Essentials: Straight Leg (Updated)

Denim in picture: WeSC Standard fit

I am a firm believer men should have at least one classic pair of fitted straight leg jeans within their wardrobe. These will forever be around as they have defied time and trend. Skinny jeans are too hipster. Loose jeans are too gangster. Straight jeans are just right.

To give the best effect the jean is best worn snugly around the hip without the use of a belt. Sagging is a big no-no. Also the optimum leg opening size is 16 to 17 inches as they create a very linear shape. Never buy jeans that are slightly too long as they bunch up at the bottom near the shoes, which distorts the silhouette.

Being a fanatic for the straight, I find myself constantly searching for a new pair to add to my collection. Currently I am tracking these G-Star Astro Straight jeans as a future purchase.

Brand of the Week 8: Dr Denim Jeanmakers

Company: Dr Denim

Website: www.drdenimjeans.com

About: I really don't know much about the brand other than it was started by three creators who obsessed with the materials.

Why I like them: Very clean and chic. Kind of reminds me of a Swedish interpretation of Ben Sherman; tight fit T-shirts, sleeveless cardigans, slim-fit suits to skinny ties.

Where to buy:
ASOS
Ssense

Notes:

Brand of the Week 7: Kuyichi

Company: Kuyichi
Website: www.kuyichi.com

About: Solidaridad was founded in 1969 to promote social justice; fairtrade and cultural justice. In 2001 it helped develop a denim brand called Kuyichi, which focused on producing 'green' denim products through the means of handpicked organic cotton that is dyed with natural indigo which is then recycled. There are other green products such as vegetable-based leather belts for example.

Why I like them: I haven't purchased a Kuyichi item yet but I respect what they are trying to achieve. The clothes look good but knowing that these wares are not made by a ten year old girl is welcome. The company provides decent wages along with safe and clean working environments for its workers.

Where to buy:
ASOS

Notes: The name of the brand is that of the Incan rainbow god. On top of that the logo has some symbolism; the circle represents the world and the plus sign represent positivity.

Kuyichi launched Pure Premium a more luxurious line unfortunately available only for men. It features 100% organic cotton (hemp here and there), vegetable dyes and hand washes to fane a few things that make it special.

Brand of the Week 6: Acne Jeans

Company: Acne

Website: www.acnejeans.com

About: Another Swedish company that was originally about raw denim and reworked basics. Now the company's collection is moving towards vintage inspired workwear.

Why I like them: It's more than just the denim. Although having particularly great looking jeans for both men and women, it is the total collection that I yearn for. Fantastic looking shirts to must-have skirts.

Where to buy:
Acne Shop
ASOS
Revolve Clothing
Ssense

Notes:

Brand of the Week 5: Baracuta

Company: Baracuta

Website: www.baracuta-g9.com

About: The revolutiony jacket, called the G9 (eventually named the Harrington), started in 1939. This British icon is lightweight nor too tight or too wide with a classy shape. This jacket exploded in the 70's as it was worn by Mods, punks and skinheads.

Why I like them: Baracuta knows their coats. The G9 Harrington exudes style with ease. Unlike manufacturers who depend on gimmicks, Baracuta has timeless jackets that defy anything I have seen in my entire life. Come on! The original G9 was designed back in 1937!

Where to buy:
ASOS
Revolve Clothing

Notes: The G9 was also worn by Steve McQueen on the cover of Life magazine in 1963. The Harrington comes in a variety of models from the slimfit to dogtooth patterns, so everyone can find something they might like. Also, the jackets are made in England, which explains why they cost so much.

Randon Find: Madewell Clothing

I came across Madewell through the J. Crew website a couple months ago. Since starting this blog I kind of wanted to cover the brand but it is still a relatively unknown company for me. Today I thought I would just mention it as a random find.

What I know about the company is that is has been in business in making denim jeans for about 70 years. The primary target is for women but I wonder if Madewell ever made jeans for men. If so, I bet you they might eventually become collector items.

There are six fits titled, rail straight, bootlegger, skinny-low, skinny-ankle, slim slouch, and ex-boyfriend. Each can come in a variety of washes as well. My personal favorite is the rail straight. It has the right look. It really does.

As far as pricing goes it really ranges on the treatment. The lowest will be the skinny-skinny jeans fetching for $59 whereas the highest I've seen is $255. It seems the average price for a pair is around $95 to $110, which isn't bad.

