There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
Original drop link for the curious:
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/massdrop-x-naked-famous-ichiban-selvage-denim
Where to begin with these? Let’s start with the fabric. The fist thing to notice about this pair is the lighter shade of indigo in the warp threads, owing to the natural dye used in this pair. Many more expensive fabrics use synthetic dye in production (though this comes down to personal preference; natural and synthetic dyes each come with their own pros and cons). However, as Natural indigo fades, it is known to develop more subtle, “vintage” variation in hue across the garment. This is in part because natural indigo bonds much more effectively to cotton, in turn slowing down the fade process somewhat. This has been my experience so far with this pair, but it is showing (small) beautiful signs of wear thus far! It is my first go at a natural indigo pair, so wish me luck!
The fabric weighs in at a very manageable 13.75oz, which is on par with most other standard offerings in the raw denim space. Not too heavy for a beginner, but nothing to scoff at either; it has a satisfying heft, and a surprisingly crunchy hand feel that retains post-soak. After a cold soak there was very little shrinkage in this sanforized pair, though the natural (as opposed to white) weft poked through even more, which lent the fabric a brighter appearance after the soak. There’s not a ton of slub happening here, but the jeans have a nice texture nonetheless, and after a week of wear they are supremely comfortable.
I look forward to beating the hell out of these, and I’ll try to post a followup later on this year.
Happy New Year all!