Jack Threads

I have been shopping a bunch on the website that sells street style fashion for a while.  It’s invite only and sells stuff from brands such as Burton, Crooks and Castles, Ambiguous, Skullcandy and many others.  There are many things that will complement a pair of Levi’s well on this site.  Check it out!

So Check out Jack Threads, here!

 

Shower Jeans

I do something that seems kind of odd at first glance.  I will wear a pair of jeans in the shower occasionally.  I tend to do this with jeans that I am trying to get a lot of fade out of.  Most recently I did this with my 501′s and they lost a lot of ink in the highly worn areas causing those spots to be faded more than usual.

There is something very sensual about wearing jeans in the shower.  There is a connection that is formed by wearing jeans in the shower that can’t be formed by normal wearing.  Step outside of the box and try it, who knows you may enjoy it.

 

My Visit to San Francisco Pt. 2

So not long after leaving the Levi’s Plaza, my girlfriend and I headed over to the flagship store.  Now this wasn’t an easy venture as we got lost downtown on the confusing one way streets of San Francisco.  We then arrived to the store that I had only heard about but had never visited.

 

Gareth had told us about this display at the store.  A display that was compiled of pieces of Americana gathered by Jay Carroll.  Carroll traveled the country stopping and gathering pieces of America from all parts of the country.  Also part of the exhibit was four photos that people submitted to Levi’s via the Go Forth Campaign.  Its quite interesting, GQ did a write up on the display here.

 

I then ascended to the next floor to do some shopping, you know you can never have to many pairs of Levi’s.  I did a quick once over on the store to see if anything caught my eye right off the bat.  I grabbed a few pairs of 501′s, two pairs of 507′s, the trouser jeans, a couple pairs of 511′s in different colors and a pair of Capital E’s.

It’s funny because you would think I would know which jeans I like and which pairs I wear consistently I would stick to those cuts and colors.  But what I chose to purchase was a pair of 507′s that had a pretty light wash, the trouser jeans, a brown pair of 511′s.

I like the 507′s I got because they were lighter than anything I really own.  I tend to stick to darker denim and it was quite a surprise to my girlfriend.  The trousers I thought were interesting and saw a lot of potential in them with my wardrobe.  The brown 511′s I got for one reason and one reason only.  This was to wear with my denim jacket.  I also liked them because they are really long and I make a pretty large cuff with them.

 

 

Levi’s x Obey

The new Levi’s Collaboration with Shepard Fairy debut’s today.  Shepard Fairy for those of you that are unfamiliar is wildly known for the production of the Obama “Hope” posters.  His “Andre the Giant has a posse” campaign in wilting years of the 1980′s inspired the OBEY propaganda that is now teaming up with Levi’s for a special collaboration.

This collection is very young and is targeting the 18-24 demographic that was explained to me by Gareth Hornberger, when we were chatting about social media.  The collection is art by Shepard Fairy, in the form of clothing.  A t-shirt is printed with the OBEY GIANT modified to fit in the Levi’s Batwing.  The trucker jacket has one of the collaboration posters on the inside lining.  The collection looks as if it were a harmonous relationship and appears as if neither OBEY or Levi’s had to sacrifice any of its ideals in the formation of this collection.

I think this collaboration is interesting that Levi’s teamed up with Fairy especially with the Go Forth campaign going on.  I didn’t understand since I wasn’t too familiar with Fairy and thought much of his art was an underground defiance of our contemporary society.  Then I came across this on the OBEY website:

The sticker has no meaning but exists only to cause people to react, to contemplate and search for meaning in the sticker. -Shepard Fairy, 1990 (Whole piece here)

I think this fits in closely with Levi’s, in finding a new America and pioneering a new spirit and Fairy did it with urban artwork.  He not only did this with OBEY but single handedly made OBAMA a brand not just a candidate.

I can’t wait to get my hands on some of the pieces from this collection. It turned out really good.

Below are some pictures from the collaboration available here:

 

My Visit to San Francisco Pt. 1

This past weekend I was lucky enough to escape the cold climate here in Colorado to San Francisco.  It was a gorgeous trip to say the least weather wise.  It was warm and sunny and I didn’t even have to wear a jacket during the day.  I really do miss California weather.

Before I start, I want to thank Gareth Hornberger, the Social Media Coordinator, for letting me stop by and see everything, it was quite amazing and a great honor to be able to connect personally not only with him but also with the company.

