Hey Everyone,

It’s the end of September as I write this, autumn has set in and we’re reviewing a collection going to Paris and designing another which will go in Jan. Read below for this for this months updates.

We used to run almost entirely on preorder, which we did up until it stopped making sense, but Katy and I have always felt it was the best way to run a brand like ours. That said, it introduces a lot of complexity so I understand why we pulled back on it.

That said, we are going to go back to trying to offer as much on preorder. It helps us plan, and it helps you secure the things you want. I also think there’s a little give and take. We may be a little later delivering than we promise, so we offer 10% discount up front for you letting us have your money while you wait.Up for preorder REALLY soon are fan favourites the Sundae Jacket in Wobbly Waffle (I’m wearing one today - banger), the ‘Theory Jacket’ from our RTS line, and our Yanam Jacket. All these have been on the site before (sometimes multiple times) and sell out faster than the rest, so it’s a no-brainer if you want them.

On the Sundaes, I don’t know how long it is in ‘real’ time but it feels to me like it takes years between releases of these. A smart brand might deliberately do this to create demand - we just cannot make this stuff any faster. If you saw the Asics campaign with the lady in her late 80’s you’ll have digitally met one of the weavers that make it - she’s one of the fastest and can make about 3m a day. We have two preorders planned of this as it’s so well loved - ordering now is a much earlier delivery than the next.

In addition, we have a new ‘suit’ (jacket and trousers) in Wobbly Waffle. I think this is going to be really popular and I expect to wear this a lot. The Cove Jacket is a little different to the Shale Jacket in that it’s a bit more workwear/casual. I want to say ‘unstructured’ but the Shale is too. This is ‘less structured’.

We started the brand making denim. We may be obsessive about all fabric, but there’s something about denim that is really conducive to obsession. Katy and I even once went to a very big brain (boring, annoying) talk about denim where we hoped to learn about the history of it, but the dude just kept talking about how hot he was in jeans when he was a teenager. So, we’re still looking for answers. I’ve gone off topic.One thing about denim is, it’s a set of rules - some people agree on (generally), some that are loosely held beliefs, and some that are so contentious people have broken friendships over.

One thing about denim is, it’s a set of rules - some people agree on (generally), some that are loosely held beliefs, and some that are so contentious people have broken friendships over.

Our denim is denim, but it isn’t everyone’s denim. In a weird way, the Story mfg. standard for denim is closer to denim made 100 years ago than what’s around now.

All that I/we care about is that it’s very fucking great. Textured, enjoyable to wear. This stuff is. It’s not a twill, and it’s not made of industrial indigo (this one isn’t natural indigo either - it’s an organic dye as we continue to develop, research and try). It’s handwoven, so it feels more like a blanket than the cardboard you’d expect in a workwear shop that sells Japanese denim where everyone dresses like they’re from the 1940s.

I’m not 100% sure (I never am) but I think this is one of two or three different denim fabrics we are developing. We focused a lot of time and effort into denim last year, expecting a few leads to dry up but a few were fruitful, so watch this space.

We started working on a bike-specific project that asks the question “What would a Story mfg. bike look like?”. Not a frame - I’m not that brave (yet) - but we’re tackling bags. Some of you may be aware of ‘bikepacking’ which is, as it sounds, backpacking on a bike. You load everything on the bike and set off, and people make or buy all manner of clever bags to carry their ultra-light underpants etc.

We are outdoors people, but pragmatic ones. We are outdoors all the time (when it’s not horrid outside), so our take on this is going to be the same as our approach to clothing - fairweather. We’re calling this ‘picnic packing’ because we wouldn’t commit to an overnight thing on a bike, and the idea of it being specific for picnic weather kind of frames the whole approach.

That said, we are looking at ways to make it realistically good for the UK, so waterproofing etc.

I don’t have much to show quite yet other than some screenshots from our planning stage, but by the time this is out we should have a first draft ready.

Stickers should be live when this goes out. It’s probably quite a small announcement for many, but for me this has been a bit of an ordeal. For the last decade I have wanted vinyl stickers I could put on the car, bike etc, but as you can imagine they’re made of plastic so have no place in a Story mfg. world. For years I have been trying to get access to a new type of vinyl which does biodegrade and here we are.

This little pack has three in it, and they’re scans of some embroidered patches we also have coming out (soon? I hope).

Please, I am begging you, add them to your orders. I have sunk years of my time into this (I could have been doing something worthwhile).

This month it’s the wallets that come with our Port-All bags.

They really should be products in their own right - they’re absolutely incredible. They exist because I remember lusting over a coat when I was a kid, not because of the coat, but because of a little pouch that came with it.

I believe they come with all our Port-All bags now (the first couple of runs we hadn’t developed them yet) and it’s quickly becoming the most useful Story ‘product’ we make. Perfect everyday carry for keys, cards and a little pocket money.

More wonderfully, they’re made from leftover yarn from production (this is why they’re all different) which is all naturally dyed (this is why they’re so beautiful).