I judge a denim brand by how seriously it takes the boring parts, and Abrand takes them very seriously. It launched in Melbourne in 2013 as part of the Threebyone denim house, built by people with a shared passion for jeans and a point of view that comes down to fit, finish and fabric. It calls itself a brand of the people, which I read as quality denim, flattering fits and washes that look lived in from day one. I went deeper on a related idea in Dr. Denim Jeans: The Fits Worth Knowing.

 

Co-founder and designer Andy Paltos grew up in Australia collecting vintage, and you can feel that in the details. The mood is more Y2K California than heritage denim cosplay, with roomy proportions and easy washes that do not need a costume around them. There have been surf-minded capsules with Rip Curl and a low-rise collection with Alexis Ren, yet the straightforward jeans, skirts and shorts are the part I would actually build around. If you want to keep going, Still Here NYC Jeans: Skater, Everyday and Life Jean Fits is the one I would read next.

I like that Abrand makes the fit codes its vocabulary instead of burying the cut. The Low Rise Straight Jeans keep the leg clean and the waist low, while the 95 Baggy Jeans and the 99 Super Baggy Jeans add room through the leg. The 00 Kick Brie Jeans, the 00 Kick Jeans and the 00 Flare Jeans are the ones I would try when I want a little flare to change the shape of a boot or a flat.

 

If you already know you want straight or relaxed, the 95 Straight Jeans and the 99 Baggy Jeans make a handy comparison. My fitting tip: bring the shoes you wear most and check the hem with the waist sitting where you actually wear it, not hauled up for the mirror. What I would skip is buying the baggiest pair first, because it is the hardest to judge on the first try.

The skirts take the same vocabulary into a shorter line. The 99 Skirt is the simplest place to start, and the 95 A Line Skirt and the 95 Aline Skirt give a slightly shaped outline under two fit labels. The A 99 Low Skirt sits lower on the waist, so I would keep the top tucked or cropped and make the proportions look deliberate.

 

Picture her in the A 99 Low Skirt, a close tee and a flat shoe, going from lunch to an early show without needing a second layer. One try-on note: sit down in it as well as standing, since a low rise changes the comfort story.

Here the range steps out of jeans for a minute. The Button Up Dress is my answer to a one-piece day, with a simple shoe and nothing else to think about. The 00 Mini keeps a mini silhouette in the mix, and the A Venice Short and the Venice Short are two routes into warm weather.

 

In my fashion dreams, she is in the Venice Short with a tank and a linen shirt worn open, the kind of afternoon outfit that needs no fuss. If you are comparing the shorts, decide whether you want a relaxed or a cleaner line before choosing a top. I would start with the fit at the waist and adjust everything else around it.

I like Abrand's plainspoken denim rule: fit, finish, fabric, and then the wearer has the final say. Its Threebyone roots keep the focus on jeans, while skirts, dresses and shorts give the same idea more places to go.

 

I would pick the rise and leg shape I reach for most, then use a skirt or a short to change the feeling when the weather shifts. It is personal denim, not a fashion thesis. Although I suspect most of us will end up with three versions of the same straight leg anyway.