Heddels Blowout artwork

Heddels Blowout

121 episodes - English - Latest episode: 9 months ago - ★★★★★ - 4 ratings

Clothing history...and more!

Society & Culture
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed

Episodes

63 - How the Supply Chain Stole Christmas (teaser)

October 12, 2021 22:41 - 3 minutes - 3.54 MB

To hear the full episode join Heddels+: http://heddels.plus As you may have noticed, global supply chains are a little wonky, to put it mildly, and this could affect everything from your new phone to toy Tonka trucks. Basically when everything shut down in the spring of 2020, it didn’t start up at the same time and this incredibly precarious global supply chain we have basically went out of balance and now has the speed wobbles as it’s doing 110 on the highway. We also update the Space Fo...

62 - Garment Worker Protection Worldwide

October 01, 2021 07:00 - 42 minutes - 58 MB

California signed the Garment Worker Protection Act into law this week. It's a big win for the people who make clothes in this country who have had up to 80% of their paychecks stolen via wage theft until it's passage. Also Albert went to a Pitbull show and has the vibe report on Mr. Worldwide and his fans. Also we discuss the following: Studio D’artisan 8oz. Loopwheeled Kasuri Indigo t-shirt WAREHOUSE Lot.2168 ALL LEATHER AWARD JACKET Engineered Garments Olive Satin Explorer Shirt Jacke...

61 - Uninformed Space Force Uniform Opinions (teaser)

September 27, 2021 15:36 - 3 minutes - 3.01 MB

Hear it all on Heddels+ first month free with code EXTRABLOWOUT: http://heddels.plus The newest branch of the US military, the Space Force, has revealed its first draft of uniforms. With new militaria to mine, we dig in on the tactics of said uniforms as well as Todd Snyder's attempt to do LL Bean right and Haruki Murakami's obsession with t-shirts. We also got a phone call! You too can call in at (720) 675-7098‬ or email us at [email protected]

60 - Met Gala Says it With Djibouti

September 20, 2021 18:20 - 47 minutes - 65.5 MB

It was the Met Gala last week and there was denim in it so obviously we have to comment on it. Also, Snoop Dogg collaborated with G-Star for some reason, which produced one of the strangest music videos in recent memory. Also discuss Hollywood Ranch Market channeling Needles, Levi's running a stretch jean in a color they call "Punk Rock", and some Flat Head paisley print shorts that you'll have to wait til next summer. Check out Heddels Shop, 10% off with the code BLOWOUT at checkout.

59 - Remembering the Straw Hat Riot of 1922 (teaser)

September 12, 2021 18:57 - 7 minutes - 6.77 MB

To hear the full episode and much more, subscribe below: http://heddels.plus Traffic stopped on the Manhattan Bridge, blood spilled in Mulberry Bend, thousands of stick wielding teens in the streets. New York City came to a standstill over the straw boater hat 99 years ago, and we're here to remember it. Also, check out Stan Ray restocks and more in the Heddels Shop, 10% off with code BLOWOUT!

58 - Transformations Upstream with Andrew Olah of Kingpins Show

September 08, 2021 20:02 - 55 minutes - 50.9 MB

As consumers, we have the tiniest window into how the products we use are made. Maybe you get a single country of origin or the fiber content, but that hides the many other chemicals, countries, and suppliers that contributed to its production. Andrew Olah has been in the upstream world of denim and clothing production for nearly 50 years and has run the Kingpins Show, one of the biggest markets and informational resources for denim and jeans manufacturers, since 2004. We talk with Andrew a...

57 - The Blowout Labor Day Special

September 03, 2021 18:41 - 58 minutes - 80.6 MB

Happy Labor Day in the US, it's time for us to reflect on the hard fought labor rights victories we enjoy in this country...AND SAVE! We're taking 25% off all of our Teamster Union Made tees and hoodies this weekend. So tune in to hear about the origins of Labor Day the holiday, the current status of our fall trend predictions, and David's bleach eccentricities. And get a great deal on a tee made with unionized labor through this Monday at the Heddels Shop: https://shop.heddels.com/collec...

56 - Apparel Policy Power Hour (teaser)

August 23, 2021 15:32 - 5 minutes - 5.13 MB

To hear the full episode, join at: http://heddels.plus So last week we talked about the personal aspects of climate change in regards to some practices we can all do to reduce our own impact. But as we all know and even mentioned, the actions of an individual, even all you beautiful individuals reading right now is like one drop removed from the rising ocean. We need policy and regulation enforced by governments if we hope to have any chance at minimizing the effects of the coming climate...

