How to do double denim, and mixing rough and smooth

Wednesday, November 6th 2024
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One of the things Jamie and I were keen to do with The Casual Style Guide was bring in comments from some of the people featured - what they thought about the outfits, rather than just us.

So we approached five people, and asked them to give us a couple of hundred words - roughly the same that we wrote each time - about what the style meant to them. I think they're interesting, both for the content and for the different voices that I, at least, can hear each time.

So I thought it would be nice to reproduce three of them here: Luke Walker of L.E.J, Ethan Newton from Bryceland's and the photographer James Harvey-Kelly.

Ethan:

"I like double denim as a look; there's a bit of a stigma around it, but I think that's dumb. It looks great when the denims are both really dark and raw - there's something of a 90s hip-hop vibe to it then - and when they're really beaten down, like here.

It helps if the denims have a similar cast. They'll start to look strange if one has a really green cast, or a red one, and the other doesn't. Or if one's a right-hand twill and the other a left hand, like a Levi's jacket and a Lee jean. That's more important than whether they're faded the same. Usually denims from the same brand - like these from us at Bryceland's - won't have those issues.

This is a good example of colour blocking too, which I do a lot, with just a little point of colour. All denim (or it could be all navy) with a touch of red in the Papa Nui hat. Oh and velvet slippers really appeal to me here because of the textural contrast between the beaten denim and that smooth, dark velvet."

James:

"For me, most good outfits combine something fresh and even delicate with something more rustic and masculine.

That's nothing profound or new, but it is a way of dressing up the dressing down, or dressing down the dressing up - and when they meet somewhere in the middle the clothes start to feel more like yours.

Here this is about the urbane-ness of the Belgian loafers and Bate's hat, played against the classic sportiness of the Barbour and the Polo rugby shirt that I love."

Luke:

"I think it's interesting you've put this outfit in the workwear section of the book, because it very much is workwear, even if it doesn't look it.

Jeans obviously have workwear origins and I think most people can relate to that – they're clearly still a tough pair of trousers, and have that association. But the jacket is actually an old French waiter's uniform, something that would have been mass produced and then mass laundered. It's not what people associate with workwear, but it is as much as any pair of trousers.

The bag over my shoulder is unfortunately out of shot, but that's another example. It's a Noé bag from Louis Vuitton, a bucket style with a drawstring that was apparently originally made for champagne salesmen, to hulk around town. It's tough, even if the modern association is luxe.

So many clothes are like this – like tweeds, which were real utility clothing but just seem refined today because they're made into smart jackets.

My go-to style is mixing workwear pieces with finer ones, like a silk shirt. I love that high/low, the rich and don't-give-a-fuck look. I like old jeans like this with elongated, French calf shoes in the same way."

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Stephen

Interesting piece from Nathan, especially about the cast and the twill. Personally I slightly prefer a contrast of denim shades and /or a colour block (eg a jacket or over-shirt) yo break things up a bit.
Great second article from James about mixing things up in (IMO) a complementary way.
Sorry there’s not one thing I like about Luk’s outfit. And the expletive added nothing to the outfit or the article.
Over an interesting read.

Daniel

Hello Simon,
Sorry – not related to this article, but may I ask what sweater you are wearing over you shoulders in the picture Buzz (TA) posted on instagram today?

Lawrence

Simon, I don’t recognize the jacket you’re wearing in that photo with the cricket sweater. Would you please tell us about it?

Nils

I don’t think I can be convinced that velvet slippers with double denim make sense or even look good! Other outfits I do like.

Cheers

Alex

I certainly wouldn’t be able to pull it off, but Ethan looks good in my opinion.

Mike

I could and have! But I always pair them with a sport coat or blazer. But I’m fortunate in the gene’s department, LOL! 6’3″ 200 lbs, athletic build and at 63 haven’t lost a single hair or had any turn grey?

teekay

Fwiw I’m with you Nils. It is one of those current looks in menswear I put into the category of probably just being a trend.

James Grandone

Hahaha Just what I was thinking

Alexander

“Usually denims from the same brand – like these from us at Bryceland’s – won’t have those issues.” This was probably before they introduced their left-hand twill jeans.

