
So I creep yeah
'Cause he doesn't know
What I do and no attention
Goes to show oh so I creep
Verse 2
The 23rd of lonliness
And we don't talk
Like we used to do
Now it seems pretty
Strange but I'm not
Buggin' cause I still feel
The same yeah yeah
I'll keep giving loving
Till the day he pushes me away
Never go astray
If he knew the
Things I did he couldn't
Handle it
And I choose to keep him
Protected oh
Chorus
Bridge
I think about us baby all the time
But you know that I'm gonna need
Some attention
Yeah yeah can you dig it
Love you forever baby soul & mind
And you gotta know if
You don't give it I'ma
Get mine
Oh I oh I oh I yeah
Oh I oh I oh I baby
Oh I oh I oh I yeah
yeah yeah yeah
Chorus
Outro
I creep around because I need attention
Don't mess around with my affection
Oh I oh I oh I yeah
Chorus
Note that Commonwealth only includes "selvedge" in the title, not the description. Product titles are always a potential grey area.
ReplyDeleteThey do say "finished seam", but selvedge refers to the edges of the fabric, not the treatment of the seams.
i'm with incredulous on this one...it's absurd how people fetishize made in usa, made in japan, and selvedge. all fabric has selvedge on one end no matter what. such is the case with these pants i assume, but the gingham piping is just a small design detail to make consumers freak out and feel justified in spending whatever retail is on these, it is NOT selvedge...ugh...the profusion of these clothing blogs where every single post is made in usa this, heritage that, makes me nauseous. while i wholeheartedly support the ideas behind those two things (more domestic jobs and an ostensible attention to craftsmanship), to believe that something is automatically of high quality because it is made in the usa is ridiculous. there are good things made here, and crap things made here, just as there are everywhere else...
ReplyDeleteIncred- I wish I had the exact specs of the pants. Alas, I do not. I think these chinos are boss and that is why I posted them. The taped seams in blue gingham are a great detail.
ReplyDeleteAnon- Nothing about this post has anything to do with made in the USA or selvedge. I was just relaying the copy found on the shop's website. The reason I posted these is because I think they are cool pants. Hiroshi Awai is a great designer who doesn't get enough love in my opinion. I also saw what I believe to be an obvious Junya Watanabe homage and wanted to draw attention to it.
At $150 these pants are EXPENSIVE, but knowing first hand Creep's quality and unique detailing I think it is worth it. That is all.
I've got no problem with liking these pants in general or the detail on the edges. I think the gingham is a nice complement, and taping over the edges is functional rather than a purely aesthetic flourish. It would also be more labor intensive, which justifies a (somewhat) higher price.
ReplyDeleteI don't know Mr. Awai, or what he want's his pants to be called by retailers. Presumably he knows what "selvedge" means, literally and with respect to what buzz words buyers are tuned in to.
My sense is that someone who looks for selvedge not because it is an appealing aesthetic detail but because they know that it is typically found on high quality denims is not going to be impressed by a mock selvedge chino. But who knows -- that might be an inside joke they can share with Mr. Awai.
Certainly, nobody who knows what selvedge means with respect to textiles is going to see a taped over edge on a chino and assume anything about the fabric. If it really is selvedge, the tape is unnecessary and actually obscures a mark of quality. I'm guessing these are just "selvedge-y".
But you could not give a rat's ass about selvedge anything and still love every last detail about these pants. As Anon 5:04 noted, selvedge doesn't guarantee anything. Old Navy could have their denim woven with the world's most elaborate selvedge using the same shitty yarn and loose weave and it wouldn't make their jeans any better.
Mr. Awai has designed these chinos to be ironic—you know, in the same vein as hipster mustaches.
ReplyDeleteBottom line, if it IS selvedge, it really shouldn't be hidden because it creates doubt and sparks up conversations like these.
ReplyDeleteAs for the design, I think they have great detailing, but the cut does look somehow a relaxed fit. I would love to see chinos that are more tapered like those made in italy. but i do love that the flap on the back pocket is sewn on separately to cover the welt, as opposed to having it sandwiched inside the welt. It gives it a more finished/minimal look.
Nice find, Thanx for sharing!
Junior nailed it. You do well here and hip me to a lot of great stuff, but the test we all have to give to any item of clothing is weather Paul Simonon would wear it. These don't pass the Simonon test.
ReplyDeleteThey probably pass the Justin Beiber test, though.
The bias-taped seam finish is a nice touch. It has nothing to do with selvage, however, it is merely a way (albeit an elegant and time/labor-intensive one) of finishing the edge of a seam. It can be found on the inside of many half-lined suit jackets.
ReplyDeleteWhat the anonymous commenter said is correct, all woven fabric has a selvage edge, and while incorporating that edge into the design can be a nice detail, it doesn't necessarily bespeak a quality fabric. Personally I like the detail, but there is an amount of skepticism required when a term like "selvage" becomes a catch-word for quality, as in "selvage oxford."
Wow. No posts in four days. I guess that's what happens when its curator spends the labor day weekend sleeping in the clink.
ReplyDeleteThe bigger questions is: was he peeing on the seat?
Thank you for copying and pasting that press release. Fashion regurgitation at it's best over here L.A.S
ReplyDeleteAnon @12:50- I think you are confusing "press release" and webstore copy. Utilizing webstore copy is crucial in conveying both the positives and negatives for any given item.
ReplyDeleteOr lazy, depending on how you look at it.
ReplyDeleteAnon @4:13- Haha, because my blogging output could be best described as "lazy".
ReplyDeleteThey are amazing, definitely would get a pair. http://www.redhotsunglasses.com/
ReplyDelete