Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with jeans

What's the most iconic blue-jeans video ad?

funkbrain — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:23:23 -0800

What's the most iconic blue-jeans video ad?

I ripped my pre-ripped jeans... oops?

Jacen Solo — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:18:04 -0800

So I have these pre-ripped jeans. But, then I actually ripped them. What now? So I have these jeans, with those designer-ey pre-ripped areas around the knees. (An example of what I'm talking about is here, although that's a lot more rips than the ones I have---but it gives you a good look at the feature in question.)

Well, one day while dressing, I accidentally poked my toe in the pre-ripped area, and now there's an actual rip. Like, a big hole, through which you can see my hairy knee. I'm pretty sure that's not a desired look. (But, I could be wrong?)

How would I go about fixing this? If you take a look at the picture I linked, you can see that it isn't exactly sewing-thread that fills in the pre-ripped areas; it's this kind of jean-type thick string stuff. Can I buy that somewhere, and do a somewhat reasonable job reassembling the old look? Should I just not worry about this at all? (Yeah, I know this whole question is a bit neurotic :P.) Throw these jeans out, and buy new ones? I dunno. I only started wearing jeans in the last couple of months, so it's all a bit new to me.

Help me dress myself!

aspo — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 12:24:47 -0800

I generally wear the geek jeans and tshirt uniform, and I'm (mostly) happy with that. The ones that I currently wear are begining to die, but I'm really bad at clothes shopping and am having trouble replacing them. Help me replace them before I start looking like a total slob. T-Shirts: Slightly fitted, interesting (but simple) designs and bright fabric colors are all pluses. I don't like oh-so-pithy sayings, shirts that are some webcomic or video game injoke, or designs that really want to be posters. I've found some good tshirts on threadless in the past, but looking around now I see a lot of shirts that don't use the tshirt medium very well.

Jeans: I used to get cheap crappy jeans and not think about, but I was given some nice jeans as a gift and realized they looked a hell of a lot better, fit better, and lasted a lot longer. I'm willing to spend real money on a good pair of jeans or two, but I'm not finding anything I like. I'm looking for good quality demin in a dark dark indigo wash (so dark they are almost black) so that I can let them fade myself, straight leg, and a fairly plain butt. That shouldn't be too hard right?

Oh and I almost forgot: I have a Dickey's Eisenhower jacket that I've been wearing for, eek, almost a decade. I'd like to replace it with something a little nicer but that I can still throw on over my jeans and a tshirt and it doesn't look out of place.

I have found the perfect pair of jeans. And now I need your help getting more.

paultopia — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 23:40:34 -0800

Calling all fashionistas, shopaholics, people with better google-fu than I, etc. -- trying to find exactly the same pair of designer jeans I just bought, only online, in larger quantity, and cheap... also a novelty item... So I've bought my first pair of designer jeans, and I'm a convert. I bought them at Nordstrom, a pair of men's jeans in a brand called "Worn" (with an umlat over the o). I also bought a pair of pants by the same designer

This may well be the first pair of jeans that I've ever owned that fits me really well. It's also incredibly soft, well-made, etc. And $125.00. Ouch.

I'd really like to be able to hunt around on the internet and similar places to find this exact pair of jeans, hopefully cheaper, and then buy like five of them. Here's the problem: "Worn jeans" is completely un-googleable. I don't know what possessed those people to give their jeans a brand name that, when searched, will reveal EVERY SINGLE PAIR OF JEANS ON THE INTERNET. I can't even find the company website. (Is there one? It's not on the tag either.) Yes, I've tried "worn brand jeans" too. How do I find this thing and get a better price?

Also, how do I make sure I'm buying the exact same jeans? It's not like they have a model number or anything -- just a bunch of stuff on the label, and it's hard to tell which is the color, and which is the cut, and which is the name of the specific pair. I'm pretty clueless about all these various terms -- X cut and Y leg and Z stitch and so forth. And it's hard to tell which stuff on the label is marketing fluff and which is searchable description.

ALSO: I would like to buy the person who dragged me into Nordstrom and coaxed me into buying them a police-style badge that says "fashion police" on it. This will be very much appreciated. But my google-fu is failing me here, too... does anyone have any bright ideas?

Where can I find jeans for my tiny yet callipygian frame?

pluckemin — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 16:36:42 -0800

Where can I find jeans for my tiny yet callipygian frame? Continuing my goal of "aging up" my wardrobe, I'm looking for jeans that an adult would wear. But there are two factors that are making this particularly challenging:

I'm a short, skinny female (5'2", 100 lbs) with a frame that makes finding jeans difficult; even size zeroes at the Gap generally hang off me. I recently found a pair of 00P dress pants at Ann Taylor that fit, but 00P isn't exactly a common size to find in stores. So that's problem number one.