Erik

I sort of love the idea of that French waiter’s uniform. Would love to know more about it

W.A.

Love the outfits. Ethan’s probably resembles me the most, while Luke’s is the most striking, it’s very ingenious. James is wearing his hat like a musketeer, so refreshing.

David

I bought and liked ‘The Casual Style Guide’. I liked it mainly because it was well done and, in some instances, the looks featured interesting pieces of clothing. That said, in the round – with one or two notable exceptions the total looks were way overdone and the mantra of ‘less is more’ was clearly lost on the participants.
The looks sported by Ethan and Luke in this article are classic examples of things being completely overcooked. They may just as well wear a huge sandwich board with ‘I Work In Menswear’ plastered all over it. For me this is just trying too hard and is the antithesis of what I consider to be ‘Permanent Style’.

Markus S

Hi David,

I also bought the Casual Style Guide and only partly agree with you. Most outfits in the guide, especially in the tonal section, I find quite easy to pull off if I leave out one accessoire and perhaps tone down one item (e.g. muted green socks I stead of the ones in one example above). The same applies for me to the workwear and British.

@Simon: I really llike the guide including the descriptions, just as I like your Lookbook on this page.

Rejath

Hi Simon,
Do you have any idea of the belt that Luke’s wearing in the picture above?

Tore

Really like James’ bag – is that the large Billingham Hadley?

Mark Gross

Just because you CAN wear double denim, doesn’t mean you SHOULD. Just one guy’s opinion but if I saw any of the looks in the photos on people on the street, I wouldn’t say “wow, that’s a good look.” I’d say “what the heck are those guys wearing”? I think denim mixed with tailoring can look very small and I do so often. A soft button down denim shirt in a medium wash under a camel cashmere or corduroy blazer with dark grey flannels. Dark jeans with a smart shirt and blazer. All fine. But these? Maybe in Bismarck, North Dakota but not on the streets of London or New York.

Tom in New Hampshire USA

The reference to North Dakota reminded me that a Canadian tuxedo is denim on denim. That gentle jibe aside, and from someone who lives in New Hampshire no less, I wholeheartedly agree with Simon’s point that these pictures are for stimulation, not necessarily emulation. Pick and choose, or ignore. I find the pictures useful in defining my own sense of style, which continues to evolve at 72 years of age as menswear continues to evolve.

MC

I respectfully disagree with this. I’ve worn double denim to great effect in New York City with a charcoal herringbone sport coat and black loafers. In fact, one of my better dressed clients stopped me after dinner and told me how much she loved it.

I’ll admit that it can look out of place on a bright day and it’s certainly on the flash side of the spectrum. But you can wear it well in a city if the circumstances feel right.

Mark G

Medium to dark jeans with a black turtleneck, charcoal herringbone sport coat, and black loafers is a regular fall in NYC outfit for me. So we’re on the same page there. I concede that a lighter wash denim shirt could work but, mostly, because it wouldn’t scream “double denim” and, in fact, wouldn’t look much different from a blue Oxford cloth shirt with the sam outfit. It’s the “Canadian Tuxedo” look that I don’t really embrace.

John Doe

Clint Eastwood, Paul Newman, Alain Delon, Robert Redford and Steve McQueen all wore denim on denim. If it’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for me, though I agree be more “cautious” about wearing it very urban environment.

Richard

Hi Simon,
On a loosely related style subject, I was in Italy recently and spotted a gentleman in a gilet that looked heavily inspired by an M65 – a slimmer more modern cut but with the same funnel/rounded collar style and body pockets in the classic green. Maybe my description isn’t doing it justice but it did look very neat, particularly for someone who doesn’t usually like gilets. It would be a practical item in warmer climes.
Question is have you seen anything like this or aware of any brands providing such a style of gilet?
Cheers

Richard

Yes it did look rather sharp. I suppose you could say it had drawn influence from the M65 but tweaking it for a neater cut.

J Crewless

The double denim look seems to be stirring some controversy, but in my opinion it could work on colder and darker cloudy days sans loafers which look oddly out of place for the overall effect to work well.

It couldn’t be pulled off any a warm sunny day.