Like all things in menswear, washed denim never disappeared, it just stepped out of the limelight for a bit. We remember attempting to bring them back under the spotlight a few times but we usually get comments like ‘looks terrible’, ‘dad jeans’, ‘Obama wears these’. But this is shaping up to be the year that folks come round to the idea of washed denim. All we’ve gotta say is ‘what took you so long?’ (Crooked Tongues)

For the record, this has nothing to do with that drink everyone’s been talking about. This is just a handsome denim jacket that’s on sale. In the words of Teddy Pendergrass, get up, get down, get layered up and get a denim jacket. We might have paraphrased there. (Three Threads)

Dazed gives a detailed look at those Lee Rider Jackets specially copped for The XX’s tour (of North America at the moment). “Mercury Prize winners, the XX have joined forces with denim brand Lee to personalise their own on-stage denim jackets for the current tour. The XX chose Lee’s iconic classic Rider Jacket originally created for cowboys and ranch workers back in the 1930s, which was one of the first denim jackets of its kind. A limited number have been created for the band and their entourage to celebrate the current 2010 tour. The Lee Rider Jacket has been customised with their band’s ‘X’ on the back in tonal stitch and in white above the front pocket.”

Another look at the Lee Rider Jacket for The XX after the click.

We haven’t teased you with any Japanese product for a while now (it must have been at least a week now) so we feel like redressing the balance today. First up is this Lee denim jacket, made in collaboration with Japanese retailer SHIPS. The white buttons and plaid cuffs make it unique enough to warrant a purchase – providing you can get hold of it in the first place. (Lumine)

Take a leap, see those details…

Vivienne Westwood’s Anglomania line recently teamed up with denim experts Lee for a capsule collection. The Anglomania line takes its inspiration from the Westwood archive, referencing her collections from the 70’s and 80’s whilst using some of the cuts that made her popular in the first place. There’s four styles of jeans and some denim shirts to compliment the collection, which will be released in July.

Take a leap to see the rest of the collection.

The Lee 101 line delivers a rack full of denim options for Spring. “Inspired by the growing popularity of car racing in the 1950s and James Dean’s own passion for the motor racing culture, Lee re-examines racetrack style, and finds a base for modern-day cool. The 101 range is Lee’s gold standard: a perfect symbiosis of style and quality in denim jeans. The icon is the 101Z. Created in 1925, Lee’s slim-fitting, zip-fly jean came of age in the 1950s, an exciting and creative decade for the Lee brand, as denim transformed into a symbol of rebellion and self-expression.”

More looks at the Lee 101 “50 Mile Raceway” Denim for Spring 2010 after the click.

We missed this one before Christmas but it is worth mentioning. WWD reported back on Dec21 that “Vivienne Westwood is set to give denim a touch of her punky aesthetic. The designer has collaborated with Lee Jeans to launch a denim collection as part of her Anglomania label, called The Vivienne Westwood Anglomania and Lee collection. The debut collection for fall [2010/11] will launch to buyers next month.”

It will indeed be interesting to see what comes from this working. It is mentioned that the styles will include, “bondage jeans and skinny jeans for men. Washes will run from indigo denim to metallic gold- and copper-colored denim…” Hell, we’re up for anything. It’s a new decade of course.

Lee, who’ve usually been the slowest to react to the heritage boom, have teamed up with Japanese company Journal Standard to create a workwear-influenced capsule collection. Consisting of four pieces in total (two jackets and two jeans), the collection has just dropped online.

As you’d expect, the availability won’t go beyond Japan. We do wonder why companies bother making pieces like this limited to a specific region, especially when you conisder the global village the world is now. That aside, this jacket is our favourite piece from the collection and could easily slot into any guy’s wardrobe – providing you can get hold of it in the first place. (Style Cruise)

Detailed images are after that leap.

As part of that new Lee “heritage” experiment comes this faded leather rider jacket. The Lee 101  jacket is made from 100% lamb leather with a quilted liner making it incredibly soft and warming on the body. The key to this jacket is the fit. Simply proper. Cultizm has them.

More looks at the Lee 101 Leather Rider Jacket after the click.

The recent May and June issues of Japanese fashion magazine Men’s Non-No have to be the best of 2009. The range of products showcased in Non-No’s pages have been amazing. The editorials, product, and styling are above and beyond what we normally expect from these guys. One of our favorite features in the June 2009 issue is a nice look at Lee Japan 2009 sandal line. These sandals are a little bit of everything. The black and brown are classic; simple and smooth and made for just about anyone. But if you feel like stepping up and out try on a pair of the wine colored bad boys. Unfortunately to get a pair you may have take a detour to Japan. (cw)

Another look at the Lee Japan 2009 Sandals after the jump.