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Overlooking the Syrian border as a tourist In Israel

One of the more interesting experiences I had here was the day I went to the Golan heights.

Our tour guide mentioned right away which lines not to cross. “Look out your windows.  See the barbed wire fences with the yellow signs?  Do not cross those fences, whatever you do.  On the other side of those fences are land mines”.  

Our first stop was near Zavitan national park.  There are more than 1.5 million landmines scattered around all of the Golan heights.  I totally wanted to throw a rock over and see if something might blow up, but that would have gotten me thrown off the tour for sure.  The occasional landmine goes off from time to time when cattle wander into the fields.

Everything looked like rubble.  The site is what’s left of a Syrian base after the 1967 war when Israel claimed the territory.

Bullet holes, dilapidation, much rubble and large fields where we can’t go because of the mines. It’s also fairly high up.  A military base here is strategically advantageous.  Mount Bental (our second stop in Golan Heights) has a perfect view of the Lebanese, Syrian and Jordanian borders.

Every day, UN peacekeepers have to be there on watch.  They’re stationed in a spot where even I could go.  The only difference is that they have very large binoculars and I only have my 20X zoom Sony camera.  

There’s one picture I took that I’m still kicking myself about 2 weeks after the fact.  I snapped a pic with me and 2 UN peacekeepers… and then deleted it… by accident.  But I had great chat with one of them..  

The UN soldier from Austria was telling me exactly what he has do up here every day.  He was pretty chaffed with being positioned here.  Normally a UN representative on border watch has to be in a spot or checkpoint on their own - without any interaction with people.  It can also be a whole lot more sketchy.  The UN used to have a checkpoint at the Syrian border, but they shut it down after a number of their people were taken hostage.

Now they watch from the mountain top.  My UN bloke told me he has to watch everyone (including Israel) to ensure that ceasefire agreements are complied with.  Everyone along the borders have to follow certain rules.  Various forms of artillery can’t be brought into certain locations.  If they are, the UN has to enquire and report everything back to New York.

After that we just hiked down the mountain.  It’s not uncommon to hear bombs in the distance apparently.  This would be from the current conflict in Syria.  But this is part of the experience for tourists that come to the Golan heights  - you can hike down a beautiful mountain and witness part of the conflict in the distance.  

I know that regardless of the tension in the region and the conflict just over the border, it’s totally safe.  I also know that Israel has the ‘Iron Dome’ should a mortar spontaneously appear.  Regardless of this, I feel that you need to be a little bit on the wacky side to be here. I know I fit somewhere on the crazy spectrum, but that’s me in general.  Everyone else that comes here must be a tad crazy too.

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Denim fades update

Time to check on how the jeans are doing after a whole year of wear - along with all the hiking, biking riding, skating and adventure I’ve put mine through.

Authentic denim fades are a must.  If you want to spend decent dough on a pair of jeans, be sure that they’re raw.  There’s nothing more satisfying in a pair of jeans that age just as nicely as you do.  You’re more likely to keep them longer AND buy less in the long run along with actually saving $$.  

Give consumerism a big F U !

You’ll also be saving water ~~ Loads and loads.  You’ll avoid a bunch of chemicals too.  These are applied in the factory for all the washes and artificial fading. 

When I first bought the jeans.

After 1 year + of wear;

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Post hiatus catchup post

I’m late at making posts.

The really good thing is that there are actually articles that say good things about people that are late with things;  

“People who are habitually late don’t sweat over the small stuff, they concentrate on the big picture and see the future as full of infinite possibilities.” 

 - Elite Daily 

(http://elitedaily.com/life/culture/optimistic-people-have-one-thing-common-always-late/1097735/)

I was supposed to blast out all sorts of posts from the cool things I saw in LA.  

There was going to be a post on some epic hiking experiences, pics from camping in Big Sur in central California and so much more advencha.

I even had an an awesome 1 hour conversation with Mister Freedom that I was going to brag all about.  

However, because life gets in the way and I’ve been traveling so much, I’ve been downright shit about this whole website thing.

Honestly, a page that doesn’t have its one and only writer to update the posts every once in a while looks something like this;

But for the people that do keep coming back...

Man In Denim is supposed to post 3 times a week.  It’s not a great deal of effort to knock out a bunch of images and write a little, but it still takes effort.  

I read a great article a while back from ‘Wait but Why’ on procrastination.  It involves an instant gratification monkey, a world of guilty playtime and a panic monster.  I try to remember this every time I go through a couple of weeks without writing.