55 - How to Stop the World From Melting Your Clothes

August 16, 2021 18:44 - 40 minutes - 55.5 MB

That UN climate report was a doozy, wasn't it? While we've been mulling the habitable future of the planet over, we thought it was a good time to revisit some old practices one can do to make the most infinitesimal dent in the human impact on the climate. While the real change that needs to happen is systemic policy regulation, Reed and I discuss some easy habits you can do to reduce consumption and save some money. For more info, have a look at the article that inspired this episode: http...

54 - Division Road Heads East with Jason Pecarich (teaser)

August 04, 2021 21:00 - 5 minutes - 5.5 MB

To hear the full episode and much more, subscribe below: http://heddels.plus A move is not an uncommon occurrence in the life of a retail store, but moving to the opposite side of the country is. Division Road is picking up roots in its original home in downtown Seattle and headed some 3,000 miles east to a rural plot just outside Charlottesville, Virginia. We talk with owner Jason Pecarich about the store's future plans and where he thinks retailing in general is heading. You can find mo...

53 - Kapital Frees Tibet, Trolls, and Bidets

August 01, 2021 18:28 - 1 hour - 97 MB

Japanese brand Kapital's latest Kountry collection created waves in ways they didn't expect (but probably should've) when its "Free Tibet" imagery awakened thousands and thousands of angry comments on Instagram, putting the release in jeopardy. Kapital photographer Eric Kvatek rejoins us to discuss what happened and his own photoshopped response to the incident. We also discuss our fall trend predictions and the origins of Englebert Humperdinck on this week's episode. Support the show by be...

52 - The Losers of Champs

July 27, 2021 18:34 - 44 minutes - 60.8 MB

We finally get a long read of the entire Alden embezzlement controversy, lament things that have been confiscated by the TSA, and Albert has a Champs gift card we can't figure out how to spend. All that and more on this week's Blowout! Support the show by becoming a Heddels+ member (first month free with code EXTRABLOWOUT) and by visiting the Heddels Shop (10% off with code BLOWOUT). Also email us at [email protected] or call us at (720) 675-7098‬ Here's that Boston Magazine piece on Ald...

51 - The Timeless Look of Tremors with Gerald Ortiz

July 18, 2021 23:20 - 41 minutes - 57.3 MB

The year is 1990: Michael Bolton is on the radio, the first McDonald's opens in Moscow, and a group of carnivorous worms known as "graboids" are terrorizing the residents of a remote Nevada town called Perfection. The world may have changed, but the looks live on as Reed, Albert, David and former Heddels editor Gerald Ortiz dig deep on this creature horror classic. Hear about the sunbaked denim, boots, and entrails on this week's Blowout. Support the show by becoming a Heddels+ member, visi...

50 - Lying Flat for Garment Worker Protection (teaser)

July 15, 2021 05:31 - 4 minutes - 4.1 MB

To hear the full episode, become a Heddels+ member here: http://heddels.plus A recent study found that "sewing machine operator" was number 7 of the jobs with the greatest increased risk of death during the pandemic in California. Reed, David, and Albert discuss the implications and the dark realities of the people who make our clothes, even in a country where we would hope workers have the greatest protections. We also get into a cool new Chinese subculture of "lying flat" and generally r...

49 - The Indonesian Boot Scene with Ben Robinson

July 12, 2021 00:42 - 53 minutes - 73.4 MB

If you've perused any Fade Fridays, you may have noticed some of the most impressive fades come from Indonesia. But more recently, some of the most impressive boots are coming out of the country as well. We talk with Ben Robinson, Editor in Chief of Stitchdown.com and one of the foremost western experts and consumers of Indonesian footwear about how the Indonesian scene developed, some of the makers worth following, and how to order a pair from halfway around the world. If you want to know ...

48 - Goodbye Fur, We Hardly Knew Ye (teaser)

July 06, 2021 19:00 - 6 minutes - 6.04 MB

Join Heddels+ to hear the full episode: http://heddels.plus The big sea change in the fashion industry appears to be that fur is going the way of the dodo. Just this week, luxe parka maker Canada Goose announced they would be joining labels like Burberry and Prada in ending the use of fur in their collections. We've got that plus the willful destruction of perfectly good product, Reed's takedown of denim trousers, and our favorite summer totes and more on this week's Heddels+ episode.

