1) Top notch materials and construction

You can get the caps in different materials. In addition to the more traditional cotton and nylon variants, they can be had in leather, denim, velvet, linen, cord, Ventile, tweed, etc. Common for all of them, is that their rock solid.

Mine's is in a Japanese canvas called Fujikinbai.

The two panels in the front and midle has an even thicker fabric inside of it. I think it's to give it more structural integrity.

The brim has 19(!) seams. I don't know if it has a function, or if it's just a subtle way of showing of.

A Leather strap with a metal clasp at the back. It's both good looking and functional.

It's usually a good sign if you can see how (and where) a product is made.

All-in-all, the construction is simple and solid. Other caps I've owned, had hidden parts made of foam that wore out after a while. However, this one is made of purely durable materials that can easily be sown again if anything would go wrong.

2) The leather band

The band, made of cow leather, is comfortable. But it also makes it stick to your head! The leather is treated with some stuff to make it sweat resistance, and it's sown in a way that replacing it should be trivial if ever needed. This is simply the best part about the whole product!

I can stand in a boat like this, and the wind doesnt make the caps fly off!

3) Classical look, with no branding

This is of course even more subjective than what I've already touched upon – but I just love the way it looks classical and almost “neutral”. It neither “too cool”, “too dad” or “too technical”, in my opinion. It works with everything!

Relaxed look.

I also think it's kinda cool that Poten (which by the way is the Japanese phrase for «bloop hit») doesn't feel the need to flash their branding. The only way of telling that it's a Poten cap is the absurd amount of stitches on the brim and that you can see where they've sown on the labels on the inside.

The label are sown in a way that you can tell where they are from the outside.

Potential for improvement?

This product is so simple and considered that it's hard to think of anything that could be better (except the price!). the only thing I can think of, is that the leather strap on the back could be a bit different. If you don't wear it on the widest setting, it can get a little bend at the end. And someone might find the clasp too easy to open. It could've been more like a belt, and/or it could've had a “garage” to stick the end in.

A tiny bend.

You can also get it without the adjustable sizing. Then you get the leather band around the entire thing - but you gotta find the right size.

«So, where can I buy one?»

I bought mine at Lokk in Oslo (for 1 200 NOK). But it looks like they might've stopped selling them! Maybe they can get ahold of them if you ask?

You can find a couple of places to buy them if you search online. I can vouch for Self Edge, and here's a link to the model I have. And this store looks to have a pretty good selection in the UK.

Happy with the cap! Good stuff. 👌🏻

#GoodStuff #SlowFashion

-Erlend ⚓

What's the deal with cuffing anyway??

Cuffing is when you fold the sleeves of a shirt, jacket, sweater etc. It's also commonly used when you do the same to leg opening of pants or shorts. And I'm an avid cuffer! The three reasons are:

1. I'm 1.75 m tall, and my legs and arms aren't especially long – so clothes are usually too long.
2. Related, I like watches, bracelets, shoes and socks – and cuffing shows them off.
3. I often think it makes the clothes themselves look better.

Here's some examples of what I mean by nr. 2 and 3:

The cuffed shirt makes the watch more prominent - to myself and others.

The cuffed jacket gives the bracelets more space. A bonus-point, is that it would've shown off my shirt sleeve, had it been long. (Cuffed Mister Freedom shorts as well!)

Making a long-sleeve shirt a short-sleeve - another reason for cuffing!

I think baggy shirt sleeves like this looks better cuffed. (Sorry for the mediocre quality - but I like this picture, because this was just after us being reunited. Vincent had gotten away from us because he tried to look for me when I left that day!)

On short sleeves, which I never un-cuff, I like to make 2-4 little cross-stitches like this to keep them cuffed. Contrast stiches is fun.

I just like the look of cuffed jeans - especially if they're selvedge. And it shows of the shoes and socks as well (not that these gray socks are especially interesting).

