Today let's talk about a very young brand created in 2013 by Tony Dos Santos. Dnm Pieces offers high-end pants made in France around 2 essentials in the men's wardrobe: jeans and chinos, respectively n°7 and n°14 (and a little new thing which I will tell you about at the end of this article ).
Put on your socks, your shirt and get ready to put on some nice pants!
Basics with details that make the difference
Tony wanted to create timeless clothes with details that give originality to each piece without falling into ostentatiousness. As a guideline, a certain refinement.
A little overview of some of Tony's work: choice of materials (and colors), styling and then drawing up the technical sheets (of which we can see a preview at the top right). Then the production workshop uses these documents to develop the design and assembly .
Dnm pieces jeans, French manufacturing and Japanese fabric
When I received the jeans, I was immediately seduced by the special attention paid to details such as the burgundy pockets, the selvedge ticket pocket and the lambskin braid on the back pocket (the fleur-de-lys is the distinctive sign of the brand). For the record, Tony admitted to me that he had changed the lambskin for a thicker calfskin which will be more robust over time.
Place of manufacture
Jeans and chinos are made in the North of France in a workshop in Roubaix . It was formerly a major region of the internationally recognized textile industry. Particularly in the 19th century, where it surpassed the English machine which earned it the nickname “French Manchester”.
Dnm Pieces denim fabric
The fabric is Japanese: it is woven in Okayama , one of the historic bastions of selvedge in Japan. Its thickness is pretty standard: 13.5 oz.
A roll of beautiful selvedge denim!
Manufacturing, selvedge jeans put under the scalpel
I found the seams very clean throughout the jeans, no complaints. The work is really neat, worthy of real high-end jeans .
First detail: the seams at the crotch are perfectly aligned. Having discussed it with Alexandre, it's hard to achieve in this place.
Second detail: the buttonhole. The holes are very clean, no thread protrudes. The buttonhole seams are also very clean.
And another nice detail: the buttons are made of copper. Purists will appreciate it!
3rd detail: the selvedge ticket pocket. Note that the rivets are not hidden: they are mainly found on very high-end jeans. When I Was Seventeen Belt.
4th detail: the pockets of the jeans and the legs are assembled in a beautiful way. The assembly and seams are very clean!
5th detail: at the leg level, nothing protrudes
Same on the other side, the seams are very clean. Look at your jeans, you will see that you will not always find this double stitching.
6th detail: a well-executed chain stitch (straight seam). And here, it is blue: it’s discreet and original
These details will be very useful to help you choose a good pair of jeans . Be careful, don't be intransigent if all these details are not included: the quality of a jean must be correlated to its price .
Chinos, quality gabardine and nice details
I clearly find that the chinos are the most interesting piece. It is distinguished by the gray denim-style yoke on the pockets, its tapered cut, and its wooden buttons.
For its summer collection, Dnm Pieces offers 2 chinos, blue and beige. To change from blue, I tried beige 😉
Material: cotton gabardine
Gabardine is a twill weave which has very marked ribs and diagonals with inclinations of 45 to 60° (here 45°). We find this weaving on trench coats for example. By the way, jean fabric (=denim) is also a twill weave with the difference that the warp thread is indigo blue and the weft thread white. In short, twill is one of the main weaving families that you frequently find on your pants.
Double twisted gabardine (= 2 threads twisted into 1) is dyed in Alsace, near Strasbourg and the fabric comes from France or England.
The making, the chinos put under the scalpel
After several washes, the gabardine canvas and the wooden buttons have not moved. As on the jeans, the buttonhole is very clean. (Note in these photos, the beige is slightly lighter due to the light in the photo studio).
On the left: nothing to say about the topstitched piped pocket with its wooden button (cross-stitched). Right: the Italian pocket with the gray yoke (left hand twill weave) is also very clean. The seams are regular and the inside of the pockets are neat.
When Tony said his guiding principle was refinement, he wasn't lying to me. When you turn the chinos inside out, look at the junction between the inside pocket, its gray yoke, and the light blue braids: it's very well executed!
The back pockets are not left out: the seams are neat.
I have often seen poorly sewn braids but here, it is once again very well done!
The cup
I appreciated the very tapered cut of the chinos, which are similar to slim jeans. This is the kind of cut I wear every day. It highlights my silhouette by giving it a more slender effect. I had to take a size larger because the calves are very fitted: you have been warned if you have good thighs 😉 However, this adjustment at the calf level proves functional because it keeps the chinos in place on the leg.
What to wear them with? Nothing easier
Raw jeans and beige chinos are timeless pieces in the men's wardrobe .
No more talking about cloths and product technicalities, here are now some suggestions for looks for spring that you can easily take inspiration from 😉
With raw jeans, what do you do?
