Sponsored: Inside Gap 1969’s Men’s Collection
Clean Gray Straight Fit
Gray denim can almost be as confusing as its indigo brethren: a lot of it is abraded to a point where the color becomes more of an ashy white than grey. Alternately, a lot of so-called “black” denim actually has a gray weft, resulting in a charcoal fade after months of wear. Gap 1969 took these two extremes and came up with a handy compromise: the Clean Gray Straight Fit.
“Every guy needs a good gray pair of jeans; I think this is a great answer,” said Men’s Merchant Cale Margol.
With a gunmetal warp and a lighter gray weft, the jeans’ uniform dark color adds a certain formality while retaining all the edginess of denim. The natural fill yarn adds an awesome contrast that wouldn’t look out of place with a motorcycle jacket and a white v-neck.
Made of 99% Cotton with 1% stretch, these jeans were made to wear with a little bit of “I don’t care” attitude. The premium fabric is sourced from Turkey. The fit is slouchy without being a drop crotch, meaning the wearer can choose to let them hang a little bit lower on the waist for a more rebellious anti-fit look. Thanks to a slight taper below the knee, the leg openings leave enough room to breathe without swallowing up your favorite kicks.
“The side seams push forward so it’s slimming,” said Men’s Design Director Jason Ferro. The resulting look is “a little bit cleaner, but it still has that energy and that really nice dynamic to it.”
Olive Skinny Fit
When Gap 1969’s Men’s Design Director Jason Ferro thought about going beyond the familiar blue hues of the denim spectrum, he sought to bring together the atypical and familiar. Creating something very wearable, but with its own sort of charm. It was this train of thought that got him thinking about Italian-sourced denim.
“I wanted to actually bring more premium fabrications into the Gap,” he said.
For the Olive Skinny Fit Jean, he used a fabric that combines a black weft with an olive-yarn warp. The resulting contrast is a dark jean that reveals a bit of a lighter side underneath. It still maintains all the ruggedness of dark denim while still setting you apart from the crowd – in a good way. True denim diehards can rejoice, as this jean also features a button fly.
Olive is an ideal color because of its versatility. Associated primarily with military garb, it’s definitely tougher looking than khaki, and for guys who are leery of brighter-colored denim, it’s the perfect way to diversify your jean collection.
Don’t let the term “Skinny” steer you the wrong way though, this isn’t your super-tight, painted-on sort of denim. Made of 100% cotton, the jean sits low on the waist and tapers from the thigh to the knee, maintaining a straight but still slim silhouette all the way down. Pair them with your favorite boots or cuff them over a pair of beat-up sneakers, you’ll channel all the necessary rock-star attitude and none of the hassle of pulling them over your ankles.
“Skinny fit’s just an overall nice-fitting jean,” said Men’s Merchant Cale Margol. “If you’re an average guy and you want a slimmer look, this is just an easy wear.”