They call him Mr. Denim, his name? Cosimo Damiano Romano. Read his history and the story behind the brand below.
Cosimo Damiano Romano was born to two modest parents in Matino, which is in the Puglia region of Italy. The 3rd of ten children, Cosimo at the age of 8 has to come to terms with the loss of his mother and his adolescence is divided between working in the fields and school. At an early age he abandons his studies to assist his father. Whilst immigration seems to be the only solution for many, the young and eager Cosimo used his stubbornness to discover alternative routes to abandoning his family, home and region of southern Italy.
His first move is a job as a driver for local typographers but his desire to create and build his own enterprise continues to rein strong. His first flirt with the world of clothing industry commences alongside his wife, Antoinetta (a tailor) producing children’s clothing for a small store but 1967 is the year in which the generous and jovial Cosimo is to meet a jeans wholesale and that meeting would change his life. The idea to create a clothing production company with his family united is born and in 1979 Romano Confezioni was created amidst the peak era of the
“denim jeans boom”, providing his ever growing clientele with a full cycle production service. During the growth of the company Cosimo is awarded by the Republic many prestigious industry and commerce awards for excellence.
In 1988, Cosimo gives life to a new society named; “Confezioni C.Romano & C. S.r.l.” a new factory site is created and built which is later increased in 1992 to span some 30.000 Mq. In 1994 following years of investment in new production techniques and the factory, Romano takes the initiative to invest in the promotion, marketing and production of a brand new concept. That concept is the birth of it’s own brand Meltin’Pot, into which Romano pours its years of know-how and expertise which in a short period of time becomes a strong brand player within the European denimwear market. Meltin Pot has recently launched their dedicated e-commerce site. www.meltinpot.com
Romano Spa continues to produce jeans and denimwear for brands such as Stella McCartney, Karl Lagerfeld, and Notify to name a few.
Augusto Romano, Cosimo’s son, is the Managing Director of the company whilst Romano remains President of the Romano Spa and continues to challenge the production industry with initiative techniques as he did over 30 years ago.
Check out our Meltin' Pot x Urban Gentleman Look Book.
A little over a month ago, I caught Cool Runnings
"I see Pride, I see Power, I see a bad ass mutha, who won't take no crap outta nobody".
Who doesn't love this scene? Sometimes, ya gotta give your confidence a re-boost. Sidenote: The navajo/native-print sweater Junior is wearing is kinda dope. Hmmm, I wonder if layered turtlenecks and sweaters will ever be cool again… maybe. Not this year though, even though it might come back sooner than later.
Turtlenecks… honestly, these days they're really only stylishly appropriate on little kids. And of course they're okay to wear for practical purposes like– skiing, snowboarding, working in an extremely cold environment, etc. And okay, I'll give you a pass if you're going on a winter vacation, but even then it would have to be a cashmere, or heavy knit stylishly cut turtleneck. The basic, simple, cotton turtleneck just is not in style.
Steve Jobs Style Evolution
But then our beloved Steve Jobs passes away (RIP) and the sales of turtlenecks skyrocket. Steve's turtleneck brand of choice, the black St. Croix turtleneck, sold out days ago. He supposedly spent $4,200 a year on the Minnesota-made turtleneck (24 turtlenecks a year at $175 a pop). This Friday (October 14th), has been unofficially deemed "Black Turtleneck Friday" where fans will be sporting their own black turtleneck in remembrance of Steve Jobs (some will also wear his staple jeans and shoes: a pair of 90s fitting stonewash jeans (I'm thinking he wore the classics, Levi's 501, 550, 559) -and- New Balances to complete the "Steve Jobs" look). He stayed true to wearing all American brands (New Balances are made in Massachusetts and Maine), which of course is pretty cool.
Trend Analysis: With this random rise in turtleneck sales, and with the 70s trend being in (for women) and the 90s trend being in for men (and women) I can see these creeping back in our lives sooner than you might like. First with women of course, and then, maybe… just maybe with men. For now, if you want to get a black turtle neck, check out the selection below:
The first-ever Banana Republic and Mad Men collection just launched, and we were able to get first dibs on a piece of our choosing… so we opted for the 3-piece suit.
The Mad Men® Collection tailored slim two-button suit blazer, suit vest, and suit pant. (tailored slim-cut)
Designed by Banana Republic Creative Director, Simon Kneen and Emmy® Award-winning Costume Designer Janie Bryant, the collection offers a modern take on the signature Mad Men 1960's style. Besides the 3-piece suit, the collection includes cardigans, vests, hats, ties, pocket squares, a tie clip, and a money clip. Pretty sweet, huh? It's a limited edition collection so be sure to get a piece (or a couple of pieces) before it sells out. View the complete collection, here.
