Don’t get me wrong; I understand the idea of fashion connoisseurship. I find myself at a point in life where the mere thought of spending my days in cheap, ill-fitting dad jeans immediately sends me into cold sweats and waking nightmares. Like most normal people who work a nine to five, though, I have my limits. The $400.00 plus price tag of premium selvedge jean brands like Samurai, Iron Heart and Sugar Cane, while deserved, place them well out of my denim budget. The good news for gentlemen in a similar situation to mine is that the once obscure cult of selvedge jeans has, over the past five or so years, become more widespread. As such there are now more options than ever to find quality selvedge jeans that won’t force you to decide between fashion and food. Below are my top five picks for the essential selvedge jean most men can afford and every man should own at least one of.
The Breakout: Naked and Famous’ SkinnyGuy Selvedge Jeans in Deep Indigo
This Canadian brand has put out nothing less than superb quality jeans since it first started appearing in denim bars a few years ago. With an affinity for the ever-prized Japanese denim, but never afraid to try new blends (Kevlar, cashmere, etc.) the brand is the gold standard for new jean companies wanting put out quality product at a reasonable price.
170.00
http://www.tobi.com/
http://www.tobi.com/
The Master: Levi’s 511 Raw Selvedge
As a Levi’s aficionado I’m always curious to know what Mr. Strauss would think of the cult of denim and the high prices his humble work wear would one day fetch. Levis
$178.00
The Homage: J-Crew 484 Slim-Fit in raw selvedge
Five or so years ago J-Crew could be summed up as essentially a less forward-thinking Banana Republic, which is to say they were pretty much dead in the water. Under the guidance of menswear designer Frank Muytjens the company has turned the tide and today could be considered one of the foremost mainstream men’s shops. Part of this stems from the company’s willingness to embrace icons of men’s style such as Belstaff, Timex, Ray-ban and Levis
$225.00
The Perfect: A.P.C. Petit Standard
My personal favorite; the subdued French brand of designer Jean Touitou succeeds where most others fail by keeping it simple. They offer only five fits and usually only a couple washes (blue or black raw are the standards). Of these, the Petit Standard is unparalleled perfection in modern denim. With a lower rise, legs that taper slightly below the knee and an unadorned surface, the jeans are the epitome of subdued, tailored cool.
175.00
The Essential: Gap 1969 Skinny Fit Selvedge
I’ve never been a fan of Gap; they have their core demographic and I tend to fall outside of it. No hard feelings. The brand has never been terribly innovative, especially in the world of denim. This changed a couple years ago when they overhauled their entire denim line. While many of the fits favored by Gap’s core customer remained, but with overall better washes, the single biggest improvement was the addition of a slimmer fit option. The pinnacle achievement of their recent denim reboot is the skinny selvedge jean from their 1969 premium imprint. The heavier gauge denim and impeccable deep indigo color, paired with a slimmed down but not-too-skinny fit create a superb jean that belies its $89.00 price tag. It is comparable to most high end selvedge jeans out there and when you consider the high quality/ low cost ratio it could be the best on the list. There is no excuse not to own these jeans.
89.00
No comments:
Post a Comment