Put This On

It’s On Sale

To celebrate their new store opening on 5th Avenue in New York City, Uniqlo is offering a pretty big discount on some of their most popular items. Cashmere sweaters are $59.90, Heattech long sleeve shirts are $12.90, and their Japanese denim jeans are $9.90. The prices online don’t all reflect these sale prices, but the offer is indeed going on. Note that I have no personal experience with any of these, but a few trusted friends of mine in NYC have said these items are pretty good. A search on StyleForum yields the same opinion. 

Uniqlo doesn’t have an e-commerce store, so if you’re outside of NYC, try using Suddenlee. You can see how their service works by watching this video. There has been some confusion as to whether they’ll ship outside of the Northeast, but I’ve confirmed with them that they indeed do. To get them to give you the Uniqlo discount, just enter the prices above and you’ll only be charged that amount. 

Uniqlo’s offer ends tomorrow. 

The T-Shirt Outfit

When it comes to casual clothing, I’m a big advocate of simplification. When it’s Sunday and I’m not getting dressed dressed, you’ll find me in a simple outfit. Blue jeans, chinos or (if it’s hot) shorts. T-shirt.

I’ve got a few striped ts from Black Fleece that I like, but generally my t-shirts are solid colored. That means white, especially in summer, or heather gray, or navy. I’ve got a couple of others - burgundy, a color called “raisin,” one in a sort of goldenrod. I could get by, though, with just white, gray and blue.

This is usually paired with a simple sneaker - I like Supergas in the summer and New Balance 574s in the winter - or boots.

When you’re dressed this simply, it’s nice to add what our friend PG calls a “point of difference.” Some element of dress, often an accessory, that brings the outfit from neutral to distinctive.

In my own wardrobe, that might be a baseball cap from the late, lamented Cooperstown Ballcap Company. It might be a distinctive belt - I’ve got a rifle sling belt and a belt with a sailing hook from Narragansett Leathers. It might be something around my wrist like a friendship bracelet or a colorful watch strap, or it might even be red socks.

When you dress this simply, you should be wearing clothes of good enough quality and fit that you look sharp. You should be aware of texture. You should avoid pictures and words. You should always have a point of difference. You needn’t be afraid of looking uniform from day to day. You should be comfortable and confident.

(If you’re wondering: George Clooney’s point of difference is the fact that he’s the handsomest man alive.)

My Recommendation for Jeans: 3sixteens

APCs tend to be the standard recommendation for people looking to get their first pair of quality jeans. In my experience, there are disadvantages to the old standard. They stretch out much more than other jeans, have poor stitching, and aren’t built from Japanese denim. I recently had a great conversation with Kiya Babzani, co-owner of Self Edge, one of the leading denim shops in the world, about why APCs have become so popular, despite their mediocre quality.

“APCs got into the scene really early and offered a raw selvedge jean with nothing on the back pockets at a good price,” Kiya explained. “There are other brands but most of [them] have a very Americana look to their branding. APCs were a crossroads between fashion and classic […] a more simple, almost ‘fashion,’ look as opposed to a straight reproduction vintage style look which was originally designed for workwear.”

Nowadays, however, we have more options in the sub-$200 price point, and for such buys, I think 3sixteen’s jeans are the best that you can get. Unlike APCs, they’re actually made from Japanese denim (specifically a 14.5 oz red-line selvedge denim woven at Kuroki Mills). 

“The Japanese have mastered the art of producing denim, and textiles in general,” Kiya said. “Their textile producing techniques date back further than most of the world, as they produced extremely complex (even for today) fabrics for kimonos, which were dyed with the most exotic dyes and woven on wooden looms.”

What’s so special about 3sixteen’s particular Japanese denim? For one, it’s woven exclusively for them, which is rare for a company that isn’t the size of Levis or Gap. The material is pure indigo dyed, with no sulfur, which gives the jeans a deeper blue color than many other models you’ll find on the market. At the same time, there is minimal processing, which allows the denim to retain some hairiness and prevents it from looking too sleek or uniform. They also have an interesting weave. The 14.5oz weight gives the jeans some heft, but the open ended weft yarns leave the jeans fairly soft on the inside. In short, the denim is some of the most handsome I’ve seen and comfortable I’ve worn. 

The best thing about the jeans, however, is the fit. While the company makes a slim tapered model (ST-100x), I favor the straight legged (SL-100x). They have a respectable rise and a flattering fit all around. If you like the fit of slim, but not skinny, trousers, you’ll probably like the fit of the SL-100x. 

