a.p.c.

Ask the MB: Blazer With Jeans

February 23, 2023

Q: Hi MBs: I'm returning to a (very casual-dress) office with a modest promotion this month, and I want to dress the part without trying too hard.

I have a fresh pair of dark wash APC Standard jeans I'd like to put to work here, so I thought could pair with a wool blazer, point collar shirt, and minimal PdO sneakers. Assuming I adhere to your aforementioned guidance on each of these pieces (I'm a devotee), what's the MB stance on blazer + denim pairings in 2023?
— Jack

A: Jack, congratulations on the promotion. Given your taste in web sites, clothing, and footwear, along with your strict adherence to core MB principles (never TTH), there is a C-suite position in your future.

We love this look. For 2023 and beyond. Wear it with confidence.

A couple of suggestions:

1. While we're fans of A.P.C. Standard jeans, we're reminded of the old A.P.C. denim joke: "You don't wear them. They wear you."

The A.P.C.s, combined with a wool blazer that's maybe ½ a size too small, can make you look (and feel) a little too "bound," striking a blow against artful dishevelment (and comfort). Sub some more forgiving denim once in a while.

2. Carry this look into spring/summer, where we think it works even better. Swap the wool blazers for cotton versions and flip the cuffs somewhat ineptly, mix in a pair or two of white 5-pocket pants/jeans, and expose your ankles. It doesn't get much better.

Ask the MB -- French Honeymoon

May 22, 2008

Q: Let's keep the wedding theme rolling here. I'm set for the wedding with a nice RL tux. The honeymoon is in the south of France. I've never been and I have a preconceived notion of how a MB will look on the French Riviera. Sean Connery circa 1962 with a hint of Gianni Agnelli? I don't want to get caught looking like an idiot in Nice or Monaco. I have the means so guide me toward some summer wear that will show that Americans can have style, even when in the heart of the beast. Merci beaucoup vous beau bastard.
--Max

A: Here's what you need:

* Fanny pack
* Birkenstocks
* Legible t-shirt, preferably for a collegiate or professional athletic squad
* Baseball cap
* Diabetes

Max, you're referencing early Bond and Gianni Agnelli (inset) and you're asking us for style advice? You ought to be on staff. Anyhow, when in Rome, or, say Monaco, do what the Romans do. A.P.C. is a solid, stylish, somewhat affordable choice (even though its head designer needs to take himself a lot less seriously) and pays respect to your new environs. Choose the jacket and jeans, then channel Agnelli and match with something unexpected and purely American, like a pair of Sperry Top-Siders. They will come in handy for any excursions on the Mediterranean. If yachting isn't planned, perhaps go even more American -- if you get our drift -- and get into a pair of moose moccasins.

Taking Himself Way Too Seriously: Jean Touitou

March 17, 2008

We're thinking of having a bonfire fueled by our A.P.C. jeans collection after reading head designer Jean Touitou's comments (and seeing his pretentious pose) in a recent issue of Details.

His way misguided thinking on drinking:

"After you're 35, it's difficult to drink unless you're running 10 miles a day. I'm not talking one dry martini every Saturday or something. I'm talking three dry martinis a night. And I don't think that's possible -- it's too much poisoning. It's not a very sexy way to talk about drinking, but that's the truth."

Whatever.