Heddels Blowout

Today we’re putting down the iron fist. The cast iron one, that is! As you know, raw denim is our first love, and if there’s one item that’s most spiritually attuned to the raw denim lifestyle, it’s not another piece of clothing, it’s a piece of cookware. They both have ancient origins but became more commonplace in the 1800s, they both get better the more you use them, there are practically cults...

For the past decade or so, there has been one white whale (or rather a pod of white whales) among raw denim fanatics, whose course has been followed with great interest since they left their home in North Carolina to move to Louisiana and now they have relocated again to Georgia. I am of course referring to the Draper X-3 shuttle looms, the forebearers of American selvedge denim from the late grea...

Welcome to Heddels Blowout. The show where we explore one thing, from watch caps to flip flops, and tell you all about: Why it’s important Where it came from How it’s made Who’s making them today How to take care of it And, the real reason you’re here, your ears were cold because your hat is rolled up and you needed to put on some headphones. That’s right, we’re talking about watch caps today. The...

That’s right, today we’re talking about arguably the most well known name in performance fabrics - GORE-TEX. Most of the time, consumers aren’t aware of the upstream material manufacturers behind the clothes they wear but Gore-Tex is one of the few that’s broken through to wide recognition. You see that black and yellow tag on a parka, pair of boots, or a hat and you know it means business. But wh...

That’s right, today is a little bit different. I’m not here to talk about an item but a concept, tariffs! The big T-word that has been taking up so much airtime over the last year as the returning American president has made it a cornerstone of his new administration and it’s probably having an impact on how you get your sweet fix of denim and leather. I kinda didn’t want to do this one, but we ju...

Most of us can’t even hear the word “cardigan” without picturing Mr. Rogers coming home to exchange his suit jacket and dress shoes for one of his zip-up cardigans and a pair of sneakers. Most authors that write histories of this favorite casual sweater act stunned that Mr. Rogers favorite item of clothing was invented by the military. But for those of us better-versed in menswear history, it’s no...

When you imagine an Air Force pilot, the first image that probably comes to mind is the dashing World War II-era captain in impossibly high-waisted khakis and a brown leather bomber jacket. But you might be surprised to learn then that the first time the U.S. Air Force issued a leather jacket was in 1987. So this is a technicality I’m exploiting, but the U.S. Air Force didn’t exist as a separate b...

It’s been a long time since our last collaborative product, but we’re back with a bang. We’ve joined forces with  Crown Northampton  to launch the  Grand Union  Wholecut Sneaker, a denim & leather sneaker built to last for years and earn unique  fades  along the way. But there is much more to this Union than denim and leather – there’s a laundry list of world-class materials, shoemaking expert...

Today we’re talking about loafers. Those do-nothing idlers who just sit around all day and the leisurely leather shoe that’s come to be named after them. Yes, the penny, the tassel, even the horsebit. These footwear icons might seem like timeless classics, but they are the result of a relatively recent cross-cultural exchange of mutually beneficial cultural appropriation. So slide in, slip on, and...

That’s right, this is a denim episode! Longtime listeners will remember our 13-part, 7-hour audio epic about the history of denim where we covered 500 years of history of our favorite fabric. Relax, we’re not doing that again. That was a graduate level seminar, instead, this is denim 101 and by the end of it you should have all the tools and info needed to make an informed purchase and join the wo...

Today we’re talking polarization. I’m not talking about the bears, Santa Claus, or the state of global politics. Rather something a bit more anodyne, and seasonally appropriate, cool shades! You may have heard of the many benefits of polarized sunglasses, how they reduce glare, let you see through the surface of water, or make it easier to drive. But why? How? Where to find? There isn’t that much...

They say all clothing is a type of language. Even refusing to participate in the conversation is a way to say something. Whether you’re in a top hat and tails or Canadian tuxedo or naked, it’s all saying something about you and how you chose to present yourself. But some clothes speak a little louder than others. Today we’re talking about arguably the loudest and most explicit of them all. That’s...

