Free Dirt apparel on display for guests and newly anointed "Dirt Heads."

Party guest Michael Wasserman hams it up with the "Dirty Sanchez" T-shirt.

Local favorite Tnt Deejays helped the Dirt Heads shut the party down.

Party guests show off their Free Dirt hats on the dance floor.

This past Saturday North Beach played host as “dirtheads” flooded in for the launch of Free Dirt, a local brand with a healthy dose of in-your-face attitude celebrating the arrival of a new online store and men’s clothing line featuring brightly-colored jackets, hats and (it’s true) a t-shirt dubbed the Dirty Sanchez*. On the scene: friends, bloggers and photographers hitting the dance floor and downing mini tacos.

The Free Dirt Twitter feed was highlighted on the dance floor so partygoers could look for cues to throw up drawn-on finger mustaches for chances to win Free Dirt apparel. I tracked down designer Peter Vandendriesse to gain some additional insight into his dirt-y world:

Your clothing fits the high energy of your launch party. How do you describe the Free Dirt aesthetic?

All of our apparel features bright and clean designs influenced by the rural, gritty lifestyle. This matchup- rad meets rural – sets us apart from other brands and attracts the type of guy we hope to dress.

How did you come up with the name Free Dirt?

I founded the company a little over a year ago as a side project for my dirthead friends in Davis. These friends, who love to cause a ruckus, have a knack for making good natured people feel very uncomfortable. Their actions, and the sight of a “free dirt” sign on a long drive back from Vegas, are what sparked the brands creation. 

Friends join Free Dirt designer and founder Peter Vandendriesse, who was sporting the Windsnapper jacket.

View the complete Free Dirt’s collection in the online shop.

Photography by Sara Iravani

*If we end up ranking in Google for this phrase, well, I guess that’s just gonna have to happen. A whole new readership awaits!

Alyssa Nicole

Alyssa Nicole wedding gown

Bradley Douglas Jordan

Bradley Douglas Jordan

Cirque Noir by Dallas Coutler and Melissa Tan

Cirque Noir by Dallas Coutler and Melissa Tan

Cirque Noir by Dallas Coutler and Melissa Tan

Eimaj Design by Jamielyn Dugan

Eimaj Design by Jamielyn Dugan

Rogue

West Coast Leather

West Coast Leather

Zubauen by Amanda Tran

Zubauen by Amanda Tran

Photography by Aura O’Brien for SF Indie Fashion

Aura O’Brien is an award-winning photographer and Marin native who has shot for Seventeen magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle, Curve magazine, Mediabistro and many others. In 2011, she showed her work in anotherPERSPECTIVE: 2011 Art Show in Mill Valley and frequently shoots commercial and individual projects ranging from high fashion and editorial to weddings and boudoir photography.

More San Francisco fashion shows…

Our very-visual, (almost) chatter-free snap judgment of the day: guys and girls alike can refurbish a button up sitting idle in the back of the closet with a Marlene Dietrich-inspired plaid bowtie, $27, from San Francisco-based Intwined.

More snap judgments….

This week’s sponsor love: We go independent and local as often as possible, especially for special pieces and standout items that really make our wardrobe what it is. But everyone needs core items. Like the shoes you wear everyday. And for guys, it’s often the versatile, go-everywhere pairs that usually win out.

And then there’s the practicality factor. No matter how much you like to shop or how much flair you wear, a basic shoe packing go-with-anything character is something you’ll wear again and again and for tons of different occasions (which, we’d like to point out, saves you money, of course, to spend more on locally-made items from independent designers).

If there’s one style that holds the monopoly on practical and versatile in the men’s shoe landscape, it’s got to be the classic men’s oxford. Luckily, while it’s a classic style, it’s also got serious range. For a big selection of men’s oxfords and lace up shoes that range from boardroom-dressy to out-on-the-town sleek pairs with lizard skin and two-tone styling on down to rugged walkers perfect for weekends, Macy’s offers plenty of options at a variety of price points from brands such as Ecco, Johnston & Murphy, Stacy Adams, Cole Haan and Kenneth Cole.

As for our faves, we’re digging the Cole Haan Air Colton Plain Toe Oxford ($198) for its slick taupe upper and contrast laces, as well as the promise of Nike Air technology in the heel. The Stacy Adams Rafferty Oxfords in brown and cognac ($62.99) have a retro appeal we’d like to pair with a cold shaker full of cocktails on a Friday night, while Lounge by Mark Nason Vallejo Lace Up Oxfords ($96.99) in brown strike us as a great option for anyone whose kicks need to go from the airport to the office to the bar and back again.

Should you find yourself in the market for a new pair of men’s shoes, many in Macy’s online store are on sale at the moment, with more than a few options under the $100 mark.

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This post sponsored by Macy’s. We love our sponsors and hope you will, too. They make it possible for us to keep bringing you news and features about San Francisco’s independent fashion community, designers and upcoming events.

San Francisco menswear go-to Taylor Stitch has the blues, but don’t worry. They’re quite pleased about it. New on the shelves of the Mission shop and in the online store this week is the debut collection of Taylor Stitch denim. And talk about local: each of the three men’s styles is designed, cut and sewn in San Francisco within 10 blocks of the label’s store.

Available in 13.5- and 14.5-ounce raw denim from the Georgia’s Swift Mill and Japan’s Kaihara and Nisshibo mills, each pair features a fit the Taylor Stitch boys (i.e. Mike Maher, Barrett Purdum and Mike Armenta) are calling “more democratic: tailored but not skinny, a bit more room in the thighs and a medium rise to accomodate ‘the boys.’”

Along with giving your junk a little more room to jingle and offering the mold-to-your-body benefits all raw denim offers, the styles stand out for having custom hardware, natural vegetable-tanned leather patches and minimal branding. The pricing is also quite fair. While many comparable men’s raw denim jeans hover around $200 a pop, these are $128.

More San Francisco menswear…