Custom Made Jeans by Indi Denim

"Because bodies don't come in standard sizes.  So. Why should your jeans?" - Indi Denim

New custom denim website, Indi, is fresh on the scene with a very promising offer. They start with quality denim and then let you design the rest. You get to choose everything from the wash of your jeans to what type of detail you’d like on your back pockets to the diameter of your hem. Simply enter in your specific measurements (including choosing your general stomach shape, thigh shape, and even rise height) and a custom pattern will be created for you and stored forever.

Expect to pay a minimum of $175 for each pair you order though even with the higher price tag, the promise of never trying on several pairs of jeans again is so palpable you can almost taste it!

Image(s) courtesy of Indi Denim

"Thou Shalt Not Endure Mom Butt"- Our SF Indie Fashion Interview

When popular online resource SF Indie Fashion contacted us to help put together a denim buying guide, I thought YES! Now there's a tool I know most women would definitely benefit from. How many of us have looked at those neatly stacked squares of jeans and found them threatening? Digging for your size alone is an act of futility as no matter how hard you try those darn things tumble off and wind up in a mess on the floor. Plus, who knows if you even get the right style or fit and have to go back in for round two.

Needless to say I was thrilled (I'm even doing a little jig right now) to put some of our experiences onto paper as our heads are practically bursting with clandestine clothing knowledge from years spent as personal shoppers and wardrobe stylists.  It felt great to get that information out there, in a readily available and formidable fashion resource like SFIF*.

There's nothing like working with other people in the fashion industry who equally share your enthusiasm for sartorial problem solving.  They came armed with a list of queries ranging from how to pick the right pair of skinnies- now considered a staple in your closet- to butt pocket adornments and affordable denim options. Hopefully this guide with help everyone assuage any future denim debacles. Even in a city as seemingly laissez-faire as San Francisco, thou shalt not endure "mom butt", muffin top, or butt cracks.

To read the full article and check out SF Indie Fashion, click here.

*If you're not already, get acquainted with SF Indie Fashion. I've been following their tweets now for sometime and if you ever want up-to-the-minute San Francisco Indie Fashion information, start following their sartorial shout-outs immediately. They offer an insight into the independent fashion scene of SF, an area we in the industry value as it's what sets us apart from LA and NY.

How To Series: How to Keep Your Blue Jeans Blue

Whenever I'm on the sales floor working as a personal shopper I hear various women reiterating the same questions and concerns about clothing. How is this supposed to fit? Where was this made? How do I hide my tummy/legs/arms/bust? Truth be told, even we humble stylists ask ourselves those same questions when we shop. Before even considering something for the dressing room my next question is inevitably, "What are the care instructions?". Okay, first it might be "How much is this thing anyway?" but the other is a close second! One of the perks about having someone like me in your pocket is we are filled with useful information that is otherwise not so readily available online. Years in school and walking the floor has prepped us for anything. So here's a blog dedicated to answering the number one question I still get today: how do I wash my jeans? Actually, it's a blog to answer the small caveat often attached to that question: How do I keep the color from fading?

some faded blues and greys at jawn.mikevitoroulis.net

(To be clear, I do know how to properly wash jeans and you can click here for a full article I did with SF Indie Fashion. It not only goes into the care of denim but also how to shop for that perfect pair.)

So how DO you keep jeans from fading? The answer is actually quite simple and easily found online: vinegar. However, what I know, and what isn't so accessible on the internet, is WHY you need to use vinegar to help set the dye. As a resource on fabric properties or "home made" cleaning remedies I continually use Fabric Reference, Fourth Edition, by Mary Humphries. Quite possibly the fabric bible short of a swatch kit. It provided all the information about the dye used in jeans, how the jeans are dyed and what that means. How vinegar is involved will be understood in a sec.
 

No fancy vinegars needed. A plain, white one will do the trick.

