Going back in time a little, three months ago to be exact, while I was staying in Portland, I visited a man’s workshop.
His name is BOB SCALES.
He works in marketing at CHRIS KING, and some of you may remember him from when he joined us for the Gourmet Century Asuke in 2016. Before joining Chris King, he had a career working for Giro, surf brands, and various apparel manufacturers—a bit of an outsider even within CK—and the brand he launched and runs himself is PRODUCT OF BOB SCALES.
What he creates there isn't cycling gear, but simple shirts rooted in the functionality of workwear. He collects high-quality textile materials—wool, cotton, and other natural fibers—that catch his eye, sourced not just from within the United States but sometimes from Japan as well, and creates them one by one at sewing factories in the U.S. in pursuit of his ideal.
He even has a workshop set up in the garage of his home, as seen in the photo, where he handles material selection and patterning. After producing samples, he has the shirts tailored at reliable factories based on his own experience.
With a background in music and art, he set out to create apparel that acts like a tool—something you want to keep using forever. While the forms are quite rustic and simple, the ruggedness inherent in traditional workwear is refined by his hands, resulting in sustainable products that transcend trends and can be worn for a long time.
In his choice of fabrics, patterns, and sizing, there is so much of that "good old America" that we at Circles appreciate. You can wear them as a special piece, or you can wear them hard, wash them hard, and enjoy that lived-in look that only begins to appear once they start to wear down. We have long wanted to carry the collection he creates in our shop, and finally, that wish has come true.
He will be visiting Japan using a late summer vacation, so we are welcoming him to Circles, and this Saturday (the 15th), we will have him stand in the shop for a Meet And Greet.
You can get your hands on items from the Fall/Winter collection that we have carefully selected at Circles, as well as items he will be hand-carrying for a trunk show. Also, as a special request, we have asked for XS sizes that aren't usually available in his home country, so those who generally wear Japanese sizes should find them easy to try on.
Of course, PRODUCT OF BOB SCALES items will be available at Circles moving forward, but we hope you take this opportunity to come by and say hello to the designer, Bob!
PRODUCT OF BOB SCALES / Meet And Greet
September 15th (Saturday)
At Circles 2nd Floor, Tailored
We are welcoming Bob Scales of PRODUCT OF BOB SCALES to unveil the Fall/Winter collection in the shop.
On this day only, we will also be accepting orders for items not typically stocked at Circles, so please invite your friends and come visit us.