Doublewood - Journals

FRIDAY LASSITUDE.LXII - Grey in Raw

noemail@noemail.org (Jeffrey Lee) — Fri, 30 Sep 2016 13:17:00 -0700

Few weeks ago, we had debut the Women Skinny in 3 shades of Grey.
Today, let's talk more about the perennial raw version of the Charcoal Grey.
Its constructed with 13.50oz. Japanese rope-dyed redline selvedge denim from the legendary Kaihara Mill. The Skinny tailoring is as svelte as our indigo version, but you would feel the fabric weight difference right away when pulling this on the first time.

This denim would feel denser, more rigid w/ slightly less stretch. Riveted w/ matte black metallic burr and a flip-lock Swiss made premium RIRI zipper. The double-felled inseam is accent w/ a batch-specific carrot color thread to draw a sharp contrast w/ the grey tone.

Think of it as raw canvas; add your own personal touch to it by wearing the pair thru nights and days.
Like our regular collection, #165 pairs were made and hand stamped individually. Available now in our webshop and at our brick & mortar stockists.

Its Friday and its Oktoberfest!! Cheers and drink up everyone, 'til next week.

FRIDAY LASSITUDE.LXI - How to take care your favorite denim

noemail@noemail.org (Jade Lam) — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 14:01:00 -0700

A perfect pair of jeans can be a pretty serious investment- yet when it comes to taking care of these precious commodities, there seems to be a great deal of mystery. Use the machine, don’t use the machine, wash by hand, don’t ever wash—it can get really really confusing.

We’ve 8 truly useful tips including how to wash them, when you should wash them, and how to fold like ’em like a pro.

1. Serious denim heads know that raw denim (super-stiff jeans with no washes, fading, etc.) can take up to six months to break in and shouldn’t be washed until then. Why? Jeans really do conform to your body, and when you wash them, most of the shape is lost.

2. I understand 6 months is a long time, if your denim starts to smell, you can hang your jeans in the bathroom before a shower (the steam will freshen them up) or freezing them in a plastic bag for two days (yup, this one really works).

3. To prevent fading/ create fading, wash jeans inside out in cold water on the delicate cycle or by hand with Woolite. If you actually want denim to fade quickly, wash once in hot water.

4. Keep the denim color, add half a cup of distilled white vinegar to the final rinse cycle while doing laundry to maintain the wash of your favorite pair of dark jeans.

5. Air-dry denim pieces. If you have to use a machine, turn it to the lowest possible heat setting, and remove the jeans before they’re completely dry. Lay flat or hang upside down to dry.

6. How to fold jeans like a pro: Lay a pair on a flat surface, fold in half from left to right. Grab the stacked jean legs and fold them in half so the hems of the legs line up with the waistband. Fold the legs in half one more time.

7. Denim fibers need to breathe, so don’t pack folded pairs too tightly together on a shelf or hang denim jackets or vests in a crowded closet.

8. Jeans a bit too tight? Let them air dry, and tug the damp waistband by hand. For extra stretching, tug the damp band while blasting it with a hairdryer or going over it with a super-hot, steam-filled iron. It WORKS every time!!!

FRIDAY LASSITUDE.LVI - 3 SHADES OF GREY: RAW, RINSED & BLEACHED

noemail@noemail.org (Jeffrey Lee) — Fri, 19 Aug 2016 14:18:00 -0700

Grey is versatile.

It matches with anything quite effortlessly: whether to complete a pure noir look or as a neutral backdrop to accent that punchy color.

While Indigo will always held a special place in our palette, Grey is easily our 2nd go-to color. The real question is in which hue.

Dark smoke charcoal/ Leaden raven/ almost-Ash, are among our favorite Greys.

That's why at once, we have developed 3 distinct shades of Grey for our girl Skinny jeans. From Raw to Bleached, these are constructed from the same 13.50oz Japanese redline selvedge w/ a hint of stretch. Double-felled seam w/ a vibrant carrot thread color.

Summer is here, whether you are chilling at the beach or foraging in the woods, these grey jeans will be a perfect fit.

The Raw, Rinsed & Bleached Grey Skinnies are now available in our webshop.

FRIDAY LASSITUDE.LII - BATCH SPECIFIC INSEAM COLOR

noemail@noemail.org (Jeffrey Lee) — Fri, 15 Jul 2016 17:28:00 -0700

Our jeans were made in small batches for limited production. Each pair is hand stamped and numbered on the front pocket. But only few may know there are other visual cues to indicate which batch it belongs. That batch-specific inseam and belt loop color is one of the feature.

