J.Press at Urban Outfitters??

WTF?  What did you say?  J. Press, the East Coast style stalwart of classic traditional men's clothes, are at Urban Outfitters, the purveyor of trendy casual clothing for hipsters?  This can't be a good idea.  There is no way these two companies came together and actually made something that works both of them... or could they?

Judge for yourself?  Traditional classic designs, modern slim cut, well made and straddling the line between stuffy and trendy without being either.  Yep, the combination is a slam dunk success.  Check out the wool crew neck sweaters in classic gray and light blue.  They are perfect in anyone's wardrobe.

They are heavy, classic and slim fit. 

Then we come to the oxfords.  They have a perfectly muddled blue oxford as well as a pink striped and blue striped edition.  The oxfords are cut for the modern day man, but would make the stuffiest traditionalist in Martha's Vineyard happy.  They have great style and are essential to any man's wardrobe.  It looks right at a hipster bar or under a suit in law office, which is a rare feat.

Then we have the khaki pants, slim cut without being tight.  Shorter cropped, without looking like high waters.  They would look good with Sperrys, Aldens or Purcells.  Another wardrobe essential done, just the way it should be modern but classically traditional.

I wanted to hate the collaboration between J.Press and Urban Outfitters, but instead I am impressed and wanting more of it.  I know I am getting carried away, but I would like to see Urban Outfitters modern tailoring sharpen the pencil on all that J.Press has to offer.  Maybe that would result in more well cut classics, or maybe it would just ruin the classic brand.  Either way, I like what we have here.  It is just what the stuffy J.Press needed and just what the ultra liberal Urban Outfitter needed, a well complimented collaboration of conflicting styles.

The Unbranded Brand

"The Unbranded Brand is jeans with no name, no branding, no washes, no ads, no gimmicks. Just great denim at a great price! Wow, what a concept, only paying for the product itself... crazy, isn’t it?" That is written on the tag and on the website.  Basically, they are no nonsense jeans made out of rope dyed Japanese Selvedge Denim.

These are raw selvedge denim jeans, which means that they will stretch and become larger when you wear them over time.  They will also distress and mold to your body and how you move.  The longer you wear them without washing them, the more distressed they will become.  Washing them is like locking in the look.  

They come in three styles: skinny, tapered & slim straight.  At Modern Dignified we feel the best option is the slim straight, modern without looking like you borrowed your girlfriend's jeans.  

Typically raw selvedge denim jeans are anywhere from $120 to $250, but these are reasonably priced at only $78 a pair.  Currently, they are being sold at Urban Outfitters, but they will probably expand out with time.  They are a refreshing pair of jeans, just plain raw denim. 

Kicks with clean lines

Having clean lines in your kicks or trainers if you want the shoe to be versatile.  A trainer with clean lines can be worn with jeans, shorts, a suit, dressed up or dressed down.  The simpler and cleaner the lines the more useful the shoes become.

Vans has learned this with their new chukka boot.  It has devilishly simple lines, no embellishments and comes in a universal light gray, which they call off-white.  The shoes are sold online through Urban Outfitters, for $65 a pair.

With simple, stylish shoes it will support and compliment the remaining outfit.  The same shoes are sold in all black on the vans website for $55.  We at Modern Dignified prefer the more useful off-white, but black is certainly a nice second choice.

Think clean lines.

The Best Undershirts are Gray

When dealing with undershirts, it is important to understand how the shirt going over the undershirt is being worn. For most men there are three options, with a tie, one button undone and two buttons undone. To best accommodate each style of shirt there are a few different style of dress shirts. To start off lets look at the most common solution, and the one I prefer.

Gray V-Neck Undershirt -

This is the most versatile undershirt in your closet and will work for most guys with most outfits. A gray undershirt is superior to a white undershirt since it will not show through from under a white dress shirt. The gray undershirt provides no visible undershirt lines (the male version of pantie lines). Since gray will not show through any light colored shirt, it makes it the most versatile color in the wardrobe. As a V-neck, the shirt allows for the top button to be undone without showing a t-shirt underneath. If the shirt has a deep enough V-neck, two buttons can be undone with a shirt being seen.

When I want a more casual look I appreciate the layered look of showing a gray v-neck shirt from under a button-down shirt. If the button-down shirt has two or three buttons undone and the gray shirt underneath, the look can be quite cool, it is a very sprezzatura and nonchalant look. 

For those that do not like to have a shirt showing underneath, ever, the best option is a deep V-neck undershirt.  Depending on the amount of buttons that you typically have unbuttoned, the best option I have found is the Alternative Apparel V-neck shirts. The Eco Boss V-neck is a deeper than normal V-neck and comes in two great heather gray colors.  It is also extremely comfortable cotton and is nice enough to be worn all by itself as a shirt.  The Alternative Apparel Eco Boss runs for about $28 direct or for only $15 thru Urban Outfitters.

For the people that demand an even deeper V-neck shirt I recommend the Alternative Apparel deep V-neck burnout shirt. It comes in a few extra washed colors and fabrics. It is a very soft cotton fabric and runs for about $30-$40, and featured below.

Lastly, for those that don't care about the depth of the V-neck and do not want to pay so much for an undershirt, Gap is a great option. The Gap sells two heather gray shirts for under $20, these shirts are quite comfortable and fit well. I also recommend the Uniqlo undershirt. It runs for about $10 per shirt and has fuller body than the Gap shirt.

Depending on your preference, think about gray... it makes for a great versatile alternative to white.