First things first, the dye used to color jeans is called "indigo". Traditionally used to make blue jeans that familiar blue, indigo is a vat dye. A vat dye is a dye that is insoluble in water, meaning it won't bleed in water. However, in order to be applied to cellulose fibers (like the cotton in denim and most natural fibers which are porous) indigo must first be made soluble in an alkaline bath. Once in the bath, the dye is taken in by the fibers. When it is removed from the bath, the dye oxidizes and sets in the fiber as an insoluble color.

textilelibrary.blogspot.com

Why then would it fade with several washings if the dye is set? Because the dye is always weaker and susceptible to coming off (crocking) in any washing machine with base, or alkaline, conditions. Vinegar is an acid, the opposite of alkaline, and a good combatant at preventing color-loss with vat dyed products. Using a little bit in your machine prevents the water from becoming alkaline and further removing the color from your jeans. It's just an extra precaution you can take to ensure your true blues stay saturated.

a lot of jeans at zcolyer.blogspot.com

How much vinegar you should use varies on the blogs and internet from a 1/4 of a cup to a full cup. My best suggestion is take Vinegarbook.net's advice and do a 50/50 solution of a water and vinegar bath for 10-15 minutes before washing. Afterwards, proceed to wash your jeans as per my instructions in the SF Indie Fashion blog. You can also try adding a quarter cup to a full cup of vinegar to your machine before laundering with regular detergent. The main idea I gather is that the vinegar needs to be added before any other product is introduced. And though I have yet to try this solution out myself, the process should help keep our jeans dark and our rumps practically pickled to perfection in a nice, dark denim.

Image(s) courtesy of Google Image Search

SNL and the Dreaded "Mom Jeans"

 Bad jeans happen to good people, don't let that be you :)  Happy New Year!

Levi's Curve ID UPDATE

As some of you already know, I recently took a quick day-trip into the city with my sister to try on a pair of the much-hyped Levi's Curve ID. In a previous blog, I reveal the unique design of the jeans, as well as my own misfortune at not finding my jean soul mate within their selection. However, my sister was way more fortunate and sent over some before and after pics of her in the fancy new jeans she bought. As you're about to see, she looks great! No gap at the back, a perfect fit through the hips and thighs, a nice length, and more importantly, her butt looks amazing! All these small elements that can make or break a pair of denim.

In my personal opinion, the Levi's Curve ID have the most potential, out of any jeans a curvy girl can possibly try on anywhere, to look great the first time. What a relief right?! Walking into a dressing room with your chances already in your favor is like having a personal stylist ;) You've heard it here first though, free of charge.
Hopefully, you'll see the difference of how a great pair of denim can transform your derriere.





















On the Left: good length but saggy knees, too relaxed in the hips, and a droopy waist.
On the Right: BETTER! Snug fit through the hips and thighs, the darker wash makes her look slimmer, but the overall length could be better. I would hem it about a 1/2" and also have a tailor taper from the back of the knee to the ankle for a slimmer cut jean. (that runs about $30).























On the Left: Pockets are too far apart. Your eye follows the top line of the pockets which gives the illusion of a wider behind. They sit too low, causing our eye to view her butt as "saggy". They look as though they're resting on her and not hugging her.
On the Right: AMAZING!! The pockets are the perfect size and close enough together to depict a smaller butt. The fit through the hips is perfectly snug, giving the impression of a nice, perky rear end. Plus, I notice a definite lift, don't you?





















On the Left: Some serious gap at the back. If she were to let go, she'd have a big case of flat-butt syndrome. Not good.
On the Right: NO GAP AT THE BACK! She looks long and lean, with a butt you can see, which if you haven't guessed it, is what makes your butt look good in jeans; when you can see it.

I'm sure you're thinking, "but they're brand new jeans. Of course they look good!" Yes, that's true but not entirely. For one, the Levi's Curve ID jeans maintain their elasticity over time and keep hugging your curves- like they should! The waistband is thicker and hips won't stretch out, saving you from a lifetime of the pants dance. (Constantly pulling up your pants throughout the day). For two, my sister took these pictures back in late September, a full week after she bought them and wore them out of the store! Her only complaint to date is that they've stretched in the leg and gotten a little more relaxed looking. Other then that, they're still her favorite pair of jeans.

