Rising Sun & Co.

Rising Sun will be participating at the San Francisco Man Up pop up market, which starts this Friday and runs through the weekend. Since their website describes the event so well we replicate their text here.

“Real men care about the way they look and how they spend their money. Man Up. aims to improve both. There’s nothing manly about looking like a slob. Man Up. is hosted by the Durable Goods Concern–four guys who enjoy well-crafted, fine-looking products that last. They also like to drink.”

There will be free drinks and art. It will also be a good opportunity to see Rising Sun pieces that are not normally shown outside Pasadena where we make our haberdashery home.  In addition to our well-appointed jeans (Yukon, Blacksmith, Standard, Ride’em) SF shoppers can also examine our selvage indigo canvas Outdoor Vest, hats, tees, jackets, and other goods made in our shop with our own hands with the help of some very antique and vintage sewing machines.

This here is a crate full of stuff we shipped up for the event.

Event: Man Up.
Who: Rising Sun, Unionmade, A-B Fits, Taylor Stitch, Room4 Vintage, more
When: January 29th (3-9pm), 30th (11am-7pm), and 31st (11am-6pm), 2010
Where: 1035 Market Street, San Francisco, CA

We are continuing our leather jackets blogging marathon with a very important, collectible type: A-2. The A-2 is the quintessential bomber jacket. It was Army Air Corps regulation flight jacket in 1931 as an update from its predecessors and went on to become the legendary leather jacket that today is mostly associated with American heroes in World War II. Today modern A-2, genuine issue jackets are permitted for aircrew personnel who have completed their mission qualifications. In civilian life the A-2 silhouette and styling have become popular with motorcyclists by the 50’s. Vintage A-2 are prized for their relative rarity, horse or steer leather (compared to goatskin on modern issues) and slimmer fit.

This beauty here is what many motorcycle jackets aspire to be. Pony horsehide. Late 40’s / early 50’s. Worn in to a beautiful stingray tone. Maker: Los Angeles Sportstogs “Sportswear from California.” This is the real deal.

Besides the beautiful leather and romantic nostalgia it invokes the jacket is also interesting because it was likely a highway patrolman / motorcycle patrolman jacket. The dark football shape you see on the left chest is a result of something having been there for ages, protecting the leather from fading like the rest of the jacket. It was probably another piece of leather that had eyelets for securing a police badge.

Other details include original Talon #8 zipper with stirrup puller. The chunky teeth on the zipper are beautifully aged and still very sturdy. From our experience one must look far and wide to source such quality trims and hardware these days. Likewise the heavy, black sateen lining is also fantastic and in great shape considering what the piece must have been through.

Here is a late 20’s / early 30’s sportsman jacket with its steerhide still in superb condition. There is a hint of early flight jacket influence in the styling as aviation “fashion” played a role in cycling and motoring cultures. It comes with original Amazon rain forest nut buttons and the button holes are double welted. Pocket flaps utilize snaps for easy access and closure during riding. A cotton twill lines the jacket including the sleeves and does not limit arm movement because it is a light weight lining.

One of our favorite parts of the jacket is the deep arc shaped yoke on the back of the jacket. Does it remind you of a certain San Francisco brand? In fact the pocket flaps take on arc shapes too. The nice panel work and pleats in the back are also very interesting. This is another piece we proudly own.

The label shows “Herford Jacket” and there is a debate here as to whether this was of English origin. We will post updates if we find any additional details.

Here is a sneak peak at a World War II era tent Mike found at the Rose Bowl. The khaki canvas tent is large enough to walk in and we have big plans for it. As the material is woven canvas made on power shuttle looms the fabric is of course selvage. It is in great shape and has at least one maker’s stamp on it.

This early 30’s, label-less leather jacket is another piece we are often inspired by in the Rising Sun Archive. Its patina, achieved through much wear in all kinds of weather, gives it a rough out leather look. When the original owner first got this it was likely a much smoother tanned leather. The corduroy lining stops at the arm holes for maximum mobility of the arms. Gussets are also present for the same purpose. The cuff facing is then again lined with corduroy.

