Ask Giles and/or Alex Anything

[nytimes_gaiden]

The irony with Vidalia Mills is it seemed like a big competitor for them in the boutique denim space was just all the deadstock made in USA Cone Mill still lingering around rag houses (which really shows to Giles point the vast disrepency in size orders from Levis v the smaller companies)
Vidalia needed some of the big boys to buy their product to make their business sustainable. Now the small brands utilizing made in USA denim will have the last of the cone mill, and last of vidalia mills to pick from before deciding to take a chance on Vernon.

What I am getting at, I think, is it would be great if Levis and Lee etc replaced some of their Japanese selvedge inventory with the forthcoming Made in USA stock (they spend a lot on marketing, maybe they can make it cool again). Maybe a pipe dream but this would help to prop up and keep that American industry viable and sustainable and help preserve the smaller Japanese brands like IH by freeing up and returning the Japanese capacity to them.

[Giles]

That would be fantastic, and "right".......

[sabergirl]

I think the only thing missing here in your response is you telling this guy to fuck off and buy Levis then. I’m only half kidding.

[ZackB]

@jordanscollected I’ve driven by that denim mall a few times. My wife grew up in the Trion area, small world haha. Thanks for the link.

[Matt]

The only question I have is why do sensible people still interact on FB? Of course this is a rhetorical question since we’re talking about @Giles and not an actual sensible person.

[jordanscollected]

@nytimes_gaiden Levi's missed the bus on this one. They could have hired Sydney Sweeney for their ads saying "Sydney's genes/jeans were made in the USA", "Sydney has good sustainable jeans".

[Mizmazzle]

@Giles It seems one major factor in the production issues is the Toyoda looms and other mid century machinery. Is there any chance that new looms and other machines needed might ever come into this space and be able to do the job that the "vintage" machines can do with increased mechanical efficiency? Is this a matter of historical accuracy, or just the niche market being too small for a company to want to design and produce a modern loom capable of making selvedge denim...

[Matt]

I’d buy some US selvedge clothes. If IH made it.

[Bridger]

@Giles said in Ask Giles and/or Alex Anything:

How do we produce more quality fabric, when the population of Toyoda looms is limited and the people who know how to keep them running decreases every year (because the younger generation are not entering the business)? Same with the workshops that make the garments, it (to Japanese) is a seriously non hip career.

Building on @jordanscollected idea, perhaps Sydney Sweeney could do a stint in the mills to attract more people into the industry?

[Bridger]

@sabergirl said in Ask Giles and/or Alex Anything:

I think the only thing missing here in your response is you telling this guy to fuck off and buy Levis then. I’m only half kidding.

Alternatively FB User could quit his job so he can be home and ready to buy the restock

[DeeDee85]

@Bridger I’ve got a few jobs she can do at my house when she’s finished over in Japan too

[Bridger]

[will6er]

This post is deleted!

[Chibs]

Hey guys, probably my nerdiest request yet but I’m wondering if there’s a way to have “The Untucked” added to the forum badges?

[AdamJ]

@Chibs I'll see if I can make it publicly available to everyone

[Giles]

@Mizmazzle said in Ask Giles and/or Alex Anything:

Is there any chance that new looms and other machines needed might ever come into this space and be able to do the job that the "vintage" machines can do with increased mechanical efficiency?

I am sure that new ones could be made. But they are large and very complicated pieces of engineering, so not sure it will happen.

Is this a matter of historical accuracy, or just the niche market being too small for a company to want to design and produce a modern loom capable of making selvedge denim...

I guess the ancient Toyoda loom story is a good one. Not nearly as good as "The Japanese bought all the old Levis looms and took them to Japan", but that was bullshit. So we think we do it for historical accuracy, but people bought Japanese denim when they thought it had been woven on the old Levis looms, which was historically inaccurate

I am sure a modern machine could be made that emulated the idiosyncrasies of the old looms, byt see above, not sure it will happen

[Chibs]

@AdamJ awesome!! Thank you

[AdamJ]

@Chibs

[roydub87]

Ok so I’m not expert on the new customs policies so I’m inquiring to the IH wizards regarding shipping from the UK to the US. If I buy something that ships over say DHL what the hell am I gonna pay in customs fees to get it here into the US? Same question for Canada actually;lay as I recently passed on a 20th anniversary UHF for a little over 250 because of this issue and it’s killing me

[sabergirl]

Seems like it’s completely unpredictable. In the case of the UK and Canada the goal post also keeps moving at the speed of dementia.

I’d say it’s a gamble, but if you want something bad enough, roll the dice.