Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with jeans and denim

Denim Therapy Experiences?

rossination — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 10:37:18 -0800

Denim Therapy experiences? I have a number of Lucky Brand jeans (~$90 -- $120) that have developed small holes in the crotch. I've taken one pair to be repaired at a (very well regarded, expensive) tailor, only to have a tear develop along the corners of the patch.

I was ready to give up until I found out about Denim Therapy (mentioned here on AskMe). It almost seems too good to be true, but I'm looking for a little more input before I send my pants off to them.

Has anyone used this service before? It seems a little on the expensive side, but I'd be willing to pay $100 to repair 4 pairs of jeans; I'd definitely rather do that than buy another pair of pants that could just break again in a few months. I'm slightly concerned about how well they reinforce not just the hole but the area around it (all of my blown-out-crotch pants have a slightly gauzey look around the hole area)

Other suggestions about jeans repair and/or other reweaving services are welcome!

Don't let my jeans go light on me.

simplethings — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 08:35:02 -0800

Can you recommend a brand of jeans that doesn't fade (or fades relatively slowly)? I'd also appreciate any tips you have to maintain color. I love dark denim. I only wear dark denim but I find myself regularly buying new pairs of jeans (more often than I can really afford) because the color fades too quickly.

90% of my jeans are from Express Mens. I find that their jeans fit me really well. Of the jeans I purchase these fade the fastest. After only 3 months the jeans are no longer dark navy, but a medium, worn out, grey-ish blue. (Side note: most of the jeans I buy from there warn that the jeans will fade for a worn-in look... for some reason I keep telling myself that maybe this pair won't fade as much as the last pair)

I recently bought a pair of Calvin Klein jeans that are a bit too loose and baggy but have mostly maintained their intense dark blue color for a good 6 months. I'll probably check out more CK jeans in the future but I'd like some other suggestions.

I take decent care of my jeans. I wash them in cold water (with detergent and fabric softener) approximately every other week or once a month depending on use.
Sometimes I iron them, but I'd be willing to stop or increase ironing if that helps maintain color.
I store jeans that are dark enough on hangers in my closet.

A few more notes:
I'm male
Color and fade resistance are more important than fit... but I still like a good, fitted pair
I'd prefer not spending more than $75 on one pair
I'd want to try before I buy so stores near me would be awesome (I live in the US. Illinois to be exact.) ... on-line stores, not so awesome.
I will not not wash my jeans. I heard some people suggest this and just aggressively Febreeze... but, I prefer cleanliness.

DenimFilter: Help me patch my trendy jeans.

nayten — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 11:03:59 -0800

DenimFilter: Help me patch the hole over the knee in my trendy designer jeans. So while shopping at my favorite retailer for jeans (Jimmy'Z), the only pair I liked had one of those frayed holes over the right knee. The "fray-zone" has now become a hole with an additional 2 inches or so of a tear to the side, making this about a 4 inch-wide hole when flattened.

What's the best way to go about patching this up before I have a new pair of cut-off shorts? I was thinking of something involving a denim patch on the inside of the jeans, so that the frayed part still shows a little bit. I had some old jeans/cordory that I could salvage for this project.

I'm a dude, that could probably discretely get access to sewing machines in the fashion dept. on campus-- but I wouldn't want to brag about it much and want to know what I'm doing if I try to DIY this one.

No ass. Need jeans.

FunkyHelix — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 17:41:20 -0800

Suggestions of low-rise jeans for people with no ass? I'm in the middle of losing weight and I'm at another pants size drop. Here's the thing.

Normal waisted pants hit above my belly button and high waist pants look ridiculous, like I'm trying to pull my pants up over my boobs. However, most low-rise jeans seem to be cut for people with a butt. I have none. It's flat. Like a fleshy pancake. And as I come from a long line of no-assed people, I'm not expecting to develop an ass any time soon. But because the jeans are cut for a butt, the back pockets hang to my thighs.

I'm not the most stylish person, but it looks stupid.

Anyone have suggestions for ladies low-rise jeans in 14-16-18 with small back pockets/no back pockets, or made for people with no ass? Front pockets are pretty important, though, since I cram them with stuff like a six year old.

Please don't suggest men's jeans. I have no ass, but I do have a woman's hips.

Denim jeans that fit. How hard can it be?

Lebannen — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 03:53:19 -0800

Where in the UK can I find women's jeans that fit me? Levis high-waisted styles fit in the waist and hips, but anything labelled 'skinny' or 'slim' does not agree with my thighs. And I would really prefer something 100% cotton, but at this point I'll try pretty much anything. It seems that most styles I find are either cut so low as to reveal my appendectomy scar, or gape so much in the back that I have a builder's bum without even trying. Or both. And what is with stretch denim?