47 - We Watched Jaws

July 04, 2021 03:29 - 1 hour - 97.1 MB

Happy 4th of July, may all your limbs stay attached! We watched the quintessential summer movie Jaws, which just so happens to coincide with the restock of our Quint Caps. Hear our thoughts on the clothes, the characters, and how it feels like a way to prescient parable for pandemic living. Pick up a Quint Cap for 20% today and today only with the code AMITYMEANSFRIENDSHIP. Or become a Heddels+ member and it's 20% off everyday!

46 - The Store Credit Spend Off

June 28, 2021 04:01 - 1 hour - 101 MB

If you've followed the show for any time, you're aware that I (David) don't buy much. It has been over a year since I have bought any new garment for myself, until that streak was broken with a pair of Engineered Garments x Sebago moccasins...that I immediately returned due to low quality. However, the store I returned them to (Lost & Found) has a policy of only store credit for returns. Considering I've been unsuccessful at buying something for the past year, I put the task to Reed and Alb...

45 - Yumiko Sakuma on Japan-American Cultural Appropriation (teaser)

June 28, 2021 03:49 - 3 minutes - 3.51 MB

Join Heddels+ to hear the full episode: http://heddels.plus If you're American and you're listening to this episode, you probably own something Japanese. If you're Japanese and listening to this episode, you probably own something American. But you probably don't know the cultural histories of these countries nearly as well as Yumiko Sakuma (@yumikosakuma), a Japanese writer who has lived in and written about the United States for nearly 25 years. Yumiko is currently exploring how to cover...

44 - Where Have All the Malls Gone?

June 19, 2021 22:14 - 58 minutes - 80.6 MB

David waxes on about a recent trip to the mall and the future of retail, Albert discusses his new New Balance plug and a Saint Christopher medal, and Reed scored some ts(s). All that and more on this week's Blowout. If you like this episode and want to support the show, join Heddels+ for more episodes, exclusive discounts, and bi-weekly giveaways.

43 - Cotton Tracing with Blake Ulves of Sewn West

June 07, 2021 21:19 - 44 minutes - 61.8 MB

Do you know where your cotton came from? Probably not as the world of cotton buyers and sellers is about as murky as it gets. Blake Ulves, a clothing production vet who's made knits for the biggest retailers on the market talks to us about his new t-shirt project Sewn West, which represents his uncompromising idea of what a tee (and cotton) can be. Visit https://www.sewnwest.com/ for 15% off with promo code SWHEDDELS15 valid thru June 30, 2021. And support our show by becoming a Heddels+ m...

42 - Albert Owns the Concept of Pants (teaser)

June 04, 2021 19:07 - 3 minutes - 4.19 MB

Access the full episode by joining Heddels+: https://www.heddels.com/join-heddels-plus/ You can own pants, but can you own all pants? Albert apparently does as he was recently gifted an NFT of the entire concept of pants as a whole. Listen to our uneducated discussions of NFTs, and our slightly more educated discussions of Converse potentially ripping off a potential intern, Etsy buying Depop, if Guayabera shirts are something appropriative, and how we don't recognize a Paul Newman t-shirt...

41 - The 15 Legal Haircuts of North Korea

May 31, 2021 19:45 - 35 minutes - 49.1 MB

Albert and David discuss North Korea's ban on denim and mullets and how it relates to denim behind the Iron Curtain in the Cold War as well as the reclaimed styles of French imperialism, long socks, and a breakdown of irregular denim. If you like this episode, be sure to join Heddels+ for discounts, giveaways, and more episodes. Also, here's our old piece on denim in the Soviet Union: https://www.heddels.com/2014/09/soviet-denim-smuggling-history-jeans-behind-iron-curtain/

40 - It's Apparently 501 Day? (teaser)

May 21, 2021 21:13 - 4 minutes - 6.86 MB

To listen to the full episode, join at http://heddels.plus Yes, I know Levi's got the patent on May 20, but they didn't even call it the 501 for like 20 years later. It doesn't make any sense. Aside from that, we chat about Nick Wooster's new NFT, Brendan Babenzien's move to J.Crew, weird shorts, and our personal history of mask usage in the past year. If you want to support brands and artisans in Palestine, you can do so here: https://www.palestine-studies.org/en/node/1651034 If you wan...

39 - The Shoes of Summer

May 18, 2021 02:34 - 43 minutes - 59.2 MB

The weather is warm, masks are coming off, toes are coming out. David, Reed, and Albert discuss inexplicable English text on Japanese t-shirts, the possible comeback of Evisu, and the complexities of warm weather footwear. Plus Albert has an update on the abuse story at the Colorado franchises of vintage retailer Buffalo Exchange. Join Heddels+ for more episodes, exclusive discounts and giveaways, and our discord forum.

