Ok, ok, I know. Maybe not that much attention, but you can’t deny that denim has been spending quite a bit of time in the spotlight lately.
So in case you haven’t heard, The New York Times just gave a shout-out to designer jeans and their “preshrunk prices.” According to the NY Times gods, “The $300 pair of designer jeans is now, courtesy of the recession, the $200 pair of designer jeans.”
Not surprisingly, the economy has got people thinking more about their wallets and setting a limit on what they will pay for a designer pair of jeans, which, in turn, is putting pressure on designers to rethink their prices and offer quality jeans in more styles at lower prices.
Basically people want great style and fit for less—but are demanding the same high quality and exclusivity.
Which might make you think—what could better satisfy consumer demands than one-of-a-kind custom jeans designed by the customer, made to their measurements, and sold for a reasonable price?
Someone take indiDenim out for a drink tonight.
Being the solution to the world’s denim whoas sure makes us more than ready for the five o’clock happy hour!
posted by: deborah on November 6, 2009 at 1:34 pm
filed under:Denim 101
TAGS:
custom jeans,
cheap jeans
Since the dawn of time, fashionistas everywhere have argued over one age-old question: When it comes to jeans, which is superior, the button-up or the zipper?
This detail is so crucial, that it may even stop you from buying an otherwise great pair of jeans. That’s why, once and for all, we want to know which you like more. (Thank Nelly at indiDenim, we can customize your jeans either way with the zipper or the button fly).
So scream it from the rooftops, and tell us your opinion. Or at least answer the survey below…
posted by: deborah on November 3, 2009 at 3:57 pm
filed under:Denim 101
TAGS:
custom jeans
Well, today is your lucky day! Stick with us, and you’ll learn everything you’ve ever wanted to know (and more) about indigo dye—the chemical responsible for giving your blue jeans their intense indigo color.
Many people are unaware, but indigo dye is almost as old as civilization itself. Archeologists have even found it in cloth wrapped around Egyptian mummies and on Babylonian tablets. It’s hard to believe, but the intense blue color comes from a couple of unassuming green plants:
The indigo plant
The woad plant
But getting the deep blue out of these plants is no easy task! And our ancestors devised quite the recipe to extract the dye—one that started with 3.5 gallons of stale urine and 4.5 ounces of salt.
That’s right, your eyes are not deceiving you—traditional indigo dye recipes called for vast quantities of urine. In some parts of the world, dyers even paid their neighbors for bowls of urine in order to create the dye that was called “blue gold,” for more reasons than one.
If you’re wondering how this traditional recipe was stumbled upon in the first place, we are right there with you. Unfortunately, we don’t have any clue, but we’ll let y’all marinate on that one for a bit…
Anyhow, the good news, for all of you out there who find yourselves a little bewildered, is that if your blue jeans are younger than one hundred years old, their blue tint is a product of indigo and other less offensive ingredients. Modern day scientists have devised chemical alternatives that our blue jean suppliers have adopted.
And that gives us yet another reason to love science. Thank you science, indeed.
posted by: danielle on October 13, 2009 at 5:27 pm
filed under:Denim 101
TAGS:
blue jeans,
history of jeans
Blue jeans are a wardrobe staple, but denim jeans come in every color under the sun. Regardless, the classic blue jean remains the ultimate favorite around the world. Perhaps that’s because blue jeans are suitable for everyone from blue collar workers to blue blooded royalty.
The color blue has been used to represent fascism (in Ireland), liberalism (in the U.S.), revolution (in France), truth (in Hinduism), virginity (in Christianity), and power (as seen in police uniforms). It’s safe to say, that whatever your political or religious beliefs, there’s a shade of blue (and blue jeans!) to match.
If you were to guess that blue is the world’s favorite color, you might be right. One unusual piece of evidence—the 1995 M&M color vote. In 1995, Mars Inc allowed consumers to choose a new M&M color by dialing 1-800-FUN-COLOR. As you may have guessed, blue won handily.
Congrats, Blue. We knew you had it in the bag the whole time.
posted by: danielle on October 2, 2009 at 4:52 pm
filed under:Denim 101
TAGS:
blue jeans
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.
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.
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!
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!
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