Now on to some “Cuffing theory”:

(I told you this post was niche!)

Cuffing is a big deal in the raw/selvedge denim community. I mean, here's an article called “How to cuff jeans: The 8 most common ways”! Personally I just use two:

The black jeans above is double cuffed. The jeans on this picture normally has a Japanese cuff - which is why the double cuff is wider (I just cuffed it once more for the picture).

Single or double, full or half

In general, I don't like single cuffs. That's because I usually want to hide the edge, and that the cuff doesn't feel as secure.

A shirt with a single cuff.

One more cuffs make it look much cleaner.

In the example above, I've folded the full width of the sleeve. Another option, is the half width double cuff: I prefer to either go full og half width, as something in between won't make it look as clean.

The buttons matter

Take a look at these sleeves: The right one is wider than the left – and here's the reason: Before cuffing, you can either have the last button closed or open. This affects the width and tightness of the cuff.

• On some shirts, a double cuff doesn't sit properly if the button is open.
• And on some shirts I can't get my hand through without having it open.
• When turning a long sleeve into a short sleeve, I open the next button as well.

Here's an exception to my double cuffing:

The jacket is stiff enough, so the cuff feels ok, and it has details that looks cool: Rivets, threads of different colours, chain stitching, etc. The Japanese cuff on jeans is another exception (as it shows the edge as well).

Tips for clothing designers, and the problem with my new jacket

Before looking at the tiny problem with my jacket, let me say: it's an amazing garment, that gets so much right. So keep that in mind when I bring attention to this tiny detail that's not perfect:

It doesn't cuff quite right! 😱

Ok, se here's the sleeve un-cuffed. It's a Ventile jacket, so it's a good thing that it's a longer sleeve for when it's raining. Another good thing, is that I can use the flap and buttons to tighten it.

However, the thing that's amazing with the jacket being cotton (in addition to being waterproof), is that it breathes. This makes it better to use in warmer weather, and also makes it a jacket I want to use even if it doesn't rain. This, in addition to the reasons I mentioned at the start of the article, is why I want to be able to cuff it as well. I start with a single fold. It has to be this wide to get beyond the button. Now, I could stop here – but we all know I prefer a double cuff. (BTW., notice how the fabric on the inside is slightly darker – cool detail that makes for more interesting cuffs!) But here we can see the reason why I said either full or half width when double cuffing: Due to the button, the fold was more than half the size, and so we get the visible seam.

Going for full width, would make the cuff too large, so then I tried to make the first fold on the other side of the button. That worked better: But it's still not perfect, in my opinion. It's too narrow for my taste, and it easily unfolds a bit, like on the picture here.

So, here's finally my tips for designers, from a cuff addict:

1) Think about the cuffability of your clothes

A great first step, is to at least think about it. Test different ways of cuffing your patterns!

2) What's on the inside counts (as well)

You can either go subtle, like with the slightly darker shade of blue on the jacket above. Or you can go for something a bit more extra, like this insane jacket my girlfriend has:

Look at the cuffs! (Also, sorry for the bad colours in the store...)

It even has the fabric on the inside of the pocket flaps and the thingys to tighten it on the side!

My black denim, pictured earlied, was black on the inside, while theses are white. Gives a very different look! (Also, notice: No selvedge on these.)

My favourite example ever of “caring about what's on the inside”, is this Hanami Selvege denim from Naked and Famous:

The jeans is laying on other jeans turned inside out - so that's what they look like on the inside. Bonkers! So, the tiny selvedge detail you see on the bottom, goes all the way up inside the jeans.

3) Mind the buttons

The buttons on the Ventile jacket created some problems – but shirts also has buttons that need attention. I like the idea of having the two buttons on the sleeve. But even though my wrists are pretty skinny, I've never been able to use the tighter option! (Have you?) Now, It's most aesthetically pleasing to have it on the widest option (like the picture – then you can see both buttons), so that might be why – but I'd still consider making them functional.