We used both single-felled and double-felled inseam construction among our jeans. Single-felled for styles designed with a heritage look and double-felled for a clean sleek silhouette when cuff.

Hit us a note for inseam color suggestion for our next batches! It's Friday! Cheers everyone & 'till next week.

FRIDAY LASSITUDE.XLIX - THAT LONG-AWAITED BLEACHED BOYFRIEND JEANS

noemail@noemail.org (Jeffrey Lee) — Fri, 24 Jun 2016 14:31:00 -0700

This is finally ready.

It won't be a total exaggeration if we are to say we had been working on this style for over a year. Life happens (quite literally) and usual procrastination aside, we had spent tremendous time to experiment w/ this stone-wash look & here's why:

When we launched Doublewood in '13, Raw Denim was our primary and only focus. We started w/ a pair of jeans with subtle details that we love, tailored in awesome Japanese selvedge denim fabrics, and crafted under supreme standard at our family-owned CN workshop.

That core concept will never change; but we have increasingly become insatiable to design with just the material in raw state.

To translate our thoughts w/ a foodie analogy: Sashimi is undoubtedly delicious, but we can't ignore the fact that there are many different ways to prep a fish dish. What about Cantonese style steamed fish? What about Brits Fish & Chips?

We are not interested to box Doublewood as just a 'Raw Denim Brand'. If labeling is mandated, we rather see Doublewood as a populists' brand.

For this Bleached Boyfriend Jeans, we envisioned a retro almost 80s MTV style type of stone wash. We worked very hard w/ our internal denim wash-house to get this exact color hue (consistently for the entire batch was the real challenge) and finesse the amount of abrasion to reveal the weft beneath. We even revisit all the minuscule details at seams and at the continuous fly to minimize the unwanted legacy wash crease marks.

And here at last, we think we got it.
If you are a bit too impatient towards raw denim, this is for you: Our Instant Snug Fit bleached Boyfriend jeans.

Without further ado, our long-awaited Bleached Boyfriend jeans is now officially available at our webshop
Its Friday! Time to hit that new Oaklnd beer garden. Till next week, cheers everyone!

p.s. Brexit happened!! That's genuinely unexpected. Embrace the uncertainty and keep calm! Although this possibly mark the end of the United Kingdom, geographically =)

FRIDAY LASSITUDE.XLVIII - Jeans/Denim fun fact.

noemail@noemail.org (Robin Chan) — Fri, 17 Jun 2016 10:32:00 -0700

Today we want to go over the origin of the jeans if you wonder why are jeans called jeans?

The history of jeans is mingled with with French history. Jeans were invented in the 19th century in the French town of Nimes. In French, the word “serge” is used to describe the fabric that jeans are composed from. Thus, jeans’ fabric was originally called “serge de Nimes,” or, as it’s been shortened to, "denim."

That explained "denim", but what about "jeans"?

Denim became incredibly popular in Europe, especially with sailors from Genoa, Italy. Whenever they were in France, they would buy their denim in bulk. The pants were so popular with the sailors, that the material quickly took on a nickname that paid tribute to the Genoa sailors: jeans.

However, as far as modern-day people are concerned, the history of blue jeans really began when a Bavarian immigrant named Levi Strauss made the first blue jean in 1873.

FRIDAY LASSITUDE.XLVII - INDIGO SEA (or aka Denim Fades Fetish)

noemail@noemail.org (Jeffrey Lee) — Fri, 10 Jun 2016 13:02:00 -0700

For those may have noticed, we have been posting a series titled 'Indigo Sea'. Most denimheads are fanatic about how their denim being worn out and would go extra miles to develop those meticulously personalized honeycombs/ whiskers (hige)/ pocket fades, so forth.

And we are no exceptions.

Sometimes we pick up a pair; marking the calendar and closely examine the worn progress, almost in a microscopic sense. This whisker starts to look more substantial/ when did I spill something on the thigh/ this phone fade need more consistent placement work...these findings often put a smile on our faces.

Much like looking at the night sea, we find ephemeral tranquility thru these intimate gaze.

Now, that's an obsession. =)

We will continue to post these fades photos to document our fading process from different pairs, so stay tuned.

