Tilden Brings Classic Style to Whitehall

Tilden Yamamoto and his business have been flying under Whitehall's radar for a while now, but with his top-selling wreath with custom jeans selling to Split Diamond Ranch at the 25th Annual Whitehall Saddle Club Wreath Auction making front page news, his days of being inconspicuous are numbered.

The custom clothing business is nothing new to Tilden, who has been designing classic silhouettes since 2000.

"I started really early sewing, as a kid, just for fun and I ended up going to a state college, started sewing more, and transferred out of there to a design school," said Yamamoto. "You're there to eventually get a job in the industry, but I learned the fundamentals too - how to make a pattern, how to drape, all of that."

From the start, he just wanted to make his own things. Admittedly a skater kid growing up in the 90s rocking the dreads and wide legs, he grew up in a very artistic household where creativity was key.

"I like the simple form, but really well done. The repetitive process of doing a basic something over and over again until it is the best it can possibly be," he explained. "Even in school, I liked classic silhouettes, not necessarily things that are on trend, though I do incorporate on-trend shapes into my designs at times.

In the beginning, he used more conventional machines, but as he progressed into jeans and learning how things were traditionally done, he built his own Singer sewing machine without a serger, a basic single needle machine. The only other piece of equipment he uses is a massive buttonhole machine.

One piece takes an entire day to create unless it is one of his newer workwear designs that are lined in wool; those take upwards of two to three days to complete.

"I curate a clientele who appreciates and recognizes the product for what it is - the value of time put into it and the materials - because this isn't something you can buy off the rack at, say, Murdochs, that's mass-produced," he said. The garment business is to mass-produce clothing as cheaply as possible, down to half a cent, and then wholesaling it to retailers. This is more in line with a painting or handmade good. I consider it more of a trade. People don't think twice about paying a plumber $150/hour, but only pay $35 for a pair of jeans."

Tilden's clientele is all word of mouth and the news is spreading. "denim heads" have discovered his work. Trying to capture a broader audience, he explained, leads people to not understand the work that goes into a piece - word of mouth and Instagram has always been more helpful to his cause. Having moved from California four years ago, his clients have changed.

"I'm excited about getting advertising here going - I'm used to photoshoots and getting the word out that way, but Danielle (his wife, who is a hairdresser) and I looking forward to focusing on the people I make these clothes for. I don't want my clientele to be just people in California or wherever who just like the look. I want to show the people who use and wear the clothes daily. I wear my stuff until it's ragged and it holds up."

A pair of Tilden jeans is straight-legged, but since moving to Montana, his design has become a bit more roomy and moveable for those who wear them out on the ranch. He's adjusted the fit in the hip area to be more forgiving, but all in line with the tradition of denim.

His denim comes from the Cone Mills White Oak Plant in North Carolina, which started in the late 1800s and ran until 2018. He has the last 500 yards of this denim, all made in the United States, and is the stuff of dreams for most jean connoisseurs.

"This is THE last American tradition denim on the tradition looms - this is what the miners used, selvage denim," he said. "Nothing was finished, so I use the selvage edge of the material. The shrink rate on this is insane, and the conforms to your body. That's why people nerd out on them - I'm not even that crazy of a denim head - there are people that spend all day on forums talking about this stuff and I'm just here making it because I love it."

Prices are on a sliding scale depending on the piece. Yamamoto retails his jeans for $600 a pair, as they are the last of the American-made material he has. Shirts are also dependent on style and piece.

The appreciation of American-made and handmade is clear with each piece coming from Tilden's sewing machine. For more information on Tilden's garments, visit his Instagram at @tildenshop.