I recently got to do this awesome project with Second Son Vintage, AKA my good buddy, Jason. Here's the setup: Two great American mills, one old, one new. One amazing pair of jeans (made by yours truly). Give us ... the ultimate fade comparison. This is going to be epic.
By Jason Howe
November, 2021
Eric Steffen of FITTED Underground and Jason Howe of Second Son Vintage have joined efforts on a special project that will pay homage to White Oak Denim, celebrate Vidalia Mills acquiring White Oak’s Draper X3 Weaving Looms, and the long tradition of U.S. made denim.
While every pair of jeans starts the same and evolves with continued wear, marking its wearer’s lifestyle onto the pant through indigo fading, this pair of Passing of the Loom Jeans enable the ultimate fade comparison by creating a one-of-a-kind, hybrid pair of jeans--the left side made from White Oak Cone fabric and the right from Vidalia Mills. The project, a gesture of homage to White Oak Cone, will ultimately be a testament to how Vidalia Mills fades in comparison. Jason will be the one wearer and will document the progress over the course of a year.
An ode to American Craftsmanship
Passing of the Loom Jeans involved sourcing every part, from thread to rivets, from the USA. Components sourced from:
- Looms, North Carolina
- Denim, North Carolina, & Louisiana • Construction, Brooklyn
- Rivets, NYC
- Thread, Georgia
- Leather Patch, Pennsylvania
Additional project details:
- White Oak 14oz fabric was used on the left hand leg of the jeans
- Vidalia Mills 14oz fabric was used on the right hand leg of the jeans
- The two fabrics used were split down the middle of the jeans, also included the waist band
- Ramel from Tattoo'd Cloth to chainstitch on the inside back pockets White Oak & Vidalia. It will fade through the pockets over time revealing which side is White Oak & Vidalia
- Ryan from Finely Wrought carved and casted custom brass fingered printed rivets for the jeans
About Jason Howe: Jason is the owner of Second Son Vintage, a denim collector, and co-host of the New York Denim Hangs podcast.
About Eric Steffen: Eric is a bespoke jean maker and the owner of FITTED Underground and co-host of the New York Denim Hangs podcast.
Leave a comment