~Amanda

The Scale Lies, But Your Jeans Don't- Denim Fit Guide from the Today Show

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

 

Guest Blogger Amanda Gives the Scoop on Levi's Curve ID- Get your FREE pair on September 17th in Union Square, SF

I was recently out with my sister in downtown SF. It was a girls day, complete with nails, drinks, all-round fun times, and a little side quest: go try on a pair of the new Curve ID line at Levi’s. Downtown SF is a major flagship location so why not go to the heart of the beast? Supposedly, these are the best pair of jeans you’ll ever try on in your life and at $69.50, they promise a little extra $ in your pocket for a top to match.

My sister, Amelia, and I walk in and asked the lovely doorman where we might find a pair of the new curve ID jeans. He spoke and pointed to the second floor, so off we went to find a manager. I was there on official business after all and had to know if things like license and pictures were a problem. After a bit of a turn around through several, yet very attentive sales associates, a manager appeared, officially nixed the idea of pictures and set up me up with perhaps the most patient sales associate on the planet, Emmanuel, or more informally known as Emi. I don’t think there is a happier or nicer jeans expert.

We had him get us everything! The Slight Curve, the Demi Curve, and the Bold Curve. All geared to flatter the various shapes of women’s bodies, the jeans are all attractively folded and hanging, ready to try but first, you must be measured. Emi took my sister and I aside and proceeded to measure each of us. I went first but the process is the same. They take a measuring tape that’s been pre-cut and wrap it around your torso, under your bust. The extra strings hanging at its sides are used to find your natural waist as the associate holds them against your sides and asks you to bend towards your left and then your right. Then, you get measured at your widest part in your hips and a few more inches above that, an area I think most gals like to wear their jeans. Amelia was given her two options to try: the Bold and the Demi. I was judged a Slight and Demi curve candidate. Off to the rooms we went!

As it turns out, the jeans are more about fitting and flattering than problem-solving. After several studies done on over 60,000 women, You Ngyuen, the head designer behind this revolutionary new fit system, found that over 80% of women fall into one of these three categories. It’s more about a woman’s shape than her size. The Slight Curve is used for ladies who need a bit more of a defined waist. The Demi Curve suits ladies who can find jeans that fit but don’t flatter their body. The Bold Curve is for the woman who constantly finds herself in a battle with the gap at the back.

Back in the rooms the first pair I tried on were the best fitting. They also happened to be the first pair that Emi handed to me. A Slight Curve jean in the straight-leg really felt good. The only problem was, I didn’t fall in love. I know my body well and I wasn’t happy with the length of the jean on my legs. They made me look shorter when I stand at 5’9 every other day. The bad news is that after about 9 pairs of jeans, I struck out. Amelia on the other hand was quite successful. Though she too went through at least 10 pairs of jeans, the ones that best suited her happened to be the same size I had in the Slight curve, but in the Bold. She had no gapping at the back, the straight-leg flattered her at the hips, through the thighs, and all the way down to her ankle. She of course wound up walking away with a fabulous new pair of jeans and I ended up cursing my own dumb luck that I would have the body type that falls into the left over 20% of women these jeans don’t cater too. I would have been tempted too by that first pair except for that fact that the style I liked, in my size, aren’t made with a longer inseam...yet.

Apparently, there are reviews and “how are we fitting you” cards being exchanged between the heads up top and the hands on the floor all the time. Emi was very candid in letting Amelia and me know that their customer reviews are very important and with this Curve ID system garnering as much buzz as it is, Levi’s has a lot riding on its successes. Happily, most reviews you seek out online are nothing but positive. So far, I’m the only one who didn’t strike gold.

