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A package arrived from Wested today, yesssss...

Posted: Wed Sep 22, 2004 11:11 pm
by Bufflehead Jones
When I came home from work today, there was a package from Wested. That is always a great moment when you realize what it is. It is like Christmas, but just some other month.

Inside was a Wested shirt and a pair of Wested pants. They sure do look cool. One thing that struck me was how close some of my close enoughs really are.

While I was checking them out, the doorbell rang and I had to run downstairs, so I threw the Wested pants on the chair on top of a pair of LL Bean Cavalry Twill pants. When I came back upstairs and entered the bedroom, it looked like I had two pairs of Wested pants on the chair. It wasn't until I got closer and saw that in better light the LL Beans were a couple shades more tan than taupe. I really should have bought a dozen of those LL Bean Cavalry Twill pants instead of just three pairs, when they were on clearance for $25. Who knew?

I say I should have bought a dozen pairs, because they are so comfortable that I wear them enough that I am afraid that they are going to wear out.

I also was amazed at how close the Cabella's Safari shirt is, except for the pleats. I don't think I have ever seen a shirt other than an Indy shirt with pleats like that. It is a very unique feature.

Well anyway, I think I will probably wear the close enoughs more than the Westeds. I will usually wear the Westeds for summits or when in full gear and use the close enoughs for daily wear. The Westeds are just more expensive to replace. Of course, since the LL Beans were discontinued, maybe they are irreplaceable. But I do have three times as many of them.

I got my Wested pants unhemmed. I think I read awhile back about how to hem these for screen accruacy but I can't seam to find it right now. I think some one said something about hemming them with a 4 inch hem to keep them from catching on the speed lacers of the Aldens. Of course, as tall as I am, I don't know how much extra room is going to be left for a hem.

If anyone has any tips for the most screen accurate way to hem them, Let me know. I am going to take them to the local tailor, but I just need to know what to tell him. I know this has also probably been mentioned before, but did anyone have their Wested shirt shrink at all when they washed them? It is a very tailored fit and fits great now, but I don't want it to shrink and be too small.

Both the shirt and the pants seem to be extremely well made. Like I said, the shirt is a very tailored fit, which is the way the shirts looked on HF in the movies. My pants fit perfect, another great job by Peter and company. I guess you can say, I am one happy camper.

Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 12:44 am
by binkmeisterRick
Congrats on the new gear, Bufflehead! Can you post pics of the Wested vs. the "close enoughs?" It would be interesting to see the similarities. :wink:

bink

Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 1:15 am
by Got Maul
congrats man ! its is a very gratifying feeling to get those WESTED items in !

Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 2:59 am
by Scandinavia Jones
Congratulations! As for the screen-accurate hemming, some wise board member once said that one should be able to see three shoelace holes below the pant leg... as for the speed lacers, the 4" hem is a very good idea - otherwise they will snag, eventually.

Re: A package arrived from Wested today, yesssss...

Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 3:07 am
by Neolithic
Bufflehead Jones wrote: I think some one said something about hemming them with a 4 inch hem to keep them from catching on the speed lacers of the Aldens. Of course, as tall as I am, I don't know how much extra room is going to be left for a hem.
Yeah, a dang good idea. I've already snagged mine on the speed lacers on my Aldens. :evil: I caught it just in time.

I found the pants to be quite wide at the ends of the legs once they were all done. I keep thinking that the Raiders pants were boot-leg cut?

BTW- did you get the first batch of material or the latest ones?

Enjoy them! :D :tup:

Re: A package arrived from Wested today, yesssss...

Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 3:26 am
by Scandinavia Jones
Neolithic wrote:I found the pants to be quite wide at the ends of the legs once they were all done. I keep thinking that the Raiders pants were boot-leg cut?
Raiders pants were straight-legged. They may seem to have something of a boot-cut 'flare' due to the result of serious abuse and their extensive bagginess.

Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 5:45 am
by Swindiana
Congratulations, Bufflehead!