Wait but Why’s post -> here

For now, the content I create will go towards the “Adventure” section.  I am after all, in a fairly adventurous place;

Israel 

This follows a long story which I do intend to get more in detail with.  Of course I’ll add packets of content from other stuff I wanted to push out too.

Cheers!

ManInDenim.com

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Up and coming “Selvadge Denim” doing raw denim different

Images by Ebby Amir

We stopped by a temporary pop-pup yesterday.  “Selvadge” is on the corner of N4th and Berry in busy and ever gentrifying Williamsburg from December 4th- 24th.

Selvage sells high end raw denim that comes boxed in a rugged cardboard cylinder.  They’re conscious of the environment, country of origin and yes, the cylinder boxing (which you can use to ship the jeans for hemming & repairs) has been patented.

Selvadge are using 14oz Cone Mill American denim (a standard weight for high-end denim).  The whole product is ‘Made In USA’ end to end.  The denim comes from the North Carolina Mill and the jeans are constructed in LA.

We promised to try on a pair and get them snapped for the site, but the early 4pm sundown made it a little tricky for our lighting department.  

I’m quite keen on the finishing and fine details.  Everything on the inside of the jeans looks perfect and clean with not a single loose thread.  Even the button fly is lined with selvedge.  The sizing runs just slightly bigger than you’d expect.  I’m a 32” waisted big thigh guy and managed to fit snug into a pair of 31s.  The fit feels very similar to a straight leg Levi’s 501 bordering on the slim side of things.

I was stoked to see Selvadge doing something a little different with raw denim.  Their rugged wooden handmade pop up stall looks rad.  They’ve placed emphasis on labeling the product environmentally conscious having not used water or chemicals in the entire manufacturing process.  

Most conventional jeans today are made using wasteful gallons of water and harmful chemicals in the washing and fading process.  Even their cylinder is innovation on a nonexistent unboxing experience in the raw denim world.  You’re not too keen to throw it away.

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Christine Rucci’s military shirt passed down from her father.  

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The Rose Bowl Flea market

For any extended LA journey, the Rose Bowl flea is a market not to be missed.  I didn’t realise it would be like every New York vintage store put together times a million.

Hosted in Pasadena California, the vintage sellers get together only once every two weeks (at the same spot that UCLA football team plays all their home games).  Timing your LA trip just right is essential.

You’ll find rare items, like original 1950s Levi’s 501s with original wear and tear priced at $500 down to the (slightly) more common 1970s vintage.  I definitely saw some much older items for sale but with an asking price definitely beyond the budget of most.  

The market is huuuuuge.  If you didn’t have your aesthetic narrowed down, you could easily wander aimlessly for hours under the scorching Cali sun.  

Man In Denim is of course very keen on a certain type of aesthetic.

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More bluesiness

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Christophe Loiron’s Instagram page is on point Nowadays, most people buy jeans that are already faded out by the factory.  This is done by washing procedures that use loads of chemicals, energy and water. Buying denim raw means they come unwashed and you create your own authentic fades through wear and time.

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Chuck Taylors or PF Flyers?

The turn of the 20th century was a great time for tire manufacturers to come up with new applications for their vulcanized rubber.  These two sports shoe brands were spawned from such innovation and both have long standing reps in the history books.

For me, hard wearing rubber soles with strong canvas high tops make a great skating shoe.  The soles invariably wear out if you’re skating on them for every commute of the day (like me).  Of course they’ll last you much longer for everything else.

Majority of the year skating completely blew out the sole and canvas on my last pair of Chucks.  I originally intended to repair them but alas, it wasn’t a practical fix.  (I found the white ones from a vintage store unused for $25).  

To be fair, Chuck Taylors have been pretty much everyone’s go-to since they were introduced in 1917 as a basketball shoe.  Naturally, I wanted to take mine to the courts and at least taste the vibe of how players back in the day would have felt.  

When it comes down to it, they are a sports shoe.  While there may be better things out there now for playing good ol’ b-ball, the Chucks have their place in American heritage.  

Of course even now, b-ball and running around in them are totally fine.  They are in fact made for it.

But then I got in to PF flyers...

I first started paying attention to them when a friend of mine bought a pair and referenced that famous “run faster, jump higher” scene from The Sandlot. 

Originating in the 30s, PF (for posture foundation) flyers made a significant emphasis on their wedged sole innovation. This was a big deal in all their shoes, and they still have them going strong today.  

