If you like the outdoors, the film ‘Wild,’ and maybe even a bit of country music, you should probably give this collection a bit of attention.
Some shape or form of denim should be a stalwart fabric in everyone’s wardrobe. Designed originally as a hardwearing type of cotton for workwear purposes, nowadays, you’d be hard-pressed to walk down any given road in any given town at any given time and not see some denim attire.
Believe it or not, jeans were actually invented, they haven’t just been around forever like stone or water, although it may feel that way. The inventors of the original blue jeans were Levi Strauss & Jacob Davis, of Levi Strauss & Co. When Levi and Jacob first invented the jeans it was done so for a consumer with the outdoor world in mind.
Levi’s latest collaboration with END titled “Mount Rambler” harks back to that very same era when jeans were more of a utilitarian choice than a stylistic one. That being said, the gear is still very visually appealing.
The collection draws inspiration from the 19th-century rambling movement, in which people started wandering and camping in the open countryside to get away from the stresses of daily life they were experiencing while living in built-up areas. This movement went hand in hand with a more hippie ideology and with people desiring a slower pace of life.
END have worked with Levi’s to produce a trucker jacket, a couple of pairs of jeans, a t-shirt, a hat, and some bandanas.
At the core of the collection is a reworked Levi’s Type II Trucker Jacket. Designed in 1953 the Type II jacket was considered the unofficial uniform of the American working man, due to its hardwearing characteristics. END have chosen an off-white colour for their rendition of the jacket, which features mountain ridge stitching on the back and some lovely gold buttons.
The model of slacks chosen are Levis 568 Stay Loose Jeans, which offer a relaxed cut, referencing the same laid-back rambler style and mentality that was spawned during the movement in the 19th century. The jeans also feature D-ring loops designed with utility in mind, because you can clip things to them, I suppose. Behind the rear pockets, END have sneakily placed the same mountain ridge stitching, that’s only revealed once you’ve worn through them. This is kind of genius when you think about it, encouraging wearers to use the clothes in order to reveal more features of them.
The T-Shirt has been inspired by vintage outdoor clothing and comes in a washed beige colour for that reason alongside green ribbing around the neck and arms. A compass can be seen printed upon the chest and END branding is present on the rear of the tee.
The final two pieces of the collection are a hat and bandana, the headwear sports Levi’s embroidery with a rambling man positioned above it. As for the paisley bandanas, they wouldn’t look out of place adorned to Willie Nelsons neck, which is a good thing – an underappreciated style icon in our eyes.
The entire collection carries a very nostalgic feel to it, almost like a breath of fresh air, which I suppose is the point, as it’s inspired by a group of people whose only objective was to get into the wilderness.
The collaboration will be launching via END on Friday, 20th of September.
