We don’t usually double up on the coverage from each tradeshow season, but this one was a little different. As you may have seen, Gerald and I did some work in New York just last month covering all of Capsule, Liberty Fairs, Man, Kingpins, and a couple showrooms. This time around, Nick and I hit the floors in Vegas as guests/installations of Liberty Fairs in a new project they call The Studios.
We were put up behind a glass wall with some images from the site and a complete photo studio lighting kit! Not only were we in for a treat, you will be as well, as these are far and away the best sample photos we’ve been able to take at any tradeshow ever. You sort of lose that “on the floor” grittiness that comes with shadowy and grainy images, but I think you’ll forgive it.
Below we’ve got some truly HQ pics from the Spring Summer 2016 collections from brands like Levi’s Vintage Clothing, Dickies 1922, Danner, Freenote Cloth, and many, many more. Get your clicking finger ready, it’s time to look two seasons into the future!
Levi's Vintage Clothing
The archival arm of Levi’s may move slowly, but my god do they move well. Every season LVC rotates in a new year of the 501 and subs out another. This time around, the 1978 model says goodbye and 1891 takes its place. LVC’s design team apparently worked for two years with Cone Mills to recreate the 9oz. loomstate denim used on the jean (which has all the early trappings of single pocket, cinch-back, and suspender buttons), so they used it again on their triple-pleated blouson.
Ladywhite Co.
Phil Proyce of Ladywhite Co. continues to take over the plain white tee market one collab at a time. This latest one is a camel colored overdye with The Brooklyn Circus with a small embroidery on the hem. Also new is his pocket tee with inspiration from Brown’s Beach Jacket.
Helm Boots
If there’s one thing we love more than new boots, it’s old ones, and Helm Boots had many of both on display. The Austin-based shoemaker had two well worn and cared for examples of their Muller model and we couldn’t resist taking a few snaps of the before and afters side by side.
Freenote Cloth
We covered much of what Freenote Cloth was up to in our New York update, but they also had two new pieces on hand for Vegas: a waxed natural canvas Type II-esque jacket and their take on olive drab fatigue pants. The natural wax should be a patina magnet and the pants have one of the coolest front pocket designs I’ve seen. Note that button on the side seam, that’s actually a completely separate slash pocket!
Ebbets Field Flannels
Baseball heritage masters Ebbets Field Flannels continue to serve up what they do best. They’ve got a few new eye catching caps and flannel jerseys, including the NY Knickerbockers from 1912 and the hat from Cuban team sponsored by the national phone company. Beyond the hats though, they’re expanding into knit hockey sweater jerseys (which we saw in February) and terry cloth sweats. They’re also dipping their toe into more casual, non-team-specific apparel like the above waxed canvas stadium jacket complete with satin liner.
Dickies 1922
The buttons on Dickie’s 1922 products read “Dickie’s Best” and that’s still the case. The Texas based workwear company hasn’t strayed too far from the brand’s roots with looser fits on selvedge work trousers, chore coats, and short sleeve button-ups with selvedge on the inside placket.
Civilian Pilot Training
You’d be hard pressed to find a heritage-wear brand that hasn’t at some point made clothes for the US government and Civilian Pilot Training is no exception. The New York jacket company has made flight apparel for the Air Force for decades and as the name implies, they’ve adapted many of their designs for civilian use. Everything is made in USA and the prices are pretty reasonable too, like a $600 retail tag for that fur collared lambs G-1 above. Also they’re doing things like putting MA-1 sleeves on D-pocket riders, so there’s that to consider.
Bison Made
No, the leather goods from Bison Made aren’t actually made BY bison, nor are the leathers actually made OF bison, but they do have one in their logo and that’s good enough for us! The leather goods brand all their wares on display, including their shaving strop and razor as well as a well-worn example of one of their snap pouches.
The Brooklyn Circus
Ever since I saw the mirror scene from “Duck Soup” as a kid, I’ve had a soft spot for night shirts. The Brooklyn Circus’ long-tailed top has a wide red and white candy stripe and I’m looking forward to testing the social acceptability of wearing it without pants. Another noteworthy piece is their chambray shirt, which has some amazing subtle details like an asymmetrical rounded front pocket and a rear point on the collar.
Danner
Portland’s premier hiking book maker Danner seems to grow with every coming season. They had their made in Japan line on display, which included this edition of their Mountain Light done up in blanket wool from their neighbor, Pendleton.
Also on the docket is a lighter edition of the Mountain Light, which shaves down weight in the mid and outsole, called the Mountain Pass. And for those of you who have a penchant for those 90s era “Hi-Tec” hikers, the lightweight suede and mesh Jag should suit you just fine.
Now this is barely the half of it! Check back in soon for more updates from Red Wing Heritage, The Stronghold, Shuttle Notes, and more.
