Style on the Street – Rainy Days

The cropped jeans contrast the 3/4 length pea coat well, and the boots are just cool.

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Style on the Street – Fall Fashion

I love how the colour of her boots, the buttons on her cropped pea coat and the button on her hat all co-ordinate together perfectly.

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Style on the Street – Bits and Pieces

Just a few photos from the last few weeks that I hadn’t shared yet…some aren’t perfect, but they all have something worth looking at.

Boldly mixing colours and prints. It looks very British to me, but I like it. Shades of red and burgundy pants are showing up this season and if done properly can be very cool.

My friend and co-worker Yohji, looking sharp in a Top Shop leopard print shirt and blazer.  Sorry for the over exposed photo!

Blurry photo #1 of a well dressed cyclist. Blazer, boots and bag. All very good.

Blurry Photo #2 of a well dressed cyclist. Love that work shirt and cap (maybe Goorin?). Also, you can never go wrong with a clean pair of Adidas. `

A simply look, with the worn boots and brown leather jacket, but it was the bright white dress shirt with the floral print that made me take notice.

I’m going to be out shooting all day Sunday, so I should have lots of great new stuff to share next week!

 

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Work, Projects & Shopping

Just a quick post today.  This week I completed a small project for my tattooist friend Mitch of Gastown Tattoo, a waxed denim work apron. I posted last week about the technique of using otter wax on denim to create a waterproof waxed look, and I used the same process here on Mitch’s apron. As the wax wears, the apron will develop a cool looking patina.  I also used the same finishing techniques that I use when sewing jeans on this apron. I think it turned out pretty well.

Today, I started working at Boys’co on Robson, one of the top menswear stores in Vancouver, and I’m pretty excited about it! We carry a ton of amazing brands, and I’m meeting lots of great people in the fashion industry.

I have a feeling that my pay-cheques might disappear a little faster, as there are a ton of clothes I’d like to pick up from the store. Today, I grabbed this chambray shirt from WorkShop Denim.

On a final note, I’m going to be hunting down lots more street style looks in the coming week, and I may have made a connection to have my denim line produced….. so more to come on that.

Thanks for reading!

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Style on the Street – Waterfront Station

My favorite shot from today –  Fitted Letterman style jackets are still very cool, and go great with a slim pair of jeans, or a contrasting skirt, just like these ladies are doing here.

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Style on the Street – Robson Square

Shoes with character, good accessories and a nice jacket, but this look is all about that wonderful bold and colourful scarf.  It’s nearly a blanket, which is perfect on grey, cool days like today.

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Style on the Street – Robson St.

Those suede shoes (Clarkes?) and slim cropped pants are what caught my eye, but upon further inspection I’d say the whole look was well put together.

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Style on the Street – Tartan on Granville

If you had asked me if I thought a green and blue tartan suit was a good idea, I probably would have said no. In this case, with the suit being slim and fitted, and contrasted with the red Dr. Martens boots, I think it really works. What do you think?

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Waxed Denim DIY

Do you like to do it, yourself?

Waxed denim is a trend that both looks cool and is actually really functional.  Hand waxed jeans breath well, and are also great for repelling the Vancouver rain.  Lots of brands are offering waxed versions of their jeans, but for a small investment and a bit time, and you can easily create a pair of waxed jeans on your own.  Like this….

Photo c/o Bridg on Lookbook.nu, and Phoandchips.com

I found a great (short) video on how to wax jeans from The Coveted.  This is basically the easiest DIY tutorial you will ever find. So get some Otter Wax (that you can find in Vancouver at Much & Little on Main St.) and a pair of dark slim jeans, and give this a try.

 

I’ve got a a project I’m going to try this wax on. I have a bunch of friends that are tattoo artists, and getting tattoo ink on clothes sucks. So, I’m going to make some waxed denim work aprons for them (price TDB if you’d like one).  Kind of like this one seen below from Stanley & Sons, but mine will have a few more design details for a tattooist, and have the wax coating protection.

So, if you like to do it yourself, give this project a go. If you liked today’s post, leave a comment, or like The Style Butcher on Facebook!

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Calling All Gentlemen!

It’s that time of year again!

The time of year when men can celebrate their manliness, take their style up a notch or ten,  and help others while they do it! And what better way to showcase your manly pride and new-found style than with a distinguished moustache!

That’s right gentlemen. It’s time for Movember.

So lets all grow some facial hair, fight cancer, and maybe have a scotch or two while we’re at it.  Now, the best way to get Movember started off is with a clean shave (no head starts in this game my man!) and there truly isn’t a better place to do this than Victoria’s own Victory Barber and Brand.   Victory was recently named one of the best barber shops in Canada, and can prepare your face to host the manliest of mo’s with a well deserved hot towel shave.

