Menswear: Dress up in denim

Unsure what to wear with the workwear staple? Italian brand Replay has just the thing with its ‘Laserblast’ collection of perfect accompaniments, says Lee Holmes

Denim, in all its many guises, has become an essential component of almost every modern man’s wardrobe, thanks in no small part to designers such as Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein. Both used denim extensively in their catwalk collections during the high glamour of the 1970s, helping to transform what was once a workwear fabric into an indispensable fashion staple. Denim eventually trickled back down to the masses, becoming the wardrobe basic that we know and love today. Indeed, there are but few items of clothing in a man’s wardrobe that are as essential as a good pair of jeans.

Consequently, brands catering specifically to the denim market have grown disproportionately, with supply now far outweighing demand. Even Italian label Replay, which has taken pride in providing superior denim since it launched in 1981, has realised that a brand needs to offer something new to an increasingly finickity market.

The recently launched Laserblast collection aims to tackle this issue head-on. Instead of just the denim staples the brand is known for, the collection includes tailored jackets made from soft, malleable wool. Not a garment you would expect from a brand that has jeans in its genes, but a clever move considering how well the two garments work together. Similarly, the iconic leather biker jacket has been given a sophisticated makeover, too, while T-shirts and knits in muted tones of navy and grey hold the collection together.

This clearly isn’t just about pulling on a pair of jeans and being ready to face the day, but dressing like the cast of Francis Ford Coppola’s 1983 film The Outsiders – all bashed-in denim and attitude – isn’t going to cut the mustard either. Keep the attitude by all means, but this time dress up, and stay ahead of the pack.