Cheers and its Friday!! Till next week.

p.s as for why our fades photos don't have ppl in it; well, that would be rather passé and banal, no? ;)

FRIDAY LASSITUDE.XLIII - EMOJI POLL!!

noemail@noemail.org (Jeffrey Lee) — Fri, 13 May 2016 14:04:00 -0700

Our first denim emoji poll!

Check it out on our fb page, here: https://goo.gl/hKrdsM

FRIDAY LASSITUDE.XLII - SOMA, SAN FRANCISCO (PART I)

noemail@noemail.org (Jeffrey Lee) — Fri, 6 May 2016 15:59:00 -0700

A 6-hour guide for SOMA, SF

We past by SOMA on a very regular basis since it situated as a main corridor from anywhere SF to the Bay Bridge entrances. With the latest renovated SFMOMA and a few other high profile artsy destinations implanted, South of Market is destined to be more gentrified than ever (or 'revitalized', to put this in a more neutral context ;)

Start off w/ a great cup of single origin joe @Sightglass or w/ the crazy good quiche @Vive la tarte. Both spots are very photogenic to brighten up the day. Head over to the Morphosis-designed Federal Building on Mission x 7th street. It has a great outdoor space and the architecture is still amazing. Remember to go inside and elevate to the sky garden on 12th floor: its a top hidden gem for a great city view.

To get some culture, Crown Point Press is an intimate size gallery/ bkstore that you shouldn't miss. Alternatively, if you are 420 friendly, you should also lounge @SPARC. A peculiarly unique experience. At this point, baked or not, you would be craving for some food. Popsons burgers opposite to Caltrain station is our current favorite.

Shopping, or to be precise, forcing yourself into a new pair of tight raw denim is normally the rightful thing to do after a burger feast. Check out 440 Brannan Studio, its one of our stockist and has an extensive collection of other local crafts as well. For further read on 440 Brannan, chk our prev. posts here & here.

After that, it'd be time to call for beers and celebrate that new pair of Doublewood jeans. Its going to be a very tough choice since there are many tasty local breweries in this neighborhood. For the standard, there are 21st Amendment & Thirsty Bear. For the local craft beer, there are Black Hammer & Cellarmaker. For the diversity, there is the perennial City Beer Store. Our candid advise is to visit them all =)

Be a Flâneur and have fun exploring. btw its Friday at last! Cheers everyone and till next week.

FRIDAY LASSITUDE.XLI - Women Bleached Boyfriend Jeans

noemail@noemail.org (Jade Lam) — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 12:53:00 -0700

FRIDAY LASSITUDE.XLI - Women Bleached Boyfriend Jeans

This week we want to give you a sneak peek of our very first bleached jeans for our women boyfriend jeans. It has the same subtle details & same fabrics as the raw (13.75oz) boyfriend jeans but it has a drastic different look and it feels softer and lighter after the bleaching process. It’s perfect for the upcoming summer. You could roll it up and pair it with flat, sandals, high heels, short boot, or sneakers.

We have been experimenting many times in order to get the right look and right color. This is all done in our family-owned denim washing factory in ZhongShan.

Every small step in denim washing makes a big difference because indigo dye has very poor wet & dry rubbing fastness. All parameters are critical to maintain for repetitive results.

Some important steps in the process of Denim Washing:

1. Pre treatment ( Desizing, Rinsing, Scouring etc)

2. Enzyme or Stone wash

3. Clean up to adjust the desire effect

4. Bleaching

5. Tinting / Dyeing

6. Softening & Much more…

Currently it’s available at Dutil and glasswing stores and it will be available in our webshop very soon. Stay tuned!!!

FRIDAY LASSITUDE.XL - Where to Drink (2016SS East Bay Edition-Part II)

noemail@noemail.org (Jeffrey Lee) — Fri, 22 Apr 2016 11:51:00 -0700

Back in January, we have made the first attempt to put together a list of places that we love to hang in Oakland, when we are not making jeans at studio. After (much) more beers and time to sober up, here is an attentively curated part II ;)

Portal: This spot is a local gem. Right by the lake, a perfect detour after a light jog/ bike ride. Solid rotating draft beers w/ outdoor patio seating. Expect a good crowd (& wait) at evenings/ brunch hours. The food is beyond standard, in fact its VERY good! Their hot sauce selection (varies by table) is the main attraction thou. This one below is definitely our fav.

