Unless you’re in a particular corner of the menswear Instagram internet, the name “Aaron Levine” likely doesn’t mean a lot to you — and no, that’s “Aaron Levine,” not “Adam Levine” of Maroon 5. But that doesn’t mean you’ve been untouched by his taste; you may well be wearing it. Levine was the chief voice behind menswear at Madewell, Club Monaco, and the revived Abercrombie & Fitch, and having left that brand has been a highly successful consultant and stylist for brands like Aime Leon Dore.
Put differently: though there are many influences on the modern menswear style, it’s fair to say that Aaron Levine has been one of the most prominent single voices in this area: and he’s launched his own brand.
Aaron Levine New York is nothing radical or shocking — there’s no departure from style here or change-up to confront the norms of modern menswear — but rather is another entry in the growing market of “elevated basics” for men. Put simply: clothes that are easy to wear, pair well with most items in your wardrobe, look chic without drawing attention to themselves, and are made exceptionally well. He described his range to the New York Times as “grown-up clothes that didn’t make your brain hurt,” and though you pay a tax for his name, you also get his expertise and quality.
Looking through the initial collection — most of which have sold out — you find some lovely, clever details here and there. Still, the focus is on quality fabrics, not interesting ones, and the clothes come in very plain colors — browns, khaki, grey, navy, and black — and either have no graphics or just the nautilus logo. The peach, blurry “Shadow Flannel” is probably the most eye-catching item in the initial run — and was among the first to sell out — but the rest will have to sell themselves on their quality and tailoring, given their high prices. An upcoming utility jacket retails at $628; cargo pants for $418; a cardigan for $368; and a relaxed, made-to-measure suit for $4,200. I purchased some more accessible items — a cream waffle knit thermal long-sleeve shirt for $148 and their twill cotton drawstring pant for $348 — and I will follow up with a review when I’ve tried them.\
Will this be a success? It’s hard to tell. On the one hand, the brand comes from a very successful designer known for the quality of his work — and popular Instagram account — and this is the first opportunity to buy his unfiltered vision. Similarly, the garments are all designed and made in America, and for cut-and-sewn, American-made items, those price tags are not unreasonable or greedy. Though he may have created the Abercrombie look, his brand is not competing with their items; it’s against Buck Mason and Todd Snyder.
Those competitors are the real challenge for Mr. Levine, as this first run from his brand simply isn’t interesting enough. Buck Mason and Todd Snyder have a distinct look and feel, and his — at least for the moment — does not.
That may change in time, but in the meantime, its success will depend on the quality of its garments. Will they be worth the money? When my items arrive and I’ve had a chance to use them properly, I will have an answer for you.