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

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

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

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 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

The Weft: The Half of Your Jeans You Never See

Flip your cuff. That pale thread is the weft, and it decides more than you think. Josh Sirlin on twill, slub, and the hidden half of denim.

Craft, Craft & Materials, denim, Fabric, fabric guide, Japan, materialsJosh SirlinAugust 3, 2026warp and weft, denim twill, right hand twill, left hand twill, slub denim, shuttle loom, selvedge denim explainedComment

Harris Tweed and the Truth About Tartan

Harris Tweed is the only cloth in the world defended by its own Act of Parliament. Josh Sirlin on the Orb, the islands, and what tartan really was.

Culture, Craft & Materials, Craft, Fabric, fabric guide, HeritageJosh SirlinAugust 2, 2026japan tattoo law, tattoo legal japan, irezumi today, harris tweed, harris tweed act 1993, orb mark, tartan history, dress act 1746, outer hebrides, wool jacketComment

Black Denim: The Other Discipline

Black jeans are harder to make than blue ones, and almost nobody says so. Josh Sirlin on sulfur dye, over-dyeing, and how to keep black denim black.

Craft, Craft & Materials, Denim, fabric guide, StyleJosh SirlinAugust 1, 2026black denim, black jeans, sulfur dye denim, charcoal denim, how to keep black jeans black, selvedge denim, mens styleComment

Five Colors, Then the Wash: Ivory, Old Money Green, Ocean Blue, Vintage Rose, Charcoal

You cannot buy these colors. Josh Sirlin on creating custom dye colors for Black Bear Brand, the garment wash that follows, and why no two pairs come out the same.

Craft, Craft & Materials, Culture, Fabric, fabric guide, Japan, materialsJosh SirlinJuly 31, 2026Comment

Indigo: The Oldest Blue, and Why It Fades Like Nothing Else

Indigo is the only dye that leaves on purpose. Josh Sirlin on Japanese indigo, rope dyeing, and the reason blue jeans tell you where you have been.

Black Bear Brand WOMAN, Craft, Craft & Materials, denim, Denim, Fabric, fabric guide, Japan, Style & HeritageJosh SirlinJuly 30, 2026indigo dye, aizome, japan blue, rope dyed denim, okayama denim, why denim fades, selvedge denimComment

What Fashion Design Really Is When You Do It Right

Most people think fashion design is sketching pretty clothes. It is not. It is problem solving. Josh Sirlin on how he designs every Black Bear Brand piece.

Craft, Craft & Materials, Culture, Fabric, Heritage, StyleJosh SirlinJuly 29, 2026fashion design, clothing design process, slow fashion, anti disposable, garment design, josh sirlinComment