May’s trip to Maine gave me a new and sincere appreciation for Maine, a state I had previously considered to be too far, for too little. Additionally, I received a more tangible item from our quickish stop in the outlets in Freeport: a new pair of Levi’s.
This new edition of a classic cut, the 512, is made from high quality Selfedge denim and I love everything about them. The wash is perfect, medium dark with the beginnings of some thigh whiskering, the length is at my preferred measurement of 30”, and they’re both stiff and soft simultaneously.
I’m obsessed with them and regretful that I only bought a single pair…maybe I’ll check online to see if there’s any remaining stock.
Like the Freeport outlet Levi’s that I last fell in love with 24 years ago, this pair came from the men’s department, rather than the women’s.
(Suddenly, this feels very confessional 🤫.)
Men’s jeans just fit me better. The hips are narrow and the waist is wide, proportions that suit my body really well. This particular pair has a hem that falls to my ankle and I’m looking forward to wearing them with a sweater and desert boot Doc’s. They’ll also be super cute with my Adidas or Birks or velvet booties or my blue brogues or…
And they were only $19.99.
Crossing the boundary between the men’s and women’s departments shouldn’t feel like an international border incident akin to my son trying to return to the U.S. from Düsseldorf while using his German passport, and not being permitted to board his flight.
But, I digress – and I must finish writing this before tomorrow, when I’ll be driving to Montreal to collect my American/German citizen son and, hopefully, bring him home in time for work on Thursday afternoon.
I don’t really shop for clothing very much, much less in the men’s department since my kids and I both appreciate my gifting them with $$ so they can buy what they want. Despite this lack of recent shopping, I retain a sense of appreciation for the garments that often make up a good menswear department. Things like merino and cashmere crewnecks, crisp poplin button downs, thick corduroys and weighty denim.
I love all of that shit.
In fact, at this very moment, I’m wearing an oversized blue striped Oxford, sleeves partially rolled up (2 turns) and French tucked into my new 512s. It’s an outfit that spans the ages – both in style and lifespan and is, undoubtedly, one of my favorite combinations.
How about we all just let go of gender specific garments and focus more on fit and style?
The genes of my current favorite jeans don’t matter to me.
I’m off to pack for my upcoming overnight in Montreal. I’ll need to take a look at the weather forecast to determine if the 512s are going to Canada on this retrieval mission.
DelSo 