Traveling light to the dark side

Road trips are difficult enough to dress for without having to confront demonic forces every time you pull over for a tinkle and some gas. And yet, every Thursday on The CW's "Supernatural," Dean Winchester, played by Jensen Ackles ("Smallville," "Dark Angel," "Dawson's Creek"), looks perfectly outfitted to battle evil, steal a few hearts and bicker with his brother over who rides shotgun.

With the added stress of always having some spook in the Impala's rearview mirror, comfort and functionality are front and center for Dean, and he never strays too far from the tried and true. Constantly in denims and muted earth tones, most of his wardrobe comes from standard American brands -- Gap, Calvin Klein, Lucky Brand, Dickies, Urban Outfitters -- and works perfectly with the show's subtle winks toward normalcy.

So just what does someone wear when crisscrossing the country looking for the evil spirit that killed his mother? Well, you start with rugged classics like Levi's classic-fit 501 jeans. At $158 they aren't cheap, but they are replicas of Levi's '70s 501 in vintage blue wash. The denim is hand sanded, whiskered, then washed and abraded for softness. Dean keeps those up with a Western Mason distressed belt from Lucky Brand. With cracked leather and contrasting stitching, the belt features a solid brass square buckle and helps ground the look.

Atop that you can add a classic pocket T-shirt from Gap in a charcoal heather for $14.50. A long-sleeved Dickies work shirt in Air Force blue -- available for a mere $21.99 -- adds to Dean's workmanlike image.

And if that weren't enough to make you think this guy is dressing to impress the cashiers at Home Depot, how about we add his Caterpillar "Akon" black leather work boots? They're the perfect footwear for kicking supernatural butt.Of course, this is not to say that Dean isn't capable of wearing something a little finer. He's been spotted in a beautiful Boss Black "Maselli X" corduroy sport coat in chestnut brown. It's two-buttoned and features a notched collar lapel and double back vents for when all hell breaks loose.

Lastly, Dean is famous for wearing a leather coat so masculine it is rumored to make female demons reconsider their faith. Virtually any distressed brown leather coat which falls to the hip looks great with the aforementioned choices -- just remember to keep the collar flipped up. Apparently that is the part that gives "Supernatural" its super.