The World’s Heaviest Denim Jacket (and Other Big News This Week ...)

There’s a lot happening in denim right now—from SOSO’s 33 oz. monster heavyweight to new boots, fresh guides, and even some big news out of the U.S. mills.

This week, I’m taking you through our latest updates, a few standout drops, and the stories that caught my attention.

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH SOSO

33 oz. of Denim Engineering Madness (in a jacket!)

How do you make 33 oz. denim for the world’s heaviest custom-made denim jacket?

SOSO’s answer is both simple and wildly ambitious. They start by twisting together three heavy warp yarns—each the kind you’d normally only find in the toughest selvedge. Then, they do the same with the weft, twisting two of those into one, before weaving the yarns together on a vintage shuttle loom.

The result is a fabric that’s almost three times heavier than normal denim, and looks almost like a double indigo from the outside. On the face, you barely see the weft at all—just a solid field of deep indigo. This is denim pushed to its limits.

It’s now available in both the classic indigo and a double indigo version. You can have it made into jeans—but the classic indigo jackets are the real headline here. Only ten were made available for this drop, and as I’m writing this, there are just five left.

SOSO first released this monster fabric back in 2019, and each run is super limited. It’s an experiment turned legend—and if you’ve ever wondered what denim this heavy feels like, this is your chance to find out.

Style Guide: 1 Denim Jacket, 8 Ways to Wear It

The Type III denim jacket has been around since the early 1960s, and it’s still the benchmark for a reason. Tellason’s version keeps the spirit alive—made in San Francisco from Japanese selvedge denim and cut for a clean, modern shape that works with almost anything.

This week, I’ve published a style guide, where I’ve built eight outfits around the jacket. Sure, there’s the classic double denim look, but the jacket can do so much more! Learn how to wear it with flannels, as office wear, and even with Riviera whites.

Buying Guide—How to Pick a Pair of Benzak Jeans

Benzak is one of those brands that gets the fundamentals exactly right, if you ask me—timeless fits, practical details, and fabrics developed to fade beautifully.

In this new buying guide, I break down how the range fits together, from the European-made line to the Japanese collection, and how to pick the right cut and fabric for you.

If you’ve ever been unsure where to start with Benzak, this walks you through it in plain language.

Denim Shirt Guide Updated!

This week, we’ve updated our Denim Shirt Buying Guide, and like with the Selvedge Masterlist and the Raw Denim Jacket Guide—and to some extent the Heavy Flannel Guide—the big change is this: you’re not just seeing product shots anymore, you’re seeing what these shirts actually look like after wear.

The idea is simple—if you want a denim shirt that’ll become your signature piece, you pick one, you wear it hard, and you let it take over your life. This guide helps you choose that one shirt.

We’ll keep updating our core buying guides over the coming weeks …

Denim News That Caught My Attention This Week

A few headlines that stood out to me over the past few days—some big moves, some small details, but all worth knowing if you follow what’s happening in our little corner of the denim world.

White Oak’s Draper Looms Saved … and the Future of American Selvedge Is Restored!

Sad as it was to see Vidalia Mills close, there’s finally some good news. Mount Vernon has stepped in to save White Oak’s Draper X3 shuttle looms.

You might not know Mount Vernon Mills, but the company’s been weaving fabric in the U.S. for 180 years. If anyone could pick up the torch, it’s them.

The looms are being relocated to its Trion, Georgia mill, with operations expected to start early next year.

You can learn more about White Oak’s history in the article I originally wrote for my first book, Blue Blooded.

Iron Heart Project RE:LOVE totes

Two new totes made in Gosport from Iron Heart offcuts and worn denim—one patch-worked from hemming remnants, the other re-cut from naturally faded jeans. I

n true Iron Heart fashion, they pretty much sold out immediately, but this one’s still available at the time of publication.

KATO x White’s Boots—launching today

Built on White’s Semi Dress last with triple-black Horween Chromexcel and a Vibram Christy sole, this collaboration nails the “vintage meets comfort” balance. The teacore leather will fade to brown with wear—pairing perfectly with denim.

Franklin & Poe: New space + exclusive White’s builds

Franklin & Poe has moved to 1339 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia—and launched four new White’s collaborations, including the first-ever engineers with Dr. Sole Supergrip soles. The Black Waxed Flesh version is already drawing attention (and having my drooling).

That’s it for this week’s fades, finds and guides—see you next Friday.

Later,
Thomas