The A-2 Jacket I Never Wear, and What It’s Taught Me About Building a Wardrobe
There are a few pieces in my wardrobe I don’t really wear. Pieces that, I feel, don’t really belong in my style, however much I want them to.
One example is an A-2 leather jacket from Simmons Bilt—the one below, the one I’m wearing above is a vintage one I picked in San Francisco in 2013. The Simmons Bilt is custom-made, “lightweight” goatskin, and obviously fits me perfectly. A genuinely beautiful jacket. And I almost never wear it.
The real reason: I’m not really a leather jacket guy. Deep down, I probably wanted a biker jacket—that might’ve suited me better. But a biker jacket would totally clash with my sneakers, because it “requires” engineer boots, and then I’m suddenly Marlon Brando.
So the A-2 hangs there. A truly great jacket pointing somewhere I’m not going.
This is what happens when you start building a wardrobe before you’re clear on your denim style. Or when you think you can pull off a signature piece that’s just not you. The wardrobe guide is here to help: once you know your denim style, it’s time to start building a wardrobe around it, in the right order.
In This Issue of the DH Weekly
What I’ve learned about buying the wrong thing at the wrong time from the story of that leather jacket I almost never wear. This issue goes behind the wardrobe guide from my New to Raw Denim series.
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The DH Weekly is my Friday column on raw denim and the clothes that get better with wear—care guides, product picks, restocks, and the occasional bit of denim history.
Foundation First
I’m probably not the only one who’s bought a leather jacket “too early.” You might also be tempted to get that pair of grail boots before you’ve figured out your jeans. Or a pile of accessories before any of it has something to work with.
My A-2 is a good example because it’s a signature piece—the kind of thing that defines an outfit and maybe even your entire style. It was an aspirational purchase: I bought it for the version of me that wears leather jackets (a version that doesn’t exist), not the one where I’m on a cargo bike doing school runs in Danish weather.
A leather jacket is wind-resistant but not really breathable, and definitely not something you pack light with. Leatherheads will disagree, but I’m not looking for a fight. My point is: a signature piece only works when the foundation is solid enough to carry it. And an aspirational purchase only works when your actual life gives it somewhere to go.
The wardrobe guide in the New to Raw Denim series runs through the categories in order—jeans, footwear, base layers first, then shirts, jackets, knitwear and outerwear, and only then the details that complete an outfit. Your denim style will influence every decision. And some of the advice is counterintuitive: on boots, on base layers, on when not to buy the thing you actually want.
The Full Series Is Already Live
This guide is part of the New to Raw Denim series. Once the wardrobe is there, the next guide is about keeping it going—how to look after everything you’ve just built. Or start with the hub if you’re coming in cold.
One thing I’m genuinely curious about: is the Foundation/Main Rotation/Details framework actually useful, or does it feel like too much structure? Let me know.
The post Get the Order Right: How to Build a Raw Denim Wardrobe appeared first on Denimhunters.
DENIM and PATCHES sourced this post originally published on this site