Other details include rain forrest nut buttons, Kwik zipper, stunning pocket shapes, and the round collar. We also love the front and back band designs. The pattern creates a slight flare on the side panels, which have adjusters stitched in for the desired fit.

Another great piece. We hope you like it!

Digging around the Rising Sun Archive we noticed that we were knee deep in thick skin. We’re talking about vintage leather jackets, of course. Collectible leather is another one of Mike Hodis’s passions that have turned into an obsession. While the line we produce does not currently have any leather products we thought it would still be fun to share some of the great pieces in the archive.

First up is a 40’s horsehide jacket from House of Quality. As the label indicates it is made from front quarter horsehide leather. The label itself is a black woven edge label made on specialized shuttle looms. As the bandless jacket is made specifically with motorcycle riding in mind the brushed flannel lining provides a bit of warmth to the wearer. The collars are lined with a honey colored suede. The original owner obviously loved this jacket and gave it much wear to create the fantastic honeycombs pattern fading on the arms. The cuffs, while simple in design, are beautifully shaped.

The front pockets are single welted while the zipper pocket is double welted and runs diagonal on the chest for easy access. The “Vogue” branded zipper with a round pull certainly helped keep valuable knickknacks (like smokes) secure.

By looking at the front one may not expect how slim the back looks. The sun ray pleats in the back are responsible for the shape that even by today’s standards would be considered a modern fit with a gentle flare. All in all a great vintage leather jacket.

I am not talking about the workwear brand. Not the clock tower bell either, although Ben Phillips is from the UK. He made a special trip to see us and we thought our meeting deserves recounting.

On the lazy Pasadena morning after Christmas, while workers of Rising Sun and other local institutions were at home hungover from celebrating, our propreitor Mike Hodis found himself compelled to open the store. In his own words not ten minutes after the doors were open “I quickly realized why I had to open that day and that if I had not I would have missed an opportunity to meet one of the most motivated and passionate denim enthusiast out there.” He is talking about Ben, the hulking Brit who deals in American tattoo machines and loves faithfully made denim clothing.

Ben was stateside with his girlfriend who is in a student exchange program in Philadelphia. They made the trip to the west coast to see the sights but “the catalyst for the trip was to come and check out our shop and to purchase a pair of Blacksmiths, in size 40.”

Chatting and swapping stories ensued. Ben’s size served him well in barroom brawls and hard living in the tough, industrial English town he grew up in. His passion for vintage clothing and 40’s era culture gave him a creative outlet to overcome what must have been a rough upbringing. We are proud to count Ben as a supporter and have him wear Rising Sun garments.

This encounter gave much Mike much to think about during this season of thanks and reflection. “The time I spent in the shop with this great guy made me realize that the shop serves more than one purpose. It also serves as a destination for like-minded people whose lives intertwine with mine. The stories as well as the new friendships I cherish as priceless moments in my life.” Thank you, Ben! It was a pleasure meeting you and Ooffii.

What follows is a small autobio by Big Ben himself.

Ooffii and I come from Brighton, England, about an hour south of London. My experiences in the music industry as a tour manager and promoter, and my time working for The Duffer of St. George has generated my interest in tattoos, vintage and especially denim. I now work for Deluxe Tattoo Supplies; I travel throughout the UK selling handmade tattoo machines.

Ooffii is a student at the University of Sussex studying American History. She is currently on exchange at the University of Pennsylvania; for her Christmas break we decided to head out west to get some California sun. My denim obsession forced us to brave LA public transport to make the trip to Rising Sun. We had the best experience in the shop. We hung out with Mike and chatted about everything from denim and vintage to frontier history, mining and our families. It was a pleasure and a privilege to spend time in the shop and get to see the amazing workshop. I couldn’t be happier with my new Blacksmiths and am looking forward to building a up a Rising Sun collection.