The Double Standard: To label this as a dive bar could be an overstatement but we really like its laid back vibe. Its quite a perfect place to watch the Warrior games (other than at the Arena, of coz): not too insanely crowded but w/ the enthusiastic regulars. Another plus is, if you ask nicely enough, the barkeep normally would let you bring in outside food. There's a killer burrito joint right across; in case you wonder.. there are quite a few mex. place around, but there's only one place constantly filled w/ ppl. Yes, join the herd and go to that one!

Fieldwork Brewing Co.: Well, this one is legitimately not in Oakland (which is also why we renamed the post title to included the overall East Bay, see? ;) Admittedly, we are not too fanatic about the IPA scene in general, but we must say, Fieldwork's are absolutely delicious by any standard. We only find out recently that their taproom is very close by (c'mon its just Berkeley). With the expanded draft list and that $7 roasted almonds (along with the kid/dog friendly patio), this easily become the new Sunday rituals.

Hoi Polloi: Again, not exactly in Oakland; however this hole-in-the-wall pub is quintessential in many ways. First off, they have free truffle popcorn. Free!!! When is the last time you ever get that?! and secondly, their home brews are great (try their refreshing saison) and that remind me of the Pacific Brewery Lab back in their garage days.

We are quite certain that a Part III will be due as we continue to explore. Hit us a note if you feel like there's something major that we missed out!

Stay tuned, drink up & till next week. Cheers everyone!

FRIDAY LASSITUDE.XXXIX - KAIHARA MILL

noemail@noemail.org (Robin Chan) — Fri, 15 Apr 2016 14:47:00 -0700

Doublewood Denim is made from high quality rope-dyed Japanese selvedge denim, do you know as of now, we are only using Kaihara denim mill so far, a textile house in Fukuyama City, Japan, that’s been producing indigo-dyed fabrics for over 100 years and the largest denim supplier in Japan?

Today we want to give you some background and history of Kaihara denim mill. Kaihara mill was started in 1893 as a source for indigo kasuri, an ikat-like weaving technique that’s used for kimonos and wall hangings. They started their selvedge denim production until 1994.

Kaihara uses a large quantity of pima cotton from US as it is one of the best cottons in the world despite its higher cost which differentiates them from others. For added strength, the cotton is re-spun a total of 64 times, after which the indigo dye is applied by a special rope-dyeing process (the threads are wound up like rope and pulled back and forth through a network of rollers and vats) to deepen the final hue. More importantly, it gives the denim a more 3D and rich color.

Lastly, besides the tradition and heritage, what makes Kaihara so superior and a perfect match for us is we both share an uncompromising aptitude for fine denim making.

FRIDAY LASSITUDE.XXXVIII - BROKEN TWILL

noemail@noemail.org (Jade Lam) — Fri, 8 Apr 2016 14:04:00 -0700

Following on previous LHT & RHT post, do you there is one more twill in the denim world? Do you know when we combine LHT with RHT, we will get Broken Twill?

Broken twill is a twill weaved in which the direction of the diagonal produced by the weft threads is reversed after no more than two passages of the weft creating a random zig-zag pattern. It is first used by Wrangler in 1964.

If the twill is woven either to LHT or RHT, it will eventually twist itself after washing due to the tension. This is why you see the outseam of some denim twisted to the front or back of the leg. And broken twill will combat this!

FRIDAY LASSITUDE.XXXVII - SFIFF59

noemail@noemail.org (Jeffrey Lee) — Fri, 1 Apr 2016 08:30:00 -0700

For the avid movie buffs out there, you would be well aware of the forthcoming 59th San Francisco International Film Festival (04/21-05/05). An array of international film screenings was just announced few days ago.
For the rest of us philistines (lol), still there is an usual artistic inner voice that urge to oust that comfort zone and to embrace the indie artsy flicks.
Well, here is your chance. Plus, both the newly minted Alamo Drafthouse (Mission, SF) & BAM/PFA (Berkeley) are among this year's screening venues. If not for the auteurs' works, it would still be worthwhile to check out these latest SF theatrical offerings.
Here is our initial pick:
MICROBE AND GASOLINE
on y we picked: Althou the last few movies from Gondry aren't exactly our favorites (OK, since the Green Hornet, actually). But this is the guy who directed & co-wrote Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind!! For this latest one, Michel Gondry appears to return to his whimsical adventurous root. Highly anticipated.
JOURNEY TO THE SHORE
on y we picked: Traditionally Tadanobu Asano delivers bipolar but equally astonishing acting in non-gory/action-packed flicks; like Taste of Tea & Last Life in the Universe. We have the same high hope this time.
HONG KONG TRILOGY: PRESCHOOLED PREOCCUPIED PREPOSTEROUS
on y we picked: one word, Christopher Doyle. Christopher Doyle. Christopher Doyle.
Note that, non-member tickets go on sales today at noon!
Have a great weekend everyone. Till next week. Cheers.

