J. Crew has come a long way from the East Coast prep look it once embodied. Now it’s a (relatively) affordable style resource for many types of guys, offering versatile suiting for the office man, some broken-in chinos for the outdoorsy guy to wear with a Barbour jacket and, for the arty hipster, a secret-wash shirt paired with vintage jeans. Speaking of jeans, Frank Muytjens, the company’s vice president of men’s design, tells us about the debut of the Levi’s Vintage collection at the men’s stores (available for sale as of today) and gives us a little insight into life at J. Crew H.Q.
Levi Strauss & Co. invented blue jeans, and has driven their evolution from workwear to everywhere. Levi’s® Vintage Clothing reaches into the rich history of denim to reveal and relive pieces of the past. For Fall/Winter 09, with the theme of Inside/Out, Levi’s® explores the cold, hard life of the convict.
The term “Grunge” has been tossed around quite a bit since its inception back in the 1990’s but what does it really mean? How does vintage clothing play into the concept? They are actually a good match. The Grunge look, which has caught on as a result of the large musical sub-culture of the same name, has now gone mainstream and become popular even with those who don’t listen to that type of music. The truth is that the look is comfortable and affordable, and that’s where vintage clothing comes in. Let’s look at the clothing elements of the Grunge look and you’ll understand:
*Jeans: Jeans for a Grunge are expected to be torn and dirty looking. It’s okay to tear them yourself if you like but worn and faded looks much more natural. If they’re too torn they could expose things you don’t want showing or leave you cold in the winter. Wearing pajamas under them is okay. Both the jeans (already worn and faded) and the pajama bottoms are available at vintage clothing sites.
* Flannel Shirts: Another item from the past that is popular at vintage clothing sites and worn often by Grunge. A flannel with a ripped sleeve (but not all the way through) is a pretty common look.
*Khaki or Cargo Shorts: Not generally considered a vintage clothing item but they’ve been around long enough to be seen on many sites that offer apparel from the 80’s and 90’s. Definitely cheaper to get them vintage than pay retail.
* Corduroy: Eddie Vedder and Kurt Cobain both wore corduroy and the corduroy coat has become a Grunge mainstay. You can definitely find corduroy on vintage clothing sites.
* For the girls: Tights, baby doll dresses, boots, high heels and Chuck Taylor’s are all popular items at vintage clothing stores and websites. If you’re shopping for Grunge, you’re shopping vintage.
Grunge, in their purest form, don’t really concern themselves with what they wear. They’ll throw on whatever happens to be available and be okay with it because they’re comfortable with self. The sub-culture, however, has produced a Grunge look that many have adopted and the elements of that look can be found in the vintage clothing market. For some it has nothing to do with the music of Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden or Alice in Chains. It’s just a comfortable way to dress and it costs a whole lot less than going to the mall to buy clothes.