Not only are they super comfy, better for feet and conducive for ‘running faster and jumping higher’, they’ve also started making some of their line in good ol’ USA again.  Of course, this is enough for me to swing over to the PF flyers camp.  

With even more USA made shoes to come, it’s looking pretty good for this heritage brand.  Good for me too.  They’re an essential part of my ‘50s mischievous bloke’ aesthetic.  Good for any situations that actually require running away.

Images by Cambria Roland

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Our mate Christina Evans in vintage Russian military camo

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From denim expert Christine Rucci’s archive.   The miniature sized jeans were used by traveling salesman for Levi’s to make their pitch door to door. The kid’s jacket was custom made as a gift from Ralph Lauren to Christine’s son.

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Visit to Cone Denim NYC

G’day ladies and gents, Last week before I left for LA, I was invited to follow around denim dudette Christine Rucci (@christiner25).  We hit up a number of the main spots involved when it comes to making all things denim.

Christine is somewhat legend in the denim world.  She’s an expert in denim design, product development, textiles and everything you would need to know to make a good pair of jeans that fit right.   Right now she consults for all the big brands, but when she’s not doing that she’s working on all her own projects.   Christine used to work for DoubleRL.  She even appears in the documentary Blue Gold: American Jeans. 

We had a cool little tour around headquarters.  They display all their denim products to prospective buyers but they also show off things from their history, heritage, along with their innovation and high quality materials.

The Cone Mill factory in North Carolina after all is the original denim manufacturer for the Levi’s 501.  It’s also the only mill left making American denim fabric in the whole country.

A denim meeting in progress

Recycled materials used to make innovated fabrics

Traditional Japanese ‘Boro’

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The wild west guide to interior decor

Lying somewhere between Little Tokyo and Chinatown lies an awesome LA relic.  Built circa 1818, La Avila Adobe is the oldest house in LA.

Doesn’t seem like the place really gets the attention it deserves.  We happened to stumble on it by chance.  Hopefully the señor and señorita of the house are proud that their former home and all its interior is now a place of interest for LA people.

We drew a fair bit of inspiration from this place, as it does indeed line up with Man In Denim aesthetic.  Perhaps some day we’ll have a home just like this one.  Here are some of the highlights;

Las Paredes The sun baked adobe bricks used to make these walls were perfect for the 1800s in the west and they’d be just as good now.  Insulated to keep the heat in during the brief cooler months.  For the rest of the year, these massive doors open right up.

El Techo These wooden thatched roofs should keep everyone in the fam-bam dry from all the rain in LA.  Oh wait... but there isn’t any rain in LA.

El Comedor Meaningful candle lit dinners are the norm in this future-proof setup.  There’s no room for mobile phones here.  Dindins will be made for nothing else than looking into the eyes of your beloved señor(ita) as you eat.

El Estudio

Tasteful Mexican rugs and blankets are practical and make the decor. There’s also no tv in the house to distract you.  Time for writing and developing ideas is the norm.  Everything in here is most likely a mix of one-time purchases and second hand goods from a previous generation.  There isn’t any room for mass produced garb in this house.

La habitación Sun baked adobe bricks really were the way to go.  These bricks are basically made of mud.  Put together by dirt, hay, doodoo and then dried in the Californian sun.  Sure looks nice on the inside and guaranteed to last at least 200 years!  Of course, hopefully they don’t get hit by too much wet weather, which California has a lot of.  Oh wait... it doesn’t.

You wouldn’t have to worry about shit hitting the walls, because there’s literally already shit IN the walls!

And if you aren’t a fan of the way it ages, you could always put up your retro 90s pop group posters to fill the gaps.

La Cocina The kitchen should have you gaining that authentic rustic sensibility.  The fireplace oven is a little more ‘hands on’ than most commercial options today, but what better way to show off and impress all the guests you’ll have over. (In Spanish: La cocina)

La Sala You can count on this heater to keep your family toasty for all the times you pull out the Spanish guitar and have a group sing along.  The handles make it easy to remove the charcoal and ash.

“What if I have a whole lot of guests on the weekends?”   These bench seats will do the trick.  Just make sure to avoid falling wax getting on the food from the candle chandelier above.

El niño pequeño/ La niña pequeña You can be sure that the things in the little señor(ita)’s room have been either inherited, bought from a local dealer or made from scratch.  Without a doubt, when you’re ready to have your little señor(ita), you’ll have just the right aesthetic in mind to make your little one’s room the dopest of them all.  Just don’t try to have actual ‘dope’ hidden around anywhere.  

