The 7/8 Sleeve

A three quarter sleeve stops at the wrong place on a man's arm. Josh Sirlin on the sleeve length he designed instead, and why an inch decides everything.

Craft, Culture, shirts, Style & Heritage, t-shirt, TeesJosh SirlinAugust 20, 20267/8 sleeve, three quarter sleeve, sleeve length guide, mens proportion, pocket shirt, slub cotton, mens style, black bear brandComment

The Pocket Came Later

The chest pocket was not part of the original t-shirt, and the reason it arrived is better than you would guess. Josh Sirlin on the pocket tee, and on the one we make.

Style & Heritage, shirts, menswear, HeritageJosh SirlinAugust 18, 2026pocket tee, pocket t shirt history, why do t shirts have pockets, chest pocket, slub cotton tee, garment dyed tee, made in seattle, black bear brandComment

The White Tee Is the Whole Outfit

Paris 1960, the South of France in the seventies, an album cover in 1980. Josh Sirlin on how women made the white t-shirt the most powerful thing in a wardrobe, and on the WOMAN Ultimate Soft Tee.

Culture, Women's, Tees, Style, Style & HeritageJosh SirlinAugust 18, 2026womens white t shirt, best white tee for women, white t shirt style, jean seberg white tee, jane birkin style, effortless style, luxury basics, black bear brand womanComment

How the White T-Shirt Became the Uniform

It cost 24 cents in the Sears catalog and it took two films to make it famous. Josh Sirlin on how a plain white tee went from the bottom of a sea bag to the top of the world.

Craft, Tees, Style & Heritage, Style, HeritageJosh SirlinAugust 17, 2026white t shirt history, plain white tee, t shirt history, marlon brando t shirt, james dean white tee, us navy undershirt 1913, made in usa t shirt, black bear brand, t-shirtComment

The Henley Started on a River

It was underwear, then it was a rowing uniform, then it was a shirt. Josh Sirlin on the Henley, the waffle knit, and why a garment dyed thermal is worth the extra step.

Culture, Craft & Materials, Fabric, Fabric Guide, HeritageJosh SirlinAugust 16, 2026henley shirt history, henley on thames, waffle knit thermal, thermal henley, shell buttons, garment dyed, mens style, black bear brandComment

Why Jeans Fade Where They Do

Whiskers, honeycombs, atari, train tracks. Josh Sirlin on the vocabulary of a worn pair of jeans, and on the dye decisions made years before you ever put them on.

Craft, Craft & Materials, Denim, Fabric, Japan & CultureJosh SirlinAugust 15, 2026denim fades, whiskers, honeycombs, atari, train tracks, raw denim, rope dyeing, ring dyed indigo, selvedge denim, black bear brandComment

The Morning the Jacket Comes Off the Hook

There is one morning every August when the air turns. Josh Sirlin on the jean jacket coming off the hook, the white tee under it, and the tweed waiting after October.

Why a Heavy Sweatshirt Is Hard to Get Right

The sweatshirt began as a fix for an itchy football jersey in 1926. Josh Sirlin on terry, weight, that little V at the collar, and making one entirely in the United States.

Craft & Materials, Culture, Fabric Guide, HeritageJosh SirlinAugust 13, 2026sweatshirt history, french terry, heavyweight sweatshirt, 30oz terry, garment dyed sweats, made in usa, v notch collar, black bear brandComment

Why Some Things Look Better Used

A sixteenth century Japanese idea about age, and why the day you buy something is not the best it will ever look. Josh Sirlin on wabi-sabi, patina, and designing for the fifth year.

Craft & Materials, Culture, Denim, Heritage, Jackets, materials, leather, Motorcycles, Style & HeritageJosh SirlinAugust 12, 2026wabi sabi, patina, sen no rikyu, japanese aesthetics, aging clothing, indigo fade, leather patina, black bear brandComment

Why Women's Clothes Lost Their Pockets

Women had better pockets than men for two hundred years, and then fashion took them away. Josh Sirlin on tie on pockets, the Old Bailey, and cutting a pocket that works.

Culture, Style, Style & Heritage, Women'sJosh SirlinAugust 12, 2026history of pockets, womens pockets, tie on pockets, why dont womens clothes have pockets, fashion history, womens denim, black bear brand womanComment

The Small Parts

Buttons crossed the Atlantic as ship ballast. Josh Sirlin on corozo, shell, brass and zippers, and why hardware is where most clothing quietly fails.

