Double denim
Time-honoured ‘Canadian Tuxedo’ makes a comeback
With another Canada Day approaching this summer, it is fitting that the “Canadian tuxedo” is having a major renaissance as we head into the warmth of spring.
The term “Canadian tuxedo” may evoke for some the image of a hick; for others, it will bring up the burning memory of the double denim matching monstrosities Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake wore to the American Music Awards in 2001 (Katy Perry and her date Riff Raff paid homage to the look more recently at the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards), but don’t let that deter you from this season’s most buzzed-about trend. After all, trend master Rihanna recently sported a full denim look in the music video for Four Five Seconds, solidifying its relevance in today’s scene.
Renny Wilson, an Edmontonian musician now living in Montreal, has been an enthusiastic supporter of the look both on and offstage for the past four years.
“I started in about 2011,” says Wilson. “I got into collecting jean jackets and that led to trying to find close-matching bottoms. I liked wearing them out as an outfit most of the time; in a given situation where I want to attract attention I imagine myself in a Canadian tux.”
The Canadian tuxedo wasn’t an overnight trend but has had a slow and steady burn over the past few decades.
“The Canadian tuxedo came out of the western-wear phenomenon that is dear to Albertans,” says Jason Trotzuk, founder and creative director of Fidelity, a denim brand. “When you dress up in the West, you put on your best pair of jeans and a denim shirt. The pieces could both stand out on their own, but when you put them together you have a solid outfit.”
WEAR IT BOLD
The time-honoured blue-on-blue combination is an excellent choice for those confident in the look.
“I like spot-on if not close matches; in fact, I don’t really consider mismatched colours a tuxedo at all,” says Wilson. “My favourite combo is white T-shirt tucked in with belt and preferably a light blue tux. A washed, light blue is the ticket, though, if you want to be perceived as wearing a true Canadian tux. Other colours are great also — I have black, red, and I’m working on a white tux.”
MIX AND MATCH
While the matching tuxedo is a classic, there are other options that are less traditional and more on the subtle side — this is, perhaps, where the term Canadian tuxedo might be used more loosely.
“How is it being reinterpreted now?” asks Trotzuk. “Different washes and fabrications together; tencel denims; combining different looks from different eras: ’70s retro; ’80s new wave, punk; ’90s grunge.”
This being a unisex trend, it’s only natural that the ladies have even more options when it comes to combining different pieces. Though a departure from the traditional definition of a tuxedo, shorts paired with denim shirts or overalls with jean jackets are both viable options, not to mention jean dresses and skirts.
THE MORE THE MERRIER
“There is no such thing as too much denim,” says Trotzuk. “Jeans are the most versatile piece of clothing in your closet and the coolest piece of clothing on the planet. You can never have too much cool.”
Most of us will never be able to out-denim the master, though.
Wilson has this look on lockdown: “A three-piece, light-blue tuxedo plus a denim hat, all pretty close to matching. Lately I’ve liked my matching GWG tux (it’s a darker indigo that’s washed out) with a green denim shirt and a green denim hat with a dark blue denim brim. That’s a snazzy combo. Denim shoes or underwear may be pushing it though.”