You can get a pair from Self Edge for $195. They’ll hem your jeans with a traditional chainstitch for free, which will give you a roping effect as your jeans age.  That’s still a bit pricey for many people, to be sure, but if you’re looking to get some quality jeans, I can’t think of a better first buy. 

It’s On Sale

Gap Selvage Standard Fit Jeans

These are a one-wash jean, so there’s no need to soak, they’ve already been shrunk. I’m not nuts about the selvage coin pocket, but for $18, who’s to complain?

$18 from $88 (use code GAP40 or GAP30)

The Wall Street Journal has an interesting article on the cost of a domestically-produced pair of premium blue jeans. Ignore the fact that this is a laughable play for the unadorned, “authentic” market by True Religion. The numbers are fascinating. The markups here are significant, but not ridiculous. There are overhead significant costs that aren’t listed here - not least of which is marketing.

Among the other interesting findings is that only 1% of the jeans market is for jeans that cost more than $50.

We Got It For Free: J Brand Jeans

When J Brand contacted me about doing a review, I admit I was pretty skeptical. A quick look at their website made me think their jeans would fit too slim and be too heavily distressed for my taste. Like most style bloggers, I’m generally only interested in the raw, inky blue denim that comes out of Japan, and none of that was available through J Brand. 

However, it had just been a week off of Pitti Uomo, a menswear tradeshow in Florence, Italy, and I had just gotten done scanning through hundreds of pictures of incredibly well-dressed Italian men. A few had on what can only be rightfully called “dad jeans” - heavily washed denim that stands as the anti-thesis to the dark, inky blue raw jeans we all love. I figured to heck with it - it’s not like I’m under any commitment to write about the company. There’s no sense in being closed minded, so I had them send me a pair of the Walker jeans in their “Champ” wash. They are, essentially, J Brand’s “dad jeans.”  

Dad jeans, however pejorative the name may be, are actually really nice for spring-summer. They tend to be softer and lighter than raw denim, which makes them perfect for hot days, and they’re a nice switch up from the selvedge standards that everyone has. Wear these as you would with any of your other jeans - either dressed up with a knit tie, button up shirt, and a sports coat; or down with perhaps just a lightweight sweater. 

The ones J Brand sent me are much nicer than I expected them to be. They have a slim straight-leg fit and mid-rise that comes up just high enough to hit my hips. As a man in his early-30s, I really appreciate the more “grown up” cut. The jeans are made from a soft 12-ounce denim, which makes them better to wear on hot days than my stiff and heavy selvedge denim. The back pockets don’t have any obnoxious branding and the pre-fading isn’t as prominent as the website would lead you to believe, both of which I’m thankful for. My only quibble is the leather patch logo on the back, but that’s mostly covered up when I wear my belt. 

These are priced at $187 (I see you Dre), which I admit I think is a bit steep. Valet did a round up of other heavily washed jeans and there are options that come in below $100. However, none of them have a fit that I think looks very good - Levis always has a rise that’s too low for my taste (which I think makes your torso look unnaturally big), and the Ralph Laurens look like they’re too full in the leg. It’s also worth mentioning that I’ve seen J Brands often go on sale at either Barneys or Gilt. If you’re able to find these on sale, I would recommend considering them. There’s just something nice and casual about dad jeans that feels perfect for summer and J Brand’s “Walker” version has a very good fit. 

(photos by me, Tommy Ton, and Let Itself Go)

streetetiquette:

Ali of A Noble Savage 

Let your smile be your umbrella, shielding you from those who would accuse you of wearing a tablecloth in your breast pocket.

(Seriously, outside of that absurd pocket parachute, this guy looks like a million.)

(via streetetiquette)

thesilentist:

Levi’s latest fit for men: The Ex-Girlfriend Jean — OK, now these hipsters are just fucking with us.

I seriously thought to myself, “Is it April first?” when someone sent me this link.

I mean… FOR REALS?

FOR REALS?

(Source: thesilentist)

suitsandboots:

About one year of wear, a few soaks along the way. (3/3)

Also, I lament the fact that posting these photos disqualifies me from ever becoming a style icon. My greatest dream: shattered.

These are shrink-to-fit 501s. A lot of style for thirty or forty bucks.

Taylor got into sewing about a year ago, and he just made himself these jeans. Holy moley.