FRIDAY LASSITUDE.XXXVI - LHT / RHT

noemail@noemail.org (Robin Chan) — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 14:11:00 -0700

Instead of Left-Hand Traff (LHT) and Right-Hand Traffic (RHT), in denim world, LHT actually means Left Hand Twill and RHT means Right Hand Twill. What's the difference?

Right hand twill (RHT), also known as “Z-twill”, is the most common and can be easily known by the diagonal pattern that moves from the bottom left of the fabric towards the top right. This style was made wellknown byLevi's and has become the industry standard. It is known to have a flatter and smoother surface compared to other twill fabrics and creates more defined fades.

Left hand twill (LHT), “S-twill”, is woven in the exact opposite direction as RHT, starting from the bottom right and moving up to the top left of the fabric. It was originally used by Lee denim. If a left hand twill denim is worn heavily over a period of time, the end results typically carry fuzzy, vertical fading. More importantly, it tends to wear down softer than right hand twill and thus a softer hand feel after washing.

So now you know why we chose LHT fabrics as our COMFORT style? Till next week...

FRIDAY LASSITUDE.XXXV - Yayoi

noemail@noemail.org (Robin Chan) — Fri, 18 Mar 2016 12:49:00 -0700

Yayoi in Palo Alto is the latest Japanese chain to come to the Bay Area after Kula Revolving Sushi in Cupertino. The main difference is people come here come here for delicious Teishoku (Japanese meal sets) instead of sushi.

With branches in Japan, Singapore, and Thailand, Yayoi features a high end decor, and a good ambiance. Their iPad ordering is intuitive and efficient so you can monitor whether your order is waiting to be cooked, being cooked or on it's way out. We ordered the hitsumabushi and ginger pork sets and it tasted very authentic and home-style. It even has a small note showing you the best way to enjoy the food.

Last but not least, no tipping is needed. Any tip left will be donated to a charity!

Small tips: No reservations can be taken but you can call in to be put on the wait list.

FRIDAY LASSITUDE.XXXIV - Selvedge ID

noemail@noemail.org (Robin Chan) — Thu, 3 Mar 2016 23:15:00 -0800

We were told to cover more denim related posts in our blog over the last few weeks. We hear you and there will be more denim posts starting from today!

So do you know why selvedge id is usually white and red in the middle? It's actually introduced in 1927 when the Cone Mills White Oak Factory added a red thread in the selvedge fabrics for the infamous Levi 501xx. The colored thread was mainly for the mills to differentiate different fabrics. In fact the first generation of Levis jeans were made with the duck cloth and only has "whitelines".

Nowadays selvedge ID is becoming more of a brand trademark. Basically denim mill can make any color and pattern that they want. Levi’s has the iconic red selvedge stitching, Samurai a silver, Lee a yellow...And how about Doublewood Denim? All I can say is please stay tuned!

FRIDAY LASSITUDE.XXXIII - Petit Crenn

noemail@noemail.org (Jade Lam) — Fri, 26 Feb 2016 11:35:00 -0800

Was so excited to try Dominique Crenn's new restaurant, and it didn't disappoint. I loved Atelier Crenn so couldn't wait to try this new sister restaurant with a different concept. Set menu for $75 with a communal dining experience where you will most be sharing some dishes with people at the same table unless you book your reservation for party of 4+ and the table only fit that many people.

Food/Drinks- The menu changes so I'm not going to go into detail on each item. My favorite items that night were the oysters (I love oysters), whole trout (barely cooked on the verge of sushi) and the dessert was a citrus crème served inside an orange. Delicious & nice presentation! Other dishes were solid and they nicely accommodated. Wine was tasty, good selection. Wine list is primarily French, as this is a French country type cuisine. Chef Dominique Crenn is the genius behind this Restaurant.

