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Since we’re supposedly in the middle of an aughts revival—see: low-rise jeans, “indie sleaze” and redemption for the “bimbo”—we all have to make some concessions. As I’m not looking to buy tickets to another LCD Soundsystem show, or give Von Dutch trucker hats a final chance, I made a firm decision: it’s denim on denim time.
The Canadian tuxedo—aka the all-denim look—had a spotty run over the last 20 years. People probably think that Britney and Justin formally buried the look at the 2001 American Music Awards, but it kept going. Some people gave it a try and looked like they had a truckload of stolen Packers gear to sell you. Steve Harvey took it to the next level, because of course he did; Ryan Reynolds is Canadian, so go figure; Kanye West and Julia Fox even gave it a shot during their brief fling. There has been some good, some bad and a lot of WTF.
But the last two decades have really been one long come-to Jesus moment for America’s relationship to denim. Boot-cut jeans came and went and tried to come back again; tight jeans dominated for a long time, and while some people can pull them off, there are those of us that might look like we’re trying to smuggle fruit if we go for the “skinny” fit. Thankfully, people have come back around to a more relaxed look. Beyond the multiple trends, there has also been a growing appreciation for good denim; it isn’t hard to walk into a store and see jeans being sold as “selvedge.”
The problem is that America, the country that popularized the textile, doesn’t really make denim anymore. You can get denim made in the U.S.A., but it’s often pricey. Add in the last two years, where we didn’t go out as much, and there wasn’t as much of a need to change out of the shorts or sweats we wore during the day. So the idea of forever in blue jeans has been called into question. Things have changed. Tastes have evolved. We’ve had to rethink some classic looks for a new era.
Still, denim on denim felt like something else entirely—a look for the truly brave, but more importantly, a look for people who get their hands dirty. As somebody who spends all day in the content mines, I just didn’t feel right dressing like I worked in actual mines. I avoided the double denim, until one unseasonably warm February day, the temperature unexpectedly hit 60 and windy. Suddenly, the idea of a denim western shirt and a pair of 501s felt… right. And if I was doubling down, I might as well triple down by wearing a denim jacket over all this. So that’s what I did: I slipped into my triple denim, put on some Birkenstock sandals, and got my egg and cheese at the bodega. It felt right. It felt good.
I decided to try it again a few days later. This time, with the weather inching up towards a very nice number in the high-60s, I didn’t need a jacket—so I tossed on a vintage denim western shirt and a pair of straight-leg jeans from Everlane that my wife says I look good in, which is really all that matters. Another problem I’ve always had with the denim on denim thing was footwear. But if I didn’t go with a boot, then I wouldn’t look like I was trying to be an urban cowboy.
So I decided to get as far away from that as possible by going sockless with a pair of beat-up G.H. Bass loafers that have seen better days. I tossed on a “Books Brothers” dad hat from Book/Shop in Oakland and went about my day. The trick to pulling off a good Canadian tuxedo, I learned, is really just mixing it up a little. Don’t make it look like blue-collar cosplay, especially if it’s a pair of expensive Acne Studios jeans that you pray never get dirty beyond the “authentically lived-in look and feel” they came in upon purchase.
The other part that makes the Canadian tux more fun is what you add to it. I’m a fan of popping a few buttons and showing off the necklaces I wear, but I’ve also been really into wearing a handkerchief around my neck a la the late Peter Bogdanovich. When I do an old chambray work shirt, I’ll toss on a t-shirt from Online Ceramics or something with some color under it. And I always pay attention to the footwear, as that’s what can make or break things.
It’s all about what you bring to the look. Just look for old pictures of guys like Marvin Gaye or Ralph Lauren, two all-denim kings. Ralph being Ralph, he’s done everything from going full cowboy to tossing on a sport coat over the look—proof that there’s no one right way to do it, as long as you keep it fun. There’s something a little 1970s about the Canadian tux, and, as we know, the good stuff from the ‘70s never really goes out of style. The important thing to remember is that the denim can be rigid, but the look shouldn’t be.