Mapping the 'jean-etic' code
Your basic pair of blue jeans has certainly come a long way. First seen as your everyday, heavy duty dungarees that would last forever in the workplace, it has evolved over the decades to become the one essential piece in your wardrobe that helps define you. When one wants to look relaxed, casual; and yet maintain a veneer of style and panache, one’s jeans helps create that look. At one point in time, designers’ jeans were the rage, with names like Fiorucci, Gloria Vanderbilt, Armani and Calvin Klein all getting into the act, making blue denim a fashion statement. And then, there was the inevitable reaction against High Fashion and the corporate approach to looking “rebellious.” R&B became the rage, and street cred meant the baggiest and low-rise of jeans were what you matched with all the blings, chains and metals. As the 21st century came along (Fall of 2000 to be exact), denim designers Michael Glasser and Jerome Dahan approached friend Marc Jacobs for financial backing, and made LA the home for the company they felt was to be the response to what they saw as a void in the contemporary denim market — 7 For All Mankind, the birth of the premium denim brand.
If the denim world of 2000 saw baggy and street-inspired jeans as the most popular style, Sevens, as they’re popularly known, was going to be all about “fit, fabrics, washes, attention to detail and the iconic swooping logo that would adorn the back pockets.” Sevens became the preferred choice of jeans for such Hollywood personalities as Angelina Jolie, Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Garner and Liv Tyler. When the Men’s collection was launched in 2002, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ben Affleck and Ryan Reynolds were immediate fans, spotted wearing their Sevens as they cruised Sunset and Rodeo.
The 7 For All Mankind shop that recently opened on the second level of Greenbelt 5 carries the 2009 collection and it’s a heady showcase of the philosophy of the brand. A brief look at the Men’s Fit Guide will show that there are 10 basic styles/cuts, so that most anyone can make their personal choice, and find their ideal Seven! From Tripster, to Relaxed, Bootcut, Flynt, Slouchy, Austyn, Standard, Floyd, Slimmy and Rocker; the styles vary from loose and comfortable in fit, to the skinny and snugger fits. There’s also a full apparel line now, that includes outerwear, dresses for women, woven shirts for men, and sportswear. Ever the innovator, collaborations with such fashion and design luminaries as Zak Posen, the Great China Wall, Swarovski and Azzedine Alaia, have also ensured that Sevens maintain an edge on the rest of the market.
