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

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 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

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

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

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

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

Tebori Now: The Japanese Tattoo in 2026, Part Three

One artist refused to pay a fine and changed the law for everyone. Josh Sirlin on the 2020 Supreme Court ruling and the state of irezumi today.

Culture, Heritage, JapanJosh SirlinAugust 1, 2026japan tattoo law, taiki masuda, tattoo legal japan, irezumi today, tebori, onsen tattoo rules, japanese tattoo artistsComment

The Outlaw Years: When Japan Banned the Tattoo, Part Two

Japan banned the tattoo in 1872 to look civilized, and two future kings got tattooed there anyway. Josh Sirlin on the seventy six years underground.

Culture, Heritage, JapanJosh SirlinJuly 31, 2026meiji tattoo ban, japan tattoo history, irezumi banned, tattoo stigma japan, yakuza tattoo history, japanese cultureComment

Ink Before the Ban: The Tattoo in Old Japan, Part One

The samurai are not who you think. The tattooed men of Edo were firemen, laborers and gamblers. Josh Sirlin on the first chapter of the Japanese tattoo.

Culture, Heritage, JapanJosh SirlinJuly 31, 2026japanese tattoo history, irezumi history, edo period tattoo, suikoden, hikeshi firemen, tebori, japanese cultureComment

Leadership, Leading by Craft and Standard

Running Black Bear Brand taught me more about leadership than anything else in my life. Josh Sirlin on setting the standard and refusing good enough

Culture, Heritage, Style, Style & HeritageJosh SirlinJuly 29, 2026leadership, standards, ownership, craftsmanship, founder, black bear brand Author: Josh SirlinComment