Hi, I’m Heddels publisher David Shuck. You may remember me from previous Heddels podcasts like our History of Denim series, the Rise and Fall of Made in USA, and the one where Reed, Albert, and I just shot the breeze for an hour every week.  I’ve been writing about owning things you want to use forever for well over a decade now. I’ve been everywhere from downtown Los Angeles to the deserts of Pak...

On this week’s Blowout… REED’S CORNER IS OFFICIALLY COOKED. Or at least the corner of Birkenstock Boston’s and Able to Buy Whenever. (Spoiler: He blames TikTok.) But because discovery is often generated out of necessity and Bostons are officially Pop Music now, that also means mules are Mainstream™, which has forced — yes, forced — us to investigate some alternative options in the Big Comfort foot...

Now that Ye is getting himself canceled, what would it take for Pitbull to take over the fashion zeitgeist. We don't think it would be that hard.  Albert reviews Don't Worry Darling and the cool sneakers he saw in the crowd. Reed continues to deprive Albert of his sneaker connections. Albert begs a stranger at a party for shoes. Reed gets every sneaker he ever wants without even trying. ...

Our rock in this ever-changing world, David Shuck, is back for an episode from the road. Our brave traveler (and co-host on hiatus) calls in about Georgian nightlife, bootleg wine, and big news from Patagonia. Enjoy a joyous reunion of all three of the Blowout boys and learn a little bit about what the hipsters in Tbilisi are wearing right now. David admits we were right about our packing suggesti...

Albert trauma-dumps, his sister is totally fine now, by the way! Reed and Albert try and figure out how to have fun dressing even during the height of a heat-wave. How to find a good tee - buy from an establishment you like, rob your dad, etc.  The main event - what to wear on a first date! Reed and Albert attempt to set down some ground rules on what to wear on your first dates. How to look...

We discuss the difference between slutty (good) and pervert (bad) fashion behavior. What are the sluttiest sartorial choices you can make? After all, you want people to know you can put it down. Are we allowed to talk about sex? Who knows - we move on to safer territory, namely camp collar shirts. Are they on their way out and if so, why? Will they go the way of the fedora? We urge prudence before...

Albert bullies a Love Island-lookin' influencer so bad his wife asks him to stop. Jugglalos are actually sweet people, as sweet as their soda of choice. This week we put our heads together and think about the pieces that have stood the test of time - those well-made classics that transcend trends. Some of these pieces are: The BUZZ RICKSON Chambray workshirt. Orslow Chambray shirt (not workshirt)...

Vogue reports that "-core" has gone the way of "-chic." We try to recall the history of the whole "-core" thing from Normcore in the 20-teens to blokecore this year. But.... It's done! Passé! No more! It's not cool to just tack on "core" to shit anymore! Reed was a genius and anticipated this change a mile off - so we use his mind and Albert's less-genius mind to anticipate what's coming up this F...

David updates us from the road and lets us know he had to abandon pretty much all his cold weather gear in the face of a record-breaking heatwave. Albert and "the Lovely Reed" discuss the science of uniform dressing and whether or not we have our own uniforms. Because after all, isn't finding a uniform an art in and of itself? As long, of course, as you're not doing it for "grind-set" reasons. Man...

David chimes in from the road, which we don't quite respond to. Albert and Reed spend their morning hashing through the new J. Crew and how best to market a new brand to someone. Here is a link to the J.Crew Fall 2022 lookbook , the first collection spearheaded by Brendon Babenzien. We've been waiting for it and here it is. If you want to see what the old, old J.Crew looked like, we'd recommend @l...

Hear the full episode on Heddels+ : http://heddels.plus Reed and Albert delve back into the world of carny-core with some advice on jort-ifying your jeans, what we liked at Paris Fashion Week, and what the new "heritage" is.

David is gone, off on his epic voyage and sabbatical. Reed and Albert discuss surveillance, the possible rise of carny-core, and make sure to include a little bad news in David's honor.

We've made it to 100 episodes! Only for David to leave immediately. Our final fully attended discussion gets into Facebook's push for digital clothes, featuring Balenciaga, Prada, and Thom Browne and the search for the perfect pair of mesh shorts. Thank you for joining us for nearly 100 hours. Help us out by joining Heddels+ or by visiting the Heddels Shop , 10% off with code BLOWOUT.