To celebrate the month of the mo, Victory has photographed some of their finest moustachioed clients to give us all a little inspiration for our future facial masterpieces! Feast your eyes on the sharp gentlemen before you and marvel in their moustache accomplishments…

So, if you’d like to support or donate, please check out the Movember Canada site, and if you’re in Victoria, I recommend getting it all started with a trip to Victory Barbers!

If you’d like to see more well styled men and moustaches, please click through for more!

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Style Butcher Feature: Interview with Naked & Famous Founder Brandon Svarc

This week we had the privilege of picking the brain of Brandon Svarc, founder of Canadian denim brand Naked & Famous.  Known for their rare Japanese selvedge denim and based out of Montreal,  Naked & Famous produces some of the most innovative (and interesting)  jeans in the world. Brandon is a guy with a big personality, and some very strong opinions regarding the state of the denim industry, so I was excited to hear his thoughts and gain a little insight into what starting a brand from scratch entails.

So Brandon…

What excites you most about running your brand?

Creating something from nothing.

I understand that you have a degree in finance, some history in PR, and a long family tradition of manufacturing clothing.  When did you jump into the design side of things, and did you have any formal design training?

I don’t have any formal design training. We don’t really “design” jeans in the way that some fancy Italian brand does “design”. We don’t add rips and tears and “fashion washes” and crap like that. Instead, we develop new fabrics and put them in our existing fits. We select the best hardware and thread, and that’s it. I don’t need design school to make a badass pair of jeans.

Is there anything or anyone that influences you and your designs?

My grandfather was a huge influence on me. He is the one who started our parent company and who passed down his morals and business practices to my father and myself. When I had plans to start a denim brand most people told me “Oh you are good at marketing so just get all the celebrities and famous people to wear your jeans and it’ll be a big hit.” But my grandfather said “Don’t listen to those fools, just make a better product than your competitors at a better price!” …and that’s what we did.

You run one of the most creative and influential denim brands in the world – how did you get to where you are now? Anyone you can credit with helping you along the way?

My grandfather Paul Svarc deserves the credit for starting it all. For coming to Canada with nothing but a fierce work-ethic and creating a company from scratch. I think we got to where we are by doing this crazy new concept called “not ripping off the consumer”. And by creating fun and innovative products that make people smile.

N&F 32oz selvedge jeans – The heaviest jeans in the world!

Who, or what brand, would you like to collaborate with next?

Honestly I don’t know. Perhaps our next “collabo” will be N&F X Tate + Yoko which is our new retail store in Montreal. www.tateandyoko.com

What advice would you have for an aspiring denim designer? Anything you know now that you wish you knew when you started?

My best advice is the same one that I was given just as I started over 5 years ago… That is, “Sell it yourself”. Simply ask yourself 2 questions: 1. Who loves your brand more than you? 2. Who knows more about your brand than you? If both answers are “nobody” then how can you let a sales rep or distributor sell the brand?

Tell me about Unbranded, your new line of denim; where did that idea come from and where would you like to see it go?

The Unbranded Brand was launched around 3 years ago in order to offer a lower price-point than N&F. We see $135 for N&F as a great price. I bet our jeans are the lowest price available at Barneys or Holt Renfrew or many of our retailers. And compared to $180 or $250 or $400 jeans our price is unbeatable. But we also realize that there are high school kids, college kids and other folks who can’t afford $135 or $180 for a pair of jeans. At $80 for heavy raw selvedge denim, Unbranded is the best starter denim on the market. We will grow Unbranded and will soon offer a 21oz version for under $100!

N&F is one of the few brands that produce in the same country the brand is located.  Obviously this can be more costly that manufacturing overseas, but are there any hidden advantages to staying local outside of it being more ethical?

Of course! We have very fast “production to market” times. If we have the fabric on hand we can have jeans on the market in a couple weeks. That would be impossible from overseas. I prefer the local quality. These local factories have been making jeans for tough Canadian climates and workwear for many years. I can visit the factory any time I want. Speak to the staff without a translator. We are proud to be 100% Made in Canada and will never change that!

You’ve created the heaviest jeans in the world, your 32oz Selvedge jean, what extreme direction will you take denim in next?

In January we will release a Thermochromic selvedge denim jean that changes color with body heat!

N&F Thermochromic Jeans

What do you hate about the denim and fashion industry that you would love to change?

