FW22 – REIMAGINED DENIM

You know what happens when 101+ meets work clothes? A reimagined denim concept is ready to be introduced this Fall/Winter 2022. This is the story to highlight fashion and craftsmanship, and pay tribute to Lee’s heritage.. 

Get ready to travel back in time to the 60s and soak in the New York vibes. This campaign drives you down memory lane with vintage cars, phone booths and gas stations where you can see the beautiful marks of time. This beautiful mix of retro colors that tends to be more muted makes each piece of denim workwear stand out before your eyes. 

Way back in 1912, HD Lee had the idea to produce his own durable Jelt Denim Bib Overalls of high quality for his employees as he wasn’t satisfied with the workwear from his suppliers. It gained immediate national popularity, and the rest is history. With comfort and durability reemerging as priority in fashion, bib overalls as well as one-piece coveralls are back in a big way. The Legend of Workwear line evokes Lee’s iconic past with vintage product tags as well as vintage woven labels such as Lee Jelt Denim 91-J and Lady Lee Westerner. Storytelling labels recounts the history of how the 91SB Bib Overall, the 91 J Loco Jacket, the Carpenter Pant and “Frontier Lady” marketed to girls changed workwear and the fashion narrative altogether.

Lee’s premium line 101+ brings out the best of what denim craftsmanship has to offer. Besides the tried-and-tested custom wash journeys, this fall winter’s modernized interpretation of denim craftsmanship incorporates Japanese Shibori and Sashiko techniques, as well as bringing back 70s bohemian chic with colorful crochet.

The craftsmen at Lee have aged our denim from 3, 5, 8 to 10 years. This season features lighter, dusky, well-washed colors and a relaxed, baggier fit. Customize your own denim wash journey and build that one perfect pair of 101+ with our 13oz rigid fabric and authentic wash that showcases Lee’s detailed and dedicated craftsmanship.

The traditional Japanese concept of tie-dye, the term Shibori translates to wring or squeeze. This dyeing technique predates the flower power era of the Sixties by over a millennium, and Shibori’s status as Japan’s oldest indigo dyeing art form links it to Lee’s denim history. Lee’s Shibori jeans feature rings of white on dusky blues and navy, as well as gorgeous Shibori sweatshirts in grey and mustard yellow with big, dramatic blotches of color on the elbows.

Meaning little cuts, Sashiko is a form of Japanese folk embroidery that use small running stitches to create geometric patterns. The Japanese technique aligns with Lee’s heritage as classic workwear, as it was originally a form of darning to repair or add durability to worn areas of clothing. Sashiko is now regarded as an art form rather than just being purely functional, thanks to its simple beauty of straight or curved lines stitched in a repeating pattern.

Colorful crochet patterns harken back to an age when denim was more statement than staple, personalized with patchwork. Embroider a hipster look and much needed diversity back into denim for this new age.  We know every one would love it