HIGH STAKES DENIM: Flamboyance

Mens couture from Alexander McQueen demonstrates just how flamboyant high stakes denim for men can become.  Embellishment onto a simple monochrome jeans and jacket combo is cool and surprisingly masculine with delicate stitchery onto a heavy weight denim.

Designer: Alexander McQueen 

Dolce Gabbana below is also over embellishing and decorating his "not so classic" jeans and jackets.  D&G throw the kitchen sink at their flamboyant garments even for men.  They have so much embellishment that to describe it diminishes the look.

Designer: Dolce & Gabbana 

Designer: Dolce & Gabbana 

The flamboyant denim creations from Christian Dior below mixes frills with page boy studs and frayed edges and again with masses of indigo and ecru fringing plus bi shade indigo denim.  Oversizing the shapes creates a substantial silhouette as a vehicle for this overstated detailing.

Designer: Christian Dior 

We have to wind up this flamboyance with the master of the trend himself - Versace. From whose atelier everything is overdone, overworked and overstated.  The wearer needs a big personality.

HIGH STAKES DENIM: True Glamour

Glamour jeans have become recognised by their over embellishment.  Anna Sui is known for her over-use of embroidery, beading and braiding on what is basically a simple denim jean or jacket.

Embroidered story telling makes this shearling trimmed denim jacket from Gucci a covetable piece.  Especially when combined with a bold tweed skirt. Super youthful styling but super expensive pricing!

Versace takes his glamour and flamboyance to the extreme below.  Using basic jeanswear shapes as a vehicle to elevate the idea of denim wear.

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Western shirt shape with denim shorts. And Jeans topped with constructed denim top. All encrusted and embellished with beading, appliqué and embroidery within an old fashioned seaside theme.

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Black denim from Versace again has been given the Western Matador treatment with studded decoration and gold thread motifs.  Clearly building on a western theme both in accessories as well as decoration.

AROUND THE EDGES Hems and Seams

Ragged fraying is not new to denim alone. Intentional fraying adds edge interest to raw natural muslins in this art installation by Bruce Chatwin. 

Background image by Bruce Chatwin from the book: "Photographs and Notebooks" | Front images from the book: My Archives 2 by Antonio Di Battista 

Background image by Bruce Chatwin from the book: "Photographs and Notebooks" | Front images from the book: My Archives 2 by Antonio Di Battista 

Plaid lined jeans call out for rolled cuffs giving emphasis to the hem.  Likewise the pocket edges are rolled into plaid cottons. Further benefitting from a bit of degradation to give the impression of age.

Background image by Ela Stipicic | Images from left to right: Japanese Farmer Kimono (1980), depression era damage and right image from the book "Worn (2015)" by Lockett and Gunn 

Background image by Ela Stipicic | Images from left to right: Japanese Farmer Kimono (1980), depression era damage and right image from the book "Worn (2015)" by Lockett and Gunn 

Broken seams, torn edges and ripped details are details that we love in our quest for a garment that looks aged and well loved.  It helps if they are Japanese which have the added value of japan indigo romance.

Background image from the book "My Archives 3" by Antonio Di Battista  | Front image from the book "DENIM - An American Story" by David Little 

Background image from the book "My Archives 3" by Antonio Di Battista  | Front image from the book "DENIM - An American Story" by David Little 

Original selvedge denims are the most sought after for being the original and iconic internal seaming worn to be seen as rolled cuffs.  Red selvedge is today thought of as the original however, white selvedge is in fact the first and the most original denim edge woven on original shuttle looms way back when.

 

Background image by Ela Stipicic | Left image from the book "DENIM - An American Story" by David Little | Centre image from: Jeans Of The Old West by M.A. Harris | Image on the right from the book"My Archives 3" by Antonio Di Battista 

Background image by Ela Stipicic | Left image from the book "DENIM - An American Story" by David Little | Centre image from: Jeans Of The Old West by M.A. Harris | Image on the right from the book"My Archives 3" by Antonio Di Battista 

Rough and ready hems and seams on original aged jeans and old look replicas.

Seams on the original orange tab jeans to the left benefit from aggressive high low 3D finishing on all seams and exposed edges.  Even when the bleach level is light the light dark contrast is marked.   

Heavy rust tint on an extremely old pair of confederate jeans highlights the white selvedge on the inside seam.

Twin and triple needling on big rolled cuffs end naturally in a rough cut edge.

Background image by Bruce Chatwin from the book: "Photographs and Notebooks" | Top by J. Watanabe 

Background image by Bruce Chatwin from the book: "Photographs and Notebooks" | Top by J. Watanabe 

Contrived giant shaped style denims created with twin and triple needle seams, finished with raw edgings.