May 17 - Sage Marcher Fade

Together with

/ Fade Friday /

Sage Marcher (8 Years, 1 Seawash, 7-8 Normal Washes)

From chasing professors for guidance regarding the next steps in life to facing the cruel gauntlet of the job-hunting process, Budi had these Sage jeans by his side every single day for the first three years before toning it down for the last five. But not by much.

As you can see, these jeans have quite a resume of their own, specializing in deep-rooted creasing which gives the jeans an intense appearance. But they also have years of experience in gradual fading which highlights the many shades of the denim, most notably on the seat.

Talk about a well-rounded candidate. Saved only for special occasions now because who are we kidding, they are heavy as heck, I guess a jean-life balance can work out in the end.

/ New Releases /

See How Bleu de Chauffe Makes their Canvas Woody Backpack

Bleu de Chauffe produces some of the highest quality leather bags and accessories in the game, but that’s far from the extent of their expertise. They have that same eye and attention to detail with a wide range of canvas goods, including the Woody Backpack in the video above.

BdC makes everything in their workshop in Aveyron, France with their team of skilled artisans and you can see the step-by-step process of how Marion puts together a bag in their video, including cutting the 18oz. British Millerain Lickwax canvas, sewing and finishing the fabric, triple-stitching the bridle leather straps, and finishing with a hot gold foil stamp and Marion’s signature.

The Woody is a traditional flap-closure rucksack made from natural materials, meaning it’s sure to patina and age gracefully, and with options for 25 or 30 liters of volume it can carry all you need for a day or a weekend, including up to a 15″ laptop.

Other canvas options include Bleu de Chauffe’s weekender-style Cabine Travel Bag, the Gaston Musette Tool Bag, and a Canvas “Remix” of their Business Bag. Everything is available now in a variety of colors and covered by Bleu de Chauffe’s lifetime repair guarantee.

Available for $270-$412 at Bleu de Chauffe.

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Do the Bluejean Bop in Jelado’s Gene Vincent Shirt

Forget t-shirts, the key to a breezy spring-summer is the boxy button-down like this master class offered by Jelado. Re-imagined for 2024, their Gene Vincent Shirt (named after the Rockabilly legend) comes in a featherlight brown ombre check made with 100% cotton.

The relaxed fit should encouraging you to get your slack on, but jeans or shorts work too. Who knows you might even break out a felt or straw hat to close out your rockabilly poolsharking greaser persona. The only question that remains is – are you buttoning up or are you keeping your options o-p-e-n?

Available for $220 from Clutch Cafe.

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Companion Denim’s Modernist Belt Has a Hand-Forged Iron Buckle

Coming in hot is the Companion Denim Modernist Belt — quality, distinctive, and ready to evolve into something completely special.

Made in Spain from 10 oz. Spanish natural vegetable-tanned leather, the Modernist belt is decorated with ornate tooling that leaves the belt with decorative craters ready to mop up the patina from your daily activities. Whilst that is undoubtedly the first thing that will draw your eye, it’s the hand-forged ion buckle that you’ll be especially proud of.

Made in highly limited quantities, each Companion Modernist Belt is finished with an embossed Companion logo, burnished edges, and comes packed in a branded cotton bag.

Available for $185 from Companion Denim.

/ Interviews /

Loopin’ In with Wonder Looper

William Reynolds

In the realm of Japanese menswear, where age-old traditions intertwine with contemporary creativity, iconic brands like Fullcount, Studio D’Artisan, and the rest of the famed Osaka 5 – the Mount Rushmore of Japanese denim – have long held sway, their legacies woven deeply into the fabric of the beloved – and slightly obsessive – heritage menswear fashion niche. 

But these brands are not only trusted for their denim. Many Japanese labels have also taken to producing garments from the selvedge of knitwear, loopwheeled cotton fleece. Loopwheeled cotton has become a staple in the world of quality menswear, with some heads being just as enthusiastic about it as the selvedge denim on their legs. As well as those aforementioned labels, brands like The Strike Gold & Buzz Rickson’s have also cemented themselves as longstanding and trusted producers of loopwheeled cotton sweats.

However, in the ever-evolving landscape of fashion, there comes a time when the winds of change blow through, and a new brand emerges to disrupt the established order. Enter Wonder Looper, a name that may be relatively new to the scene but carries the promise of a fresh perspective. 

We’re delve into the world of Wonder Looper, exploring the vision and aspirations of its founders, Bahzad Trinos and Risa Saito, the dynamic duo who seek to infuse modernity into the time-tested traditions of Japanese denim and heritage wear. 

Heddels (H): For those in our audience who don’t know you, tell us about yourself and how you got into this corner of the clothing world. 

Bahzad: I’ve been in the apparel industry for over 20 years now. I got my start working in the denim department of a luxury goods department store in Canada. I became obsessed with denim and that led me to taking a position at Naked & Famous Denim—I was the first employee.  I’m still there today, and I do everything from product development to social media.

Risa: I, too, have been in the apparel industry for about the same time. I was born and raised in Tokyo but went to university for fashion in California. After school, I worked for a surf brand and got into the denim industry working for Big John when I moved back to Japan.

After a few years of that, I joined the Naked & Famous denim team and moved to Canada. If you didn’t already know, Bahzad is my husband, and in 2019 we moved back to Japan to start our life here where we still handle our N&F duties, albeit remotely.

/ Weekly Rundown /

• Indiana judge rules that tacos, burritos are sandwiches

• Jeans Repair Goemon stitches up a back pocket

• Fabio and the Goose, a Bobby Fingers diorama

• ‘Significant’ amount of Xinjiang cotton tied to forced labor mislabeled as US or Brazilian