Raw denim.

Buy it, wear it, and talk about it and you’ll gain the respect of most denim aficionados.

Why? Well, first off it takes a commitment. Raw (or unwashed, generally Japanese) denim is not known for being comfortable or soft. It is by definition, hard, thick, and stiff. Those who go raw don’t do so on a whim; they take their denim very very seriously.

This is because raw, unwashed denim has transcended traditional denim classification. It has become a culture. Or, probably more accurately, a cult. And those raw evangelists are a force to be reckoned with.

They buy their raw denim with the express purpose of wearing them in. The idea of the factory or anyone else washing, sanding, ripping, scratching or otherwise tainting the jeans will make any raw devotee shudder and/or cry in agony. The beauty of raw jeans is to watch as your daily life artfully wears and tears the jean.

And artfully wear and tear they do. Proud raw denim owners will boast only washing their denim 5 times in 2 years. Despite being a statistic that makes most clean people cringe, in the raw community, that’ll get you mad props.

And while that’s cool and all, we’re not sure what it will do for the rest of your social life…

...that being said, we think raw is pretty rad, and we’re considering offering it in the fall—so stay tuned for updates. Who knows, raw custom jeans may be in your future.

posted by: Julien on August 5, 2009 at 3:42 pm
filed under:Denim 101
TAGS: custom jeans, japanese denim, raw denim

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We know, we know. It isn’t enough to just build your own jeans. You want to destroy them, too.

And who can blame you? That’s the most fun part.

Well, luckily for you, sometime around 24 hours from now, indi will be releasing our ten new destruction treatments. We’ve been slaving away for the last few months, perfecting these destroyed denim treatments for their grand release this week. And since some of us (not going to name any names) have been sporting these new, unreleased treatments at parties and harassing our friends with the “my jeans are cooler than your jeans” number, we’re excited to report that our new treatments have received an overwhelming positive response.

We’re certain that you will welcome our destroyed jeans with the same outstretched arms.

So go ahead and take a glimpse into the future: customized destroyed jeans. A future where you get to pick exactly how and where you want your jeans destroyed.

Creative destruction is just a few clicks away.

posted by: abigail on July 30, 2009 at 2:57 pm
filed under:Happenings at indiDenim
TAGS: custom jeans, design your own jeans, destroyed jeans

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And now for your weekly history lesson. This week’s subject is Amelia Bloomer and her pants.

During the 1850’s, Amelia Bloomer created an uproar when she appeared in public wearing a bifurcated garment—a garment that splits into two parts, covering each leg separately. Americans were horrified by the “scandalous” outfit pictured below.

By today’s standards, Amelia’s bloomers look downright conservative, but Victorians were not ready for this revolutionary silhouette. The press mocked women who wore bloomers, calling them hermaphrodites. Even the suffragettes refused to adopt this controversial clothing style, thinking that pants were a distraction from more important woman’s rights issues, such as the right to vote.

Little did Amelia Bloomer know, her puffy pants would blaze a trail for the blue jeans that women all over the world wear today. During the first part of the 20th century, women who wore pants (and especially jeans!) shocked the public with their audacity. But with repeated exposure, the public finally began to accept the style. By the 1980’s pants and jeans of all sorts were considered appropriate attire for women at home, school, and work.

So if you’re a woman and jeans make up a big part of your wardrobe, it’s probably about time you pay your respects to trail blazer, Amelia Bloomer. Come to think of it, we here at indi have a lot of thanking to do ourselves. Without Amelia, we might have had to start a custom dress company…

posted by: danielle on July 27, 2009 at 4:30 pm
filed under:Misc Musings
TAGS: history of jeans, womens jeans

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Some of you may have noticed that we’ve held it down for the Bay by naming our jean styles after different SF neighborhoods. But now that we’ve paid proper homage to our roots, we’ve come up with something a little different to help us select our fabric names.

This week we are calling out to our customers to think of names for our new denim washes. We’re about to release four new (and beautiful, if we may say so ourselves) washes, and we need your help to name them.

This new denim is a lighter weight stretch denim made in the USA by our favorite American mill, Cone Denim. What is really special about this denim is the way the denim feels and drapes. It is ueber soft and falls just right when you are walking, sitting, standing—whatever. It is a great, versatile denim that can be dressed up or beat up and still look great. And, I’m not going to lie, most of us in the office were wearing this denim today.

So here is where you come in. We are looking for some fun, creative names for these four washes. Since they all come from the same base fabric, they should have names that tie together somehow. So put your thinking caps on and feel free to impress us with your wit and charm. Post your suggestion as a comment on this post. Explanations for your names are not obligatory, but may be awarded extra points by our judges.

And remember, if you have the winning suggestion, we’ll send you a pair of custom jeans in the your favorite new wash.

Ready, set, go crazy!

posted by: abigail on July 22, 2009 at 3:50 pm
filed under:Happenings at indiDenim
TAGS: stretch jeans, american denim

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Yesterday we posted a commentary on President Obama’s jeans and today we’re reaching into the archives to bring you even more presidents in jeans. Jeans certainly have come a long way since their invention. In their first incarnation, jeans were worn only by manual laborers. The sturdy fabric and practical design that originally attracted workers, soon excited a much wider audience. Jeans were successively adopted by cowboys, college students, performers, and presidents. In fact, our most recent presidents (except for the gentlemanly George H.W. Bush) have all worn jeans publicly in hopes that the average American will identify with them.

