Let this be a lesson.

As I first began to watch this web series, Dirty Denim, on SundanceChannel.com I was immediately turned off by how huge douche bags Chip and Pepper of Chip & Pepper jeans were. But as a designer and someone who deals with manufacturing and finishing I kept watching out of curiosity of the LA denim business - and I’m glad I kept watching.

I think there is an amazing lesson to be learned from watching. The Naughties denim craze has many parallels with the current work wear craze we are seeing today. There is a lot of money being made off this trend, and yes it is a trend for most, at the moment and I think it’s only going to get bigger over the next year or so. But when it crashes, it will crash hard. It will be interesting to see who will be left standing as the masses move on to what’s next.

Back to reality.

I returned from the Los Angeles on the red-eye Monday morning just in time for Compass. And I have to say it was a great trip. I got to catch up with old friends and make some new ones.

I don’t get a lot of opportunities to cruise around with the windows down, or cruise around at all. So the first couple days of driving in LA are always a bit nostalgic for me until I get sick of having to get in a car to go everywhere. As always when visiting LA one of the first things I do is stop in at Amoeba Records to pick up a stack of used CD’s (yes CD’s) to listen to while cruising in my rental. Here is my snapshot review of the three worth mentioning here… Blakroc is overrated and over-produced. Clipse’s Til’ the Casket Drops is severely underrated. And XX is on point. So once I got my soundtrack set it was time to shop, eat, and drink.

I think that the first thing that hits you in the face if you’re shopping LA over the past few weeks are the huge sales. Especially for us from the East as all the Fall and Winter gear is deeply discounted right now. 75% off was the norm in most places. And with months of cold weather left here in NY, that worked out just fine for me. For the best sale selections head over to Douglas Fir, Opening Ceremony, and American Rag. They all had some really nice items albeit all with broken size runs. So it can be the luck of the draw.

The town was buzzing because of the Grammys, so restaurants and bars were packed with B-listers and stores were full of stylist picking items up for clients and backpack rappers turned actors. I love any city when it’s buzzing like that. Definitely not a good weekend to get a table at The Bazaar though.

Stand out shop in LA proper right now is Confederacy. What an amazing space! And a great product selection but really no sales to speak of. Just goes to show how a deep pocketed owner (Danny Masterson) can run a store with out desperation to bring in revenue.

I spent more time down in Venice and Santa Monica than I usually do. Was trying to get the sun there to wash the NY cold off of me. Santa Monica is decidedly unfashionable but relaxed, a good place to meet up with some buddy’s for beers. But Abbot Kinney in Venice was the real star. The boulevard continues to transform itself into a must on any trip. I stopped in at Stronghold and fell in love. The building alone is worth seeing. It’s so out of place and oddly strange in Venice. It looks like a miniature red-brick factory building with a Spanish-style terracotta shingled roof. Apparently, the building was a boxing gym before they turned it into retail.

While I was there (spent probably a couple hours in the store) I had a pair of the slims modified for me. Slight taper, an extra 2 inches on the hem for a nice cuff, and suspender buttons (Thanks Carolina!). The denim is a great deep blue raw selvage with some give. They were straight off the line and weren’t even on the racks when I walked in. They’re in transit to me as I write this and really looking forward to wearing them in.

Some quick notes on some labels or brands that are not new but impressed me were Apolis Activism, RRL (specifically the shop on Melrose), BD Baggies, and the Spring Y3 footwear and accessories collection is killer. An industrial desingers dream. I’ve always thought it was the best and most consistent of the fashion + athletic collab lines out there, but with this one they truly get all my respect.

Rogue Territory Work Trouser

File this under “how’d I not know about these guys?” LA denim atelier Rogue Territory is making some truly great product. Their Work Trouser in double indigo denim is a mix of absolutely perfect color, material, and detailing. I’m not particularly partial to straight legs and prefer a slight taper but not sure I would be able to resist picking these up if in LA. Thanks to YHBTI for bringing these to my attention.

Smart shopping.

Let’s put the preworn denim discussion aside… for those of you even thinking about buying APC’s Pioneer washed New Standards or even worse their Butler denim, put some of that money back in your pocket and pick up J.Crew’s medium washed Japanese selvedge jean in their vintage slim fit. I tried these on out of pure curiosity and immediately bought them and wore them all weekend. Everything I wear is an R15 or New Standard, and the fit on these are perfect. These became my first non-raw selvedge denim purchase since my old school Paper & Denim days…don’t judge me.