Among a man’s many staples, is there anything more staple than denim? Sure, cuts change from season to season. Washes move from pristine to faded, the designer’s pen emulating the way the fabric wears its years. But as dress codes collapse, there’s now few places your jeans won’t go. Unless your boss is particularly prim, dark denim can now infiltrate most offices, even if only on dress-down Friday. Wear a slim-fit pair to a restaurant and they won’t earn you the table by the bathrooms. And the fashion pack has embraced everything from ripped and skinny to wide, cropped cuts, elevating a man’s default trouser to statement piece. Embracing this shift, River Island has debuted its new denim line-up, covering every wash and fit a guy could ever need. There’s its classic skinnies, of course, now joined by slim- and straight-fit styles for when you need to move your look from the stage to the streets. There’s also a quintet of biker styles, the simplest way to inject any look with some edge, and cut from heavier fabric to protect you from the bite of asphalt or winter wind. The family’s rounded out by cigarette and loose-leg cuts, for men who like a more experimental silhouette. And so you never get bored, each fit comes in a range of shades and washes, from pristine indigo to holier-than-Kanye distressing that’s guaranteed to catch any street style snapper’s lens. The only challenge is navigating the choice. Which is where we come in. On 22 September, we’re spending #ANEVENINGWITH River Island in the company of two men who’ve forgotten more about jeans than most men have ever known – Chris Millington and Q Mike – for a free panel discussion about all things denim. Join us at River Island’s 473 Oxford Street store and ask your denim questions directly to the experts. If you can’t make it down to London, fret not. We’re broadcasting the entire event on our Facebook Live, so you can watch, comment and have your queries answered in real time. Whether you want to know how to balance wider fits, how much distressing is too much distressing, or even the most stylish way to pull off the Canadian tuxedo, we’ll set you right. And yes, the dress code is denim. River Island and FashionBeans host #ANEVENINGWITH Chris Millington and Q Mike on 22 September, at the River Island Menswear Floor, 473 Oxford Street, W1C. RSVP on Instagram by 19 September at @riverislandman.
