Just In: Three All-American Brands To Wear Right Now

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Just In: Three All-American Brands To Wear Right Now

Words by The Daily Team

12 September 2017

What you need to know about Save Khaki United, Mr Ralph Lauren’s rugged RRL line and Mr Raf Simons rebooted Calvin Klein 205W39NYC.

Blink, and another fashion week of some description flickers by. The current one in question is New York Fashion Week, which has been thrumming along nicely over the weekend and will conclude on 13 September. Of course, for those of us more interested in menswear, the September edition NYFW is focused on women’s clothing and so rather slim pickings, despite the efforts of various brands (Calvin Klein, for example) to become a bit more co-ed in their runway presentations. But then again, miraculously, we appear to be doing our own subtle salute to American style in the What’s New section of MR PORTER this week. In fact, we seem to be inundated with fantastic US brands. Is it sheer coincidence, or has some marketing guru done a particularly brilliant and Machiavellian PR job of the whole affair? Who knows, but here are three US brands whose names, in any case, you should be whispering right now:

Inspired by American athletic gear and workwearSave Khaki United is a brand for those who enjoy the simpler things in life. Comfort, fit and quality are king when it comes to its classic pieces, which are often made with washed fabrics for a softer feel. New today is this trusty, versatile, cotton-corduroy shirt jacket, which can be layered in various ways for different looks (over a tee as outwear, for example – or under a waterproof). One option is to pair it with these Save Khaki United straight leg chinos, made from cotton twill.

Given this all-American brand takes its name from Mr Ralph Lauren’s Colorado ranch Double RL, it is little surprise that the clothing is rather rugged – inspired as it is by the American West and 1900s workwear. We particularly like this shawl collar cardigan – especially as autumn approaches. Hand knitted with a blend of linen, cotton, wool, silk and cashmere, it has a super-soft feel, despite being inspired by the hard-wearing clothes of ranch hands. Try pairing it with these selvedge denim jeans by the same brand. While a slimmer, more contemporary fit, they’ve been washed in the production process to give the effect of years of wear.

In 2016, in one of the most hype-fuelled moves in recent fashion history, the archetypal American fashion brand, Calvin Klein, hired the archetypal deconstructionist Belgian designer Mr Raf Simons to give its high-end line Calvin Klein Collection an overhaul. Since then, he’s changed the name (and presumably everyone in the office now has to answer the phone with: “Hello, Calvin Klein Two-Oh-Five-Double-You-Thirty-Nine-En-Why-See… [deep breath] How can I help you?”), but he’s also launched an entrancing new vision for the brand that takes an oblique look at archetypes (there’s that word again) of Americana. In the above sweater, Mr Simons has thoroughly deconstructed the vintage gym sweatshirt, reconfiguring its palette in a rather un-sporty camel and purple, and extending the ribbing on the right sleeve up to mid-bicep level. Wear it with a blue jersey rollneck from the same collection, and consider yourself at the forefront of American style.