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Stormy Monday.  Didn't feel much like draggin' my wet ass into retail-land, but was in the Lower Haight so I figured I'd check out Revolver.  Was glad I made the trip.  Besides getting to check out a very cool store, I had the pleasure of meeting a couple of lads who really know their denim.
Revolver's proprietor, Robert Patterson is the type of laid back guy who's unassuming attitude belies a passion for clothing, art and other things cool. I like his blog almost as much as his store - especially the entry on California surfer/photographer Ryan Tatar. Robert saw me eyeing the denim and after pointing out some nuances in the Denham and Tellason lines, had me trying on some truly great jeans.  Coming out of the dressing room (with the Denham's on -doh!), Robert introduced me to Tony Patella, owner of San Francisco-based Tellason Denim.  Tony is incredibly knowledgeable and enthusiastic when it comes to denim. He talked to me for a good 20 minutes without ever promoting his company's product or coming off as "cooler than thou."
Two things I took away from our conversation:  (1) There's something satisfying about buying from a maker obsessed with quality and, (2) There are are a number of reasons (not all obvious) to buy clothing made in the good ol' USA.  As Tony explained, "99.9%" of Tellason denim is made in America (denim from Cone Mills in Greensboro, N.C.,  leather patch from Portland's Tanner Goods, jeans sewn here in San Francisco).  Tony's motivation for manufacturing in San Francisco is as much pragmatic as patriotic.  Having made millions of jeans in China and Mexico in a previous life, he likes the fact that when a manufacturing issue arises,  he can bike down to Tellason's plant in SOMA (instead of getting on a plane) to get things sorted out.  So "Made in the USA" can actually make good business sense - what a novel concept!  Above all, Tellason is focused on providing quality denim at a reasonable price (caveat: I consider 200 bucks for a pair of jeans reasonable, since jeans like Tellason's will easily stand up to a couple hundred wearings).  Tony says it best in an interview with ACL:  "A consumer, for whatever reason, may not like our jeans, but there is no way they can criticize the fabric and sewing. As a brand, that’s all you can do. We’re really into authenticity every step of the way."   Good stuff.  Not incidentally, the fit was great and designed for pretty much every body type.
Thank you Robert and Tony for the education - I'll be back for a pair of Tellasons once I get paid...