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Despite what its name may suggest, the Canadian Tuxedo is a thoroughly American invention. The story goes like this: In 1951, Bing Crosby was denied entry to a hotel in Canada because he was wearing head-to-toe denim. When the story got back to Levi Strauss and Co., they designed an actual tuxedo jacket made out of denim — complete with a red boutonniere made out of the iconic Levi's red tabs — so he would never have any trouble getting into fancy establishments while wearing jeans again.
These days, the all-denim ensemble might still go by its historical moniker, but considering the most iconic jean-on-jean look now belongs to America's former sweethearts Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake, perhaps we should consider changing the name. That, and the fact that it had quite the showing during New York Fashion Week.
It makes sense that in such turbulent times — as designers decamp to European cities and half of the industry is busy decrying the demise of American fashion — both indie and established brands have found themselves thinking about this all-American staple. Because what is American fashion anyway? It's always been characterized by an emphasis in sportswear, a heavy influence from the streets, and a knowledge that underneath it all, there's no fucking rules. So for those of you who believe there's no such thing as too much denim, this slideshow is for you.
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