• When testing a pattern, I would make sure it can be unbuttoned and cuffed to a short sleeve.
• And then I would try to double cuff – both with all the buttons closed and not, and both half and full width.
  • Everything doesn't have to work – but something has to!
• The double cuff has to be secure, and the shirt has to be easy to take on and off.

It's almost scary that these minute thoughts live in my mind all the time...

I mean, who cares this much about cuffs!?

Well, now you know a bit more of what it's like to walk around with this stupid head of mine. Oh, and about cuffs.

#Guides #GoodStuff

-Erlend ⚓

Common Projects

In later years, Common Projects, with their golden lettering, has taken the sneaker world by storm. With a more modern, minimalistic design, Italian leather and good Margom rubber soles, they aren’t cheap.

But when you pay well over £300 for a pair of Italian designer shoes, you can expect excellent quality, right? Well, it’s superior to the Stan Smiths, but for the price you could do better. The YouTube channel Rose Anvil goes into detail in this video, but the short version is that, while the shoes have some premium features, both the material and construction is pretty mediocre. In this article, I’d like to point at a brand that gives you a more premium sneaker, at a (slightly) lower price.

But in the end I will also share why I still understand why someone would opt for the Common Projects!`

Crown Northampton – proper stuff

This brand has been making hand made shoes in Northampton, England for over 100 years. All their shoes are mad to order, so there’s no overproduction to speak of. They can also accommodate custom wishes, like making them wider (great for me!) or adding text on the inside.

The materials and construction are also rock solid:

At the bottom you have a great rubber sole, that can be replaced time after time as needed. Inside it there’s a layer of foam that wicks sweat and stops squeaking. On top of this, there’s a thick piece of fibreboard, that’ll adapt to the shape of your footbed. In addition, you’ll get the soles in the picture below and also another layer of foam you can put under it if you want to raise your foot even more.

Both the inside soles and the entire inside of the shoes are covered in comfortable leather. There’s also a clever detail at the heel: They’ve added a second layer of leather, with the rough side out. This increases the longevity and decreases slippage.

The rough-out part of the heel, and the written text you can customise.

They’ve saved the best leather for the uppers. The regular model has full-grain calfskin. I've gone for a variant made with kudu leather, which by the way seems like one of the more ethical types of leather. The kudu antilope has never been domesticated, so all the animals are wild. However, South Africa has problems with overpopulation, so the leather comes from the government mandated culling.

Calfskin on the left, kudu leather on the right. Notice the pattern on the kudu leather. I like it, but the calfskin is more minimalistic.

I’m talking about the base model from Crown Northampton, by the way, and they cost £225 (excluding VAT). So, they are cheaper than Common Projects, while maintaining way higher quality. There’s a reason they won «Best Overall Sneaker» when Rose Anvil cut numerous sneakers in half to find out how they really were made.

So to sum it up, what's so great about these sneakers?

• They look good – both as new and with patina
• The uppers are made of truly great leather, so they’ll last many years
• …which makes it great that they can be resoled when needed
• They are very comfortable, especially when broken in – and can also be used barefoot
• Ethical production

However, I can think of a few negatives as well.

A thick piece for fibreboard is still fibreboard, and a leather midsole would've been better. And while the shoes have their price for a reason (they are never on sale, since they only charge what they need) £270 is a lot to spend on a pair of shoes! Even if you argue they’ll be cheaper than many shoes if you divide the sum with years they’ll last, it’s a big shell initially. Another challenge, is that you have to order them online without the ability to try them on. In my experience, they are very helpful over email and generous with returns to get the right size – but still. Furthermore, you have to be patient when ordering. Since they are made to order, they have to be … well, made. At the time of writing, the wait time is about 45 working days.

