Before we crack into this newsletter, a few words.
For starters, thanks for being a part of this project and reading up on it. As you know, the SLS is a one man army so it’s gratifying to see people resonate with the information and enjoy it. At the end of the day, that’s the goal, right?
Additionally, the SLS has been alive and running for nearly 2 years, which is incredible, but it is still in its infancy. On top of that, like I mentioned a moment ago, it is still a one man army. A solo mission. That said, over this next year, things may change like upload schedule or format or guest profile frequencies. Things will be in a flux, which is a good thing in my perspective. Change is inevitable. We all embrace change all the time. All I ask is for you to enjoy and consume the newsletter as you see fit, without any rigid expectations. That’s it.
Love to you and yours, welcome to 2024.
This is your year. Go.
Universal Surplus - Vintage Glory
True vintage is odd. We see the labels online, but it can often be hard to identify. A quick Google search while provide you with this.
I’m confident that with a grain of common sense and intuition we can all deduce what isn’t true vintage i.e. 2000s Mossimo or GAP or Nike. Sure, they can be dated garms, but they aren’t necessarily true vintage from my lens. When I hear true vintage, that definition above is close to what I’m looking for, but at a threshold of 30 years or older. I’ll embrace calling a garment from 1994 ‘vintage’. So why do we need a definition of true vintage? So we can talk about who I believe might be doing it best.
At what I believe is the forefront of a brilliant pocket of military-esque menswear vintage is Universal Surplus. Co-founded by Paul Ben Chemhoun, a personal legend of mine, Universal Surplus stocks copious amounts true military vintage from across the globe. German work pants? Got it. Made in USA thermal knits? You bet. True actual German army trainers? Sold out, but yes, absolutely.
Having a go-to store to find good trousers or knits from a bygone era with vintage character isn’t the easiest thing to come across, hence this newsletter feature. There’s something to be said about the production quality of clothing from the past as well as the intent within garments meant for the former militaries around the world. Durable materials, function-focused silhouettes, utilitarian jawns. What does that mean in layman’s terms? Good material that’ll hold up for a longer period of time, baggier clothes for movement, pockets and straps for comfort and adjustability.
As an avid enjoyer of a good and simple pair of Dickies 874s, I recognize that there is a world to be shared in vintage trousers, which Universal Surplus corners well. A good selection of vintage or NOS pairs is present on their website. It’s a huge plus, especially for late bloomers who are venturing into the big pants realm.
Welcome home.
There isn’t a whole lot more to be said about Universal Surplus. I spend a significant amount of time on sites like eBay to find vintage goods at a good deal or to find vintage goods that will literally never be found again once they are gone. It’s a game I play and love. There is an art form to vintage sourcing as well as a science to it. Universal Surplus doesn’t remove this part of my life in any manner. It acts as a shortcut for when I simply want to find tried and true surefire garments, hassle-free. And based on that last sentence as I read it back to myself, I’d like to make one thing clear. This isn’t a paid feature or anything of that nature. The people at Universal Surplus likely have no idea that I even exist. I happen to enjoy what they do and wanted to share what they’re curating / working on. I believe the majority of you would have already assumed this as true, but I still wanted to put it in ink since this is a pretty praise-heavy newsletter.
To wrap it up in a bow, Universal Surplus hits hard. I encourage you to sift their site for items you may like. With an array of goods as vast as what is on there, I don’t think it’ll be hard for you to accomplish that. It’s a win-win for everyone to pluck from this menswear tree every once in a while. Big ups to Universal Surplus. Legends.