Gap and A.P.C. Finally Get Together, Delighting Denimheads Everywhere

If there’s any proof that raw denim is as relevant as ever, it’s the first collaboration between Gap and A.P.C.In the 2010s, when Tumblr was popping and selvedge jeans were migrating from menswear forums onto magazine covers, you couldn’t scroll through GQ.com without catching a mention of either brand. At the time, A.P.C. was busy introducing a generations of guys to the fade-it-yourself raw denim mythos—along with a slew of cockamamie misconceptions that still persist today.Gap, for its part, debuted its own line of premium raw selvedge denim for under a hundred bucks, clueing an even wider audience onto the same persnickety preferences. Before long, men were refusing to launder their jeans entirely, instead opting to soak 'em—while wearing them—in the bathtub, or scrubbing them with sand after a “wash” in the ocean, or even putting them in the freezer to neutralize their self-inflicted dankness.So it’s only natural that today, as trends circle back to the Crystal Castles era, Gap and A.P.C. are finally getting together. Their debut collab is a 39-piece capsule that merges both labels’ takes on minimal, classic-leaning sportswear, blending A.P.C. founder Jean Touitou’s sense of palette and proportion with Gap’s ageless Americana. Naturally, the partnership features plenty of Japanese denim—including jeans, trucker jackets, and button-ups—rendered in a range of washes and all at competitive price points. As if that wasn't enough, the inaugural tie-up also nods to A.P.C.’s most iconic pieces in the form of parkas, corduroys, and handsome Breton stripe tops.While the two brands share a certain pared-down, plainspoken aesthetic, they specialize in a form of minimalism distinct from anything approaching ‘quiet luxury’. Sure, their designs whisper more than shout, but they're also approachable enough for the everyman, and not just fashion types eager to dress like they're joining a really chic cult. In other words, these are clothes for real life, conceived to slot neatly into your wardrobe and your own sense of style, an effort both brands have been at from the outset. Now they’re doing it together for a whole new generation.