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Stretch: The High-Fructose Corn Syrup of Menswear

I had heard great things about the jeans from DSTLD, a popular disruptor of the overpriced denim racket, and I was very excited about a pair of slim (not skinny) raw denim jeans I had purchased online for $65. When they arrived, I tried them on right away. The fit was great and they looked pretty damn good. The feel of the denim, however, felt strange. When I started to take them off, I noticed a hint of stretch in the waistband. The wind went completely out of my sails when I saw that the sewn-in garment tag said “98% Cotton / 2% Spandex.”

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A Refreshing Absence of Denim in the AW15 Men’s Collections

We all love denim. We lean on it very heavily, and most men – myself included – wear jeans all the time. They’re easy go-to pants for most casual situations, whether paired with a tailored jacket and brogues or a t-shirt and sneakers.

However, I think I’m in a minority as someone who thinks we lean on denim too heavily in an increasingly casualized culture that is now going so far as to jam sweatpants down our throats as a legitimate option outside of a gym or a Barcalounger.

Before I get pelted with unused razors from Brooklyn Brohemians who love their selvage raw denim and dropped-crotch sweatpants, let me reiterate that I love my jeans. I own exactly two pairs of Levi’s and wear them often. I’m just not onboard with handling, wearing and pricing a cheap, durable fabric originally created for laborers like it’s fine cashmere.

That said, I enjoyed seeing a good number of grown-up big boy pants (i.e. not jeans) on the casual looks that were sent down the runway during the men’s shows over the past weeks, from more typically casual brands to those with tailored clothing at the cornerstone of their image. Jeans certainly made an appearance, but they were definitely not front and center on solid casual looks.

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Jeans and Their Proper Length

My hometown friend Mr. O'Brien contacted me on Facebook with a question about something I'd always taken for granted. He asked "George - I need to know exactly how jeans should drape over dress shoes..." There are a couple of…

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My Levi’s 501 Shrink-to-Fit Project

Having recently purchased two new pairs of Levi's 501® Shrink-to-fit jeans ($66 for both of them, btw), I have finished the first step in Levi's suggested care steps: "Wear them as long as possible before you wash them." I've worn…

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Levi’s: The Definitive Pair of Jeans

It might have been either Calvin Klein or Gloria Vanderbilt who convinced the style-conscious world that jeans were a luxury item suitable for fancy people or their aspirants. Other lines like Wrangler, Guess and The Gap entered the denim ring…

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