We hate “designer jeans” and crazy washes and embroidery and celebrity endorsed crap, BUT, we do not want to change it. We need all that nonsense to exist so we can be the opposite of it. I love the contrast. But, I do love converting guys who wear washed out bootcut jeans into proper raw denim.

With everything that goes into running the business, are you still heavily involved in the design and fits of the jeans?

Yes. I do all the design. The fits are done together with our patternmaker who has been doing jeans patterns for 40 years!

I’ve read that Fall 2012 will be a big season for N&F Women’s wear, anything you can tell us about that we’ll be seeing soon?

We are very excited about the new womens stuff that re-launched this season! The fits are AMAZING and we are getting a great reaction. We have great basics as well as the crazy stuff like Glow in the Dark jeans.

On your trips to Japan to find rare denim, how do you actually go about searching it out? Secret Japanese industry contacts?

In the first couple years it was a lot of searching. Now we are well established and have many key contacts in Japan and can develop new fabrics together with the mills. I recently asked one of our suppliers who visits him the most… he said without question it’s us (Naked & Famous Denim) and the denim designer from Louis Vuitton.

What was the most difficult thing about launching N&F?

The scariest and possibly most difficult thing about launching the brand was sales. Specifically because we had no contacts on that side. My family has been selling workwear, not luxury jeans, so we didn’t have any contacts. I didn’t even know a single retailer in Montreal forget the rest of the world. But we have a great product with great value and we caught the attention of Barneys, American Rag and other great retailers in our first season.

You’re expanding into more shirts, bow-ties, jackets and women’s wear, what are you most excited about in your Fall collection?

The launch of our womens is pretty exciting. Glow in the Dark jeans is also crazy and exciting. Soon we will release a new fit called SuperSkinnyGuy too!

Brandon with his Raspberry Scratch’N’Sniff jeans!

What’s something that you care deeply about that no one ever seems to ask about?

Hmm… I’m not sure if this answers your question but our rivets say “Je T’adore Tout Nue” on them and nobody ever notices that!

What are you most proud of?

When I travel to a city far away like Bangkok and I see a bunch of kids wearing N&F jeans… that’s pretty cool!

What’s next in the story of Brandon Svarc, denim savant?

Ha! My brother tells my wifey that it’s time for us to make a baby so we can make selvedge denim baby jeans!

Thank you Brandon for taking the time to help us get to know you and your brand a bit better! I look forward to seeing all the great stuff coming out from Naked & Famous this season!

If you’d like to check out Naked & Famous jeans here in Vancouver, you can find them at Boys’Co on Robson, and if you’re looking for the new Unbranded line, you can find it at Crome Yellow in Gastown  and of course you can always head over to Naked&FamousDenim.com to shop online.

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How to Tie a Bow Tie, with The Hill Side

This is a wonderful video on how to tie that new bow tie of yours. Courtesy of The Hill Side.

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Friends of The Butcher – Stefanie Kuncman of Steffy’s Pros & Cons

Stefanie Kuncman is a style blogger from Miami, Florida with a penchant for all things vintage.  Without looking contrived, she effortlessly blends modern pieces with vintage styles, and has developed a unique style of her own that I think works beautifully.

On top of assembling new looks on the regular, Stefanie also curates her own online vintage store, Tea & Tulips with a large selection of vintage dresses, blouses, sweaters, accessories and more, all priced to be accessible to any fashion lover.

I came across Stefanie on her Lookbook page, and I loved her colourful vintage inspired style. I followed over to her personal style blog, Steffy’s Pros & Cons, and found more beautiful photos, and so I asked her if I could share some of her looks here on The Style Butcher, and she happily obliged. So, here are some of my favorites:

Stefanie, thank you so much for sharing your style with us here on the Butcher!

If you want to see even more of Stefanie’s looks, you can check out here Instagram feed here, and for those that use Bloglovin.com, you can follow her here.

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Style on the Street – Look of the Day

The random act of bow-tie really won me over here.  It goes perfectly with the jean jacket and multi-toned dress shirt.  Look of the day for sure.

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Style on the Street – Robson

Lots of interesting things going on here, but I love the camouflage, skinny jeans and bicycle combination the most.

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Style on the Street – West Georgia

I love this retro-inspired look, it’s very Boardwalk Empire.

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Style on the Street – Gastown

This is what Fall needs more of! Lots of wonderfully bright colour!

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Style on the Street – Waterfront Station 2

Great looking pea coat. The leather shoulders are a nice detail.

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Style on the Street – Waterfront Station

Sharp look, nice accessories, and workin’ it like a boss.

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Style on the Street

Another good example of bold animal prints back in style this Fall

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