Recently, men’s fashion  brands have been fixated with all things vintage. From Levi’s ‘Made and Crafted’ to Paul Smith, men’s fashion and  denim has pushed forward by looking back. One such brand is Ralph Lauren diffusion line, RRL. Trading in on Ralph Lauren’s unimitable status as perhaps the ultimate American outfitter, RRL draws on a heritage that is instrinsically linked to the United States. Focusing on vintage construction and design, RRL comes at a time where Americana (think blue jeans, white tees, stars and stripes) is more in fashion than ever.Founded in 1993, RRL begun with a focus on authenticity. Attempting to recreate garments from their own back catalogue, as well as a number of other archive sources, RRL wanted to draw upon the golden age of denim. But for RRL, this was never merely about design – it was also about fabric and construction. All made in the USA, RRL utilise rare machinery and near forgotten techniques to attempt to capture their vision of vintage American denim.

And they know their stuff. For any denim buffs out there, RRL uses long fiber cotton which they then ring spin into yarn, rather than the modern technique of open ended spinning. The result (for those who are not so meticulous about their jeans) is a finish that is naturally inconsistent, making each pair unique – just like if you were to pick up a pair from a vintage shop. The jeans are then dyed by passing them through several dye baths, in order to gain a rich indigo colour that any denim connoiseur would be proud to wear. The denim itself is all selvedge denim (perhaps the most fashionable type of denim at the moment), woven on vintage looms in denim mecca, Japan. But RRL have expanded beyond just denim to a whole line of vintage inspired pieces that are defined by the same attention to detail. It is a slim collection, but actually this is appealing – RLL focuses on what it is good at. This is not for the usual Ralph Lauren consumer, this appeals to those who know their stuff about clothing. Besides denim, RLL also make great chinos, as well as jumpers with playful prints and a number of work wear inspired pieces. It is well thought out, and appeals to the American market, but with mid century American fashion returning with a vengeance, there is stuff here for the rest of the world too.

And, if you are ever in one of the lucky American cities that has its own RRL store, you are in for a treat. Meticulously themed, each store has its own unique vintage look that is as thought out as the clothing itself. The LA store on Melrose is like a 1950s garage, whilst the store in East Hampton, in a converted barn, looks like something from the gold rush era. RRL have also recently opened a store in London’s Mount Street. It takes a bit of work to stand out within the men’s denim wear industry, but RRL is a slow burner. It is the dark horse, a brand that is slowly building itself up around a basis of intelligent clothing, attention to detail and an obsession with all things American.

Follow us on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tskthestyleking

FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/thestyleking

Mens Fashion – Mens Clothing – Mens Style – Mens Shoes – Mens Sale

-- Gary KingsnorthEditorwww.thestyleking.com

 M: +44 (0) 7802 849144