Last week, I pulled a muscle trying to tuck my jeans into my boots. Yes, I know, beauty is pain, but something tells me this pain could have been avoided.

So after recovering from my mild back injury, I started to think—there must be thousands upon thousands of people (just as uncoordinated as I am) who encounter this wretched problem every week.

Intent on putting an end to all tuck-induced leg cramps and back injuries nationwide, I have compiled a list of tips every jean-tucker should know.

So here are the deets:

First, whether you’re wearing hot black leather boots or rockin’ the ugg, the boot tuck will be easier with a narrower leg opening. By picking jeans with a slim cut and tapered leg, you’re dealing with less material, which will avoid bunch ups above the boot and make the boot/jean meeting place look seemingly seamless.

After you put on your jeans (stay tuned for our forthcoming blog for the art of putting on pants), check the length of your jeans. If they fall longer than your ankles, fold them over.

Now it’s time for the sock tuck. REPEAT: Before stuffing your jeans into your boots, you must first stuff your jeans into your socks.

I’m repeating this, not because you didn’t hear me the first time, but because I’m need to remind myself. I’m a serial offender of the sock tuck first rule. And let’s just say, nothing good ever comes of it. Just broken mirrors… Don’t ask.

So, back to the sock tuck.  For success, choose a longer pair of socks or even knee-highs that you can then lightly scrunch down. Avoid ankle socks. They aren’t ideal and your jeans will just end up popping out the second you bend over to put your boots on.

After your jeans are secured into your socks, you are ready for the boot!  If you’ve tucked properly, your boots should slip right on…and there you go. We like ‘em, Britney likes ‘em, that guy behind her likes ‘em…and you my friend, look fabulous.

posted by: rupa on September 22, 2009 at 2:38 pm
filed under:Denim 101
TAGS: skinny jeans, denim trends, womens jeans, straight leg jeans, tucking jeans

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When acid washed jeans stormed through Europe during the mid 1980’s, rumors spread as quickly as the fad. According to some, acid washed denim could cause cancer or rashes.

Actually, wearing acid washed denim is harmless to your health (although we can’t say what it might do to your social life). And contrary to popular belief, it is not treated with acid. To create acid washed denim, raw denim is tumbled with bleach soaked pumice stones. The resulting fabric is speckled, dappled, or streaked with white. But don’t take my word for it—the images below speak for themselves.

After decades of ridicule, acid wash may be coming back out of the closet. Lately, we’ve spotted it on celebrities and runways. Whether our second love affair with acid wash will be a short fling or a long term relationship remains to be seen.

(courtesy http://www.Balmain.com)

posted by: danielle on September 2, 2009 at 3:47 pm
filed under:Denim 101
TAGS: history of jeans, denim trends, acid wash

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Whether you love ‘em or hate ‘em, ripped jeans are back in style.

Ripped jeans  are as old as jeans themselves, but they didn’t become a trend until the mid 1970’s when icons such as the Ramones, below, began wearing them.

The Ramones are practicing what fashion nerds (such as myself) call “conspicuous outrage.” This term describes consumers who purposefully dress in a disheveled or shocking manner to offend the public. During an era when denim lovers reverently patched their jeans at the first sign of wear, the Ramones’ anti-patch attitude is definitely outrageous.

With frequent exposure to ripped jeans, the public gradually began to accept them and eventually admire them. Today, ripped jeans are so ubiquitous that we see them on everyone from celebrities to soccer moms, and from tots to teens.

Rhianna, the fashionista, shows off her ripped skinnies.

image courtesy of WhoWhatWear

Even toddlers can make a fashion statement with rips and tears!

image courtesy of Crewcuts

So don’t be shy, we know you want to…build and destroy  your jeans!

posted by: danielle on August 28, 2009 at 4:15 pm
filed under:Denim 101
TAGS: skinny jeans, history of jeans, ripped jeans

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From our CEO to our interns, here at indi, we all wear jeans at work. But in many offices across the country, jeans are off limits. Why is this ubiquitous, comfortable pant so taboo at work, even on casual Fridays?

Well. . .it turns out America’s favorite garment has a little bit of baggage. During the mid 20th century, jeans were adopted by members of the counter culture and used as a symbol of dissent against mainstream values. Jeans represented a threat to authority during a time when those in power wore gray suits or heels and stockings. But as members of the counter culture grew older and more conservative they continued wearing jeans. By the late 20th century, jeans were commonplace garb for Americans of all ages and political views.

Despite jeans’ contemporary ubiquity, some businesses feel that jeans still symbolize a threat to authority—an unwelcome symbol to most CEOs. Businesses that have an old fashioned view of jeans often cling to archaic dress codes and expect their employees to dress like Milton, shown below.

Such constraining dress codes could lead employees to rebel in other ways. We’re not saying that dress codes cause otherwise honest employees to burn down office buildings or steal thousands of dollars. We’re not even saying that employees should be permitted to look sloppy at work—we’re the first to admit that jeans can be quite dapper! But here at indi, we believe that allowing employees to express their personal style will improve their output. Hey, it works for us!

posted by: danielle on August 18, 2009 at 3:22 pm
filed under:Denim 101
TAGS: history of jeans, jeans at work

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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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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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We all know guys who swagger down the street, clutching their belts and spreading their legs, so that their sagging jeans, four sizes too big, don’t fall down. Prefer a visual? See the example below.

image by Hiroko Masuike for The New York Times

Hip hop baggy style jeans became popular in the late 80’s, but the style didn’t become mainstream until the mid-nineties. Some people hope that this fashion statement would slip away just like the jeans themselves do in many a wardrobe malfunction. In fact, some hate this style so much that sagging is actually outlawed in parts of Georgia, Louisiana, and Michigan. Unfortunately, I have bad news for those who want to ban sagging—baggy jeans are not a fad; they’ve been with us for twenty years and they’re here to stay. Neither laws nor lectures will keep jeans up.

Baggy clothing itself has been in style much longer than twenty years and has always symbolized wealth and opulence. Excess material shows that the wearer can afford to purchase more fabric than necessary to cover the body.

Some might be surprised to hear that medieval monks preferred clothing similar to the style that upstanding citizens are now prohibiting. That’s right! Monks liked to sag, too. The monks wore their sleeves several feet longer than their arms, dragged their hems on the ground, and had hoods large enough to fit multiple heads.

Need proof? Check out the hip monk with his sweet threads below.

Painting by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot

posted by: danielle on July 1, 2009 at 1:51 pm
filed under:Denim 101
TAGS: history of jeans, mens jeans, baggy jeans, hip hop jeans, sagging jeans

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