All in all, the experience was completely fantastic. I may not have left with a pair of jeans, but I left knowing that there was an amazing amount of help on the floor, should I need it, and that my comments and criticisms were being escorted to the top of the food chain. Hopefully Levi’s can help you find a new ID for your curves to flatter your shape and forget your size.

~Amanda 

You read that right! Bring in an old pair of jeans to the Levi's store in Union Square and get a FREE pair of Levi's Curve ID.  It's first come fist served, so get there before 10:00 when they open to wait in line.

Images courtesy of Levi's and denimology.com

Memoirs of my morning at the Nordstrom Anniversary sale

waiting with at least 50 other women for the elevators to open

My amazing friend Lindsey gets me up at 5:45 every year to get coffee and gear up for the doors to open at Nordstrom Westfield Centre.  7am hits and we are first into the elevators.  With quiet anticipation, the very full elevator explodes onto the sales floor and spills forth into the shoes...

The damage done in the shoe department (my CC is starting to smoke already)

With the game plan in play and shopping lists in hand, we head from shoes up to the clothes.  Using the circled and dog-eared preview catalog as my compass, I glide through the clothing racks (dodging the other shoppers) searching for the perfect tops on sale to wear with my jeggings.

My morning hair and yoga clothes (hey, it was 7am at THE MALL!)

After bogarting the fitting room for over 30 minutes (exiting to glares from the ladies in line), I end this early morning madness with a final stop in the lingerie department.  I'm bummed to find out that, along with my waistline, my boobs are growing as well.  So I take this opportunity to try on larger bras (on sale for under $40!) to wear with the shapewear now practically required with every outfit.

Surprisingly, once I get home and walked through the door with my many bags, the first thing I can't wait to try on again are the over the knee socks I picked up last-minute.  After giving it all the once-over in my own mirror (why do clothes sometimes look different on you once you're home?) I am satisfied that I only need to return one item; the flats that made it into my bag in the wrong color.

If you listen really carefully, you can still hear my credit cards crying out for help!

Bad Style Choices- An Epidemic

Chanel chain strap bag, check. Black boyfriend jacket, check. Patent ballet flats, check. Skinny jeans, check. A walking talking example of how to wear the trends?

A major STYLE NO NO in the flesh... I couldn't take a picture of it... Scott thought it was rude, but it was so perfect of an example I would have given into inappropriate social behavior just to share it with you...

Believe it or not, there is a difference between style and fashion. Just because a trend is in fashion, doesn't mean it's stylish. Do you hear me loud and clear?

I love a good trend as much as the next fashionista. But let's be realistic, not every body type can sport the current trends, whatever that might be at the time. One of those is skinny jeans. Being a curvy girl myself, I don't like to think of fashion being something unattainable. But that's where curvy girls fall short. Just because the skinny runway models and celebs wear a particular look and it looks good, doesn't mean everyone can or should dress that way.

I surfed the web for some great examples of bad skinny jeans to make up for not having a pic of the girl from Saturday. I kept running into curvy/real women blogs swearing "you too can wear skinny jeans."  Please understand, I don't disagree with them.  But the way they are styled (as pictured above), just makes their hips/thighs look larger.  Had they worn shirts that fell below their crotch line, their hips would have appeared to be smaller.  By having a visual line cut across the widest parts of their bodies, they actually look heavier.  Skinny jeans are tricky, even on a skinny woman.  There are other cuts of denim far easier to style flawlessly.

Pictures like above (top left) beg the question, "Why would you purposefully wear something that wasn't very flattering, when you know there are many other better option out there?" I have to assume it's because either the stylist for that pic was trying to showcase just the jeans (in which case would you want your hips looking like that?), or their client's desire to look like a celebrity overtook their sense of reason.

Forgive me for sounding harsh, but these bad style choices, in favor of following the trends, are an epidemic.