Outside

Like having plants but don’t like to water them?

This cacti garden will provide all the merit towards being that person who cares about plants and how their backyard looks without any of the effort.

Transporte Then there’s your transport.  These carretas roamed around LA en masse during the 18th and 19th centuries.  Now we could talk about high tech mass transit systems for LA that don’t have a due by date until the cows come home.   At the end of the day, why bother having anything high powered when you’re only going to be stuck in traffic anyway?

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7 months wear and I didn’t wash them once

Well, sort of.  They had one solid rinse when I first got them for a pre-shrink.   I’ve had these just over a year.  The 14.5oz denim makes them a little too warm for the hot months so I save them for when it cools down.   Fades are starting to look epic.

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Healthy stuff on Models For Wellness

G’day mates, I often contribute to the Models For Wellness crew.  It’s run by a super cool bunch of girls with role model Emily Van Raay as captain. Last week I put together a post journaling my summer meals.  Everything I prepared for breakfast, lunch and dinner along with snacks and what I had to indulge. You can read the whole post here. Or just click here; http://www.modelsforwellness.com/model-food-diary-joey-slomowitz/

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Building a desk with only $10

Mid-way through the summer, the entire friend group teamed up in twos and decided they would all build desks.  

Seeing this as a feat of ruggedness, I naturally thought this would be something I should be a part of.  

I managed to source a design and then sought much needed help from my good friend Julia who had built furniture before.  

The aim was to make a standing desk with an innovative design and (ideally) could be easily customised for standing or sitting.

Phase 1: Desk design

I managed to source these plans for the initial design phase;

The plans show a desk where the top could be removed and the triangular legs could be flipped around in any way you choose.  Yet, it wasn’t to be.  This desk would need to be too big to fit in my not-so-large-Brooklyn-apartment-room.   We unfortunately also had to let go of the standing option due to practicality.  But this could always be modified later.

Instead, Julia and I diligently modified the design and came up with this;

We scrapped equal sided triangles and went with something that would require us to actually apply trigonometry for the first time (in my life).... ever.  (I hope all my high school maths teachers are seeing this)

Phase 2: Sourcing cheap wood

Being kids of the 21st century, not only did we want to source a great design, but we also wanted to get wood that was cheap and 100% re-claimed.  We care a great deal about the environment. For the record, I was totally prepared to go dumpster diving but Julia countered that idea with a much more conventional approach of sourcing from ‘Build It Green’.  They’re a non-profit store for salvaged building materials and they are amazing.  You can check out their website here. The cost of the wood I bought from them came to $8.

Phase 3:  Cutting

Our mathematics worked well on paper.  Somehow, once the cobwebs were cleared in the hard drive of my brain that stored my high school trig mathematics, I was able to pull through in a joint effort with Julia.  Flush finishes from our cuts would prove if our maths were good enough.

Phase 4: Gluing and drilling

Our maths worked and luckily the cutting did too.  Our connections would be flush.  This next stage involved gluing and drilling the pieces together like a basic IKEA set.  

                                    Watson the cat    ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓

                            Hard work grubbyness  ↓ ↓ 

Phase 5:  Sanding and Lacquering/painting

Stability was going to be an issue.  We had to connect the top section in order to make it 100% sturdy.  I was a tad disappointed about not being to solve this issue another way but time was a constraint.  Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

We also made it all look smooth and pretty by sanding, lacquering and painting everything.  I’d say these materials only cost a couple of dollars.   All in all, it came to $10 and a whole lot of fun 

The 1886 Levi’s pantaloons were perfect for the job.  They even have padding around the knees for woodwork tasks

                        Finally, we came up with this beauty;

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Girls! Prepare to get dirty...in men’s workwear.

G’day mates.

It’s been a pretty cold minute.  New York’s city’s sudden changes in temperature are just plain shocking.  It can quite easily go from a pleasant 21C to 10C overnight (70F to 50F in American).

For that reason, it’s important to shrug off the cold and keep a love of the outdoors with the right layering.  My choice is with functional vintage threads.

I found these workwear coveralls in a vintage market one day about two years ago for $35.  Can’t quite recall what decade they’re from.  A google search points a lot of evidence towards WW2 and that they were standard issue for the mechanics.  I could be wrong.   They were a tad too small on me, so I decided to throw them on my friend Maria whilst we carved our pumpkins for Halloween.  If you haven’t seen a chick wearing men’s workwear, it can be rather fitting.

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                                           Happy Halloween