I've heard people complain about BR suits in the past, mainly b/c of the cut and fit. Well, they've clearly stepped it up as the fit is nice and tailored "out of the box". Ben Swann (T.U.G ambassador above) is a relatively slim guy, about 6'0, and wears a 38R (38L in some brands), and everything fit true to size– pants are the right amount of slim w/ the perfect "barely there" break (in terms of length), the vest fit well (you can loosen and tighten if needed), and the jacket fit perfectly after getting it slightly taken in (though it honestly wasn't needed). Kneen and Bryant did a great job making the suit true to the Mad Men era, while also keeping it modern. Overall it's very sharp… I can definitely see Don Draper in it.
Note: If you're not slim you might want to go a size up, mainly in the pants.
A few alternate ways to accessorize below: CONTINUE READING MORE >>>
We've vowed to do 3 profiles for our Men of USA, first we had White Collar's Neal Caffrey, second Covert Affairs' Jai Wilcox, and lastly we'll cover Suits' Harvey Specter (played by Carnegie-Mellon graduate, Gabriel Macht). Harvey Specter truly is the epitome of high-life living, and its constantly shown in the series, take the last episode for example– not only was he perusing around in a new Mercedes S-Class, but one of the guest characters commented on his "$12,000 suits".
He dresses like I expect modern day men in power to dress– widespread and cutaway collars dress shirts, thicker tie-knots (none of that skinny sh*t), double vented suit jackets, and suits that aren't slim, but just very well tailored (so they're often confused as "skinny"). oh and lets not forget he sports more ticket pocket suits than any other TV series character I know, and he likes a 3-piece suit every now and then.
Get Harvey Specter's Wardrobe Fashion and Style below:
Parks & Recreation: Snapback & Tees (Summer Edition).
(behind-the-scenes video of Parks & Recreation: Summertime Style)
Lately we've been so caught up in button-downs, selvedge denim, shawl collar cardigans, and double-breasted blazers that we've forgotten about the relaxed easiness of a simple t-shirt and shorts. So we pulled out the snapbacks, fresh tees, a variety of shorts, and matching accessories to help get you through what seems to be the hottest days of summertime. Also, introducing, Ben Swann #TeamTUG.
An afternoon at the park.
10:37AM// Eat breakfast.
(snapback hat: AN 'Arched Atlanta Braves', shirt:t-shirts.com 'Animal House', shoes: Native' Miller', watch: Timex)
11:15AM// Pack your bag for a good ole time at the park (yo-yo, check, frisbee, check, a ton of games to have old-fashion fun, check…).
(bookbag: Sprayground.net)
11:45AM// Always say "hi" to the neighbors or passersby, wave or casually throw up deuces (aka peace sign).
(shirt:t-shirts.com 'Beatles 1962', shoes: Native 'Howard' , jacket/rain coat: Vintage London Fog, bag: Nametag Sprayground, watch: Timex, buttons: Good Wood and T.U.G)
11:51AM// Look both ways before crossing the street.
(snapback hat: AN 'Nineties' Oakland Athletics, shirt:t-shirts.com 'Retro Bob Marley', shoes: Native 'Miller', watch: Timex 'Camper', rucksack: Duluth )
12:03PM// Keep cool and be nostalgic– buy a popsicle from the ice cream man.
(snapback hat: AN 'Across the Board' Detroit, shirt:t-shirts.com 'Bayside High', shoes: Native 'Howard', watch: Timex 'Camper', jacket: Vintage early 90s Levis, buttons: Good Wood and T.U.G)
12:19PM// Sit on a bench (in the shade of course), people watch, and ponder upon life.
(snapback hat: AN 'Across the Board' Detroit, shirt:t-shirts.com 'Bayside High', shoes: Native 'Howard', watch: Timex 'Camper', jacket: Vintage early 90s Levis, buttons: Good Wood and T.U.G)
12:43PM// Play frisbee with a friend. (or any other park-friendly sport to your liking)
(snapback hat: AN 'Across the Board' Braves, shirt:t-shirts.com 'Hangover One Man Wolfpack', shoes: Native 'Corrado', watch: Timex)
1:42PM// Take a breather and relax before heading home, or to your next destination.
(snapback hat: AN 'Across the Board' Braves, shirt:t-shirts.com 'Hangover One Man Wolfpack', shoes: Native 'Corrado', watch: Timex)
Get more of the look below:
MORE PHOTOS below: CONTINUE READING MORE >>>
