Well the weather is getting warmer and it is time to downsize from your winter coat to something more practical for the season. We just recently finished up some indigo canvas vests and are now finishing up some of our Outdoor Vests in our classic brown duck. These are the perfect warm weather layer to stash your keys, notepad, loose change, Chapstick, sunscreen, carburetor parts, mobile devices, pheasant, quail, rabbit… you get the idea, it’s super handy for carrying things and for keeping your core warm when you need it and cool when you don’t. They look great with denim and you can dress them up with a work shirt or just wear it like me with a plain t shirt underneath. Call or email if you are interested we have them in sizes XS-XL (size guide below).
Here is a video of one of our expert tailors running a single needle stitch down what will eventually become the belt loops on a pair of our jeans. No folder or jig of any kind, just uses his finger as a guide. I wish I could have captured the long chain of denim that he stitched like this, I only got my camera out in time to catch the very end.
It’s open season at Rising Sun and the name of the game is “duck”. Just to make sure that we’re not going to offend any bird lovers, duck was the term used to describe canvas in the 1800′s and continues to be used by the people in the know. Brown Duck has been part of Rising Sun since the beginning. It is on our waistband facing and various other iconic trim details which have become our signature and finishing touch to our denim trousers and jackets. Naturally it progressed into various work wear styles such as the ‘Worker’ and the ‘Ranch Hand’ jacket and others to come.
We want to keep you, our loyal customers and fellow supporters, up to date with the goings on about the shop and our fresh, right out of the oven items produced in our Haberdashery on a daily basis. On the menu today we have our favorite fowl, Duck… Bon Appetite!
The YouTube video below features Rising Sun’s own Mike Hodis, as an entry in Mitchum’s contest to find the “Hardest Working Person in America”. Click play to watch as Mike talks about Rising Sun’s story.
About a month ago, Mike Hodis just completed his tour of Japan’s most important denim destination: Okayama (AKA denim heaven). This indigo mecca led our good propreitor to the venerable mills Kuroki and Nihon Menpu, makers of legendary fabrics. When people extoll the merits of Japanese denim it is of these mills–and a pinchful of others in the area– they refer to wittingly or not. Many ideas were exchanged, knowledge both taken and given. So fruitful was his trip that we foresee many more visits to come. And many exciting, new things from Rising Sun as well.
These are some pictures from the trip and the Kuroki mill:
We have been swamped with production for stores carrying Rising Sun in Japan where we are now more popular than ever. Here we have pictures showing the fruits of our labor.
The details-focused Blacksmith jean took up the lion’s share of our time. Working with antique sewing machines require care, finesse, and lots of patience. The results make the extra energy we spend very much worthwhile.
The Worker jean continues to be a big hit. Here we have the patches drying after the Made in USA shield stamp was applied.