Shell Cordovan, the Slowest Leather in the World

Six months, about a hundred steps, and a piece of the animal roughly the size of two shoes. Josh Sirlin on shell cordovan and the Black Bear Brand western wallet. Black Bear Brand very special shell cordovan boots.

Craft & Materials, Heritage, leather, made in usaJosh SirlinSeptember 14, 2026shell cordovan, horween cordovan, cordovan wallet, leather goods, mens wallet, black bear brand accessoriesComment

The Roughout Commander Jacket

Roughout Horween horsehide with the raw side out, no lining, and vintage snaps. Josh Sirlin on the commander jacket, on roughout leather, and on the friends who have put real miles on theirs.

Waxed Canvas Came Off the Sails

Sailors noticed that wet sails pulled better, and a cloth was born out of it. Josh Sirlin on the history of waxed cotton and the Black Bear Brand wax canvas jackets.

Craft & Materials, Fabric, Fabric Guide, Heritage, jackets, made in usa, outerwearJosh SirlinSeptember 13, 2026waxed canvas, waxed cotton history, wax canvas jacket, quilted jacket, mens outerwear, black bear brand jacketsComment

Goose Down, and the Seattle Man Who Put It in a Jacket

The quilted down jacket was made in Seattle in 1936, and the oldest one left is still in the city. Josh Sirlin on down, the Himeji leather yoke, and our goose down vest.

Craft & Materials, Fabric, Japan, outerwearJosh SirlinSeptember 12, 2026goose down vest, down jacket history, made in japan outerwear, mens down vest, himeji leather, black bear brand vestComment

The Peacoat, in Hunter Green

Josh Sirlin wore one vintage peacoat for more than ten years, then made the one he actually wanted. A first look at the Hunter Green, a custom color worked out with the mill, releasing September 22.

Craft & Materials, Culture, design, Fabric, Heritage, jackets, StyleJosh SirlinSeptember 10, 2026peacoat, hunter green, japanese wool, aichi ichinomiya, anchor buttons, made in japan, custom color, tokyo pop up, black bear brandComment

The Fisherman Sweater and the Cable That Made It Famous

The Aran sweater is younger than the legend around it, and the true story is better. Josh Sirlin on cables, ganseys, and the Black Bear Brand merino fisherman sweater.

knits, Style & Heritage, outdoors, materials, Fabric Guide, Craft & MaterialsJosh SirlinSeptember 10, 2026fisherman sweater, aran sweater history, cable knit sweater, merino wool sweater, mens knitwear, black bear brand sweaterComment

Why Wool Owns the Fall

Wool works wet, holds a shape for decades, and gets better looking as it goes. Josh Sirlin on the fall jacket, on tweed, and on the three that get woven for us each year in Scotland.

Craft & Materials, Craft, Culture, Fabric, Fabric Guide, harris tweed, JacketsJosh SirlinSeptember 9, 2026wool jacket, fall jacket, harris tweed, tweed jacket, mens outerwear, wool crimp warmth, autumn style, black bear brandComment

The Lining Nobody Sees

Cupro is made from the fuzz left on a cotton seed. Josh Sirlin on the quietest luxury in a coat and why ours is made in Japan.

Culture, Craft, Craft & Materials, Fabric Guide, Jackets, JapanJosh SirlinSeptember 7, 2026cupro lining, what is cupro, cuprammonium, coat lining fabric, japanese fabric, luxury details, black bear brandComment

The Western Jacket, and the Chicago Tannery That Makes the Leather

Five generations of tanners on the Chicago River, and a jacket cut in Seattle. Josh Sirlin on horsehide, the rough-out finish, and a very limited run of the westerns.

Craft, Craft & Materials, Culture, Heritage, leather, made in usa, JacketsJosh SirlinSeptember 5, 2026horween leather, horsehide jacket, western leather jacket, rough out leather, made in usa leather jacket, black bear brand leatherComment

The Parts of a Shirt Nobody Names

Yoke, placket, gauntlet, gusset, interlining. Josh Sirlin on the vocabulary of a shirt, and on which of those parts actually tell you what you are holding.