My last pair of Levis came from a charity shop in excellent condition, but have now succumbed to the inevitable. My current best-fitting jeans were stolen from my brother. I've been to a Levis store, but the two high-waisted styles they have are too tight for comfort on my legs.

Alternatives to Seven jeans?

aberrant — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 06:31:30 -0800

Male, not wanting to shell out $200 for another pair of Seven's, seeks lower-priced alternative to their Standard cut. So, a friend introduced me to higher-end designer jeans. Seven's standard (straight leg) cut fits me perfectly (so she says; my wife agrees). I now have $400 worth of jeans in two pairs, which is probably more than I've ever spent on all the jeans I've purchased to date.

I know that, in some cases, you're paying for the better fit, but are there any lower-priced alternatives to Sevens in "Standard" cut (not A-pocket or any of the others) out there for men that have similar fit characteristics (not too baggy, lower rise, etc.) that folks could recommend based on actually having owned, seen, or worn a pair (as opposed to having googled for the answer)?

Where can I buy women's blue jeans without "stretch" for under $50 in the US?

croutonsupafreak — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 10:54:01 -0800

Where can I buy women's blue jeans without "stretch" for under $50 in the US? I'll go to chains, web sites, or retailers that are local to Portland, Ore. Looking for women's size 6 or 8. I used to love the Gap's "long and lean" style. I also like most other jeans that go up to just below the belly button and have wide ankles. I HATE stretch for so many reasons that I could write a book, and as a result I don't have any blue jeans for the first time in my adult life. Are there any stores that sell non-stretch denim in decent cuts? Does non-stretch denim even exist any more?

how to care for selvage denim

heeeraldo — Sun, 06 May 2007 22:08:41 -0800

Selvage denim: care and feeding I bought a pair of Gap jeans and they had a little metal tag that said they were "Selvage" and the inner waistband says that they're Japanese denim. Do they require special care and feeding? I Googled the jean name (Gough) and found a bunch of advice from forums for jean nerds but there's so much lexicon there that I'm totally lost.

In short: are there best practices for these pants? If so, what are they?

How can I lighten or fade blue jeans without using bleach?

macadamia — Sun, 22 Apr 2007 22:32:32 -0800

How can I lighten or fade blue jeans without using bleach? I own three pairs of similarly colored blue jeans from Aéropostale and I'd like to add variety to my wardrobe by lightening a couple pairs. I'm trying to avoid bleach because it's corrosive and I'm afraid it'll turn the jeans orange. I've tried using Rit Color Remover and Rit Whitener & Brightener but neither had an effect. Apparently, a product called Rit Fast Fade used to exist but is no longer with us. What should I do?

Trying to find a brand of jeans I bought in Paris

desjardins — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 10:33:40 -0800

I'm looking for a brand of blue jeans in I bought in Paris several years ago. I don't think they are a French brand - no French on the labels. The word for the brand name, "Missy," refers to "an average female size" in America, so Google has been no help. They were bought in the 11e arrondissement of Paris, probably sur Rue du Faubourg-Saint Antoine, on the sidewalk in front of an unknown shop for €10 or €15. Here are pictures of the tags, labels and buttons.

fading jeans

funambulist — Fri, 16 Dec 2005 06:35:33 -0800

How do I fade the colour only on an area of a pair of jeans? I removed an embroidery pattern from a pair of denim jeans, but now that spot that was covered by the stitching is darker than the rest of the fabric, so the shape of the pattern still stands out.

How do I fix this? Any special products that I can apply only in that area?

Preferably something cheap, as the jeans themselves were less than the price of a CD (bought them at a street market) so I'm not going to go nuts about it, but I like the fit so I'd really like to be able to wear them without that ugly "stain" where the pattern was.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

(I searched for methods of fading jeans but only found some instructions on how to fade an entire pair of jeans in the washing machine, or using tie-dye methods for creating patterns, which is not what I'm looking for...)

Where can I find a ladies denim shirt in NYC?

Edible Energy — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 14:25:51 -0800

Where can I find a women's denim shirt for sale in New York City?

Why the white stripes on blue jeans?

Rash — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 09:19:11 -0800

Tell me about the blue jeans young people wear these days - the kind with the big white blotches. Are these what's known as acid- or stone-washed jeans? If not, what's the correct term?

I realize the desireablity of broken-in jeans, and the dorkiness associated with a brand new pair.... but in my experience, they usually go white only at the knees, and the seams. This current fashion - what's with the fading on the back side? And sometimes, not the legs, but the seat - I'm especially baffled about the fashion sense of someone who'd choose to look like she's been sitting in a puddle of bleach.

Patch My Jeans

o2b — Wed, 27 Oct 2004 08:43:10 -0800

I finally took a spill rollerblading and tore out the knee of my jeans. Does anyone know of any iron-on patch vendors with a Threadless sensibility? Alternatively, has anyone had success making their own?