Craft & Materials, Culture, Heritage, materials, Style & HeritageJosh SirlinAugust 11, 2026corozo buttons, tagua nut, vegetable ivory, mother of pearl buttons, shell buttons, brass hardware, talon zipper, ykk, black bear brandComment

Pink Was a Man's Color First

For two hundred years pink meant money and power, and men wore it without thinking twice. Josh Sirlin on how a color changed sides, and on making a rose you cannot get anywhere else.

Culture, Craft & Materials, Fabric Guide, Heritage, StyleJosh SirlinAugust 10, 2026history of pink, pink in menswear, why is pink a girls color, men wearing pink, color history, vintage rose, corduroy, black bear brandComment

What Ounces Really Mean

Weight is the number everyone quotes and almost nobody understands. Josh Sirlin on ounces, grams, and what a fabric weight can and cannot tell you.

Craft & Materials, denim, Fabric Guide, Fabric, Heritage, materialsJosh SirlinAugust 9, 2026fabric weight, oz per square yard, gsm, denim weight, 13oz selvedge, heavyweight terry, corduroy weight, black bear brandComment

The Color That Killed People

Green was the hardest color in the world to make, and then it was the deadliest. Josh Sirlin on arsenic, Victorian dye houses, and what a real green still costs.

Craft, corduroy, Culture, Fabric, fabric guide, materials, StyleJosh SirlinAugust 8, 2026scheeles green, arsenic green, paris green, history of green dye, victorian fashion, natural dye, garment dye, old money green, black bear brandComment

The Number on Your Pants Nobody Reads

Rise decides where your leg appears to start, and a tailor cannot fix it afterward. Josh Sirlin on the one measurement worth taking before you order anything.

Culture, Heritage, Craft, fabric guide, StyleJosh SirlinAugust 8, 2026pant rise, trouser rise, how pants should fit, high rise vs mid rise, jeans fit guide, mens style, black bear brandComment

Denim in Summer: What Heat, Salt, and the Road Do to Indigo

Most people put their jeans away in June. I do the opposite. The white core inside a rope dyed yarn, the old looms in Okayama, and what a hot road actually does to a pair of jeans.

Craft & Materials, Craft, Culture, denim, fabric guide, Heritage, JapanJosh SirlinAugust 7, 2026japanese denim, selvedge denim, okayama denim, summer denim, rope dyed indigo, shuttle loom, denim fades, travelComment

The Plain White T-Shirt: The Hardest Thing to Get Right

It started as underwear and became the most worn garment on earth. Josh Sirlin on the plain white t-shirt, and how to tell a great one from a cheap one.

Craft & Materials, Culture, fabric guide, Heritage, materials, Style, Style & HeritageJosh SirlinAugust 6, 2026white t-shirt, best white t shirt, t-shirt history, heavyweight tee, slub cotton tee, made in japan t shirt, mens style basicsComment

The Road Humbles You: Travel, Curiosity, and Where the Work Comes From

Being the least capable person in the room is the fastest education there is. Josh Sirlin on travel, curiosity, and getting humbled on purpose.

Culture, Heritage, Japan, Japan & Culture, travelJosh SirlinAugust 5, 2026travel and creativity, living abroad creativity, japan travel, oita motorcycle, curiosity, humility, josh sirlinComment

Chasing the Dream Is the Whole Game

The prize was never the finish. Josh Sirlin on purpose, the long chase behind Black Bear Brand, and why the pursuit is the thing that keeps you alive.

Culture, Style & Heritage, CraftJosh SirlinAugust 4, 2026chasing the dream, purpose in life, entrepreneurship, creative life, josh sirlin, black bear brand story, motivationComment

The Down Vest: Warmth Without Weight

Down is the best insulation on earth and the least understood. Josh Sirlin on fill power, cluster size, and the vest built for a Pacific Northwest winter.

Craft & Materials, Fabric, fabric guide, materials, leather, menswear, Style & HeritageJosh SirlinAugust 4, 2026goose down vest, fill power explained, down insulation, best down vest, made in japan outerwear, indigo steer hide, mens winter styleComment