Craft, Craft & Materials, Culture, Fabric Guide, HeritageJosh SirlinAugust 31, 2026parts of a shirt, split yoke, placket, gauntlet button, gusset, collar interlining, shirt construction, mens shirts, black bear brandComment

The Coats Come Out

Fall arrives, the tweed comes off the hook, and the peacoat returns with a new green. Josh Sirlin on cloth woven by hand in Scotland, coats made in Seattle, and wool woven in Japan.

Style & Heritage, menswear, Japan, Heritage, Craft & Materials, CultureJosh SirlinAugust 26, 2026harris tweed jacket, peacoat, melton wool, fall coats, made in seattle, made in japan, japanese wool, black bear brandComment

Four Sheepskins to a Jacket

A size medium takes four long curl sheepskins and one full day of one craftsman's hands. Josh Sirlin on shearling, on horsehide, and on the Northern Dream.

Craft & Materials, Culture, Fabric Guide, leather, Style & HeritageJosh SirlinAugust 26, 2026shearling jacket, curly lambskin, long curl sheepskin, horsehide jacket, horween leather, winter jacket, made in seattle, northern dream, black bear brandComment

Outdoor Clothing Came Indoors

Somebody named it in 2017 and the whole world went along with it. Josh Sirlin on how outdoor clothing became city clothing, and how to do it with cloth you actually want to touch.

Culture, Craft & Materials, Jackets, Style, Style & HeritageJosh SirlinAugust 25, 2026outdoor fashion, gorpcore, outdoor style, technical clothing everyday, layering guide, corduroy, heavyweight terry, black bear brandComment

What Made In Actually Means

The label tells you where a thing was assembled. It does not tell you who chose the mill. Josh Sirlin on the law behind the tag, and on choosing rooms instead of countries.

Craft & Materials, Culture, HeritageJosh SirlinAugust 24, 2026made in usa, country of origin, clothing labels, ftc made in usa rule, apparel labeling, made in japan, okayama, seattle, black bear brandComment

How to Store Clothes Through the Off Season

Moths do not eat clean wool. They cannot. Josh Sirlin on what actually eats your sweaters, what cedar does and does not do, and how to put a wardrobe away properly.

Craft & Materials, Culture, Fabric, Fabric Guide, materials, Style & HeritageJosh SirlinAugust 23, 2026clothes moths, storing wool, cedar closet, seasonal clothing storage, garment care, protecting sweaters, black bear bran, black bear brandComment

Wool, Measured in Microns

Wool does not itch because it is wool. It itches because of a number. Josh Sirlin on micron counts, the prickle threshold, and why the coarser fibers are not the lesser ones.

Craft & Materials, Fabric, Fabric Guide, Heritage, materialsJosh SirlinAugust 22, 2026wool micron count, merino wool, lambswool, shetland wool, cashmere microns, itchy wool, tweed, black bear brandComment

Denim Country

The wild west was loud, and the cloth that went through all of it was blue. Josh Sirlin on the jean jacket, the Cowboy Jeans, the people he rides with, and the looms in Okayama.

Craft, Craft & Materials, denim, Denim, fabric guide, Japan, Japan & Culture, materialsJosh SirlinAugust 21, 2026wild west, denim, one jean jacket, cowboy jeans, selvedge denim, okayama, japanese denim, indigo, black bear brandComment

The INFORMAL Pant

An Olympic skater asked for a pant he could actually skate in. Josh Sirlin on the 90s west coast cut, the design that came out of it, and what happens when a skate pant is made from cloth this good.

Craft & Materials, Culture, Heritage, Style, Style & HeritageJosh SirlinAugust 21, 2026skate pants, informal pant, jagger eaton, skate style, 90s west coast pants, organic cotton pant, made in japan, black bear brandComment

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