My solution for women who's hip/thigh ratio is large enough to warrant being considered "curvy", is to try straight leg denim instead. The wider-than-skinny leg of a straight leg jean will help keep you looking long and lean instead of having been stuffed into a sausage casing. America is doing it right (see far right photo).

For less than $60, you can try this skinny jean-alternative from the Gap.


Straight Leg denim picture courtesy of Gap.com

Product Review: The Invisibelt- "All Belt No Bulk"

I can't tell you enough how many times I get clients telling me about their woes when it comes to finding pants that fit correctly. And the number one problem is that their waistlines are smaller than average to their hip sizes, leaving a nice big gap in the back of their pants.

I fit into this category myself. My first suggestion to the other women out there finding this a problem, is to look for companies/brands that sell styles of pants cut specifically for this reason. For example, the denim line Joe's Jeans, carried by most major department stores, has a "honey" cut jean that comes in in the waist and is a bit roomier in the butt and thighs. And if you still have some extra room in there, take them to a tailor and have them taken in.

But what if you can't get to the tailor in time and you just have to wear that brand new pair of jeans? Are you wearing belts all the time to keep your pants up, but hate the all-too-wonderful belt buckle bulge you get under your shirts?

In the mail today I received a product that addresses this very issue. Myself, along with a couple other women, wore the invisibelt for a week with various outfits. It's been featured in People, Lucky and Shape Magazine, and retails for $19.95. Here is our honest (unpaid) review of the product.

Invisibelt's Claims*: -eliminate the unsightly bulge caused from bulky belt buckles -gives the support of a belt with a flat, clear and smooth finish -provides an instant slimming effect -enables women to wear fitted sweaters over pants or skirts- no trace of a belt buckle detected -unique adjustable waist size (sizes 0-14) makes it ideal for the average woman. Larger size belt fits up to 4x -available in "naked" (clear) or "noir" (black)

What We Found:
the pros:
- Having two color options was nice to have (there are more colors arriving and others already available on the invisibelt website)
- Once we figured out how to adjust the belt properly (there is a how-to video online) there was a nice snug, but not tight, feel like your pants were not going to need to be pulled up all day long
- Because there was not a traditional buckle, there was no bulge under a shirt (BUG PLUS+)
- The belt was a nice width so that it didn't feel like it was cutting into any belly fat or love handles
- Worked very well under a long tunic style shirt and jeans

the cons:
- when wearing a dress pant with a bit of silkiness to it, the belt seemed to ride up past the belt loop and sit against the skin on your back (possibly due to not tightening enough first)
- All reviewers wished that the belt came in a fabric or leather so that when seen (such as when you sit down in a chair and your shirt tends to ride up), it looked more like a traditional belt

But just like the inventor, Kathy, says on the website's how-to section, "it's about function, not fashion." I personally appreciate the thought that went into this product. Definitely one of those "why didn't I think of that" kind of moments. However, just like the clear bra strap, while functional, it isn't the most comfortable or stylish. When it comes to plastic in outfits, it is better to not be seen at all than to be seen wearing plastic.

I give this product a B+ for ingenious design, ease of use, and functionality. Let us know when a leather version comes out!





*Images and information courtesy of invisibelt

Skinny Jeans Bad For Yor Health?

According to 944 Magazine, they are!

"Suffering for the sake of fashion is not an uncommon practice. Many people wear some painful threads and accessories simply for style. But the newest fashion risk is the skinny jean. Experts are finding that women (and men) who wear jeans that are too tight may risk suffering from a nerve problem called meralgia paresthetica. Tight jeans put pressure on the femoral cutaneous, a nerve that runs through the thigh, which can cause tingling and burning through the leg. Couple the skinny pant with high heels and you increase the risk. It has also been said that skinny jeans can cause infertility in men. No one is recommending that all ultra-tight pants should be thrown out and never worn again, it's just that maybe they should be worn in moderation."

Keep in mind, that only a small percentage of the population can actually pull-off this style of pant. It makes me wonder about the compression of shapewear like Spanx.....