Ambiance/Decor- brightly lit and nicely decorated yet simple. White and wood. Simple and Clean. Two large menus of the day posted on the walls.

Overall, everything was fabulous and very filling. Good place for dinner to have solid/good food and a new dining experience if you sit/share dishes with strangers, which could be fun! Just like Dominique Crenn you can meet and greet her before you had any food and she's so cool! ;)

Petit Crenn, 609 Hayes St. (near Laguna), S.F. (415) 864-1744. petitcrenn.com

FRIDAY LASSITUDE.XXXII - DESERT & DENIM

noemail@noemail.org (Jeffrey Lee) — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 11:33:00 -0800

We have heard many great things about this 2-day indie trade show since its debut last year. This year we head down to South Cal and see what the fuzz is about.

45 minutes from Palm Springs, we arrived among a cult of denimheads, artisans and fashionistas at the uber eco-conscious Mojave Sands Motel, Joshua Tree.

Its mesmerizing to meet with many similar-minded folks that each has a strong belief in crafts and quality. This reminds us on why we initially started this denim project: to share our ideals and love in denim.

We will be back for sure, perhaps next time as vendor ;)

Till next week and cheers everyone!

FRIDAY LASSITUDE.XXXI - Jason Richardson

noemail@noemail.org (Robin Chan) — Fri, 12 Feb 2016 01:34:00 -0800

Back in December last year, we were contacted by Joey Creel, a professional documentary filmmaker to sponsor the documentary film for Jason Richardson, an incredibly talented guitarist. Sharing with the same passion for raw denim, we felt very glad to be able to sponsor our jeans to them.

Just last week we have received an email from Joey with the weekly update video links and we just can't wait to share them with you all.

Week 1: https://youtu.be/ig2DRYEdX90

Week 2: https://youtu.be/snqrLq_OkLo

Week 3: https://youtu.be/nMi_9VUz-A0

In short, this documentary video is about following guitarist Jason Richardson through his journey to record his first solo album. There will be intimate interviews with Jason, and people who takes part in the album creating process.

A little background about Jason: he is a very talented guitarist who is best known from shredding in the bands All Shall Perish, Born Of Osiris, Chelsea Grin, as well as guest spots for the bands Veil of Maya, Polyphia and more. After years of internationally touring with all three bands, he decided to part ways to focus on his own music. Jason will be joined on the drums by Luke Holland (The Word Alive) and other well known musicians such as Jeff Loomis, Jacky Vincent, Rick Graham, Nick Johnston, Wes Hauch, Spencer Sotelo, and more on the album!

Thanks for sharing your work with us Joey! Awesome job! And last but not least, Jason, best of luck for your album! Can't wait to see you guys wearing our denim on screen.

FRIDAY LASSITUDE.XXX - HAPPY CNY!

noemail@noemail.org (Jade Lam) — Fri, 5 Feb 2016 12:03:00 -0800

Super Bowl 50 will be played at Levi's Stadium in SF Bay Area. Who are you cheering for? Denver Broncos or Carolina Panthers? This weekend is also gonna be Chinese New Year & Super Bowl 50 all at once, massive celebration in the Bay Area.

This Chinese New Year is the Year of the Monkey and signifies the year of Competition and Challenge.I am now stuffing my red envelopes with money to give away, as that will bring greater wealth in this greatchallenging and competitive year.
Happy Chinese New Year everyone & have fun for the Super Bowl !!

FRIDAY LASSITUDE.XXIX - Where to Drink (2016SS Oakland Edition-Part I)

noemail@noemail.org (Jeffrey Lee) — Fri, 29 Jan 2016 13:08:00 -0800

In (avid) observance of the SF Beer Week, we put together a list of places in Oakland that we love and hang most religiously at the moment. Check them out here:

Arbor Cafe: OK, this is not exactly a bar but they serve pints. The good ones from Oakland's own Linden Street. Caffeine and beer married well together. Big plus for open late (9pm), this is our go to spot to get some emails done.

Bay Grape: Eclectic, relatively rare beer selection (from JP to Belgium). A great spot if you are meeting someone (or yourself) on paleo diet. (They can opt for wine =). They close early thou (10pm)

Beer Revolution: A divey version of Trappist, a tad more affordable w/ diverse bottle collection. Great friendly staffs.

