Book review: "Denim style" by Horst Friedrichs


The big denim news at the moment has been the release of the book “Denim style”, by photographer Horst Friedrichs. About 90 pages long (“about” as in “they forgot to number the pages and I’m not about to count them”), it’s a collection of photos of various British denim-fans wearing their denim outfits. Friedrichs is a professional photographer and has previously done…

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Trouser tuesday: Livid Jeans, handcrafted in Norway


Following on from my post about Norwegian denim brand Steel Feather a few days ago, I’m back with another piece about Norwegian denim. You may wonder if this is turning into Norwegian Denim Week, but unfortunately there is little basis for that. Livid and Steel Feather are the sum total of Norwegian denim, and while they have the Norwegian part…

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Steel Feather, the ultimate Norse-Nipponese denim?


Norway is a relatively small country, and when it comes to the clothing industry the two main focus areas are heritage clothing and utilitarian basics for the army. Mostly though, almost all the production equipment has been packed down and shipped off to Eastern Europe, where people will work for less money, and see a future in the garment industry.…

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My week on Instagram


As part of my being a sharing and including person, I thought I’d be a little more regular in posting the solid work I do almost daily on Instagram. My mother recently texted me to say I was a “good looking SOB” in my daily snaps, though I suspect she may be biased. In any case, I do try to create…

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Trouser Tuesday: Hector Powe, the genuine vintage deal


For the 10th instalment of this series of Trouser Tuesday trouser reviews, I thought I’d do something even more different than changing fabric and style. We’re going to go 70 years back in time and take a look at a pair of trousers that were made for my Grandfather by Hector Powe of London. Bespoke maybe, at least made to…

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So, you'd like to sew your own clothes?


I’ve been asked occasionally for tips on how to get started sewing your own clothes, so I thought I’d do a quick post offering some suggestions on patterns worth getting. I consider patterns to be essential for the beginner, as the combination of good instructions and properly laid out patterns are a hard deal to better, unless you really know…

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Trouser Tuesday: Flying Horse Jeans, progressing to the origin


Another Tuesday and another pair of trouser to be reviewed. Another pair of jeans? Well, yes, although there is something about this pair that makes them different from every other pair in my collection. We’ll get to that shortly…   Flying Horse Jeans is a fairly new British company, based around their flagship store just off Carnaby Street in London. The duo…

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Trouser Tuesday: SOSO denim, not so so-so


Today’s trousers come from Swedish up and coming denim company SOSO Clothing. I have to admit, given the unfortunate name of the company and a website that aggressively promotes their discounts, I wasn’t expecting their goods to be very good. Which just goes to show how easily preconceptions can be misleading, as I will proceed to show you as I present the…

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Destination shops


A shop isn’t always just a shop, although most are merely a place of retail, here and there are shops that transcend the purely mercantile function of exchanging goods for money. Sometimes I come across shops that are something more. Either through a singular selection of goods, a design that is something beyond the norm, or maybe it’s the people…

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You really must visit Mr Dagestad when you're in Oslo…


Oslo is the capital and largest city in Norway and by Norwegian standards there are a lot of people living there and the surrounding areas. A big city, in one of the richest countries in the world. Yet in many respects it’s a provincial little town, and perhaps especially when it comes to good shops. Apart from the usual stuff you…

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