I'm waiting for my pants to arrive as we speak and I've heard nothing but good stuff about them. I also had the great opportunity of checking out Scandy's a while back and I never thought they would be as rugged as they are. Great tips on the hemming part guys. :) Now, bring on the summit...

Regards,
Swindiana

Re: A package arrived from Wested today, yesssss...

Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 7:11 am
by Rob
Scandinavia Jones wrote:
Neolithic wrote:I found the pants to be quite wide at the ends of the legs once they were all done. I keep thinking that the Raiders pants were boot-leg cut?
Raiders pants were straight-legged. They may seem to have something of a boot-cut 'flare' due to the result of serious abuse and their extensive bagginess.
I get the feeling both you guys are using the term boot leg cut to mean different things...

Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 8:34 am
by Hemingway Jones
Congrats, Buff,
I would also like to see those comparison shots.
The hem catching on the speed-lacers is really an issue. It happens all of the time with my LL Bean dress chinos. I also rarely lace all the way up the speed lacers (on my J Crew boots -no Aldens for me), so this makes the problem a little worse.
Best,
HJ

Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 9:19 am
by Gater
With both of my JCrew (Deckers and Ruggeds) since I rarely, if ever, use the speed laces, I used pliers to 'pinch' the speed lacers so they don't catch on my pants anymore.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend this for Aldens, but for $40 JCrew's, I highly recommend it for anyone who doesn't use the speed lacers, but keeps catching them on your pants.

Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 9:21 am
by binkmeisterRick
I never have problems with my speed lacers. Is it just a matter of how your pants are hemmed that causes the lacers to get caught (I assume) on the stitching?

bink

Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 9:56 am
by Hemingway Jones
Go Speed Lacer, Go Speed Lacer, Go Speed Lacer, Go!!! :D

-Thanks for the tip.

Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 10:27 am
by binkmeisterRick
:lol: :lol: :lol:

Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 11:25 am
by Michaelson
Quick question Buff. How close was the waist size to your actual waist size? Is the trouser correct to U.S. measurement, or does it seem to run small, as we've seen on some of the jackets? I've seen and handled the shirt, but never the trousers, so I'm curious. Regards. Michaelson

Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 12:21 pm
by IndianaGuybrush
Chucklehead can't post while he's at work so I'll field this one for you Michaelson.

He wears a size 38 normally and that's what he ordered. He says that the waist fits perfectly, so I assume the wested pants offerings are sized in the same way that US pants are sized. 8)

Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 6:29 pm
by Mr. Das
I disagree with the above post. I wear a 36 for everything with the exception of dress pants I bought with my jacket(suit jacket, not Wested).

When ordering I remembered someone posted that they went up a size with their pants and it fits as if it was a (Wested-2 sizes).

I did the same thing and went for a 38 and it fits like a 36. If I ordered a 36 from Wested, I would have sent it back for being a bit too tight.

Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 7:13 pm
by Bufflehead Jones
IndianaGuybrush wrote:Chucklehead can't post while he's at work so I'll field this one for you Michaelson.

He wears a size 38 normally and that's what he ordered. He says that the waist fits perfectly, so I assume the wested pants offerings are sized in the same way that US pants are sized. 8)
Chucklehead, huh. Yes, I was at work. Speaking of which, don't you have a job? Or, do you just goof off all the time. Do I have to come up there to New York and straighten your act out :whip: ...Oh, yeah. I am coming up to New York. #-o Thanks for inviting me.

Without comparing the two pants directly, I was prepared to echo my Evil Twin's assessment. I ordered my normal size and the Wested pants fit was perfectly acceptable.

But, since it was Michaelson that was asking, I got up and physically compared the Wested pants to my LL Bean Cavalry Twill pants. Most of us are familiar with the fit of LL Bean's I would think. I was actually surprised to see that they were not the exact same size at the top of the waist. The Wested pants were ever so slightly smaller.

I decided to measure the pants. The LL Beans measured almost exactly a 38, which is the size that they are supposed to be. These pants have been laundered a few times. It is remarkable that a pair of mass produced pants were almost perfectly sized.

