The Democracy of Denim
When it comes to jeans, for both men and women, I am a purist. The closer any pair comes to looking like a pair of Levi's 501s the better. I don't like any funky pocket details or weird colored stitching; and certainly any kind of contrived whiskering is out of the question. I am especially picky about the cut and fit, particularly for men. While there are always new trends in women's denim, I am most attracted to a traditional cut for men. Although you won't believe the number of men I see these days wearing jeans that are "skinnier" than most of my girlfriends would dare to wear. At first I found it confusing and odd--if skinny jeans were too trendy for me (and I'm often a sucker for trying out a trend), then how could so many guys be more adventuresome than a fashion chick like myself? But then I started to see the very rare guy whose skinny jeans really suited him. My favorite sighting was on a guy, must have been in his twenties, who had an otherwise laid back schoolboy look--Polo sweater (logo included), scruffy hair, and Docksiders--but his jeans were tapered. I would have passed him off as too predictable if his narrow jeans hadn't given me something to look at. I think they worked because they stuck out from the rest of his look. They were so unexpected. And doesn't every guy want to catch a girl off guard??
My favorite skinny-jeans wearer mixes a street trend with preppy classics. August 2007, Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NYC.
Everything about this picture of Christopher Reeve is hot. I love the seventies Nikes. 1985. (Credit: Getty)
Clearly this guy has been watching too much Entourage. Regardless, I like his no-frills jeans. Broadway, NYC, September 2007.
Jeans are probably the most democratic piece of clothing in modern history. Everyone from the president of the country to a guy trying to make a buck in Washington Square Park looks at home in denim. NYC, early eighties. (Credit: Getty)
This man pulls off an impressive feat by wearing more than one piece of denim and not looking like a cowboy. Madison Avenue, NYC, October 2007.
Clearly not concerned about looking like a cowboy, John Travolta embraces his inner Westerner on the set of Welcome Back, Kotter. Late seventies. (Credit: Getty)
Sometimes I struggle with that typically Italian look of wearing jeans with an otherwise "business" look. But this guy has enough casual mixed with his formal to strike a good balance. East Fifty-ninth Street, NYC,
October 2007.
I'm almost always a sucker for a seventies look, including the full-leg jeans and cropped T-shirts as worn here by American actor Michael Witney and his then wife, Twiggy. Hampstead Heath, London, 1976. (Credit: Getty)
This is a typical way that downtowners reconcile business formality with a casual, nonconformist lifestyle. East Eleventh Street, NYC, August 2007.
I've shown a similar picture of Andy Warhol before. It strikes me every time I see it how current he looks in today's context. 1981. (Credit: Getty)
Another great mix of casual and formal. East Thirteenth Street, NYC, September 2007.
I've seen so many pictures of James Dean in a white T-shirt and jeans that I can't look at them now without seeing them as a cliché. But this picture of Ricky Nelson fishing in Hawaii brings an inspiring new context to that look. 1960. (Credit: Getty)
This sleepy fellow has great unaffected style. I actually took this picture for the raincoat but realized afterward how much I liked his jeans. Sometimes the best jeans are those that don't call out for attention. F train, NYC, October 2007.
Tony Curtis, looking like the poster boy for the fifties, enjoys a day of fishing. 1955. (Credit: Getty)
I like jeans rolled up at the bottom, as long as the fit is baggy. Mercer Street, NYC, January, 2008.
These 1950s boys look so contemporary to me in their rolled denim, Converse Chuck Taylors, and striped T-shirts. 1955. (Credit: Getty)
I suspect that if you're not that tall, wearing slimmer fitting jeans makes you look look taller. Prince Street, NYC, January 2008.
The members of the Who sport a clearly stylized look, but a good one nonetheless. Do you think guys will ever wear high-waisted full-leg jeans again? 1978.
This guy nearly falls prey to that Italian thing of wearing jeans with an otherwise impeccably formal outfit--not really my thing. For me it's the seventies Nikes (again!) that add a huge dose of personal style. Spring Street, NYC, January 2008.
where is the proper photo to go above prince street, january 2008?
Nice article, love the Ralph reference. You should check out www.denimdemon.se for a great pair of denim that specializes in traditional details and fits for men.