While I was in San Francisco I was able to stop by the Levi’s Plaza and see Gareth.  Their compound is really quite beautiful.  There is a  large water feature in the the center  of the courtyard that separates the more business minded people and the more creative minded people.  Across the street from there was the garden.  It almost made me forget that I was in the middle of the city.  It was beautiful with water features running through out, trees and nicely manicured lawns.  Benches bordering the path allow for people to bring their lunch outside.  It was quite beautiful.

The larger of the two buildings has the Go Forth! advertising on the front of the building (this is actually how I found it from the street).  Inside this building, there is an exhibit with some of the history of Levi’s.  The exhibit was constructed and designed by Lynn Downey (her book available here.)  There was a pair of Levi’s from the 1880′s and a pair from 1906.  Also there was examples of the different threads that are used,  the stamp originally for the Levi’s 501′s and a rotating display of shirts throughout the decades.  There was a lot more and really fun to see.  I was so excited and intrigued that I forgot to take pictures, sorry everybody.

Next Gareth took us over to the more creative building in the entrance way there was a display about the new Levi’s and Obey collaboration.  We then headed up stairs and saw a display that showed a sort of history of the mix and matching of different denim pieces (i.e. pants, shirts, jackets) from throughout the United States.  We then walked past a forest of mannequins.  Gareth was right it was pretty creepy, but I’m sure he could do something fun with them for Halloween.   The creative room was quite interesting with sketches and different options for up and coming lines.

There were American flags everywhere as well as pieces and displays of Americana throughout the compound.  If there is any doubt that this company is anything but the personification of America, you have no idea.

As we were leaving, Gareth asked what jeans my girlfriend was wearing and gave her a bit of a hard time for not having Levi’s on.  However, she did get a pair when we went to the flagship store.

We had a great time visiting the Levi’s Plaza! Thank you again Gareth.

The fountain in the courtyard that separates the two buildings.

Water Feature in the garden.

 

Beautiful Lawns in the Garden

Older picture of one of the buildings before the Go Forth media got put up.

 

 

Fall Colors

As the seasons change, style tends to follow.  Now that fall has come the colors are changing from the pretty summer green  to the vibrant yellows, oranges and reds.  Also imagine the colors of the holidays of the fall the Jack-O-Lanterns of Halloween and the turkey dinner of Thanksgiving.  Don’t be afraid of including these colors in your dress.

This isn’t limited to sex either.  Men and women can experiment with these colors.  In terms of what jeans to wear with them, I would recommend a dark wash that shows a stark contrast between the pants and a shirt. Girls be creative with accessories and your hair.

Below are some pictures of a men’s and women’s Levi’s Shirts as well as some from nature to help inspire.

Long Sleeve Western Flannel - Burgundy Plaid $59.50

Mallard Shirt - Red Plaid $59.50

Orange, Yellow and Red Leaf Colors

 

Are Jean Jackets Back?

Jean Jackets were huge in the 80′s and 90′s and people wore them very freely.  They then died down and became almost taboo.  Well that is sort of a false statement.  There seems to always have been a very loyal group of jean jacket wearers.  I actually went out on a limb and bought a jean jacket a few years back, but have failed to wear it as much as I vouched I would.  Don’t get me wrong though, this does not mean I dislike it.

Here are my thoughts on a jean jacket:

• First and foremost, I can’t stand when a denim jacket is worn on top of denim pants.  It is just too much.   People call it the Canadian Tuxedo, I have no clue why and have no problems with Canadians so we’ll just abbreviate it D+D. If you don’t believe me read this.  Not to pick on the people below, but you have to admit it looks a little silly.

• When wearing denim jackets, I advise to wear contrasting and non-denim pants.  For example, a kahki, gray or white pair of jeans (please see picture below).  This contrast lets the denim jacket stand on its own and earn its own respect if you will.

• A large benefit to denim jackets that I think is not talked about enough is the protection from cold and wind.  I live in a cold climate and the denim is great at blocking the cold and wind.  Granted in the winter I wouldn’t leave the house without a sweater or hoodie on underneath.  This is just as applicable to those in coastal regions for the mornings and evenings when it cools down.
• Denim jackets also offer all the benefits that jeans would.  They are durable and would be good to work in once you break them in (mine is still pretty stiff).
• This year, it appears that Levi’s is offering more of a selection of jean jackets.  I even got an e-mail from them today that said “The Must-Have Jacket For Fall”.  A few of which are raw denim (shrink to fit), which offers customizing in how it fades much like the 501′s.  This would be an interesting experiment to see what can be done with a jacket as opposed to jeans.  I would like to take on this challenge if someone would donate me a raw denim jacket.