When wearing suits and ties, presidents hope to convey that they are professional, wise, and experienced. When wearing jeans, they are communicating that they understand the concerns of everyday Americans. Sound calculating? Obviously! That’s what being a politician is all about.

And now, for your viewing pleasure, we’ve prepared a montage of denim loving presidents. Your thoughts?

Well, first off, they all look like prime candidates for an indiDenim makeover  to us. . .

Maybe Obama’s jeans could use a little “change”. . .

Image from http://www.swamppolitics.com

Nice belt, Mr. Bush! We’re impressed by your accessorizing powers, but we’re not so sure about the rest of the outfit.

Image from http://www.fotki.com

Clinton wears his jeans on horseback. . .well, that depends on your definition of jeans.

Image from http://www.hailtothechiefs.com

Reagan goes all out with double denim. Mistakes were made.

Image from http://www.wiwfarm.com

There he goes again! Manual labor and jeans—rock on, Carter.

Image from: http://www.habitat.org

posted by: danielle on July 17, 2009 at 9:40 am
filed under:Misc Musings
TAGS: history of jeans, mens jeans, american denim, presidential jeans

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President Obama took a quick break from solving the world’s economic, energy, Middle East and health care crises to throw out the first pitch at the All Star game this week. A man who knows how to dress for the occasion, Mr. Obama correctly selected the quintessential American wardrobe item for this event. He paired his blue jeans with his beloved Sox jacket (clearly he’s not trying to make any friends in St. Louis, anymore).

image from Kyle Terada/US Presswire

Mr. Obama rarely fails to impress; however, we think his denim look could use a slight fashion upgrade.  While appropriate attire for a baseball mound, white running shoes are a big no no paired with blue jeans.  We think the Pres could do better with some trendier kicks… perhaps a retro look with another American favorite, Converse.  Just like at indi, you can even design your own Converse shoes.  And while we’d like to see the President in a less baggy jean and maybe a darker wash, our denim philosophy is you have to make it your own. Unfortunately, the pres did commit one unforgivable faux paux. Someone should have advised him against those highwaters before he left the (white) house.  We recommend custom jeans, Mr. President. 

posted by: Marybeth on July 16, 2009 at 2:52 pm
filed under:Misc Musings
TAGS: custom jeans, design your own jeans, blue jeans, american denim, presidential jeans

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Just because your office “allows” you to wear jeans to work, doesn’t mean you should abuse the privilege. Oh wait, were you one of those give an inch, takes a mile kind of kids?  Well, if so, here is a much needed lesson on your “jeans for work” etiquette.

Unless you work at a custom jeans company (this is where we forget about our 14 hour days and remember why we love our job), you should be mindful of the unwritten rules of wearing jeans to work. When choosing your jean for the office, keep in mind that you (probably) still want to look polished and professional. When you wear a dirty, tattered jean, people tend to not take you so seriously. Take Brandy, here, for example. Odds are you wouldn’t want anyone in those jeans in charge of much more than, uh, acting or singing.

image from usmagazine.com

But I digress. The point is—a dark wash jean without any serious distressing/destruction treatments will looks crisp and clean. People like that. They respect it. Another solid option is a trouser jean because it resembles a more traditional dressy pant. Its slick lines will look sophisticated, and its wide legs will give a stylish draping effect.

Now since you’re going to go casual with your jeans, you want to dress up the rest of the outfit with a feminine blouse or button-down and some cute high-heels or flats. Do not, try to pair your jeans with a t-shirt or sweatshirt and tennis shoes. Those items should *never* be seen in the office. Really, do we have to say it?

And, if you do find yourself craving a little adventure, you can always shake things up with a bright colored vest or blazer. Just make sure you know what you’re doing here. No need to ruin a perfectly good outfit with one bad yellow vest decision. Case and point, this guy, below…

Image from http://www.notempire.com

So, with our sound advice in hand, go forth, wear your jeans to work, and most importantly, make us proud!

posted by: abigail on July 14, 2009 at 5:48 pm
filed under:Denim 101
TAGS: jeans at work

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Some wonder why denim lovers often pay a premium for pre-worn jeans. Although purchasing holey and tattered jeans may seem like a bizarre practice, distressed denim, in various forms, has been in style for close to fifty years.

In the 1960’s, those hoping for a worn look ran their jeans in the washing machine for a full day or soaked them in the ocean for a week. Some even dragged their jeans behind speedboats to achieve the desired effect.

But the love of distressed objects is hardly a product of the 1960’s. Distressing, in various forms, is an age old practice. Take, for example, the ancient Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi. This world view holds that imperfect objects are more beautiful than bland flawless items.

The bowl below typifies the wabi-sabi aesthetic. Its bumpy texture, uneven glaze, and wobbly shape add to its charm.

bowl from Elm Studios http://www.elmstudios.com

Now compare this pottery to the 120-year-old jeans below. Despite the differences in materials, the colors and textures are remarkably similar. If you can believe it, these antique jeans sold for $60,000 in an Ebay auction!

image from http://www.forbes.com

Most denim consumers do not want to pay thousands of dollars or wait 120 years to achieve the distressed looks they desire. That’s why manufacturers have invented a wide range of techniques—from washing jeans with golf balls to treating them with ozone—to create the looks that we crave. Here at indi, we’re constantly perfecting new washes and finishes, so get excited for our next round of finishing treatment—coming to indiDenim.com next month!

posted by: danielle on July 10, 2009 at 10:35 am
filed under:Denim 101
TAGS: history of jeans, japanese denim, distressed denim

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