Distressed Denim

As we at indiDenim look back on 2009, we find ourselves getting a bit nostalgic just thinking about all the denim styles we saw this year: boyfriend jeans, skinny jeans, jeggings, distressed denim and oh my, the list goes on.

To show off these styles, we gave snaps to some of our favorite celebrities. Kim and JLO showed us big booty ladies how to look great in the right pair of jeans, Penelope reminded us how to rock a classic bootcut and even Brad let us know that yes, denim on denim can work.

With the help of our style experts, we learned how to dress jeans up for the evening, how to wear sweaters and blazers with the right pair of jeans, how to properly tuck our jeans into our beloved boots, and even went back to school to learn about the history of low rise jeans and ask the timeless question, “How low can you really go?”

We caught up with some of favorite fashion bloggers to get their rave reviews on their indiDenim jeans, we talked about the best way to hide that tummy during the holiday season and even took a trip down memory lane to see how U.S. presidents have showed off the classic denim look.

Ah, what precious memories…

Now that it’s 2010 and time to make your new year’s resolution, why not include a denim resolution in the line up? We at indiDenim can offer a commitment that shouldn’t be too difficult to follow through with—wearing jeans that fit and flatter your body and curves. You’ll look and feel great. We promise!

Well, regardless of what resolutions you decide on, we at indiDenim would like to wish you a Happy New Year from our jeans to yours!

posted by: deborah on January 4, 2010 at 9:36 am
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TAGS: skinny jeans, low rise jeans, distressed denim, bootcut jeans, boyfriend jeans, jeggings

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Mr. Efron told US Weekly recently that he wore the same pair of jeans for eight weeks in a row in order to get them just the way he wanted. The magazine wrote that, “In order to get that dirty, distressed denim look, the actor wore the same jeans—now his faves—for eight continuous weeks until they were stripped of stiffness and sported ‘yellow whiskers’ at the front.”

I mean, can you blame the heart throb? He does lead a hard life. Even millions of dollars, the ongoing success of High School Musical, and that great run-your-fingers-through hair can’t even buy this guy instant jean satisfaction. After all, you can only get that great rugged, worn-in look with time, effort, and fashion dedication. It’s the denim look any dude strives for months to achieve, the look that…oh wait, you can customize yourself right here at indiDenim.

Geez, Zac. Get with it. You just spent way too much time in those pants. These days, all the cool kids customize their own distressed denim. We could have delivered your dream jeans to your front door in just a few weeks.

Where do you live by the way?

image courtesy of usmagazine.com

posted by: deborah on December 1, 2009 at 4:24 pm
filed under: Misc Musings | Add a comment
TAGS: custom jeans, jeans, distressed denim

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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 | comments (1)
TAGS: history of jeans, japanese denim, distressed denim

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Worn jeans, distressed jeans, destructed jeans, and holey jeans have gone in an out of fashion, but (whether you like it or not!) they have made their way back to the limelight. Over the past few weeks, we at indi have been working on perfecting our damaged jeans. Oxymorons aside, we are really excited about the holes, tears, wears, and scratches we are about to release.

Don’t worry, no jeans were hurt in the making of this blog entry. Well, only a few…

posted by: Julien on June 29, 2009 at 6:03 pm
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TAGS: distressed denim, holey jeans, worn jeans

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Humans have worn holey clothes for as long as they’ve worn clothes. Although the first holes were accidental, people have been using holes decoratively for millennia. Today we often associate holey clothing with punk and grunge culture, but we forget that holes can also be opulent and elegant. Don’t believe me? Check out this painting of Henry VIII. His garment has dozens of tiny slits cut into it and he has meticulously puffed his white undershirt through the holes.

Now there’s a man who knew how to wear holes! Here at indi we plan to introduce heavy distressing options for our customers and I think we can all learn a bit from Henry VIII’s fashion sense. (I would not, however, recommend following his marital advice.)

So, this brings up the question—when wearing holey jeans, what style would you like to channel? British royalty or British punk bands? Counter culture or haute couture? Grandeur or grunge? These days, the choice is up to you!

posted by: danielle on June 12, 2009 at 12:09 pm
filed under: Misc Musings | comments (1)
TAGS: distressed denim, holey jeans

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Since the eighties, jeans off the rack have left some people wondering, “How much distress is too much distress?”  Many jeans for sale in the market today, go through numerous abusive treatments from jean manufacturers to get that highly coveted just-dragged-under-a-bus-for-a-mile look.  Washing, ripping, tearing, tacking, and sanding…  The process seems to stop just shy of riddling entire store racks with bullets - which begs the questions, “Are they charging $200 for the denim, or is it just priced $50 per hole?”

Even if you like to buy jeans that are already torn to shreds, you never want to buy jeans with fraying in the wrong places.  So, if your next jean purchase is going to involve ripping, tacking, sanding and the like, be prepared to treat this pair with even more TLC.

Here at indi, our denim distressing techniques leave the jeans still looking pretty clean.  When you do choose to buy distressed jeans, keep in mind that there are ways of avoiding rips and tears in all the wrong places and salvaging your favorite pair when time has taken its toll.

Here are a few tips keep your favorite pair distressed denim jeans looking distressed, but not critical condition:

Tip #1:  Ever heard the old adage, a stitch in time saves nine?  Maybe Thomas Jefferson never had to buy jeans, but if he did, the same saying would’ve applied.  If your jeans are wearing down in the wrong places, take steps to repair them before it gets worse.

Tip #2:  If you literally need to patch things up, buy fabric fuse from your local craft or fabric supply store.  This product allows you to fuse the fabric without sewing a stitch!  To apply a patch as reinforcement on the underside of the fabric, make sure that it covers the entire area affected by the wear and tear. 

Tip #3:  Don’t know how to sew? Wouldn’t be caught dead in a craft store?  To avoid the patch process altogether, try www.denimtherapy.com.

When your jeans are literally unraveling around you and you feel like your denim is in serious distress, just remember that saving your jeans is simple!  If your favorite jeans, even if they’re tattered to all hell to begin with, need a little TLC, just follow our tips to keep your jeans looking tip top.

posted by: Amy D on April 21, 2009 at 2:51 pm
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TAGS: distressed denim, patched jeans

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