Look n°1: put together the right basics
Regardless of your style and how much you are learning your style, it always helps to have a “safety” outfit. The famous outfit which we are certain does not contain any fault of taste whether in the cut of the clothes or in the combination of colors. In short, THE no-fuss, all-purpose outfit !
A Frank & Oak blazer , a white pinstriped shirt, Dnm Pieces raw jeans and BGS-01 sneakers . If you feel like it, add a handkerchief (pocket square) in the front pocket of the blazer to add a touch of originality.
By the way, if you don't know where to store your sunglasses during a meal on the terrace, the front pocket of the blazer is recommended 😉
Look #2: Try a dressier outfit (but not boring)
Still with these raw jeans, you can combine a chambray shirt and a blazer. Accessories like the speckled wool tie or the pocket square complete the look and give it diversity.
Frank & Oak blazer, BonneGueule chambray shirt , COS tie, Maison Standards belt and Dnm Pieces jeans PS: the wind was visibly blowing from the right (ok I'm going out...)
The junction between the upper and lower body is provided by the brown belt. As a result, we obtain a consistent outfit with a certain notion of pleasure: no more, no less. You can also go wild on the bracelets, in addition to the watch.
Note on the length of the tie : it must reach the level of the belt or 1 cm before, but never on the belt (except in the case of high-waisted pleated pants). This also applies to suits, I see too many men every day who don't put this simple and universal rule into practice.
Break out the chinos when the temperatures rise
Look n°1: mix statement piece and basics effortlessly
You can't see it clearly in the image, but the teddy has a discreet camouflage pattern. This is my big favorite at the moment! Teddy Roseanna for Monoprix, Gant Rugger shirt (article to come).
Beige (or sand) will go very well with dark blue or even a little lighter blue like indigo blue. This will give you an easy-to-execute outfit. An urban look combining relaxation and elegance.
The idea is to mix pieces from different worlds such as the teddy (streetwear) and the button-down collar shirt (a small detail dear to Americans). Finally, complete the look with a pair of low sneakers or a pair of derby shoes to accentuate the dressy side of the outfit. It's really how you feel, depending on your taste and mood.
Note on the button down (or American) collar : the buttons which hold the points of the collar are particularly functional when you wear this type of shirt with a jacket or even a blazer. Thus, the collar maintains a presence in all circumstances (and this prevents the collar from being buried under the lapels of the blazer). If you like to wear shirts casually, don't hesitate to opt for this type of collar. And, it’s also very pretty with a tie!
The chinos are very fitted at the calves, I had to take a 30 (even though I'm usually a 28) because I couldn't put the pants on. Don't worry if you feel a little tight at first, the canvas will loosen as you wear it.
Socks can be an effective way to add a discreet touch of originality to your outfit. Note that the cords of the chinos can add an extra touch of relaxation (be careful not to make the hems too high though). Gant Rugger sneakers, Selected socks
Look n°2: find your outfit to go to the office
If you don't have a restrictive work environment and a dress code to follow to the letter, you can wear clothes that suit you: revisited basics for example.
What do I mean by “revisited”? It's very simple, it goes from the original pattern on a fabric, the particular weaving of the material, including colors that are a little less used.
The discreet pattern of the shirt recalling the color of the blazer denotes a certain subtlety in the way the pieces are combined. Note that the unique collar of the shirt brings a touch of originality to the whole. As for the chinos, their cut is very tapered: it allows you to slim the silhouette in order to make it more dynamic. I'll explain to you one day what "wearable aerodynamics" is (no, I'm kidding).
And presto, desert boots (Selected) which fit very well into the outfit. I grant you, the chinos would have deserved to sit a little lower on my legs (the creases would have been less marked at the knees)
If you want to have more look ideas , take a look at our Pinterest : every month, we decipher 10 outfits that we find interesting.
Dnm Pieces review + where to find it
Before testing this brand, I didn't know Dnm Pieces. I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the manufacturing: the seams are neat and the assembly of the different parts of the clothing is well executed. Style-wise, I appreciated the multiple details found on the jeans but especially on the chinos: it's simply in good taste. So much so that these chinos have become one of the essentials in my wardrobe.
Price-wise, selvedge jeans are in the price range of high-end jeans (€180) and the same goes for chinos (€155). With French design and manufacturing, and this level of finishes and details, it is an honorable quality/price ratio.
For information, Tony recently launched other models of jeans in selvedge canvas, as well as a complementary line focused on upper body pieces called "LE LABORATORY".
These products are available (without the test tube) on Exception
You can find the collection on Exception.com (which allowed us to do the test, thanks to them): here is the link for the jeans , and that for the chinos .
See you soon !