I am super hyped about Madewell. I am also excited to buy a pair for a friend to see how they are. My friends know how enthralled I become when I find something new. Too bad the closest location is Dallas but I wouldn't mind that, as there is an official G-Star store nearby.

Website: www.madewell.com

Where to Buy: ShopBop

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week

Also known as the New York Fashion Week, the show will be held September 10th through the 17th for the upcoming Spring 2010 season. Throughout the week brands like DNKY to RVCA to Nicholas K will be on show to display their new items. I'll be posting videos and websites featuring a video of their products on the catwalk. When you have the time visit the NYFW homepage.

Brand of the Week 4: Edwin

Company: Edwin

Website: www.edwin-europe.com www.edwin.co.jp

About: Edwin started as an importer of United States-made denim jeans (mostly Levi's I believe), as there was no Japanese denim manufacturer at the time of 1947.

Once Japanese denim started to be produced it was slated as inferior to American counterparts, which Mr Tsumeni(founder of Edwin) decided to create his own denim.

Why I like them: If you love denim then this is one of the unknown world powerhouses of the material. Innovative and classy. Just about everything you see at the stores were first started by Edwin. Awesome styles proving a clean look.

Where to buy:
ASOS
Yoox

Notes: Edwin is the only company I know that makes a 16 oz denim. Also Edwin invented stone washing, which just about every denim company does! For fun, take a look at their Fall 2009 look book.

Random Find: Cold Method

Cold Method is a Dutch fashion brand exclusively for men. Their focus is 'The 9 Aesthetics of a Man's Wardrobe.' The 9 Aesthetics are the following: T-Shirt, Denim, Knitwear, Pants, Shirt, Suit, Coat, Accessory, and CM2 (which I haven't figured out what it is). All of these are styled in a very simple yet elegant manner. A good way to describe it, used as their tag line as well, is discreetly well dressed. Check out the link and enter to win a new wardrobe, which consists of a single piece of each of the nine aesthetics.

For you Twilight-weirdos

I am sure not all of my readers are fans of the series but for those who are may enjoy this nice feature. Women's clothing company, BB Dakota, made the jacket used by Kristen Stewart (as Bella) in the first Twilight movie. I guess it is a big hit because Karmaloop got another shipment in as well as two additional colors. Check it out you weirdos.

Karmaloop

Brand of the Week 3: Ben Sherman

Company: Ben Sherman

Website: www.benshermanusa.com

About: Ben Sherman was founded in 1963 by Arthur Bernard Sugarman. Ben Sherman was the first company to produce the famous Oxford button-down shirt, which became popular during the Mod era.

Why I like them: Ben Sherman is known for its jacquard, stripes, and checker board patterns. Most of the clothes has stuck to slender fits. Combine the ingredients and what we have are timelessly elegant clothes.

Where to buy:
Ben Sherman
ASOS Men's
ASOS Women's
Nordstrom
Zappos

Notes: Ben Sherman is an essential part of British cultural heritage. The whole Mod scene is intrinsically connected to both music and fashion, which is why Ben Sherman is close to the UK music industry.

NylonTV - Christopher Bailey

Nylon TV spends time with Christopher Bailey, creative director with Burberry. I love this video, especially when he mentions his favorite embellishment to an outfit.

Brand of the Week 2: WeSC

Company: WeSC aka We Are the Superlative Conspiracy

Website: www.wesc.com

About: WeSC started in 1999 but I first saw the brand in Skateboard magazine around 2001. If I recall correctly the brand was just called We until a few years later the "SC" was added to create the present acronym. WeSC is a street brand hailing from Sweden. The idea is to create clothes for people looking at life after skateboarding. Extremely functional clothing that is playful yet smart.

Why I like them: The clothes have a futuristic feel to them. It must be the funky stripes used in the designs on many of the items. One of my favorite jeans are pictured in the Straight Leg jean topic done six days ago. The fit is superb, although going one size bigger will not hurt. The cardigan pictured below is comfortable and extremely light in feel. I love wearing it.

I also love the knitted pieces: cardigans and sweaters. Finally, I am a huge sucker for their women's line. Anna has some cool leg warmers as well as a killer button-up top.

I always talk about G-Star but WeSC is definitely one of my favorite brands I rarely talk about.

Where to buy:
Karmaloop
RevolveClothing

Notes: I firmly believe the Swedish fashion scene owes it to WeSC for putting the country on the map. Since then Nudie Jeans and Cheap Monday have sprouted.

my WeSC Fredde Cardigan

Random Find: Naked and Famous

Naked and Famous is another denim company focused on raw denim treatment; straying away from washes and what have. At the website, the company claims "now true denimheads and newcomers alike can enjoy these special fabrics at a reasonable price." I am all for good looking jeans that do not run at the same high price of Atelier LaDurance.

