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  • Fade Friday – Brave Star Selvage 21.5 oz. True Straight (2.5 Years, 5 Months, 1 Soak)

Fade Friday – Brave Star Selvage 21.5 oz. True Straight (2.5 Years, 5 Months, 1 Soak)

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/ Fade Friday /

This week’s edition of Fade Friday shines the spotlight on a brand we don’t see as much of as we’d like – Brave Star Selvage. When this all-American denim label does rear its head, its indigo eyes often pierce our souls. This pair comes courtesy of Jeremy in Canada, who’s worn these Bravestar 21.5oz. true straight jeans for 2.5 years.

Intense wear and a lack of washing have led to a buffet of fades ranging from high contrast whiskers, faded-white knees, and a subtle leg print visible on the rear. On the flip side, these Brave Stars have some mountainous honeycombs that pop out of the images and laugh at your unfaded denims.

For the record, I am convinced that these fades have formed so well because they’ve been chiseled on a straight-cut backdrop, giving them room to do their thing. I’m biased, but don’t sleep on full-legged jeans.

Jeremy has given this democratically priced, American-made jean the best endorsement possible: killer fades that show that Brave Star takes their fabric selection very seriously.

Brave Star 21.5 oz. True Straight

  • Fabric: Heavyweight Selvedge

  • Fabric weight: 21.5 oz.

  • Fabric source: America

  • Made in: America

  • Fit: Regular straight

  • Additional Details:

  • Available at: $168 at Brave Star Selvedge.

/ New Releases /

When fall hits, we don’t get excited about pumpkin spice lattes. We get excited about layering. And when it comes to layering, the Waffle Knit thermal is a boon for the modern wardrobe.

UES‘ has taken their popular Big Waffle Thermal T-shirt and made it even more appealing for fans of things that get better with age. The Japanese label has dyed their Big Waffle in a lush, deep indigo, which will crock and fade like your favorite jeans

There’s a little bit of science to why waffle knit makes the perfect layer: the pattern of the fabric creates a load of small pockets that trap air, creating an insulating layer that stops the cold outside air from ever reaching your skin. They also look cool as hell. So a win-win situation all round.

UES’ Big Waffle specifically is made from a heavy 13-oz. Japanese waffle weave fabric, so there’s absolutely no messing around here. These Japanese denim experts have then taken this up a notch by making the fabric from an indigo rope-dyed yarn. This specific dying technique does not penetrate all the way to the core, meaning that the white core will reveal itself slowly as the indigo dye yields through wear and washing.

Made in Japan, retailer Franklin and Poe has issued a PSA that these things will bleed. So, at first, maybe don’t wear this around: white dogs, light-colored furniture, loved ones, etc.

Available in very limited quantities at Franklin & Poe for $165.

Indigo may rule the selvedge roost, but that doesn’t mean the denim scene should go without other colors. And while leaves begin falling to the ground, KATO is mirroring fall’s earthy tones with its new Colored Selvedge collection.

Fresh for FW25, KATO’s Colored Selvedge puts a sepia filter on its iconic 4-Way Stretch raw selvedge denim with 3 new colorways: Copper, Brown, and Dark Green. These fabrics weigh in at 10.5 oz. and feature across KATO’s Pen Slim and Hammer Straight jean silhouettes, with the Brown and Copper also appearing on the brand’s gorgeous Type I-inspired jacket, The Blade. The Dark Green is the most verdant of the trio, channeling darker shades of olive and pistachio green. Brown evokes all the best tones of umber, earth, and coffee beans, while the Copper is the most autumnal, matching the charming dead leaves with its rich amber and russet palette.

Each of KATO’s new colored selvedge denims is milled in Japan on vintage shuttle looms using 96% cotton and 4% polyurethane. Woven in a unique way to provide both horizontal and vertical stretch, KATO’s 4-Way Stretch Selvedge provides comfort without compromise; you get the mobility of stretch denim with the nuance and character Japanese denim is known for. These fall-ready colorways are sulfur-dyed to ensure they will fade with wear and woven with a navy and white selvedge ID.

Whether you’ve filled your boots with indigo already or you’re simply looking to inject some different colors into your wardrobe, KATO’s colored selvedge offers style, substance, and comfort in one fell swoop. Made in the USA.

Available at Hiroshi KATO from $238.

/ In Partnership with Iron & Resin /

Few garments can walk the line between cozy and put-together like the shawl-neck sweater. Plain-colored versions were donned by omnipotent menswear icon Steve McQueen, but jacquard knit renditions were immortalized by The Dude in 1998’s The Big Lebowski.

