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Retail Spotlight: Azalea Boutique

Don’t be put off by the flowery name—San Francisco’s Azalea Boutique is the go-to to cop premium men’s labels. If you’re a longtime A.P.C. denim fan or just looking to step-up to your first pair of quality jeans, this chic-shop should be your first stop. Along with A.P.C., the boutique carries Cheap Monday, Creative Recreation, Acne, Spring Court shoes, and the hard-to-come-by Swedish denim line, Nudie Jeans.

Azalea was started in July 2003 by Cornell homies Cathy and Corina, who instantly bonded over a shared love of well-made clothes. They wanted to not only bring cult labels to San Fran but also provide a pleasant shopping experience and excellent customer service—without the skate shop owner douchebaggery that’s often seen at cool-guy spots. In addition to the well-stocked men’s section, there’s also a women’s department that offers a gang of brands, and an in-store nail salon that’ll make it easy to scoop up well-manicured hotties. Leaving with new clothes and a new chick? Sounds like the best of both worlds to us. Check some of our gear picks after the jump that you can cop at the store right now.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Tip Of The Week: Holiday Weekend Essentials

There’s not a more dreadful place to be during summer weekends than in a major city. It’s hot as shit, they’re overcrowded with picture-snapping tourists, and messing with community pools is like swimming in a puddle of piss. Once the work week is over, it’s best to head to the country for the beaches and house parties to break away from the hustle and bustle. And with the 4th coming up this weekend, you know the BBQs are going to be off the hook. Check out some essentials that will keep your swagger tight while getting your weekend-warrior on…

Popularity: 6% [?]

John Galliano Dreams In Color

Everyone knows John Galliano likes to topsy-turvy the often uptight fashion world, and although we usually welcome his rabble-rousing style with open arms, he went a little nutty with his Spring/Summer 2009 menswear collection, which he introduced last Friday at Paris Fashion Week.

A slew of pieces included in the new season seem like a pumped-up attempt to revive the past-due crazy color and all-over print look that street hopsters merked months ago. Strange that someone who’s typically on top of his shit totally missed the memo. To see some of JG’s ensembles that are sure to burn your retina, check the flicks after the jump.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Street Detail: Plain And Simple

NAME: Theo Martins

AGE: 22

LOCATION: Providence, RI

HAT: Supreme

T-SHIRT: Hanes V-neck

DENIM: GAP (Morrison)

FOOTWEAR: Alessandro Dell’Acqua

Vote on whether this week’s subject is “Stylin” or “Wildin” after the jump.

[Want to be featured in our weekly Street Detail blog? Email a picture of yourself to streetdetail@complex.com]

Popularity: 11% [?]

Brand Profile: Penfield

The prospect of going back to school sucks, but at least you have the chance to get fresh in some new gear. One brand to keep in mind is Penfield, a Massachusetts based company inspired by Autumn. Since Penfield launched in 1975, it’s become the pride of New England fashion with its quality line of goose down jackets and windbreakers, especially in the wet/snowy region where it’s needed most.

But now the timeless, respected brand is making a name in the streetwear world. In 2007, their collaboration with Alife Rivington Club consisted of bold-colored jackets that harked back to ’90s style puffy coats. Penfield also crossed designer paths with Stussy and Maharishi with cool camo print graphics to match their rustic signature. See more products from Spring/Summer ‘08 and Autumn/Winter ‘08 below.

Popularity: 14% [?]

Trendhumper: Top Hats

When folks set out to get their grown man on, usually they’re referring to a fine tailored suit. But it takes a special type of person to take this formal look to the next level with eye-catching accent pieces like the top hat.

For the past year, T-Pain has seldom been seen without a top hat. At this week’s BET Awards, the rapper turned singer made another spectacle of himself, this time draped in paisley print from head to toe. Oversized hats have been seen in the urban music world before—let’s not forget Busta’s massive fluorescent Dr. Seuss caps—but never like this. Will the top hat trend take off? Vote “hump” or “dump” below.

Popularity: 21% [?]

Retail Spotlight: Roden Gray

A good store is as strong as the brands it carries. Still, not every retailer is lucky enough to offer a wide variety of top names when they first start out. That is, unless your rep is like Rob Lo, co-owner of Vancouver’s one-stop shop Roden Gray.

As the former manager and buyer for Bruce and Richard Kidd, Lo was responsible for stocking labels like Ksubi, YMC, and even Supreme. After Richard Kidd closed their doors in 2007, Rob and his partner David Fernandez continued the legacy by taking that same fine brand selection to Roden Gray.

Inside the gray walled interor, RG has something for everyone. This fall, the fashion-forward boutique will carry a mix of American, Japanese, and European imported styles. Comme des Garcons Play, Wings + Horns, Swear footwear, and vintage watches by Rolex, Omega, and Panerai will be amongst the bevvy of quality products. See more photos of RG after the jump.

Popularity: 23% [?]

Undrcrwn Illustrates The NBA Draft For Adidas

With the NBA Draft airing tonight, everyone has to get their two cents in. We already talked to the Beastie Boys’ MCA about his top picks, and now streetwear stalwarts Undrcrwn are getting in on the action. To help attract the league’s 5 biggest hopes, adidas recruited Undrcrwn to create designs of each baller, which were then printed onto T-shirts and jackets and given exclusively to each player (Meaning they probably won’t ever be released, unless the players decide to endorse the three stripes).

Using visual cues from their respective cities and personalities, sure-things like Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley, O.J Mayo and Eric Gordon all got the Undrcrwn treatment. Take a look at the rest of the player illustrations below.

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Popularity: 24% [?]

Tip Of The Week: Denim Jackets

Like your go-to pair of jeans, a quality denim jacket can’t be beat for one reason: durability. A must have for spring and fall, they’re always good for those days when you need to layer up for uncertain weather. You can dress it up with a button-down shirt, keep it casual with a tee, or simply incorporate a scarf to stay warm.

In addition to the varying shades of denim, companies are always finding unique ways to flip this style staple with new cuts, designs and interior fabrics. Check out some solid denim jacket choices after the jump.

Popularity: 26% [?]

Levi’s Flies High In Helium Jeans

They’re already the staple in quality denim, but now it seems as though Levi’s is trying to take over the viral video game. For the follow up to their widely blogged about back-flipping jeans video, they’ve released a new digital commercial that features a dude free floating away in helium-filled jeans.

Using duct-tape and a hot-air container, the afro-sporting guy in the video starts to drift away in his slacks until he crashes into a dumpster—hilarity. The spot is already racking up views around the net, and Levi’s made sure they got their signature back pocket some shine less than 30 seconds in. Watch it after the jump.

Popularity: 29% [?]