Meltin’ Pot AW13 Preview, Firenze
Although during Pitti all the attentions are mainly focused on the Fortezza itself, the truth is Firenze becomes stage for numerous parties, cocktails, showrooms and previews. After the fair closes its doors, there’s still a lot of activity going on scattered throughout the city center that’s worth taking a closer look: that was just the case with the Meltin’ Pot showroom…
Set in a unique “Wild Wild West meets underground punk gothic” scenario, Meltin’ Pot presented its AW13 collection resorting to a healthy dose of revivalism, through creative director Leopoldo Durante’s re-editions of some of the most renowned models. Inspired by over 19 years of historical archives, the result is a mind blowing array of options focused on details, fit and versatility - fully reversible two colorway versions, pipe stitching, special washes and finishings, unique fabrics, the works. See the wooly pants on the bottom pic? They’re actually made from heavily brushed denim giving it that soft texture and feel: brilliant…
To top it off (pun intended), beautiful earthy toned knits with plays on texture and a selection of jackets ranging from fitted wool peacoats to lightweight waterproof technical parkas.
Source: beyondfabric
Public School SS13 NYC Denim
Rome: 1st day
Deciding on what to pack for a week long getaway while fulfilling Ryanair’s cabin luggage requirements can prove to be a real pain in the ass. Faced with a miniature trolley and a 10kg weight limit, you better plan ahead: my selection was comprised of a knit cardigan, a couple of v-neck sweaters, oxford shirts, jeans and cargo pants, a camel peacoat, ties, sneakers, boat shoes and loafers. Carefully packed, I managed to get several different looks and still save some space for some “unexpected” shopping. The first day was also the hottest, so a simple combination of Levi’s with an oxford button down and sneakers did the trick. The military tucked regimental tie works perfectly with rolled up sleeves and the cotton shopper, besides light, was enough to carry around my belongings.
Details: pink candy striped oxford button down by Our Legacy, jeans by Levi’s (511 slim - tailored), dark green leather sneakers by Buttero, aviators by Ray-Ban, regimental silk tie by Ralph Lauren, cotton shopper by Driftwood Collective, vintage braided leather belt, bracelet by street vendor and watch by Gucci.
Shot @ Piazza del Popolo, Rome
Fighting off cold with color: found this rich dark green toggle coat during a Summer sale and have been waiting to sport it ever since. Love everything about it: fit, deep pockets, plaid inner lining and that color… perfect match for most neutrals but off the chart when paired with brighter shades as orange.
Dark green hooded toggle coat by Gentleman, orange v-neck by Purificacion Garcia, white dress shirt by Paul Smith, jeans by H&M and boots by Buttero.
Model and Styling: Miguel Vieira
Photography: Rita Lino
How to wash raw denim
I feel for all who threw their beat-to-shit pairs in the washer. Imagine that flow of blue water tainting all the other garments…
Source: all along the watchtower
Hemming conundrums
One of the most important decisions when purchasing any type of bottoms concerns hems. Following the main event, so to say, which consists in finding a pair that suits your liking regarding cut, fabric, color or wash, comes the stage of minor (or not) necessary alterations. Unless you’re buying made to measure trousers, you’ll most likely need to have them tailored: at the very least, lengthwise. We all try to find that “perfect pair”, but these kind of tweaks are usually required and “predicted” by manufacturers (slacks are usually offered without hems and jeans have extra fabric at the bottom).
Besides the initial cuffed/uncuffed dillema, one must decide on the suitable length and amount of break - regarding slacks, I prefer them cuffed, with little to no break - but when it comes to more casual alternatives such as chinos or jeans, I find this to be one of the toughest calls one has to make. Especially since your choice feels much more final and irreversible than with slacks, where usually hems safeguard about 3cm of fabric on the inside or you can simply uncuff them for the extra length; if you choose to crop your jeans and have the original hem sewed in, there’s no extra fabric there, which means no margin for error.
I hadn’t purchased jeans in a while, but recently I got a couple of bold colored ones and found myself struggling with this issue. As with every choice you make, you should weigh the pros and cons prior to your decision; here are a few things to consider:
1 - Roll or no roll
Deciding on whether or not you’ll want to roll them up, is a great way to help you get going. No matter the way you like to roll them, doing so will require extra fabric; the amount will depend on how high you want the roll to sit. If you’re going to sport this look play it safe and leave them a bit longer;
2 - Have them taken in
If you’re considering highly cropped jeans, at the ankle for instance, take into account that that is the slimmest part of your leg. So, if you take a pair of straight leg jeans and crop them at the ankle line, you’ll end up with bell bottoms. That being said, consider taking them in 1cm or so from the shin down;
3 - Original vs regular hem
Some jeans will feature factory made hems which tailors/seamstresses cannot reproduce; they can, instead, reattach them at your desired height. This allows you to preserve the original aesthetic and integrity of your jeans, but will be pricier than a regular hem and you won’t have any extra fabric left;
Original hem (left) vs regular hem (right)
4 - The right shoes
If you’re going for a more traditional look, with the jeans covering a part of your shoe, make sure you’re wearing a bulkier model (such as a brogue) when you have them marked. This is most important for slacks but also applies to denim;
Photo from Leffot blog
5 - Research
Being sure about the end result is a lot different than having a brainstorm of ideas which you won’t be able to accurately express to your tailor/seamstress. Do some research, check out streetstyle blogs or websites and know for sure; you might even show them a pic of what you’re after;
