Ah, The Canadian Tuxedo. Until I sat down to write this post, I didn’t know the origin of the term. A quick google search led me to Levi’s website, where they tell the story of how the term was coined: In 1951, the world famous American crooner Bing Crosby was denied entrance into a Canadian hotel because he and his friend were dressed completely in denim. Although the Hotel management eventually recognized Bing and made an exception because of who he was, the story of the incident traveled fast. Friends of his back home contacted Levi Strauss and Co. and the designers immediately developed a custom denim tuxedo jacket for Bing so that he would never have problems wearing Levi’s Jeans, even in fancy establishments. It was made of the sturdy denim used for 501 Jeans, and decorated with a lovely corsage of Red Tabs, held onto the lapel with a cluster of shiny copper rivets.
Inside the jacket was a huge leather patch printed with a “Notice to All Hotel Men” stating that denim is a perfectly appropriate fabric and anyone wearing it should be allowed entrance into the finest hotels.
LS&Co presented the jacket to Bing at the 1951 Silver State Stampede in Elko, Nevada where he was honorary mayor. He was so tickled with the tux that he wore it to many press appearances for his next film, “Here Comes the Groom.” The original jacket, as well as one made for the town’s mayor, is in the Northeastern Nevada Museum in Elko. {via http://levisvintageclothing.com/bing/}
The denim on denim on denim look has transcended many time periods and not-so-classy renditions, (remember this famous look in the early 2000’s?!) but a sure way to make the combination effortlessly chic is to pair two different shades of denim together, and stick to non-denim accessories. The Canadian Tux, when done right has become a classic look. Maybe so much so that it can look a little boring. When I shop and get dressed, I pay attention to the details, especially when I’m going for a classic look. Nothing is more boring than a plain boat neck white tee. Instead, I look for luxe fabrics and different silhouettes on otherwise classic clothing items. The same goes for this denim on denim ensemble. In all honesty, the J. Crew chambray top screams ‘basic bitch’ to me, so I paired it with a pair of dark flares.
There are so many chic denim pieces out for spring that can be paired together for an ultra-modern take on the Canadian Tux – even white denim pieces paired with dark denim. Shop my picks below!
What do you think of the denim on denim look?