Neat TREND: Canadian Tuxedos give Portland the blues
March 9, 2010 by karenvitt
Filed under Neat STUFF, Neat TREND
By Erin Flesch, NEAT Contributor
Why yes, it does appear that hell has in fact frozen over. In an unexpected turn of events (seriously, we didn’t see this one coming) we at The Neat Sheet are officially dubbing the Canadian Tuxedo our Neat Tuesday Trend of the Week.
Not for the faint of heart, this daring denim-on-denim look boldly flies in the face of everything we’ve been told about what is and what is not “stylish,” namely that it is never okay to pair jeans with a denim shirt or jacket. Most people, we think, usually come out of the womb with at least this minimum knowledge of fashion sense.
The best thing about fashion however, is that it doesn’t have to make sense. This year something must have been in the super-special-fashion-designer-only drinking water that caused a widespread denim outbreak. Dolce & Gabbana, Jean Paul Gaultier, Helmut Lang, Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren (above) and many more top design houses all sent down versions of the Canadian Tuxedo as part of their Spring 2010 collections. A subtle tribute to the Canada-hosted 2010 Olympics perhaps?
And now the trend has now trickled down as far as The Gap, where the spring ads for jeans, denim vests and jackets (right) are one big Canadian Tuxedo orgy. (By the way, check out The Gap’s spring denim exchange running now through Sunday, March 14 if you want to save 30 percent on new jeans and jackets for your luxe tux.)
Blake Nieman-Davis, Portland’s foremost denim authority and owner of blue jean haven Blake (which is temporarily closed while relocating to a spiffy new space), says of the emerging denim-heavy trend, “I think the look is hot again because ‘hard washes’ of heavily distressed denim are starting to make a comeback right now. We have seen many seasons of very clean denim and so washed denim is coming back. With denim, every trend is cyclical. Also, the ’90s influence does not hurt.”
Nieman-Davis does question, however, whether or not we have the cojones to attempt this admittedly tricky trend. “I think in general, Portlanders will not be brave enough to pull it off, but they will not be alone,” he said. “For years, this is a look that could be done if in the right way, but people seem to be afraid of it. If the denims are different colors or washes, it can be pulled off well. Either a highly distressed jacket with clean, raw jeans or vice-versa works well. I normally see this look from my hard-core ‘denimheads’.”
Denimhead or not, it’s hard to ignore the allure of this spring’s Canadian tux. There’s something so wrong about denim-on-denim that it feels so right (in a naughty-fashion way, of course).
We also talked to Rachel Gorenstein, designer of Rachel Mara and owner of Pearl District boutique department store Moulé, which is part of a small Canadian chain – no joke – that was first opened in Winnipeg by Gorenstein’s mother. She offers up some expert advice on how to wear this look without evoking Justin and Britney a la 2001 (right) or Jay Leno any time off-duty. Gorenstein suggests that you “balance your top and bottom silhouettes. If you’re going for the boyfriend on the bottom, keep it fitted on top. Keep your washes close in color but not matching.”
Remember, the Canadian Tuxedo is not a look for the fashion lighthearted. It takes careful forethought and a willingness to stand out. But don’t be frightened – as Gorenstein reminds us, “Confidence can pull off any look.” From slouchy to fitted, in dark or light, here’s our picks for the coolest current denim pieces in Portland:
Moulé – This is the place to shop for stylish denim brands you can’t find anywhere else in Portland, and in addition to jeans they have fitted denim jackets, skirts, dresses and denim chambray shirts. Look for fashion forward lines such as Y3 (the Yoji Yamamoto Adidas label), J Brand, Resin and 4 Stroke (right). For spring they are also bringing back customer favorite fits from Rogan, DL1961, 7 For All Mankind, and Joe’s, and they have no. Moulé, 1225 NW Everett Street; 503-227-8530. www.moulestores.com
Levi’s – Levi’s star has gone from cowboy to cool (thanks in part to Wieden+Kennedy’s super successful “Go Forth” campaign) and they have the hardware to back it up. Nieman-Davis suggests shopping Levi’s until his own Blake denim shop reopens, and he reminds us Levi’s are a great source of classic denim jackets. They also offer hundreds of washes at not too shabby prices, which means you can stock up on all kinds of cuts and styles to wear from head to toe without going broke. Levi’s, 2307 N.W. Westover Rd.; 503- 229-0501. us.levi.com
Meringue Boutique – On-trend Lake Oswego boutique Meringue has one of the city’s best denim selections, and now through Sunday, March 14 they’re holding their awesome semi-annual sale. You can save 30 to 70 percent on your Canadian Tux pieces from denim brands including Joes Jeans, Hudson, 7 For All Mankind, Genetic Denim, Citizens of Humanity, Paige, Rich & Skinny and more. Meringue Boutique, 385 First St., Lake Oswego; 503-635-1063. www.meringueboutique.com
Souchi – Northwest designer destination Souchi has lots of killer denim from Siwy, plus three new styles of Genetic Denim in this week. We definitely think zippers should play a part of your Canadian Tux, so how about these badass Genetic Denim sage 23″ zipper jeans in altar (shown right, $198). Souchi, 807 N.W. 23rd Ave.; 503-525-0043. www.souchi.com
True Religion – The True Religion store at Pioneer Place has a ton of options perfect for denim layering. Made famous by celebrity bottoms, True Religion certainly knows how to make a pair of good lookin’ jeans. Too bad they price them accordingly. (Then again, you get what you pay for, right?) True Religion, 340 S.W. Morrison St.; 503-224-0365. www.truereligionbrandjeans.com
Covet – Downtown boutique Covet has received new Citizen’s of Humanity skinny Phantom Denim for spring, which is perfect for gals who are tired of hemming all their jeans. Available in a dark “Poseidon” wash, the jeans are straight and slimming, and they have a 29″ inseam – finally! Plus, our friends at Covet are off to Paris to buy for fall 2010, and to celebrate they’ll mark down your entire purchase by 10 percent when you mention “I ? Paris” at the register now through Sunday, March 14. Covet, 429 S.W. 10th Ave.; 503-222-6838. www.lovecovet.com
Macy’s – Every shopper’s go-to department store Macy’s just received all its new spring denim styles, from hot brands including MEK Denim, True Religion, Joe’s, 7 for All Mankind, Hudson, Citizen’s, Levi’s, CK for Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and house brand Buffalo. Find lots of styles with a slouchy boyfriend cut, skinny jeans, slimming fits with tummy control and warm weather crops and capris. Macy’s (six Portland locations), 621 S.W. Fifth Ave.; 503-223-0512. www.macys.com
So… call me out of touch, but I don’t know why it’s called Canadian Tuxedo. That almost seems denigrating. What’s the origin of that term?
Thanks!