Commonwealth: This is the spot for your English Ale quench & Brewdog is always on the tap. It can get uber crowded on a major soccer game day. The dilemma is, whether to get the baked bean toast or that fish & chips sandwich. Delish.

Drake's Dealership: Situated at the much anticipated (or gentrified) Hive complex. Great outdoor pebble patio w/ fire pits. Live music/DJ can get really loud and almost impossible to converse on the weekend. Can't go wrong w/ a pint of Blonde & poutine.

Apparently it would be way too ambitious in attempt to cover all our beloved Oakland drinking spots in a single post. Part II is coming next.

Stay tuned, drink up & till next week. Cheers everyone!

FRIDAY.LASSITUDE.XXVIII - Compression Tights

noemail@noemail.org (Robin Chan) — Fri, 22 Jan 2016 10:30:00 -0800

In recent years, a new class of highly engineered tights becomes more and more popular as it claims to have performance aspirations. It is worn by some athletes during exercise to prevent chafing and rashes, and post-exercise to ease muscle stiffness and quicken recovery time.

As referred and convinced by a friend, I bought myself a pair of compression tights to give it a try. How does it fit? It actually has a good tight fit. I will say it is around 25% tighter than our Super Narrow jeans especially around the calves . It does not give you an overly restricted compressed feel but more snugged in place and aligned. I wore it on a number of runs and they definitely have helped with my runner's knee, allowing me to run longer and with less pain. They also keep the joints warm and reduce my recovery time.

Though the literature suggests that it could be pretty 50/50 in terms of effectiveness, it does exactly what it is supposed to do for me. I wish we can have a Compression Super Narrow style that we can wear it at work. Till next week, stay tuned!

FRIDAY.LASSITUDE.XXVII- Mansur Gavriel Bags

noemail@noemail.org (Jade Lam) — Fri, 15 Jan 2016 10:30:00 -0800

One of the “Must-have” item in a woman’s wardrobe- a structured, classic bag for everyday. My personal pick would be Mansur Gavriel bags, these bags are ridiculously ELUSIVE (besides a Hermès Birkin). MG bags currently offer in tote, backpack and the bucket bag (the most popular).
Usually they will make an announcement before it’s available online. However, all the hang bags sold out in less than five minutes. Do I think that they are worth it? For the price point and simple all leather design I say yes.
One thing I like about the MG bags, besides their design and quality, they also use the original vegetable tanned leather which is stiff and untreated.
Yes, it scratches somewhat easily, but they will fade over time as the leather patinas and cures. You can use conditioner or baby wipes to quicken this process. While this notion of "easily scuffed" terrifies some people, this effect is actually part of the appeal and beauty of the bag. It has a very rich, natural look. Our denim leather patches are also made out of top grain Italian veg-tan leather, which is great complement to our jeans & these goodies.

FRIDAY.LASSITUDE.XXVI - Ringing in the 3rd year of Doublewood Denim

noemail@noemail.org (Jeffrey Lee) — Fri, 8 Jan 2016 12:41:00 -0800

Time flies, 2015 was a blink lapse on adrenaline. It was a rather productive 2nd year for Doublewood:

Thru-out last Spring & Winter, we had released (2) petite batches; collaborated with IDC (dutil, Canada) & with SF based artist Jon Gourley. A second women cut was introduced in Summer; BF jeans in raw selvedge denim with the heritage continuous fly detail. We released our first-ever video intro for the women skinny jeans with filmmaker, Nathaniel K. We traveled to Zhongshan to visit the denim workshop and explore more on the craft and possibilities.

2015 was fruitful and we simply can't thank you enough for the folks who share kindred passions in denim and help us jump thru the hurdles along!

Looking forward, we have a few intriguing propositions planned for '16. Beyond our stable denim collection, we are on the verge of carving into the peripheral categories. Something that would go well along w/ our denim. (As usual, we will be tight-lipped before their official releases; but think for the kitchen/workshop wears & that quintessential chambray =)

Its going to be an enticing year for us to step outside of that comfort indigo zone, and persist in honing our craft to expand the collection.

Stay tuned & till next week. Cheers everyone!

FRIDAY.LASSITUDE.XXV - HAPPY NEW YEAR

noemail@noemail.org (Robin Chan) — Fri, 1 Jan 2016 10:30:00 -0800

As 2015 just passed... Happy New Year!!

2015 was a wonderful year and we would like to thanks for all your supports!

