So, What is NEW VINTAGE? Vol.82 "Everyday wear of life-size Americans. That's what I like about Lands' End jeans.

In the 1990s, the term "vintage" was used to describe vintage clothing that did not meet the definition of "antique," but still had value, as opposed to "antique" clothing that was 100 years old. Nowadays, there is a movement to find new value in "new vintage," even in old clothes from the 1980s onward, which used to be called "regular" vintage clothes. In this project, four vintage clothing stores with different styles propose new ways to enjoy vintage clothing. Each of them will talk about the charm of vintage clothing with their own sense of style.

With all the new stores, this Series is finally in its 11th season! The 82nd issue features Ryosuke Akimoto and Yoshihide Ohashi of Nerdy Dogs (™︎), which mainly deals with 90's outdoor vintage clothing in Gotokuji. What kind of new vintage items will they introduce?

Text_Tommy
Edit_Yosuke Ishii

Ryosuke Akimoto & Yoshihide Ohashi / Nerdy Dogs™︎
Vol.82_LANDS' END Denim Pants

-First of all, let me ask you. What does New Vintage mean to you both?

The American casual vintage clothing that has been referred to as "true vintage" up until now was established in Japan in the 1990s, and the standard of value was established. For example, Levi's had the rarest XX fat-XXs from the Fat XXs era, followed by XX, and so on. In such a situation, there are still interesting vintage clothes with a standard of value that has not yet been established. I guess.

-By the way, you both originally came from select stores. Do you have any "unique" selection criteria or views on vintage clothing?

It is true that there are two types of stores that do not come from a genuine vintage clothing field, such as ours: those that offer a different standard of value from that of a select store, and those that aim for an authentic, old-fashioned vintage clothing shop style. We are more of the latter. We are more of the latter, and we mainly deal in 90's outdoor items. As is the case with any genre, brands and items that are well-known to a certain degree lack freshness, so we decided to promote a genre whose value has not yet been clearly defined.

-What do you think is the key to finding new value in these used clothes?

I think it is the material and the color. Take denim, for example. Although denim is a standard item, there are colors that can only be produced in that era. Even if we tried to make them now, it would be impossible to reproduce them because of the production background of the machines and techniques of the time. I think the way to enjoy new vintage is to look for items that have "charms that neither true vintage nor current items have.

-I see. So, what is the new vintage item you are going to introduce?

The brand is "Lands' End," which we like. It has an authentic design and a large number of items, and the lineup feels very American.

-There has been a re-evaluation of Lands' End in the vintage clothing industry.

Founded in 1963, the company is one of the largest casual wear brands in the United States. The company was initially a sales company for yacht equipment, and later began handling apparel in the 1970s.

-somewhat similar to Elle Bean as well.

Sales are mainly through catalog mail order as well. There are also physical stores in some parts of the country, but online sales seem to be popular these days. Here in Japan, the brand started in 1994 and seems to have had a large share of the global market. However, it is not a brand that sells originality, so it is not fashionable, and I have the impression that many of its designs are traced from other companies' products (smiles). Among them, this time we picked up the standard model "Square Rigger," which was created in 1986 as the brand's first jeans.

LANDS' END jeans ¥11,880-15,180(Nerdy Dogs ™️)

The brown and blue are older, probably late 80's to early 90's in period. At that time, they were one-fits-all and the style name was not yet decided. Then, in the mid-90's, there were three styles: traditional, relaxed, and original. Off-white and blue-gray are models from the mid-90's onward, and both are traditional fit. After that, there were times when two fits were used, depending on the decade, but the length was consistently offered in two types: regular and long.

-What exquisite colors again!

Is. Stonewash was the selling point, and there seemed to be a wide variety of neutral, nuanced colors available. Moreover, the colors are totally different even with the same name depending on the period, and as I mentioned at the beginning, there are colors that were only available during a certain period of time. As for the details, it seems that minor changes were made during each period.

-It is true that the design is a little different from what you see on closer inspection.

The most obvious is the design of the leather patch on the back of the waist. The older type has a sailing ship surrounded by an oval shape, while the newer type does not have a ship surrounded by an oval shape.

The inside tag has also changed with the times, and the quality label is probably older and stitched on in white. In addition, the key point is that they are "basically made in the USA. Current products are probably different, but even in the early 2000s, they were made in the U.S., so I think this is very significant in the sense that they are "everyday wear of a life-size American".

-How do they feel when you actually wear them?

Not many people seem to look for them as a mainstay, but when you wear them, the silhouette is really good. Size is important when choosing. I recommend the regular-length type, which is now marked W36 x L30 and shrinks down from there. Everyone has their own preferences for color, but we have our own "this is a good color. The fact that we can make our own evaluation is the beauty of the "new vintage," for which the standard of value has not yet been established.

Ryosuke Akimoto & Yoshihide Ohashi / Director, Nerdy Dogs™︎
Akimoto and Ohashi, who were the same age when they joined a major select store, became buyers and salespeople, respectively, and opened "Nerdy Dogs ™︎ (™︎)" in Gotokuji in July 2023, selling mainly 90's outdoor vintage clothing, which they love. Nerdy Dogs ™︎" opened in Gotokuji in July 2023.
Instagram:@nerdy__dogs