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.

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.

AROUND THE EDGES: Cuffs, collars and pockets

The most obvious areas for creative treatment are collars, cuffs and pockets. The bits around the edges that create attitude.

Background image by Bruce Chatwin. From the book: Photography and Notebooks. Left and right image from the book: My Archive 3 by Antonio Di Battista 

Background image by Bruce Chatwin. From the book: Photography and Notebooks. Left and right image from the book: My Archive 3 by Antonio Di Battista 

Inside out denim which creates contrast additionally benefitting from degraded edges and the original "selvedge" denim. Degradation is enhanced by laundry coating to emulate the original wear of the garment.   Focus is on white foamed and frayed edges and stone water textured indigo.

Background image by Bruce Chatwin. From the book: Photography and Notebooks. Left and right image from Diesel online store: D-GAIL and D-CARPER jackets

Background image by Bruce Chatwin. From the book: Photography and Notebooks. Left and right image from Diesel online store: D-GAIL and D-CARPER jackets

Contrast fabric cuffs for a sport style edge to white denim. Rolled cuffs which reveal the backside of a super dark denim.

Background image by Bruce Chatwin. From the book: Photography and Notebooks. French worker jacket (1930) from the book WORN (2015) by Douglas Gunn and Roy Lockett. Jackets from DIesel online store: D-CARPER and D-CAROL.   

Background image by Bruce Chatwin. From the book: Photography and Notebooks. French worker jacket (1930) from the book WORN (2015) by Douglas Gunn and Roy Lockett. Jackets from DIesel online store: D-CARPER and D-CAROL.   

White pigment coated fine weave when subjected to a heavy finish reveals the blue secret inside. Further enhanced by creative repair where wear should be.

Contrast zippers, collars and seams give the style details more importance than the garment body. 

Imges from Diesel online store: Left: BELTHY ANKLE DSP | Right: WIDEE-F

Imges from Diesel online store: Left: BELTHY ANKLE DSP | Right: WIDEE-F

Pocket edge grinding plus faked cut out pockets to reveal the Diesel logo are cool edgings which match the frayed seaming and inside out frayed waistband edges.  Such creative detailing work best with faked vintage denim creating and ironic vintage look.

Background image by Andy Goldsworthy: | Pocket image from: My Archive 3 by Antonio Di Battista 

Background image by Andy Goldsworthy: | Pocket image from: My Archive 3 by Antonio Di Battista 

Iconic money pocket and jeans front pockets with aged vintage rivets and brace buttons are the real deal. Completed with worn in worn out vintage washing to reveal the heart of the aged denim.