The Wested pants actually measured about a 37. So they are a little bit smaller than actual size. I would have never noticed the difference if I had not directly compaired the pants and measured them. This may account for someone saying that they run a little small. The difference in my opinion was negligible. I would say to just order your normal size. The next pair of Wested pants that I order may come in and measure a perfect 38.

That's okay Dr. Evil, you lie and I'll swear to it.

Re: A package arrived from Wested today, yesssss...

Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 7:22 pm
by Bufflehead Jones
Rob wrote:
Scandinavia Jones wrote:
Neolithic wrote:I found the pants to be quite wide at the ends of the legs once they were all done. I keep thinking that the Raiders pants were boot-leg cut?
Raiders pants were straight-legged. They may seem to have something of a boot-cut 'flare' due to the result of serious abuse and their extensive bagginess.
I get the feeling both you guys are using the term boot leg cut to mean different things...
Rob,

I think you are right. It sounds like they are using the term to mean two opposite things. I have usually heard the term "boot cut" when describing jeans. It seems that it has always meant that the lower part of the pants leg was straight cut, not flared.

Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2004 3:34 am
by Indiana Blizzard
I love the smell of new gear in the morning... :lol: congrats.

Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2004 10:06 am
by Renderking Fisk
Now you have me wondering more about the Close-Enough pants from Beans. Do you have a link to the ones you've bought so we all know which ones you're talking about?

Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2004 10:23 am
by Pyroxene
Indiana Blizzard wrote:I love the smell of new gear in the morning... :lol: congrats.
That's a good line.

Re: A package arrived from Wested today, yesssss...

Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2004 10:53 am
by Scandinavia Jones
Bufflehead Jones wrote:I've usually heard the term "boot cut" when describing jeans. It seems that it has always meant that the lower part of the pants leg was straight cut, not flared.
My mistake. In Sweden, the term 'boot cut' (when describing jeans) means straight-legged with a small flare at the bottom to acommodate for the tapering part of western boots (kinda trendy in Levi's).

Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2004 12:00 pm
by Michaelson
Thanks, buff. That's what I've heard before, but wanted to check with a recent recepient of a pair. High regards. Michaelson

Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2004 7:28 pm
by Bufflehead Jones
Renderking Fisk wrote:Now you have me wondering more about the Close-Enough pants from Beans. Do you have a link to the ones you've bought so we all know which ones you're talking about?
Hey Fisk,

This was earlier this year and I don't remember who posted the info about the pants. I checked and the link to the Beans pants no longer exists.

Someone posted that these pants were on clearence and was a good buy. I checked out the pants and ordered a pair. They came in about two days and I liked them. I immediately ordered two more pairs. Like I said, I should have ordered about a dozen pairs as they are no longer available.

The pants are cavalry twill and are pleated. They came hemmed with no cuffs. They are a cotton/poly blend and are wash and wear. They came in dark tan and are Bean's natural fit. They don't have the pocket flaps in the back but do have button through pockets.

Unfortunately, I think LL Bean had these as a closeout item. I bought them for about $25 each. I have not seen anything about them since. I wish they would bring them back. I printed out the description of the pants and still have it. Here is a quote from Bean's description of them.

"In the early 1900s, cavalry twill was used by US troops for riding breeches because of its durability and natural stretch. Since then, it has become a popular fabric for use in casual clothes and sporting attire. The characteristic deep double lines and steep angle of the twill give a refined classic look that's ideal for dressier occasions."

I thought if any one would, you would enjoy that description.

These pants were one of the reasons that IndianGuyBrush and I became known as the EVIL TWINS. We had never met before, but we showed up at the first Gettysburg summit this year and we had identical attire. We both had a Keppler fedora, LL Bean safari shirt, these LL Bean cavalry twill pants, and of course a Wested jacket. A legend in our own minds was born.

Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2004 8:00 pm
by Serial Hero
I love the smell of new gear in the morning...
It smells like... adventure.

Re: A package arrived from Wested today, yesssss...