But all this points towards why these shoes are the anti-thesis to fast fashion: You can’t get them immediately, so no dopamine hit for you! However, you’ll get a pair of shoes that’ll never go out of style, that’ll last for years and that only cost what they cost based on the production and materials used – without any add-ons due to the brand or hype.

So, why would anyone buy Common Projects when these exist?

First of all, Common Projects are not bad shoes. Also, the design is really good, and they have a sleeker profile than the Crown Northamptons. However, when looking at pictures of my shoes, keep in mind that my feet are tall, wide and short – and this leads to both me not fitting Common Projects at all, and also makes the Crown Northamptons I have look less sleek. If you can find Common Projects on sale (which you often can do, and that says something about the list price, IMO), it's not neccesarily a bad buy, just know that you're paying for a specific design.

My girlfriend's white Overstone Derbies looks sleeker than mine. But still not as sleek as Common Projects.

The shoes on the picture below, represents another reason I understand that people buy Common Projects:

The leather has gotten some care after this photo was taken, I promise!

These are a pair of “Indy Boots” from Alden – and I love them. But if you were to evaluate the materials and craftsmanship, it's impossible to justify the price. However, there's just something about the design I really like, and they fit my (difficult) feet perfectly.

In the same way, the Common Projects has some neat details and a great silhouette, that I understand that some people love. I just want people to know, like I did with my boots, that they're not “worth it” – whatever that means.

So, this concludes my most important points – you can stop reading now if you like. However, if you want more details on the sneaker range from Crown Northampton, allow me to elaborate!

Crown Northampton's selection

There's a couple of basic variants:

Overtone Derby is the most basic, while Abington Toe Cap is similar, but with a toe cap. Upton Wholecut uppers made of one piece of leather, so has a different look. Overstone Derby and Upton Wholecut also comes in TL variants, which means less cushioning and thinner leather.

TL vs regular

My story with these shoes are as follows: I bought a pair of regular Overtone Derbies in size 40 (wide). I used them for a year, before I had to confess that they were too small. However, I loved them so much, that I took the L and ordered another pair in 41. I was curious about the TL variant and kudu leather, so I ordered this. Here are some photos of those, compared to my Overtone Derbies with calfskin – which I still have lying around, so email me if you’d like to buy them!

I didn’t like the TLs… It seems like they kept the outer measurements the same, but with less padding, it made them fit a lot looser. While they’d might fit me in a non-wide size, I also didn’t like that the silhouette had a taller ankle height so I returned them for a regular Overtone Derby, but with the kudu leather.

TL on the right. Here it's easy to see the taller ankle height.

The TLs (again on the right) is very wide, and you can see the lack of padding.

Inside the TL.

The lack of padding made them way too wide.

The regular model in front is used for a year, so you can see what kind of patina to expect. Also, notice the padding on top of the shoe, that the TL lacks.

A rerun of a photo from earlier, showing off the difference in silhouette.

These are the shoes I went for, a combination of the two from above: Regular Overstone Derbies in kudu leather. Used half a year. I love them!

No compromises.

Shell Cordovan. 🤤 Picture from Crown Northampton.

Even though Crown Northampton’s base model are great shoes (and probably the best you can get for £270), they’ve shown they can make even better shoes. You see, they have a series called Harlestone Hand Stitch, that’s just bonkers. They have footbeds cork filled by hand, and sustainable soles from Lactae Hevea. They’re also made with traditional oak bark counter and stiffener, and in general have more hand made touches. The regular version has vegetable tanned calfskin, but if you want to go all the way, you can get them in shell cordovan! Take a look at Rose Anvil tearing a pair of these apart in the video at the bottom – they are simply unbelievable. He also compares a pair of Harstone Hand Stitch to a pair of Common Projects, which cements my point:

*Even though good quality can be costly, it doesn’t mean everything that’s costly has good quality.*

Edit: Here's a decent video showing some alternatives in this space: https://youtu.be/wWMIOYgpSRs

#GoodStuff

-Erlend ⚓