38 - The Denim of Dogs

May 13, 2021 13:40 - 27 minutes - 38.2 MB

As much as we love to dress ourselves, we love to dress our pets even more. James and Reed discuss all the clothes and accessories, some from our favorite brands, and their canine equivalents.

UNLOCKED - The Denim Cult of Tony Alamo

May 03, 2021 04:01 - 36 minutes - 50.5 MB

Unlocked from our Heddels+ Blowout feed, the middle part of a Venn diagram that includes denim jackets, cults, and rampant abuse. We’re talking about Tony Alamo, and yes that’s spelled like Alamo as in “remember the” but it’s pronounced like Alamo. Regardless, he was about as despicable a human being as they come. From the late 60s onward, he ran a religious cult that separated families, forced people to work without pay, beat and sexually abused children, tried to summon people from the de...

36 - Canada's Shameful Denim Jacket Olympics

April 15, 2021 18:23 - 44 minutes - 61.5 MB

The Canadian Olympic team announced their outfits this week and their closing ceremony jacket is a doozy. David, Reed, and Albert Muzquiz discuss that as well as the Met Gala's "American Fashion" theme, the benefits of Kapital basics, the new Aime Leon Dore New Balances, Albert's article on blazers, as well as ripping into a Federalist essay that claims overseas sweatshops are for girlbosses. If you like this show and want more of it, or just want to support us, join Heddels+ today. It come...

35 - Flight Jacket History 2; Aces of WWI

April 13, 2021 06:08 - 28 minutes - 39 MB

In our last episode we talked about the earliest experiments of humans with aviation, which mostly included people covering themselves with feathers and jumping off of tall buildings. However, that lineage eventually got us to the Wright Brothers, who pioneered the first powered flight in 1903. They sold the first plane to the United States Army in 1909, but that would be far from the last plane bought by a military. Soon, every powerful nation on the face of the planet would be buying plan...

34 - Flight Jacket History 1 - We Don't Talk About Jackets

April 06, 2021 18:50 - 35 minutes - 49.3 MB

Strap in and put on your oxygen, we're taking off on another ambiguously long historical series! Aside from jeans, I can't think of another garment that tracks the history of the twentieth century better than the flight jacket. Starting in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina in 1903 and leading all the way to putting a man on the moon, the garments of aviation had to advance just as quickly as the aircraft themselves. In our first episode, we get into the prehistory of flight and what people wore wh...

33 - White Oak's Legacy with Ralph Tharpe (teaser)

March 30, 2021 00:27 - 2 minutes - 2.63 MB

To listen to the full episode, subscribe at http://heddels.plus When you think of the legendary Cone Mills White Oak plant, you should also think of Ralph Tharpe. Ralph was one of the longest serving individuals at the plant, working in textile development there from 1975 up until near the mill's closure in 2017. He's now started the White Oak Legacy Foundation, a non-profit group focused on not only preserving the history of the White Oak facility, but also making new denim on White Oak's ...

32 - The Hard Part of Easy Pants

March 28, 2021 21:29 - 50 minutes - 69.8 MB

We're running down the posts of the past week with the Heddels team featuring Albert Muzquiz, James Smith, Reed Nelson, and David Shuck. Hear about our product picks, a history of abuse at a Buffalo Exchange franchise, and the story behind recreating the Quint Cap during Covid. To support the show, you can pick up a Quint Cap for 10% off with the code BLOWOUT, or 20% off with a Heddels+ subscription.

30 - Miko Underwood of Oak & Acorn on Indigo's Untold Histories

March 18, 2021 20:40 - 56 minutes - 77.4 MB

The history of America is often one of oppression and exploitation, and the stories of American clothing are no different. Even more important than the details and the fabrics of uniforms and work clothes is who was allowed or forced to wear them. We had the chance to talk to Miko Underwood whose new denim label Oak & Acorn shines a light on the Black American experience of denim and indigo with historically inspired pieces. Learn about indigo dyeing in Western Africa, the clothes of incarce...