Posted: Sat Sep 25, 2004 5:35 am
by Indiana Jerry
Scandinavia Jones wrote:
Bufflehead Jones wrote:I've usually heard the term "boot cut" when describing jeans. It seems that it has always meant that the lower part of the pants leg was straight cut, not flared.
My mistake. In Sweden, the term 'boot cut' (when describing jeans) means straight-legged with a small flare at the bottom to acommodate for the tapering part of western boots (kinda trendy in Levi's).
Easy mistake, that's what all my boot-cut Levi's back in the 80's were - here in the US of A. The straight-legs were instead called 'straight-legs'. (I'll let ya'll guess why.)

J

Posted: Sat Sep 25, 2004 9:12 am
by binkmeisterRick
Bufflehead Jones wrote:These pants were one of the reasons that IndianGuyBrush and I became known as the EVIL TWINS. We had never met before, but we showed up at the first Gettysburg summit this year and we had identical attire. We both had a Keppler fedora, LL Bean safari shirt, these LL Bean cavalry twill pants, and of course a Wested jacket. A legend in our own minds was born.
Great story! It makes sense, too! :wink: Since calvary twill seems to be harder to come by, I'm almost tempted to go to a local taylor and see if he can get the material and make me a pair of Indy pants! Sure, it's probably be more expensive, but if even Wested can't offer the twill anymore, it may be worth it.

bink

Posted: Sat Sep 25, 2004 11:05 am
by Swindiana
Bink;
This is what SJ did. I'm sure he will chime in and tell you which way he went by. ;) There are some shots of them in the threads if you look around.

Regards,
Swindiana

Posted: Sat Sep 25, 2004 11:49 am
by Renderking Fisk
Bufflehead, Thanks for the data on those Calvery Twill pants. I'll have to keep an eye out for them.

Posted: Sat Sep 25, 2004 12:45 pm
by Scandinavia Jones
Swindiana wrote:Bink; this is what SJ did.
Indeed. And recently, I think I've come across a new, even better cav twills! As far as I could see, the color was a very close match to the NH pants. I think the price would be about US$65 for fabric alone (2 meters - enough for a pair of pants...)
I'll find out more and post pics, if you're interested.

Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2004 11:15 am
by binkmeisterRick
Yeah, SJ, I am interested! Also, what did you go off of for patterns? Did you have an existing pair of Indy trousers you used or did you just take pictures in and say "I want it like this"? Do you have a swatch of this fabric still? If so, any way you could send me a sample? :wink:

bink

Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2004 1:29 pm
by Scandinavia Jones
I simply copied the pics of the NH pants from the main site and gave them to the shop. The result was a pair of decent pants, way too dark for Indy though, and they didn't get some of the details right (the back pocket flaps being the most obvious ones). I'll probably buy the fabric from this shop, but will use another construction service next time...

I'll see if I can get hold of any swatches this week. :)

Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2004 2:58 pm
by Indiana Jerry
I wonder if you deconstructed a pair of pants (i.e. TOOK THEM APART) and used them to make patterns for a tailor, if they'd be terribly offended, or just say, "Cool."

Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2004 7:16 pm
by Scandinavia Jones
As for the trouser pattern... Indy's pants are a pair of straight-legged, very classic/basic mens' pants without turn-ups/cuffs. The only significant differences are the pocket flaps and the button fly, otherwise they are quite ordinary gentlemen's legwear with double front pleats, if memory serves (yes it does - just checked a NH pic). The cavalry twills itself gives the pants a nice, 'adventure' drape and gives a lot of the 'vintage' look.

A tailor shouldn't have much trouble making a decent replica given a roll of fabric of a nice color. I therfore believe deconstruction is unnecessary (and scary - who'll volunteer to rip apart their MBA pants? :shock: :wink: )

Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2004 10:16 pm
by Indiana Jerry
:oops: Sometimes 'hardcore' = 'seemed like a good idea at the time'...

...but my cough medicine is wearing off now, thanks for the intervention... :wink: