With all the feasting and fun to be had in the next few weeks, it can be stressful to pick out party clothes and make sure you don’t wear any outfit twice. And considering the economy, this is definitely not the time to buy multiple dresses that you may only wear once.
So what’s the solution to looking great during the holiday season and getting around the unspoken “don’t repeat” rule?
Answer: A great pair of jeans that fit. And besides, it’s no secret that you can wear the same jeans every day and no one will ask questions…
But I know what you’re thinking. Jeans? At a holiday party? This brings me to confront a very popular myth about these annual shindigs: Truth be told, most are actually not black tie affairs. But although this is the case, I will say that many of these festive occasions do require a bit of effort on your part to “tis the season.”
A few months ago, we posted a blog about jeans for going out and we recommended that if it is a fancy affair, it’s always best to go with a pair of dark denim. Dark wash skinny jeans or bootcut jeans are great options for an evening of jolly cheer. To show your love for holidays, dress up these jeans with shiny accessories, dainty clutches, dressy shoes, or an embellished satin top with sequins—however you accessorize, they are guaranteed to go fabulously with dark jeans.
This holiday season, indiDenim is dedicated to helping you put jeans back into the “dressy” section of your closet. So put your holiday party stereotypes aside and remember that jeans are on the guest list for every party this year.
Have you ever wondered why every time you shop for jeans in the mall, you fit into a different size?
Think about it. Isn’t it a bit curious that although your waistline stays the same, your closet is full of 8s, 6s, or even 4s? With such discrepancy between labels and sizes, shopping becomes a guessing game in which you should rightfully reward yourself with a latte when you correctly answer the question, “What size am I going to be today?”
So if you’re not gaining or losing weight, what’s the deal with the difference in sizes? Cosmopolitan just published this great article tackling this very question on vanity sizing. Let me help break it down:
Basically, women are so consumed with being thin and measure up to a size 0 ideal, that designers manipulate their sizes to make women feel like they are smaller than they may actually be. This is called vanity sizing. As the article describes, this is when “designers add extra inches of fabric to clothing without changing the number on the tag.” Great. It’s not like shopping for jeans isn’t hard enough already.
As a result, our anxiety to fit into smaller sizes and the variation of sizes themselves causes us even more of a headache. This means that without ever being able to identify with just one number, we are forced to pull at least two or three jean sizes into the dressing room with us. This means more time, more effort, and ultimately more frustration.
We at indiDenim understand your stress and know how difficult it can be to deal with the never ending size confusion. With custom jeans, you don’t have to worry about vanity sizing—every jean is custom made to your measurements.
Unless you were hiding in you basement in the late 1990s and early 2000s, we don’t have to tell you twice that when it came to denim, low rise jeans were all the rage.
Per usual, our favorite celebrities embraced the latest and greatest trends, including Christina Aguilera, who, in her Dirty video, flaunted her—and we quote—“tight hip huggers, low fo sho.”
With such inspiration, low rise jeans got so low, and hence so fashionable, that choosing the right pair of undies was also a crucial decision. After all, if you were sitting, your panties were showing, and if your panties were showing, they had to be cute.
So how low did the low rise go? Just to give you an idea, the rise of a “normal” pair of jeans (of course this varies from brand and fit) falls at about 10 inches from your crotch. But eager to rebel from these measurements, designers satisfied our thirst for new trends and sculpted low rise jeans with lower rises—some at 7 inches (gasp). Pushing the low rise envelope even further in years following, many jeans even dipped as low as 3 inches (double gasp).
These hip huggers famously flaunted any woman’s love handles, and in 2001, doctors even came out to say that low-rise jeans could cause meralgia paresthetica, a condition that is characterized by numbness in the thighs…whaaaaattttt?
So how did this all happen? Was our low rise obsession and abundant purchases of pretty underwear worth potential medical risks and guest appearances from our fleshy bottoms?
Of course it was.
Because when it comes to jeans, we are a slave for denim fashions, and we always will be.
So let’s take a step back and reminisce about our low rise jeans with warmth and admiration because if fashion trends serve us correctly, we’ll be seeing those panties again soon…
Isn’t that right, Christina?
posted by: deborah on November 17, 2009 at 1:51 pm
filed under:Denim 101
TAGS:
jeans,
low rise jeans
Yes, we all wear belts as a practical utility to keep our jeans in place, but wearing the wrong belt and jean for your shape can make you look like one big fashion DON’T (see: Jessica Simpson, below). And at indiDenim, we simply cannot allow that.
So based on your figure, here’s what you need to think about to best accessorize your waistline and literally pull your outfit together and keep your jeans up:
* For taller, lanky women, choose a thick, wider belt to help accentuate your curves.
* For women with a larger mid section, pick a dark colored belt, which will help draw attention away from your tummy.
* For petite and curvy ladies, try something skinny and colorful. You want to show off your skinniest part, without choosing a belt that is too large and in charge.
When it comes to styles, remember that whether you’re going for a look that’s formal or casual, everything goes with jeans. So have fun pairing a great belt with jeans to express whatever style you’re feeling.
This is why we love denim so darn much—matching is easier than putting your socks on. So go crazy and get creative with the materials. Try ribbon, metal, leather, skinny, thick—whatever!
Just do us a favor and make sure it *flatters* your body (sorry, Jessica)...
posted by: deborah on November 9, 2009 at 6:20 pm
filed under:Denim 101
TAGS:
denim trends,
jeans
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 indigo 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.
New dye formulas for our indigo jeans—yet another reason to love science. Thank you science, indeed.
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
