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Rinse Cycle

Three fresh denim labels to give you the blues in all the right ways. By Johnathan Lawhorn

Fit, thread, wear, wash. So many powers merge to create that dream jean you turn to every morning and night without fail. Anyone who has hunted—we're talking shop to shop, site to site, fitting room to fitting room—knows that coveted cut can sure be elusive. And, remember, we're as picky as you are.

So, for all you denim connoisseurs, here are three lines we love to keep your jeans arsenal as fresh as possible.

Denim & Thread

Launched in 2006 by the designer-denim technician duo of Ron London and Alex Lambousis, these Aussies have all the makings of a denim powerhouse, boasting their own in-house facilities and personalized finishing techniques. However, these designers are guided by a purist philosophy when it comes to construction, so don't expect bedazzling anytime soon. We're talking denim in its rawest form to emphasize shape and wearability. This denim endures rigorous testing to ensure it can adapt to a variety of shapes and sizes. Influenced by the vintage threads of yore, the duo utilizes heavy 25-gauge-weight thread to create that hefty feel of authenticity. Yep, these jeans are poised to usurp the throne from whatever denim you've got in heavy rotation.
Denim & Thread is available in New York at Oak, 28 Bond Street (at Lafayette); 212-677-1293. For more information, go to www.denimandthread.com.

Huffer
Conceived in 1997 by Dan Buckley and Steve Bunstan, the sportswear label Huffer has gracefully translated the founders' backgrounds in extreme sports to a range of clean, laid-back separates, denim in particular. The pair have infused a surf and turf grab bag of snowboarder-chic and skate-park grunge into their spring/summer collection called Infinite Supersymmetry. And, here, the designers have managed to tease out some pretty high-quality denim in the process. Their signature cut, the Infinity jean, gets raves for its relaxed but still lean silhouette that serves as the perfect antidote to the super skinnies of yesteryear.
For more information and availability, go to www.hufferstore.com.

YMC
The brainchild of Fraser Moss and Jimmy Collins, YMC was established in 1995 in London, but if you factor in the requisite decade or so it took for the sartorial trickle-down effect to filter through stateside, these guys have just begun. Today, YMC has quietly developed into a full lifestyle label with the cult following to show for it. However, it's their standout selvedge denim that is the star component of this well-oiled machine. Constructed out of premium raw Japanese denim, this durable pair of jeans will no doubt become a wardrobe mainstay. And this comes as no surprise considering the pair has long operated under American Industrial Design pioneer Raymond Loewy's mantra that "you must create your own design style," which carefully guides the construction of their collections from season to season. Not that seasonal trends matter to these two anyway. Their ultimate goal is to create intelligent clothes that are memorable and functional. Mission accomplished.
For more information and availability, go to www.youmustcreate.com.

Three fresh denim labels to give you the blues in all the right ways.