The male fashion community has experienced a significant movement towards well-crafted clothing and footwear. Consumers interested in fashion often look for labels that state “Made in the USA,” “Made in the UK,” or “Made in [First World Country].” Although this label is not always a indicator of quality, it often means that extra effort has gone into sourcing the materials and construction. Classic work boot brands, such as Red Wing and Wolverine, have had great success with their “Heritage” lines of shoes – shoes made to look like the work boots of years gone by, usually made in America. These lines have had particular success in the fashion mecca that is Japan, as Japanese consumers yearn for American made goods. Furthermore, the public interest has led to the explosion of popularity of small companies like Oak Street Bootmakers and Viberg (a local brand based in Victoria).
Along with classic workboot styling, there is a movement towards the creation of denim using the old techniques. There are many small, high end denim companies such as Momotaro (A Japanese brand), that now make jeans that have a selvedge lining and are unwashed. Denim was originally designed for blue-collar workers – it had to be able to take a beating. As such, selvedge lined, high oz. jeans were the norm. Yet as jeans became a mainstream, cornerstone fashion piece, they began to lose their historic ruggedness. Jeans were made with cheaper materials that were not designed with hard abuse in mind. Yet today, raw, selvedge, high oz. denim is slowly making its way back into the mainstream. Again, this has lead to the rise of previously unknown companies, such as Naked & Famous, a Canadian brand, which produces selvedge denim.
This cycle of fashion interests demonstrates how some companies can capitalize on a previously unknown market. The fashion world in particular showcases this, as there is an almost clockwork cycle of what is in fashion and what is not.