31 - Miko Underwood of Oak & Acorn on Indigo's Untold Histories

March 18, 2021 20:40 - 56 minutes - 77.4 MB

The history of America is often one of oppression and exploitation, and the stories of American clothing are no different. Even more important than the details and the fabrics of uniforms and work clothes is who was allowed or forced to wear them. We had the chance to talk to Miko Underwood whose new denim label Oak & Acorn shines a light on the Black American experience of denim and indigo with historically inspired pieces. Learn about indigo dyeing in Western Africa, the clothes of incarce...

30 - The Blue Denim (1959) Bait and Switch (teaser)

March 15, 2021 19:37 - 1 minute - 1.74 MB

Join Heddels+ to listen to the full episode: http://heddels.plus We review and discuss the elusive tale of denim and teen pregnancy, Blue Denim from 1959 (thank you Phillip from Denmark for sending us a copy!) Hear about 1950s morals on teenage delinquency, family values, and abortion.

29 - Eric Kvatek 10 Years After Fukushima

March 09, 2021 20:40 - 54 minutes - 74.7 MB

On March 11, 2011, a massive earthquake rocked the country of Japan. It moved the entire country over two meters west and reset the Earth's axis and caused a subsequent tsunami that hit the east coast of the Japanese region of Tohoku with a 133 foot tall wave. The influx of water lead to a failure and meltdown of three reactor cores of the Fukushima nuclear power plant, sending nuclear radiation throughout the area. Photographer Eric Kvatek was on the ground in Tohoku a few weeks later to h...

28 - The Denim Cult of Tony Alamo (teaser)

February 28, 2021 04:59 - 5 minutes - 4.8 MB

To hear the full episode, subscribe at https://www.heddels.com/join-heddels-plus We’re talking about Tony Alamo, and yes that’s spelled like Alamo as in “remember the” but it’s pronounced like Ah-lah-mo. Regardless, he was about as despicable a human being as they come. From the late 60s onward, he ran a religious cult that separated families, forced people to work without pay, beat and sexually abused children, tried to summon people from the dead...and made some pretty cool rhinestone den...

PLEASE JOIN HEDDELS+

February 28, 2021 04:41 - 3 minutes - 3.41 MB

Shameless plug here for our new membership program Heddels+ that'll get you more Blowout episodes, more written content, up to 2 product giveaways a month, a Discord forum where you can show us your pants, and discounts all across our niche. Get a free month trial with the code EXTRABLOWOUT: https://www.heddels.com/join-heddels-plus C'mon! C'monnnnnnn

27 - Denim Trend Tea Reading with Amy Leverton

February 24, 2021 02:07 - 58 minutes - 80.1 MB

We all know her, we all love her, we all follow her. Amy Leverton, aka Denim Dudes, has been at the bleeding edge of the denim business for almost two decades now. Much of it working as a "trend forecaster", which is basically the person who interprets culture and the world at large to determine what looks are going to pop and when so manufacturers can get the wheels in motion to meet the moment. Listen in as we try to predict how the zeitgeist of today will make the pants of tomorrow. Supp...

26 - Denim History 13; The Story of Japanese Denim

February 19, 2021 17:13 - 39 minutes - 53.8 MB

This is the end, my denim friends, the end. After over 7 hours of denim history, the beginning of Japanese denim will be our last stop on our 13-part denim history series. Learn all about why Japanese people became culturally obsessed with American jeans, early pairs of knockoff 501s, how Okayama became the denim capital of Japan (and arguably the world), and more on this final installment. This is the Heddels stuff that you probably all tuned in to hear in the first place so we hope you enj...

25 - Denim History pt. 12; The Stretched and the Distressed

February 12, 2021 19:28 - 27 minutes - 37.5 MB

At least 99% of denim on the market today isn't raw, it's been stonewashed, lasered, or sandblasted into what mimics an authentically worn pair of jeans. But this wasn't always the case, pre-distressed denim is a relatively recent phenomenon, which we're going to be getting into how the fashion market took over denim and they took the indigo with them. Learn all about Jackie Kennedy's favorite denim brand, an infamous Calvin Klein ad that was banned in a dozen markets, and how the denim indu...

24 - Denim History pt. 11; The Workwear of Civil Rights

February 05, 2021 19:03 - 26 minutes - 36.9 MB

We’ve talked about gold miners, we’ve talked about ancient sailors, we’ve talked about cowboys, soldiers, and poets. Today we’re going to get into something a little heavier, and we don’t mean Iron Hearts. Since practically its inception, denim has had a role in institutional racism in the United States. As we mentioned a few episodes ago, one of Levi’s earliest selling points was that it was “the only brand made by white labor.” Well today we’re going to be talking about the other kind of ...

