Solid denim is a must so I’m more than slightly opinionated. So, when I got some denim to try compliments of J Brand, I wanted to take my time and give some honest feedback.

First impressions notwithstanding, I don‘t like stuff that‘s canned. Neither do you. I pride myself on the authenticity of the genuine article; that feel of at-homeness that only comes from something crafted in a way that‘s straight-forward, which is why there is nothing more off-putting than inauthenticity; it‘s like meeting someone for the first time and getting a feel for who they are. Think about it: you meet someone, and, as soon as you notice that overwhelming creep of insincerity, you‘re outta there. And it’s not an accident that you feel this way. Think of it as your own personal bullshit detector with a sensitive and extremely low threshold [hence the aversion to trendy denim].

I put them on and was immediately disarmed by the soft, broken-in texture of the wash. [which is 'harpoon' btw-super soft...]

Second, as an athlete, I appreciate cut and finish. I need to be able to move. Freely…

I stand 6‘3“ and weigh 215 lbs and built athletically. I‘m a big boy and need big-boy denim that moves with me, so it‘s a dealbreaker if I don‘t get everything I want in one package. It‘s really the reason I can‘t wear some of my favorite denim brands anymore: G-Star, Crate Denim, Loomstate, & PRPS are favs, but J Brand not only stood out with a vintage finish, but nailed the cut for proper fit and ease of movement.

Inherently, there isn’t really anything wrong with the fore mentioned denim labels–as a matter of fact, they have great brand appeal, market reach and the kind of status on par with their price point. The problem lies in the brands perception, how I feel about it…

My feelings about J Brand, honestly, weren‘t necessarily that they were trendy nor ostentatious; but a little too tidy; a quiet denim brand you know is synonymous with ‘clean‘. So I wasn‘t sure if they were really for me, but brand position and marketing aside, I wanted to try ‘em for myself which leads me to the third and final reason: An opportunity to ugly up some denim and tell my own story.

And make ‘em mine I did–I put them to the test and wore them for the latter part of the fall semester and so far they are my go-to pair of jeans: Easy, comfortable and because they‘re clean with an emphasis on cut and finish, I styled them easily with an army surplus boot, a loose-neck T, and my Spiewak Chester for first class utilitarian style to close out my semester.

Here’s to making more memories and telling my own story in J Brand denim…

Special props and a very big “Thank You!” to Stephanie Dolce (@sdolce) at Attention PR and J Brand Jeans (@JBrandjeans) for the opportunity to test drive proper premium denim product. 

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