Archival Visit - HUGE magazine

Last weekend we were honored with a visit from the Japanese "hi-style" magazine HUGE. HUGE is doing a feature on Oregon manufacturers and we were pleased that they included Archival in their itinerary. On Sunday, the HUGE team visited our sewing contractor's facility in Springfield to get some live action snaps of Terry at work.

It was a pleasure to watch Nick, a professional photographer, at work. Here he is taking light meter readings before shooting Terry. I love that Nick shoots on film.

Nick and Takuhito, delightful gents

Documenting how Terry sets washers and snaps.

Checking Polaroids of me. I'm posing in front of a Quonset hut.

I endorse Takuhito's twin pack approach to rucksack portage. Nicole, AC Production Manager, dodging the camera in background.

Archival heirlooms: Mamiya 645, Domke canvas camera bag and Kodak 120 Portra film.

Nick's back up rig - an Olympus Stylus point and shoot. I like his Makr carry pouch.

Prepping Rucksacks for their close ups

Archival Flap Musettes Now Available

We are excited to announce that a new round of Archival Flap Musettes and Archival Totes are now available. We also have Archival Plain Musettes in stock.

Flap musette in 10 oz. navy waxed cotton canvas

Flap musette in 22 oz. ranger tan waxed twill

Flap musette in 10 oz. olive waxed cotton canvas

To make a purchase, please send an email to info@ArchivalClothing.com to confirm availability of style and color.

The Flap Musette is $110 + 12.50 for shipping within the US.

For international shipping charges, please inquire at info@ArchivalClothing.com.

While our musettes are designed for cycling and everyday use, we were pleased that Apartment Therapy Unplggd endorsed our bags for ipad portage.

And in case you missed our production tour of T & J sewing, here are a few more shots of the flap musettes being sewn by owner Terry Shuck.

Individually numbered tabs (hand stamped by Tom)

Binding side seams

Bartacking

Attaching web strap

Our sewing savant

In lieu of cardboard boxes (custom transport duffles by T & J)

Archival Production Report

Terry w/flap musette fabrics

Terry Shuck of T & J Custom Sewing in Springfield, Oregon, makes all of our Archival Clothing baggage. Terry started out in shoe repair and later worked as a fabric cutter, machine technician and backup soft goods design assistant for Burley Design Cooperative in Eugene, Oregon. We had heard it was difficult to find a quality sewing contractor, so it was our luck that Terry was the first listing in the local yellow pages, and he's just ten miles down the road. From our first meeting, we have been impressed with Terry's remarkable knowledge of his craft. When we started out we had nothing more than rough home sewn prototypes and hopeful drawings. Terry was able to take our ideas and transform them into a finished product. We really appreciate Terry's ability to work with our original designs and robust materials (heavy duty waxed twill and mil spec cotton webbing from the UK). It was through Terry that we found several subcontractors and material suppliers, and he's been patient and helpful as we learn the ins and outs of managing a production schedule. Here are a few images from a recent visit, in which Terry - who sews all of our bags himself - constructs our Totes and Flap Musettes.

Operating fabric saw

Adding leather washers and brass snaps to flap musettes

Basting AC tag

Joining panels

Bias tape delivery

Swapping tape folder for walking foot

Archival Field Trip: Timber Bowl

Backdate to 12/08

Bowling in small doses (say, once every five years) is OK since you get to wear stylistically and historically codified footwear (like an interactive module in a shoe museum). While bowling has inspired fashion oriented footwear, my minimal field research shows little evidence that streetwear has influenced bowling shoe designs. At Timber Bowl, in Springfield, Oregon, I did see a poster advertising a contemporary line of bowling shoes by Dexter (I didn't even know that bowling type shoes were available for sale to the public). But I'm not worried since most of the Dexter styling updates go no further than velcro closures or a special high top edition. For the most part, the overarching Dexter design concept remains firmly rooted in saddle shoe stylings from the 1950s.

Timeless classics

Bowling inpired Aldens

Contemporary options by Dexter Bowling

Springfield Catch and Release

 

Lee westernwear shirt (captured, but not by me)

Big Mac work boots for JC Penney (released)

Paraboot derby style shoes (captured)

(New old stock) Sears vintage loafers (captured)

Rocsport lace-ups (released)

TropiCool seersucker trousers (released)

Insulated military trousers (released)

A few items found, purchased from or released back to Springfield, Oregon, thrift stores on January 2, 2009.

And a few submissions to the emerging inventory, Why Was it Made?:

Archival Field Trip: Roberts Supply Co.

A few weeks ago, some friends and I ventured out to workwear supplierRobert Supply Co. to document the store's more exotic product offerings and collect archival footage. Although Roberts is an official (and well stocked) Filson dealer, the store specializes in logging equipment, industrial clothing and related supplies (translated into the vernacular by timber framing friend, Tom).

If Archival Clothing were a brick and mortar store, I'd design it to have the floor layout and cheery but serious feel of Roberts (maybe minus the large scale Carhart and Filson murals on the facade of the building).

Unlike a boutique featuring workwear in a gallery type setting (with exaggerated spacing between displayobjects), Roberts packs all its merchandise into organized, tightly packed, ceiling height shelving units. Handwritten signs note price and size offerings. The overall look is that of a Carnegie library for work clothing.

Full Roberts Supply Co. photo set on flickr.