British label LESTRANGE has always worked on the principle that you don't need as many clothes as you think. Its entire 24 wardrobe is built around that idea: a tightly edited collection of premium staples designed to work together and, crucially, around the clock.
The 24 Trouser is perhaps the best-known example. It's comfortable enough to get you through a long-haul flight, smart enough for dinner at the other end and sufficiently understated to work with almost everything else you own. But until now, there has been one fairly obvious omission from the 24 wardrobe: denim.
That changes with the arrival of the 24 Jeans, LESTRANGE's first-ever foray into the world of denim and one of the most significant additions to its collection in years.
Three years in the making
This isn't simply LESTRANGE slapping its name on some five-pocket denim. The 24 Jeans have been three years in development. The brand explored mills from Japan to the USA before eventually settling on Candiani in northern Italy.
The family-run mill has specialised in denim since 1938, and LESTRANGE has selected a 12oz fabric consisting of 98% cotton and 2% elastane. There's enough structure to hold its shape, but none of the board-like stiffness associated with breaking in a new pair of raw jeans.
The fit follows a similarly straightforward philosophy. The 24 Jeans are mid-rise with a classic regular-straight cut and subtle taper from knee to ankle. Not too loose, not too slim and, importantly, not beholden to whatever denim silhouette happens to be trending this month.
No fake fades
LESTRANGE has exercised similar restraint with the washes. There are three – Dark Wash, Mid Wash and Light Wash – with no artificial whiskering, creasing or distressing.
It's a deliberate move intended to make the jeans as versatile as possible. The darker version can happily accompany a blazer or smarter knitwear, while lighter washes lend themselves naturally to casual pieces. One pair of jeans capable of handling most of what your day throws at them.
"The 24 Trouser came out just as everyone was working out what the office even meant anymore," says LESTRANGE co-founder Tom Horne. "Denim felt like the obvious next place to take that."
The LESTRANGE 24 Jeans are available now in three washes and three leg lengths, priced at £149.
