CS Fits with Ethan Wong.
Last year, we relaunched our CS (Classic Straight) jean after a 7 year hiatus and were pleasantly surprised to see how well it was received. It’s a vintage-inspired high raise straight leg jean that is extremely versatile in how you can wear it. It looks great with a high cuff and some workboots, or cropped short with some high-top sneakers. One area we found that this cut tends to really shine, though, is with tailored clothing. The high rise allows you to tuck shirts in and the deep indigo color really works together nicely with sportcoats and a dressier pair of shoes.
One of our ongoing goals is to help showcase the versatility of our jeans and how they can seamlessly fit into so many different kinds of wardrobes. To help with this, we hit up our friend Ethan Wong to help model some looks and share some thoughts on how he’s been able to work the CS jean into the classic meanswear that he's into. Ethan is a creative strategist based in California and his strengths really show through in the content he produces for his blog, his personal Instagram and TikTok as well as a podcast he co-hosts called Style and Direction. On top of that, he has a great sense of style and we love how he wears our jeans. We're excited to share his photos and writing with you.
"I’ve always liked the idea of pairing jeans with a sportcoat, specifically the juxtaposition with “formal” clothing - especially for the modern day where rules don’t matter as much. Good jeans are just as versatile as a t-shirt; they remove all pretense, inviting you to challenge yourself and wear it with everything in your closet.
The outfit is a great example, being my “uniform” of sorts for days when I don’t feel like wearing a more tailored pant. I wore a button up shirt with a tie; to me it makes the sportcoat + jeans combo feel complete. The jacket is the classic navy, but it's softly constructed and features an open weave, ensuring a slouchy look that is super comfortable. I think those qualities, combined with the straight leg jean (with the laziest of cuffs) helps offset the shirt and tie. You can’t really do this with a typical skinny jean from a fast-fashion brand. The higher rise and silhouette of the CS-100xk are much more conducive to this. It’s a bit “vintage” but I’d argue it’s quite versatile."
"Obviously there are days where I don’t feel like wearing a sportcoat (believe it or not). Those days, I like to lean into the slouch of a good well-worn pair of denim. I always prefer a straight cut, not just because I think the silhouette looks best with a classic sportcoat but because it really is just pretty comfortable; I just make sure I pay attention to the hem length so the jeans don’t stack too much.
While I can’t deny that I love old merch tees with jeans, most of my jean looks incorporate something a bit unexpected. I’m wearing the jeans with an old RRL popover that mimics the ideas of a US Army 1919 Pattern Denim Jacket, from the deep placket to the dual map pockets. Despite the workwear connotations, the soft popover and the slubby Kibata jeans actually results in a pseudo-suit. It’s cohesive and monochromatic without being considered formal."
"This last one is my favorite, mainly because it combines the best of both worlds even if the ideas are quite subtle. A rayon sportshirt is a great match for jeans. The colors are darker as opposed to the more vibrant shirts you’d expect from rockabilly, though it's obviously not workwear either. In that same subversive vein, my boots are slim Chelseas instead of a workboot. The whole outfit has to feel more like me, so I added a sportcoat to the mix. The DB’s soft shoulders and draped body give an extra dimension of slouch.
This whole look is something I like to wear on dates or going to the bar. In retrospect, perhaps a bit much for reading a book with an iced coffee, but hey, the pandemic has turned going outside into an occasion."