23 - Denim History pt. 10; The Teen Jean Scene

January 17, 2021 08:01 - 35 minutes - 48.3 MB

We've arrived at the Baby Boomer section of our indigo narrative. The transgressive postwar counterculture may have been the first to embrace denim and workwear for its style over utility, but it would be the teens of the 1950s to create the mass appeal. Join us as we discuss denim being banned in schools, jeans on screen heartthrobs, and a pop singer being denied entrance at a Vancouver hotel. This episode is brought to you by the Heddels Shop, listeners get 10% off with the code BLOWOUT. ...

Bonus Blowout - The Wild One (1953) Riff Over Commentary

January 13, 2021 16:18 - 1 hour - 129 MB

What's up, Frogface? We're here with a bonus episode of Reed and David talking over all 80 glorious minutes of Marlon Brando's biker bad boy flick The Wild One. The movie is not good, with lots of gender dynamics that have aged poorly but it also has a lot of jeans, leather jackets, hats and knits that haven't. It's got Perfectos, Cafe Racers, A-2s, B-3s, top hats, beanies, 5-panels, 501s, ringer tees, and more! Sync up with the movie and listen to us prattle on. It's available for a $3 ren...

22 - Denim History pt. 9; Rebels Without a Cuff

January 11, 2021 20:59 - 29 minutes - 40 MB

The US government did it's best to reintegrate the young people returning from WWII, but an sizeable portion returned wanting nothing to do with it. Instead of getting a middle class job and starting a family, they wanted to do drugs, ride motorcycles, push sexual boundaries, and wear jeans. This didn't go over well at first. Our series continues with bikers and beats as Reed and David navigate denim's role in postwar culture. This episode is brought to you by the Heddels Shop, listeners ge...

21 - We Talk Take Ivy with W. David Marx

January 07, 2021 00:19 - 1 hour - 92.5 MB

While on a road trip through New England in the summer of 1965, eight Japanese men unwittingly created some of the most influential images of late 2000s menswear. We're talking about Take Ivy, a cultural sensation that's become the de facto document of the 1960s prep look. And we're talking with the person who wrote the book on the intersection of Japanese and American fashion, W. David Marx, author of Ametora: How Japan Saved American Style. Learn about how teens wearing blazers scandalize...

20 - A Very Blowout 2020 Year in Review

December 31, 2020 21:52 - 52 minutes - 121 MB

This was quite the year for a variety of reasons. And what better way to reflect upon it than to count down the most read articles on a pants website? Reed and David are joined by Heddels Features Editor James Smith to run down our top hits (not necessarily greatest, but top) this year and look forward to what may be yet to come. This episode is brought to you by the Heddels Shop, listeners get 10% off with the code BLOWOUT. Also, if you like what we're doing, please leave us a review on Ap...

19 - The Secret Life of Zippers with John Gluckow

December 17, 2020 18:03 - 57 minutes - 79.7 MB

Like the light switch and the steering wheel, zippers are one of those things that we interact with so much they just seem like perpetual fixtures of everyday life. The story of the humble zipper, however, is one of continuous failure unending iteration to bring us the cheap and easy thing we enjoy today. Designer, vintage dealer, and zipper enthusiast John Gluckow takes us through the history of the zipper from a chain link hook and eye fastener to high end riri zips. You can find John on ...

18 - Denim History pt. 8; JEANS AT WAR!

December 13, 2020 16:21 - 30 minutes - 41.2 MB

DATELINE DEC 14, 2020:  JEANS GO TO WAR! As the United States exited the Great Depression, the world had to contend with a few other new powers flexing their military might on a global stage. And America did so in denim! This episode, Reed and David explain the different military and domestic applications our fabric had during WWII and how wartime rationing would change the look and feel of jeans forever. If you'd like to support the show, head over to make a purchase at the Heddels Shop. G...

17 - Navy SEALs Wore Jeans in Vietnam with Chris Danforth

December 10, 2020 22:45 - 25 minutes - 34.9 MB

When stalking the jungles of Vietnam, many of the elite US Navy SEALs didn't sport their standard issue camo, but rather opted for Levi's 501 and 505 denim jeans instead. We're talking with Chris Danforth, a writer and researcher who investigated this story and spoke to some of the SEALs who wore jeans on their night raids for its utility on the battlefield. Hear all about how they customized their kit and avoided leeches in their urethras and more on this episode. If you'd like to support ...

Twitter Mentions

@aldenwicker 1 Episode