Why I hate the term trendy

Trendy, how that word would bug me growing up. For a while the word was rarely used. Until recently it irritated me when I read in a forum, "I don't even think it looks trendy" in regards to a line of clothes from Harvard. Since then the word continues to agitate, even more so when I am at work.What does that even mean, "I don't even think it looks trendy?"

In middle and high school there is an eager interest for the pursuit of a superficial fad that will likely last a very short time. With such a brief shelf-life, how can it be so appealing knowing something that is so "great" will eventually be replaced by the next big thing? This might be reflection on their attention spans.

Working in retail the word haunts me, as anyone remotely youthful crave trends. Most of these are created by brands that are perceived as avant garde. Gradually these cooler ideas pick up momentum by mainstream companies for, well, mainstream customers. This harks back to a topic I did on Friday. Mainstream consumers shop at locations where things are readily available like shopping malls and department stores.

Malls are highly competitive because a certain amount of effort goes into luring customers to their products away from competition. Brands are always looking for ways to making money, in which if ideas are not generating the best option is to discreetly duplicate what is doing well for another brand to bring back some customers back. Maybe this is why shopping malls are supersaturated with trendy items that are either the same or similar nonetheless.

The idea of a company following a trend eventually leads to entire populations buying into these ideas. Ideas such as "Hey look, I read in this magazine this season scarfs are really in!" How and when did scarfs become so lame that it had to be revived by these so-called leaders of fashion (Express and Abercrombie & Fitch)? Really? The biggest suckers are the consumers.

Random Find: Join the PACT

Yesterday PACT, an underwear brand, lunched its entire operation. Partnered with Yves Behar of fuseproject, the brand focuses on environmental and social difference. By doing so it produces its goods within a 100 mile radius from the farmers who grow the cotton for the plant to keep things local and close-knit. Also it is currently involved with three major organizations. 826 International; encourages the enrichment of literacy for youth. ForestEthics; protecting surviving forests. Oceana; protecting the oceans. Check out the website and online store.

NylonTV + Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Watch it for yourself and tell me what you think.

G-Star Raw Fall/Winter Campaign

This is a cool inside look at behind the scenes of the upcoming campaign. I feel bad for them; taking photos fully dressed in Miami. That's rough. Also Toby Kebbel cracks me up, them Brits.

Brand of the Week 1: Cheap Monday

This is the start of my Brand of the Week series. I will be covering various clothing brands from around the world, providing brief insight on what they are about.

Company: Cheap Monday

Website: www.cheapmonday.com

About: Cheap Monday is a Swedish denim brand. Before it was eventually sold throughout Europe, the clothes were sold from the back of a store around 2004. Cheap Monday are notorious for slim fitting jeans for both men and women.

Why I like them: The men's jeans remind me of affordable Nudie Jeans (also from Sweden) without the superlative details. The women's denim jeans are fantastic, as some are in interesting washes or have awesome styles. My favorites are the women's high-rise waisted jeans because they look alluring in appearance and not something that can be found everyday.

Where to buy:
Karmaloop
ASOS
Ssense

Note: Cheap Monday does run one size small when it comes to pants and jeans. If you wear about size 27 then purchase a size 28.

More than meets the eye

Working in retail opened my eyes to many facets to the clothing industry; greater insight to what I like and dislike about it. Some of it seems manipulative. Some of it appears to be honest. I am amazed how they all seem to be working together to create these 'trends' that are must-haves in our wardrobe today although in six-months time they will be discarded as 'yesterday.' Maybe it is the companies who are primarily found in malls who are teaming up. How is it that all these brands are releasing the same products at the same time? Maxi dresses. Fedoras. Gladiator-style footwear. Pastel-colored apparel. Gaudy shirts that are similar to Affliction and Ed Hardy. For a place where individuals can purchase clothing that will accentuate their individuality, does little to accomplish that. It seems to be more of a variety of the same things.

This is why I have been willing to quit purchasing at the malls and shop at local small businesses despite the price differences. Alright, where I live most small businesses do not cater to my preferences but there are certain items that catch my attention. All in all what I am getting at is buying clothes far away from the malls or department store will greater increase your chances of not looking like the same people (which is a lot) who shop at those locations.