Denim experts/custom tailors in New York?

December 13, 2014 3:06 PM

Where in New York can I go to find someone to either make or find me a pair of women's jeans that will fit me?

You know how a really good bra fitter will just look at you and immediately hand you a bra that is both exactly your size and super flattering? I want this with jeans. Does this exist? Is there somewhere in New York where someone really knowledgeable will take one look at me and either present me with a pair of jeans that actually fits me really well, or custom-make me a pair?

Evidently my body + off-the-rack jeans = unworkable, and I'm willing to pay to find something I can wear. I do have a budget to solve this problem - not insane money, but designer-jeans money, I guess.

Every lead I have been given appears to be out of business or targeted at men and I'm not sure where to go. Who's around these days to save me from my unfashionability?

posted by catesbie to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (4 answers total)

Self Edge in LES: [phone]. They carry an awesome women's line (3sixteen+) and can refer you to other great shops, if they don't have what you want.
posted by raihan_ at 4:14 PM on December 13, 2014 [1 favorite]

During the last several years I've come across advertising for a Levi Strauss outlet in NYC and a couple of other locations around the world that does custom manufacture of jeans - e.g. (That's from an Esquire men's fashion blog but I'm pretty sure I remember seeing them being made for women in a promo clip.)
posted by XMLicious at 4:28 PM on December 13, 2014

2nding Self-Edge. The owner Kiya has been very helpful when I have emailed him. Call them, try their jean finder, or send him an email.
posted by Silvertree at 7:28 PM on December 13, 2014

I'd tailor or custom manufacture. I've never ever been comfortable in off the rack jeans without stretch (which I've heard disqualifies them as real jeans?). But it's nice having jeans made of something a bit sturdier. Something that works for those if it's just a waist-hip mismatch (my biggest issue)-- take it to the tailor to cut the band and add a triangle of elastic both left and right. I've done this myself by hand, but it takes a bit of patience to hem all the edges. But it's so worth it. Maybe there's something similar that the custom jean places can do (probably under maternity). Good luck.
posted by ana scoot at 10:05 PM on December 13, 2014