BLUE JEANS @ CENTRAAL MUSEUM

Tonight, I was invited to see the Blue Jeans exposition @ Centraal Museum, Utrecht. This beautiful displayed time travel trough jeans is put together by Joachim Baan & Pauline Broekman, daughter of the owner of Thom Broekman & De Rode Winkel. This year the Broekman stores celebrates it's 175 anniversary and dedicates it to denim. With some help from business partners they even got an 18 century painting on display called Master of the Blue Jeans, Woman begging with two children. (for more pics see Long John)

CHAD VISITED UNIONMADE, SAN FRANCISCO

On my last trip to the States, I paid a visit to Unionmade, which was high on my "bucket list"

I was welcomed by John, who showed my around and introduced me to Erin, the Manager and Todd Barket the owner. Todd started Unionmade in 2009 on Sanchez Street after working 18 years for GAP.       

In September 2011 the store was expanded to house a growing collection, here you can find excellent brands like Filson, Alden, Pendleton, Gant Rugger, Beams+, Barbour, Gitman Vintage, Quoddy, Redwing, Howlin' by Morrison etc. all under one roof. For F/W Todd introduced his 2nd Unionmade Indigo Collection bringing in favourite labels to work their magic in blue. My favorite spot of the store is the fitting room, nicely decorated with Pendleton blankets. Thanks guys for your hospitality.

BUDDY LEE - YOU CAN'T BUST'EM

Lee Mercantile Company was founded by Henry David Lee in 1889, when Lee opened his first factory in Salina, Kansas, producing dungarees and jackets.

In 1913, the Union-All work jumpsuit was created, followed by the first-ever "Overall" in 1920 - laying the foundation for Lee's early growth. In the 1920s The silent salesman was introduced. Sales manager Chester Reynolds came up with the idea of using a doll, to "model" miniature versions of the company's clothes as a store display. The 12 inch composition dolls first appeared placed in windows of the Dayton's flagship store on Nicolett Mall in Minneapolis. If you saw the doll, displayed in a "dry goods" store it meant that the store sold the H.D. Lee brand. Lee encouraged stores to sell the dolls after the displays were taken down and later provided the dolls for retail, dressed in many versions for just usd 2,40. The first generation composition dolls were made from 1920 until 1948. The second generation was made from hard plastic and grew an inch. By the end of the production in 1962 Buddy Lee was the second highest selling doll in the United States, you can figure out yourself which doll was number 1. Thanks to Lee Amsterdam, I'm the happy owner of a third generation limited edition Buddy Lee (nr. 47 of 250). As from today he guards my books about denim and Americana. No, guys don't play with dolls.

THERE'S A NEW "MANN" IN TOWN

Michael Nijhof is the proud and enthusiastic owner of the recently opened store MANN.

He started several years ago in the fastest growing city of Holland, called Almere. Soon he got the possibility to take over the store. But it's the same when you are moving into your girlfriends place, it ain't your furniture and your colors on the wall. When he got the opportunity this winter to move to another location, he took this chance with both hands. The store is filled with industrial fittings, for the wall units he used 10 meter long old beams from demolished houses. The jeans wall is build from old wooden ladders, and they make a perfect display for the collection of Red Seal, Lee and Edwin. Michael showed me a vintage Lee Overall and a vintage Lee Jeans and told me the story of it. He is proud to have brands with a story like, Lee, Edwin, Denham, Ralph Lauren, Stone Island and Sorel. Michael gave me a scoop, for Fall 2012, he selected a fine collection of GANT Rugger. (Ps Michael, don't forget the Buddy Lee's for me).

THE LETTER SWEATER

Holiday 2010 by Rugby

Dartmouth University

Princeton

Buddy Lee in an University of Minnesota Sweater

Yale University

Scene from the movie Easy Rider

Harvard University

Deuce.....

shot by The Sartorialist

Page from Take Ivy

The idea of the varsity letter was first introduced in 1865, when the Harvard baseball team added an old English "H" embroidered on their grey flannel shirt. Ten years later, the Harvard football team followed and used the "H" also on their jersey's. In that time it was common use that the player who won an important game kept the letter as an award. First you had the Letterman sweaters followed by jackets and cardigans. The letter was quite big and centered if the sweater was a pullover. If it was a cardigan, the letter was placed on the left side. The stripes on one sleeve designated the number of letters won; a star indicated the team captain. 

BUDDY LEE

 

 

Buddy Lee, was an advertising mascot for Lee Jeans, during 1920 till 1962. Sales manager Chester Reynolds, later Lee's board president, came up with the idea of using a doll to "model" miniature versions of the company's clothes for store displays. The 12½-inch composition dolls first appeared in the windows of Dayton's flagship store on Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis, then were used at stores nationwide.

 

Lee encouraged stores to sell the dolls after the displays were taken down, and later provided the dolls for retail sale, including versions dressed as a cowboy, Coca-Cola deliveryman, railroad worker and gas station attendant. Starting in 1949, Buddy Lee was produced as a 13-inch hard plastic doll, along with a female version, Betty Lee.

The Buddy Lee dolls were discontinued in 1962 because they were no longer profitable. By then, Buddy Lee had become the second-highest-selling doll in the United States. On ebay you pay between 100,-- and 300,-- bucks for a doll. Nowadays  you will find Buddy Lee  displayed in the better jeans stores.