Here are the recaps of our Friday Lassitude posts in 2015, we talked about food, music, travel, sports, lifestyle and of coz our denim collection. Stay connected with us and there are more to come. More styles, collaborations, and new categories are coming up in 2016!!

To everyone, we wish you and your family and friends the happiest of New Years!

FRIDAY.LASSITUDE.XXIV - DEC XXV

noemail@noemail.org (Robin Chan) — Fri, 25 Dec 2015 10:30:00 -0800

As SF based, we always support our local sport team: Golden State Warriors.

It's always fun to watch in 'Roaracle', probably one of the loudest NBA Arena. Everyone in the stadium will anticipate when a random "Waaariors!" or "Let's Go Warriors" chants start.

While the defending champions Warriors' recording-setting win streak has ended at the hands of the Bucks, they still extend their home streak to 30 Games on Wednesday. They had a slow start but they were good enough to cruise pass Utah Jazz.

Even with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers coming to town today, we are hopeful that our unbeaten home record will still intact. Enjoy one of the more anticipated Christmas Day games in recent years!

"Let's Go Warriors" and Merry Christmas!

FRIDAY.LASSITUDE.XXIII - Star Wars: The Force Awakens

noemail@noemail.org (Jade Lam) — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 14:20:00 -0800

This weekend everyone is excited about the Star Wars movie just like we do. They finally made a movie sequel to the original Star Wars trilogy. And the good news is? The Force Awakens easily captures the charm and excitement of the first three movies.

We are fortunate that we can watch the movie a few hours ahead of the official release date. Don't worry. No spoilers here...

With The Force Awakens, J.J. Abrams has delivered a thrilling, energetic, though not altogether mind-blowing film that has deftly added to the rich tapestry that is Star Wars, putting the saga in good stead for years to come.

Old cast is back- the original Star Wars cast. Episode VII won’t just bring back the big heroes like Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Han Solo and Princess Leia – even the original actors who played side characters like Chewbacca , C-3PO, and R2-D2 are coming back to the screen.

Like most of the fans we went into this with marginal hopes, because by our very nature we have a tendency to compare. We are happy to conclude that Star Wars is headed back in the right direction, and we eagerly await the next chapter in the saga!

FRIDAY.LASSITUDE.XXII - Artist Collaboration (debut batch)

noemail@noemail.org (Jeffrey Lee) — Fri, 11 Dec 2015 12:00:00 -0800

We first met SF local artist, Jon Gourley in the Spring of '14. It was back at his residency days w/ Root Division in Mission, SF. Stunned by the minimal and satirical approach of his prints, we knew certainly an Artist Collab. batch are meant to happen. 20 months later (yes, we are dumbfounded at our procrastination capacity, too), today we are finally ready to release this batch.

Attentively curated artworks on the denim and on the 10oz. canvas bag; the artworks intend to transcend a seemingly explicit w/ a subtle/sarcastic/wit undertone as its hidden layer.
Leftist/ rightist/ democrats blue (or butyl blue) & social norm are among the central concepts for our collab. The 13.75oz denim is constructed w/ left hand twill fabrics (which as one may guess, is also an implicit decision).

Adorned w/ gun metal rivets, this hand numbered petite batch (30 pairs made) is also our first men jeans to adopt the heritage continuous fly detail.

Swing by 440 Brannan Studio Showroom at 5-7pm today, 12/11. Grab a beer w/ us to chat more on denim, art & beyond.

Till next week. Cheers everyone.

FRIDAY.LASSITUDE.XXI - Shizuoka's Green Tea Cola

noemail@noemail.org (Robin Chan) — Fri, 4 Dec 2015 10:30:00 -0800

While companies around the world have made all sorts of different versions of cola, we were told that Kimura Beverage Company in Japan has made a tastier and healthier soft drinks than the same products of some well-known giant companies. It took them five years in planning and one year for product development. It is called "Shizuoka Cola" and is only available in Shizouka (well known as green tea capital, providing almost half of all the green teas consumed in Japan).

Finally we were lucky enough to get a taste of this Shizuoka's Cola in a Taiwan Sushi restaurant. So, how does it taste? Overall it is actually very refreshing and has a soft sweetish green tea aroma which goes well with Japanese food. There was a very faint after taste of green tea.

What's next? Cola in Kabayaki eel flavour? Stay tuned!