There is big news coming from the HABITUAL brand for the spring season - we’re launching a line of premium men’s denim.

HABITUAL saw a void in the marketplace for a sophisticated, handcrafted men’s jean. The line is all about clean, modern, “city-inspired” looks and Handmade in USA craftsmanship. In the words of Design Director Jennifer Wojinski, “It’s a very tailored and sophisticated look with a European aesthetic. It’s more of a city look than the vintage look a lot of other brands are going for these days.”

Fit and Wash:

We’ve chosen a comfortable, higher rise that sits right at the hips, going against the trend of lower rise denim that has been prevalent the past several years. You’ll be able to find slim straight, straight, skinny, and relaxed boot fits, along with denim trousers and jackets. We are focusing on medium indigo, dark indigo, grey and black washes. You will also see a hand-applied black pigment coating, available on the skinny fit and the jacket, lending a leathery, rock & roll inspired feel. Some designs will have a minimal amount of hand-distressing.

Craftsmanship:

All of the looks will be hand crafted and hand finished in HABITUAL’s Los Angeles Factory with as little machinery as possible. The designs are cut from the best European denim fabrics, and laundering is done by denim artisans. We use fair labor practices at all levels of the production process.

How can you spot HABITUAL Men’s Denim?

We’ve opted away from aggressive embellishments and focused on a few subtle identifiers that will set HABITUAL Men’s apart and signify premium craftsmanship.

For most of the men’s line, you will find our signature Glory pocket in the front, on the coin pocket, along with a white contrast stitching that stretches up to the waistband. We are featuring both button and zipper flies, all with custom hardware and rivets. In back, you’ll see a leather patch stamped with the HABITUAL logo and tucked neatly underneath the top seam of the pocket, along with a white bartack on the back center belt loop. Inside, an artist-designed pocket lining features a skull, a crying eye, and an architectural arch along with a variety of text elements. Reinforced seams feature a black binding with the word “Believe” subtly visible.

The Fine Print:

The line will be available at retail in January 2012 at specialty department and specialty stores, retailing from $175 to $195 for basic washes, $225 for looks with hand distressing, and up to $325 for premium selvage. The denim jackets will retail at $275, except for one with calf leather sleeves, which will run $575.

Buyers and editors can get a true first look at the line at ENK, in Las Vegas, August 22-24th. You Can Find HABITUAL at booth number 11015. To make an appointment, please contact Christina Zamarripa at christina.zamarripa@pmkbnc.com.

In the grocery line the other day, the check out cashier advised us to turn in our usual ice cream pick and try Talenti Gelato. The Sea Salt Caramel was sold out (don’t we always want what we can’t have even more?), so we settled for a flavor called Caramel Cookie Crunch. Even if it wasn’t our first pick, this pint was no disappointment.

The brand traces its roots back to the extravagant banquets Florentine chef Bernardo Buontalenti created for the Medici family. Following the traditions of authentic Italian gelato making, each flavor is handcrafted and made from scratch. Talenti sources the finest ingredients from around the world, including gourmet chocolate from Belgium, whole Tahitian vanilla beans from Papau New Guinea, and Dulce de Leche from Argentina. They even roast their own nuts. Because we source our denim from all over the world, and design and handcraft the final product here in our LA factory, we appreciate a brand that has a commitment to craftsmanship and a dedication to a perfect end product. Talenti comes in flavors like the Caramel Cookie Crunch, Mediterranean Mint, and Caribbean Coconut, but you like fruit better, they also make sorbettos in flavors like Roman Raspberry and Blood Orange. You can pick up a pint at Whole Foods, Ralph’s or your own local grocer.

Eating Talenti also made us curious about the differences between gelato and ice cream, and we learned it’s not just that gelato is from Italy.  First, gelato has a lower air content than ice cream, and second, gelato is usally served at a slightly warmer temparature than ice cream.  The denser, softer texture that results is why gelato often tastes richer than ice cream. But we were most excited to learn that gelato has a higher milk-to-cream ratio, which yields a lower fat content. In the case of Talenti, all the flavors have between 30 and 100% less fat than ice cream. While it’s still not the healthiest thing in the world, it makes us feel a lot better about indulging once in a while and still fitting into our favorite pair of skinnies.