My Beloved APC jeans – An Essential Buy for any Wardrobe
The French brand APC is very much the unsung hero of the denim world. Generally, when many people think of top quality denim, the following brands would be mentioned: Diesel, True Religion, Evisu, Seven, Earnest Sewn, Nudie, Levis, Lee, Wrangler, Acne and Cheap Monday.
APC jeans have always concentrated on the basics as opposed to just a clever design on the back pockets. This is what makes them versatile enough to go with any casual outfit that you can pull together and the quality of the denim will ensure your APC’s are in it for the long run!
The current range consists of 5 different styles and several washes. My favourite APC’s are the New Cure for the skinny jean look and the New Standard for a slightly more relaxed look to which go perfect with a pair of high-tops.
Two things to keep in mind is that, the jeans only come in one leg length (this is normal when you buy a pair of raw denim jeans) so alterations will probably be needed once you have bought them. The last thing is that when you buy a pair of raw denim jeans make sure that you allow some room for comfort around the waist because they have not been pre-washed and will shrink by about 2-3 inches after the first wash you give them.
For more information on how to look after you jeans, check out my previous article here.
These beauties are available from the web store and cost won’t cost the earth either (£100 approximately), which is not bad considering they will last you at least 3 years.
Pop Music, Pop Art, Pop Culture – Acne Pop Classics SS10
Think of Sweden and the first things which spring to mind are: Beautiful blonde women, IKEA, Sauna’s, Bjorn Borg (The Tennis Player and not the Underwear range) & beautiful blonde women.
Well, let’s add Acne into that list of all things good & Swedish. Acne was founded in 1997 by Jonny Johansson and 3 others. Surprisingly, their initial intention was not to become a fashion brand “We didn’t want to participate in fashion in the first place” Johansson continues to explain “We wanted to be on the outside but, of course, you end up in the heat of it eventually”.
Since then, Acne has become one of the most sought after denim brands around selling 300,000 pairs per year and is up there with the likes of: Seven, Earnest Sewn, True Religion, APC, PRPS to name a few…
Acne’s pop classics SS10 is a very casual and versatile collection indeed. There are key on trend pieces like the farmer style chequered shirt and the denim jacket so, if anything, the pictures below are a great guide on how to piece together a great outfit for Spring Summer 2010.
You can find the Pop Collection & denim here
The New Brit on the Block – Albam Clothing
So the new Spitalfields Market is all completed after what seemed like a decade in the making. I think we can all agree it looks a whole nicer even though the purists amongst some of you may have something to say about the invasion of Wagamama’s, Giraffe & other well known restaurants.
Although the food has gone more mainstream, Spitalfield’s fashion shops/stalls still have that air about exclusivity about them. One of the newer shops in Spitalfields is Albam.
Albam started in Nottingham 3 years ago and just after one year they arrived in The Big Smoke (London) just by the trendy area of Kingly Court by Carnaby Street. Fast forward to now and they find them selves in 2 trendy neighbourhoods in London.
Albam’s cornerstone of thinking is that their clothes are “Modern Crafted Clothing”. Do I agree with that? Totally! Their denim is a match made in heaven between craftmanship & value for money. They are wonderfully crafted with Japanese 13 Oz. Denim, with nice details on the rivets and a lovely selvedge finish. All this for £80.00?!? The nearest rivals to that in terms of value for money are my beloved APC and who can forget Uni Qlo’s Japanese Denim Range.
Next up, the Hunting Cagoule which comes in a nice sand colour with a waxed finish. There is also nice denim-esque detail on the inside of the hood which just give the jacket a contemporary feel to what otherwise seems like a classic jacket.
I could go on but I’m gonna stop there as I eagerly wait for their next collection. I think the thing that strikes me the most is that, this brand just oozes the British-ness that we don’t really see at this price range nowadays. I just hope they don’t dilute this identity over the coming seasons.
Go and check out Albam for their webshop, store locations.
The Hottest Trend for Spring/Summer 2009
Whereabouts S/S 2009
A new season is underway with trends that are bold, fun and full of character! This season is particularly very exciting as the trends are taking Menswear down a more formal road yet with that mix/match element to give it that twist rather than simply regurgitating trends of the past.
