Social Club 19's Executive Editor, Jeremiah Williams, recently has been breaking in a pair sent by Big Star USA. He has heard of Big Star, but the brand really hit his radar when he read some reviews and blogs from Magic's Las Vegas Project trade show.
Big Star USA sent Williams a pair of their "Archetype Slim Cut Jeans for Isolate". The premium denim fits in the category of "Selvage Denim", which is a raw unwashed denim. There are pros and cons with choosing a raw denim brand, but overall Big Star USA has been added to Williams' list of favorite denim. He breaks down the pros and cons for you to decided for yourself.
The basics of the denim Williams was sent: A dark washed slim cut classic raw denim. There was no special detailing to the denim. Just a classic dark denim.
Fit / Cut:
Big Star USA offers the standard fits for guys. Williams was a little worried that the denim was their slim cut, because a lot of times slim cut means trouble if you have any meat on your thighs. "There are a lot of guys who I use to shop with who wanted to try a slim cut denim, but couldn't because of their thighs. I was worried that the denim would be tight on my legs, and I would look like an overgrown hipster", said Williams about the impeding slim fit trial. He concluded, "The fit is probably one of the best slim fits I have tried for an actually grown men". The denim gives a great tailored slim cut with room for everything to move.
The only down side in the fit is the sizing. The denim runs a little long, which is fine because I love a nice cuff on the bottom of my denim. The denim does fit nice on the hip and runs pretty true to size.
Wash:
Selvage denim is unwashed and raw, which means that there aren't chemicals put on the denim to make the denim appear to have a green tone or have the lines by the crotch called "whiskering". Some guys might call the denim boring, but not true. The denim will actually detail itself based upon how you wear the denim. Where you knee bends you will find a natural fading of lines specific to you. The same goes for the normal "whiskering" detailed often applied to men's denim. Raw denim will basically form to your specific body. If you keep your wallet or phone in the same pocket always, the outline will start to appear in your denim. Some advanced denim mavens even put unique shaped items in the same pocket to create unique permanent outlines in their denim.
The caution with purchasing raw denim is the unique care of the denim. Normally it is recommended to wash with like denim or alone and INSIDE OUT on a light cycle. Don't event think about drying. Some will say it is ok to throw in the dryer on low heat, but don't risk it. The Big Star USA denim is high in cotton, which makes for a comfortable denim but also means that the denim is more of a fashion denim. Fashion denim can't be worn like other denims. The denim will withhold normal socializing, but don't expect to bust out the skateboard and not get a rip if you fall.
Wear:
The specif dark wash we were sent is a perfect shade to wear to a sports bar with a t shirt or to wear with a sports coat and button front shirt to a work event. The fit is perfect for a dressier denim because it is not baggy or super tight, it is a nice tailored denim. Cuff the bottom of the denim and add a basic colored T and slick the hair back for a chill summer look. Add a patterned dress shirt and vest to the denim for a casual look for work. The denim looks good with tennis shoes to dress shoes, which is perfect with the current Summer trends, and from what is being shown for Fall 2013 a great denim for the next few seasons.
Check out the other styles that Big Star USA offers online, or locally you can shop select styles at Von Maur and The Buckle. Let us know what you think about the denim, or if you bough a pair and have an opinion. Tweet our Executive Editor and share with us, we also want to see how you styled your Big Star denim.
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| Picture from Spring 2012 Campaign shot by Big Star USA |
So glad I found a blog for men's fashion! These jeans sound perfect for my husband . . . he's slim, but being a cyclist and having the muscular thighs has posed a problem when it comes to slim fit jeans. I just might have to get a pair for him. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteCat let me know how it works for you. One of the biggest questions I get asked are what fits work best for guys with muscular thighs. Like I mentioned I really like the fit a lot, and are a great option for guys who want a fashionable denim option.
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