Many of these same things apply to women as far as matching goes,  the only difference I think isn’t that big of a deal is wearing a denim vest with jeans.  I am going to be trying to bring it back.  Below are some famous people in denim jackets.

Shia Labeouf in a jean jacket. Is that a little red tab I see?

Rihanna in a jean jacket.

 

Levi’s BMX

I remember those days when the weather was nice and I used to rip around my neighborhood on my BMX bike.  Those days of bunny hopping up and off curbs and building make shift ramps out of plywood and bricks.  Anything to get a thrill that day.

There is this really popular BMX blog called The Come Up that I check semi-frequently because I think it is amazing what some of these guys can do with bikes and the lack of fear they must have.  I constantly see these riders in a wide assortment of Levi’s.  Most commonly I see the 511‘s, 510‘s and 501‘s.  I am assuming these styles are popular because they are easy to move in, avoid the chain and durable.  Tuesday a video was on the main page and the intro had the Levi’s “Go Forth” graphic in it.  This sparked a memory I had of the Levi’s Guy posting on Twitter the link to the BMX team.

I spent a little while on the Levi’s BMX Website checking out the videos, that range from to tutorials to bike checks to displays the riders skills.  The team is filled with from what I know pretty famous and well known riders like Jamie Bestwick, Corey Martinez and Nathan Williams.  These riders ride a mixture of vert, street and dirt, either taking a prefabricated ramp to showcase their tricks, turning a urban environment into a fluid playground or playing on dirt ramps.

I find it very appropriate that Levi’s is sponsoring a BMX team, since it appears that much of the people in this sport are wearing their product anyways.  Maybe I will add a BMX bike to my collection just so I can test the tutorials on the website.  Here is the trailer for their 2008 Video. Enjoy!

 

Found This Interesting

I found this picture tonight, when I was browsing the internet.  Not really sure how I came across it, but found it on a blog from England. I don’t really know anything about this ad, when or where it was published, but because of its source I would think in England/Europe.

The suggestion of the longevity of the jean by showing a tattoo artist tattooing somebody is pretty extreme.  Will a pair of jeans last a lifetime?   Maybe for the reckless and the unlucky, but for the general public I would bet a 35-50 year life span is a little unlikely.

While the popularity of tattoos has exploded in the younger demographic, it is interesting choice of visual because of a certain stigma held by the older generation.  I don’t know if this had any negative effects.  But I think it is interesting because of my fascination with tattoos (even though I probably will never get one).  Let me know what you think.

 

Skinny 511

Since I have mentioned in many posts that I was a dedicated wearer of skinny jeans for a few years, I find it quite curious that I have yet to write a post reviewing the 511‘s.  I think that says something about my credibility.

I bought my first pair of 511′s four years ago and I still have them in my closet, maybe for sentimental reasons or maybe because I still love the way they fit.  This particular pair is “stretch” denim, meaning it has 1% spandex.  This allows for more free range of movement, which is important when skateboarding, commuting via bike or just living.

I also have had two pairs that aren’t of stretch denim.  Since these are from 100% cotton they are a little more rigid and feel like my other pairs of Levi’s.  The only downfall I have found to having this pair vs. the stretch is that the movement in the crotch is a little constricted,  especially if you wear them low on the hips.

511′s are low cut and skinny from the waist to the ankles.  Having it tight around the ankles took a long time to getting used to and because of this, my first two pair of 511′s I had to slit at the ankles to it loosen it up a bit.  I really like that my legs are not swimming in these jeans and this was my original attraction to them.  The tightness at the ankles while initially uncomfortable but comes in handy when I was commuting via bicycle and in the winter when it kept the bottoms from dragging in the snow.

The popularity of this jean exploded quickly because of the increase in the hipster movement, skateboarding and fixed gear bicycles, while initially standing out in society is has quickly become accepted by the younger demographics.

One style that is added to the 511 is the trouser.  This pair of 511′s, I find particularly interesting.  Here is why:

• The pockets are slanted as opposed to the traditional rounded pockets, making them similar to a dress pant.
• The back pockets on the original trousers did not have the standard bat wing stitching.  A standard Levi’s trademark was left out.  While this makes it easier to dress up and appear more classy it is a little difficult to identify them as Levi’s. The newer trousers now have the stitching, making them more casual but still iconic and inline with the Levi’s brand.
• They are more dressy.  Every month I flip through GQ and I see these skinny or very slim fitting pants.  It appears Levi’s is right on target by taking an existing jean and modifying it to meet the current fashion.