I've mentioned before how L.L. Bean's new Signature line is arguably Sartorially Inclined's most anticipated clothing release this year. Here is your first real look at, Rogues Gallery founder, Alex Carleton's take on the classic brand. I wish I could take off of work and attend the preview tomorrow and write about it, but I guess I'll just leave it up to the usual suspects.
[3/2 roll chino suit with working button holes. Hello spring suiting.]
[These waxed canvas Bean boots are a great reinterpretation of a classic. Wowsers. Jury's still out on that tote.]
[Fits look sleek, trim and modern though I do need a better look at those loafers.]
[Pictures courtesy of We Are The Market.]
-L.A.S
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I am really excited for this as well. I am probably am the only person who cares- but i hope the sizing is not too super small though. I ran into problems with a few Hickey items that were so slim fit I could barely get my arms into them even though they were "XL"s.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise I love that classic american brands are getting back to their roots.
J.P. - That's strange about your experience with Hickey. I just got a chambray workshirt and while the cut is slim, I still wear my size of a medium.
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, as far as Bean is concerned, this looks amazing.
None of this is bad but it's just not... well... the LL Bean I grew up with. First of all, the only pair of LL Bean jeans that anyone wore, in my small homeschool community in which I was educated, were the flannel lined jeans that sat just a little too high on everyone. They were the warmest pair of pants I ever owned.
ReplyDeleteThe Bean tote I grew up with was a navy blue canvas with green straps. My father took it to the community pool, God knows that there are too few of those anymore, and we kept everything from extra underwear to leaky bottles of sunscreen in it. Delightfully washed out, we still use it when everyone is home for the summer. Leather totes are just something unfamiliar to the LL Bean that I know.
However, there are two pieces that kill. The waxed canvas boots look great, even though I'm not sure that there is anything wrong with the original, and the three button chino suit looks just like the three button chino LL Bean sport coat my father owned a few years back, before he threw it out due to a bike grease stain. Both of those pieces remind me of the 'old bean'.
This all being said, there's nothing wrong with this line, but it feels a little more like a GQ influenced brand than the LL Bean that I grew up on, which may or may not be a good thing.
Ethusiast - First off, thank you for taking a vested interest in YOUR L.L. Bean. Being passionate about the clothes that mean a great deal to you is something I respect. Now on to the matters of your concern...
ReplyDeleteBefore we get too crazy, this is only a small snippet of the line, so I am reserving all judgement, be it praise or disdain, until everything is out there.
I can see where Bean is coming from with this line. There is such a huge demand for heritage clothes with a modern fit. Brands like Woolrich Mills, Gitman Vintage, etc. are making a killing off of the stuff and L.L. Bean deserves a piece of this pie considering they are, at least in my opinion, the definitive heritage brand.
The fact that this line sits parallel with Bean and not as some sort of replacement is an attempt to satisfy both the trad customer, you, and the newer customer, me.
By bringing in Alex from Rogues Gallery as the creative director they not only get a forward thinking visionary, but a guy who has the pedigree (he worked for L.L. Bean previously).
The fact that people are getting excited about this brand is enough to keep me interested beyond what the clothes actually look like and that is the greatest coup of all.
I'm a wistful guy like the man in the picture above. I think those clothes are fantastic , and I love the factory about each design, specifically the second one because the features are modern and easy to find it.
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