Now we’re not asking you to become a total idler, but we are asking you to take a look at Iron & Resin‘s new Wincha Shawl Collar Sweater. This 80% Merino wool, 20% nylon number is inspired by the shawl collars of yesteryear, the kind worn in both cozy cabins upstate and iconic film sets. But this isn’t a reproduction; this is a proprietary Iron & Resin silhouette, complete with a custom ‘Wincha’ pattern inspired by headbands worn by women in South American indigenous communities such as the Aymara and the Quechua people.

Available in Black & Natural colorways, each Wincha Shawl Collar Sweater comes fitted with dual front pockets and ribbed knitting on the cuffs, placket, and shawl collar.

Get yours today for $295 at Iron & Resin.

Tweed is a fabric that makes you think of the English countryside, hunting, shooting, and other things the landed gentry get up to. But Freenote Cloth and Division Road are flipping that right on its head with their all-American Benson Shirts — inspired by vintage American work shirts but made from traditional British tweed.

At their heart, these are classic two-pocket wool work shirts inspired by vintage work and military overshirts. Limited edition to just 30 pieces of each colorway, they’re made in California from cloth woven in Leeds and Yorkshire by Abraham Moon, who has been producing tweeds since 1837 and stands as one of the last remaining vertical mills left in the UK. Freenote Cloth & Division Road specially selected two of the mill’s 14 oz. Shetland estate tweeds in two classic colorways: Navy Check and Olive Check. The Navy is interwoven with a blue, lime, espresso, and black check, and the Olive with blue, rust, gold, and black to create the unique windowpane check that is associated with the historic tweed.

The fabric has all the properties that have made tweed world famous — warmth, natural elasticity, and beautiful texture. A Japanese cotton-rayon satin to make sure it’s nice and easy to slip on, which you’ll probably find yourself doing frequently for many winters to come. A true luxurious take on a workwear classic.

Available exclusively from Division Road in Navy Check and Olive Check, for $435.

Grant Stone‘s Diesel boot looks brilliant in any leather, but this Walnut Bison from Milwaukee’s Seidel Tannery is presenting a very tempting proposition for those in the market for a new Service Boot this fall.

Bison leather is a perfect choice for a rugged pair of boots like the Diesel. Unsurprisingly — given the animal it’s coming from — it’s heftier than most leathers, but it also has a distinct natural grain pattern that makes it really stand out. Seidel Tanning, which has been manufacturing and tanning leathers since 1945, has put its 8 decades of experience into this particular bison leather. They have used both waxes and oils to tan their leather to give the boots a rich color and pull-up effect — the mottled, lighter-colored look you get when you stretch hot-stuffed leathers. The heavy natural grain gives the leather a prominent giraffe-skin pattern throughout, making each pair of these Grant Stone Diesel Boots totally unique.

The boots themselves are crafted with a Goodyear welt in Grant Stone’s Xiamen Island factory, using the brand’s own Leo last. Each pair comes with full-grain kip leather lining, antique brass eyelets, speed hooks, full-grain leather heel counters, and a lugged sole. All of this makes a pair of boots that’re full of texture from the jump, but still ready to earn patina from your daily activities.

Available from Grant Stone for $435.

/ Giveaway /

September is the time of the year when the world of denim and heritage comes alive again. We’ve nothing against the Aloha shirts, shorts, iced coffee, and Vitamin D of spring/summer, but this transitional month allows us to get excited about wearing more denim, work shirts, flannels, outerwear, and all that good stuff.

If you need help getting in the mood, we’ve partnered with KATO, Carl Murawski, Valet Mag, Blazer, Inside Hook,Fabricateurialist, Denimhunters, and Cool Material to give away a KATO prize pack. Worth over $900, this prize is chock full of autumnal goodness, consisting of:

That’s a whole outfit ready to tackle fall/winter for many years to come. To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is drop your email on this page before 29 September 2025. The one lucky winner will be notified by email and have 24 hours to confirm their shipping and size information. All entrants will be signed up for all partners’ newsletters, from which you can unsubscribe at any time.

/ Weekly Rundown /

  • How Badly Does Smoke From Wildfires Affect Human Health? – InsideHook

  • ChatGPT And AI Chatbots Will Reshape Shopping. Here’s Why Almost No One Is Ready – Forbes

  • Lost & Found MLB® / New Era – Lost & Found

  • Resurfacing Rarities – Division Road, Inc.

  • EU-Indonesia free trade agreement – Shoegazing

  • 17 Day Remote River Expedition in the Canadian Sub-Arctic – Xander Budnick

  • The HAVEN Graft Coat and Pant – HAVEN

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