Chicken or Egg?

Chicken or Egg?

If you are clicking on this post it's for one of two reasons.

1) You have an interest in selvedge denim or leather.

2) Somehow I figured out how to use ad words and targeted marketing.

The first is the more likely answer, and I am cool with that. Like the old question of what came first - the chicken or the egg, some people may be wondering the same about the fascination that I have with selvedge denim and leather and what actually got my attention first.

The short answer is leather for me. If you know anything about HFA, you know that back in 2018 I lost my wallet and rather than buy a new one that I was sure would break down in a year; I decided to take a shot at creating my own. Ever since I have been working with leather, almost on a daily basis into the wee hours of the morning. 

However, I can remember back to 2009 or 2010 and seeing kids rocking low top sneakers with a heavy cuff showing off what I thought was a kind of weird hem on the side of their jeans. Little did I know what it was or what the significance was behind it- and never did I think that 12 years later I would be wearing my denim the same damn way.

As I have gotten older, gained tons and tons of wisdom (yeah right) and really figured out my 'style' I can confidently say there is a reason why the two are lumped together and often associated so closely with heritage workwear and the thought of making thoughtful purchases. Now not every piece of denim or leather product is going to last a lifetime, but the right items will. After working with leather I quickly realized that vegetable tanned leathers felt stronger and sturdier than that old American Eagle wallet I had in 2002. That knowledge led me to believe that there were likely other ways to think when purchasing the clothes I wear. If I could make a wallet that would only get better with time, there had to be denim out there that was produced sustainably to do the same. That is when I ran into Eric at FITTED Underground one evening in NYC at a NY Denim Hangs meetup that I would have known nothing about if I wasn't walking around the city one day with a buddy checking out stores that neither of us would have stepped foot into 10 years ago.

We chatted for a bit and I ended up taking the plunge into the selvedge world and can truthfully say, I don't see myself going back. Sure, it was amazing knowing that one person took a roll of fabric and turned it into a masterpiece, but I also loved everything it stood for. The amount of water saved for example. Knowing that when the pair broke down they could be repurposed or repaired really sold me. 

So here we are, nearly two years into wearing selvedge denim and close to 160 days in the same pair that Eric made for me last September and I am not looking back. Working with leather made me think more about what I was purchasing for myself. Is it a craze for some? Sure. Can it make your pockets a little lighter? Depends. But, if nothing else it will quickly prove to you that where you spent your hard earned dollars before - can certainly be allocated differently.

Be well.

TR

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