Surprise Jeans
From Gucci to Hey Gang, here's what got my attention.
There were jeans at Gucci. Last week, after months of anticipation and a clothes-less, thirst-trappy ad drop starring Daria Werbowy, Gucci’s new designer Sabato De Sarno showed his first collection, and in it – four pairs of trend-forward jeans and a jacket. “The jeans were the best clothes,” Line Sheet’s Lauren Sherman told me over DM. “They’re super sellable. A lot of stylists saying they would buy.”
On runways, I tend to read jeans as a sartorial fill-in-the-blank: You don’t necessarily need these jeans, they say, just something similar in style and the look can be yours. Of course, as Lauren suggested, plenty of women will buy the real Guccis. They should. They look really cool (cooler in Lauren’s pic, above, than in the more official runway image, imo). Let it be a hint that more slouchy, long-rise trouser-style jeans are on their way for spring.
Meanwhile, I’m getting served a lot of ads for denim these days. It’s not as insider-y as being front row at the shows, but I like the consumer perspective I get from seeing and shopping paid Instagram posts. I buy it all. And sometimes I land a pair of jeans I love and never saw coming.
Have you heard of Hey Gang? I hadn’t until Instagram showed me a paid post featuring the company’s Ranch Jean, a 100% cotton high-rise with a slight flare that looks just right with a weathered cowboy boot. Smitten with the Ranch, and Hey Gang’s other jean style The Loose Crop, I went on a mission to find whoever was behind them (the website is very coy about it). The designer, Lauren Block, is a retail veteran who started with kid’s clothing in 2018 and later launched women’s (men’s is coming soon). She’s a mom, now based in L.A., where everything in her collection is made. “The Ranch is a very easy, straightforward fit,” she told me. Easy to love and hard to mess up; a good purchase for $295.
I bought the Staud x Wrangler collaboration, too. Here’s a close look at the partnership’s hallmark – a big “Staud” sewn as belt loops around the waistband (jackets have it at the bottom hem). This is the Straight Cut in mid-blue, which fits as well as any Wrangler I’ve ever known. (I almost forgot how much those big back pockets do for one’s butt!) My recommendation: Leave the $195 belt loops behind and buy Wranglers Cowboy Cut Slim Fit jeans in the Antique Wash for $55.
DÔEN: Newport Jean in the Rinse Wash
DÔEN, the Los Angeles company founded by sisters Margaret and Katherine Kleveland, specializes in romantic, prarie-vibe tops and dresses. The Newport jean, an update to their popular Maritime style, feels like the brand’s vintage spirit after a good, purifying cleanse. Sailor-inspired patch pockets are punctuated by bright, copper rivets. The denim – 100% cotton – is rinsed (so not totally raw), which should keep the dark indigo dye from rubbing off on everything; it’s polished, crisp-feeling, and still very groovy.
If I went down a size (to a 24; I’m wearing a 25), the Newport might fit me like it fits the model on the website (tighter around the hips and shorter in the leg), but I like how louche they are here, and how the length interacts with my shoe. (The Footnote1 has more on that relationship, below). It’s a lot of jean, which needs a lot of top for balance, and because the waistline requires tucking in, a sweater that’s not too chunky is best.
I’ll continue to track the shows in Paris and shop all the Instagram ads. You share your favorite jeans in the comments, and like, share, shop, forward, reply – I love it all. See you next week. As always, thank you for reading.
Jane
Footnote: I am someone who spends money on shoes because the cost per wear on them so often checks out. The Chloé Marcie loafer is pricey, but it goes with many, many different jeans – DÔEN’s Newport and Hey Gang’s Loose Crop are pictured here as proof. They have a longer toe, round but not like a ballet flat, so the exposure they get from under a floor-length wide leg is still significant. And yet, they’re not so long as to look clown-like with a jean that’s tapered and cropped. Plus, they make my ankles look pretty. The color I’m wearing is called purple, but it falls in the oxblood family (they also come in tan, off-white, and black). Oh! If you’re someone who struggles with flats due to high arches and insteps, my friend Hillary Kerr says the heeled version of this loafer is accommodating.
This has been my favorite newsletter yet! I finally took the time to start paying. What I loved was the honesty about the Wrangler's, the justification about the expensive loafers and some detective work about Hey Gang! Thanks Jane.
I’d love to read about your favorite white tees. Thx, Kerry