Mr. Tweed Country Style Blog

Tweed and Denim Matching

The Denim Controversy

First of all it helps not to regard jeans as ordinary trousers in the first place. A button down shirt can easily be exchanged for a classic collar shirt, if you want a more British look to your outfit. But a pair of jeans cannot be exchanged for classic cut trousers without altering your look altogether. The denim colour and structure, the narrow silhouette and the low waist looks ridiculous on all other trousers. Therefore jeans are better viewed upon as a unique garment, with its own matching logic.

The fabric, "Denim", (from the French "de Nîmes"; the name "jeans" comes from the Italian "genovese") is a rugged twillA fabric woven in parallel diagonal ribs, by passing the weft thread alternatively over and under one or more warp threads. Tweed, gabardine, cheviot and denim, for example, are all twills. fabric, in which (usually) the un-dyed weft passes under two (twi- "double") indigo dyed warps. It somewhat resembles two classic woollen country fabrics, namely covert cloth and keeper’s tweed. Its colour and textural depth matches most tweeds and jumpers perfectly, and offers an interesting contrast to more formal fabrics. Wearing and washing denim will give it a nice faded look. It looks smart with brown as well as with black shoes.

Made into a fitted pair of jeans the denim takes some elegance away from your sports jacketA sports jacket, commonly of tougher material than a suit jacket, is meant to be worn with trousers of another colour (and pattern). outfit and adds a little bit of attitude. Some days that is all a gentleman needs to get by. For an even more striking contrast, they can be favourably worn with a dark suit jacket and an open collar white shirt. And while I am at it: What else would you wear to a pair of black brogues? The formal black colour combined with the informal brogue pattern makes them almost impossible to match with anything else. They are both something of an in-between. Or are you, my patient readers, of some other opinion?

Average: 4.8 (22 votes)

Comments

Regarding the Denim Controversy

I absolutely agree. Some days, nothing else feels more right than a pair of jeans, matched with those favourite brogues and a tweed jacket.

A V neck pullover or a cardigan completes the combination in chillier conditions. Favourably it is all finished with a pair of socks, picking up one of the discrete colours found in the tweed fabric.

By the way, one of those Chapman Troutbeck bags would be just perfect for carrying extra reels, boxes and other necessities while flyfishing. I will have to give them a closer look.

Cheers

Archibald

I am happy to be classed

I am happy to be classed among "the most narrow-minded". Jeans are all right for what they were invented, for what the Americans call "yard work" and are suitable for NO OTHER PURPOSEWAHATSOEVER!

jeans + sports jacket = true

One of the best articles I have read about jeans for a long time.
I think that jeans go very well together with a sports jacket or a navy blazer.
To say that jeans are only good for yard work is highly exaggerated, and excludes 95% of the male population in the world that use them for dressier purposes .

Keep up with the good work!

Pichao

Thank you for your comments!

Dear all,

Well, I find a certain degree of narrow-mindedness quite charming. If you think jeans are for "yard work" only, use them in your yard, and good luck in trying to change the rest of the world!

As you know, I personally do not think wearing jeans with a jacket is bad, quite the opposite, if done right. However, there are all too many jeans wearers lacking even rudimentary taste and style. Perhaps it is better to persuade them into a nice tweed jacket, than to try to get them out of their jeans?

Yours,

Mr. Tweed

Black brogues, no, brown chukkas, yes

Good article, whist I'll often pair a tweed jacket with jeans and a French cuffed shirt, I'll opt for a brown chukkas over black brogues every time. I feel that black shoes, and therefore belt, offer too great a contrast with the brown of the tweed and can give an awkward look to an otherwise classic style.

Patent Leather boating Shoes

Dear Mr Tweed,

As a regular visitor to your pages and myself a gentleman I wonder if you could please elaborate upon your opinion that patent leather boating shoes are to be avoided. Indeed, is there not a context, say boating for instance, when such shoes would be de rigeur?

I look forward to your response.

Many thanks in advance,

Tom

Only if hosting a black tie party on a yacht

Dear Tom,

Thank you for visiting me, and for being a gentleman. I do not think, though, it takes much elaboration to advice against wearing a pair of shiny black patent leather boat shoes (I edited the link in my blog post as Sebago has removed this shoe from their website).

The only possible context would be if hosting a black tie dinner onboard your own Mediterranean yacht. But it would still be more of a joke.

But then again, boat shoes are an American tradition, and who am I to give advice about such a thing. I personally never wear boat shoes unless on or in a very close proximity to a boat.

Yours,

Mr. Tweed

 

 

I am English and first of

I am English and first of all i would like to say that you have a brilliant site here. Secondly that this article on jeans is also one of the best i have ever read! Jeans are perfectly aceptable and can look very smart, especialy with a nice tweed jacket. I know gents of the English upper class who like nothing better than a good pair of jeans!

Thankyou

Stan

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