My second problem is the fact that I have a butt. Not a big butt -- I happen to think it's rather proportional to my body and, frankly, quite spectacular -- but in the rare event that I find a size zero that's cut snug enough for me, it also seems to be cut for someone with no body fat whatsoever. It flattens out my butt and has absurdly large pockets that go down so far they're on my thighs (not to mention the gapping at the back of the waist).

So I always find myself going back to the juniors department, where sizes are cut a bit smaller and also sometimes a bit more bootyliciously -- but jeans in the juniors department always have stupid fading or artificial tears or rhinestones or giant flares or whatever crap that clearly makes them juniors jeans. This does not work well with my desire to dress like an adult.

My question, therefore, is thusly: where in the U.S. (I'm in Chicago, if that matters) can I find women's jeans in very small sizes that are also cut to accommodate a curvier figure? (And, yes, I know the Gap has "curvy" jeans; see previous remark re: size zero at the Gap hanging off of me. If I recall correctly, the Gap curvy jeans in size zero weren't bad in the waist but were way too baggy in the thigh and hip.) I really don't want to spend more than $50, and I only want to spend $50 if they'll actually last for more than a year. Searching for previous questions directed me toward Make Your Own Jeans, but the idea of taking my own measurements and being out $50+ if the jeans don't fit isn't exactly appealing. I would very much prefer to go to an actual store and try things on.

Where can I find some USA-made jeans in Los Angeles?

rybreadmed — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 22:06:21 -0800

Where can I buy jeans in Los Angeles that are made in the USA? I got sick of all my clothing being made in China and Vietnam. It seems that no matter what store I go into (including "high-end clothing"), everything is made in Asia.

I want to wear jeans made here in the USA--without spending an arm and a leg. That means I want to spend less than $100, and closer to $50 would be much better. I want something comfortable, long-lasting, and perhaps in a boot cut--but I'm not a cowboy. I'm not looking for rodeo wear.

I went into an American Apparel, and did not like anything. It's perhaps too hip for the likes of me. I'm impressed with their desire to provide livable wages and make their product in downtown LA, but it's not my style. Up until now, I've mostly been a Gap and Banana Republic type of fella. I'd also like to be able to try on my jeans first, so buying something online sight unseen isn't going to happen.

Mens Jeans Reccomendations

I love You — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:04:49 -0800

Can you recommend a decent quality and stylish pair of jeans for a 30 year old American man for under $200.00? I am open to anything, but I tend to prefer strait leg slim fitting jeans - almost a European look. I don't like a boot cut. And I am thinking about a pair that you could wear with a business shirt on Casual Friday or potentially out for a dinner.

What do you like?

TIA
I Love You

Holy jeans need healing

srboisvert — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 02:52:29 -0800

My jeans always wear out in the spot right behind the crotch seam in the two rear quadrants formed by the four way seam intersection. It's not an area people generally tend to see and I could probably extend their wearable life considerably by patching the holes to keep my tackle from hanging out. Is there any easy way to patch these holes? Some product perhaps? I have no sewing machine, have never sewn a thing in my life and my mom is a giant ocean away.

I'm looking for some durable dark blue jeans.

Brian Puccio — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:54:08 -0800

Please recommend durable jeans that would fit a 6' 2" male that weighs around 190 pounds with most of the junk being in the trunk. I've been wearing three pairs of Gap jeans in size 34" x 34" in the relaxed fit cut for a little under a year now, but they're all wearing out. I'd be willing to spend more money if they would last longer. I keep a wallet in one back pocket and a small notebook and leatherman skeletool in the other back pocket. I'm seeing small holes in the back and the knees are starting to get pretty thin. I live in my jeans, I wear them 16+ hours a day, 7 days a week.

I went to H&M last night at the advice of the GF who thinks just buying everything online in terms of clothes is a bad idea, though this is what I've done most of my life. Turns out that while their shirts fit me nicely, their pants, even in a 38" waist, do not. I have far too much junk in my trunk to wear their pants. OK, so maybe the GF was right and I should try things on if sizes run so differently.

I'm looking for pants that aren't baggy, but can still easily fit the section of my body between my hips and my knees which seems to be a little thicker than the rest of me. (I love how H&M's shirt's look nice on me instead of like a big sail like most of my shirts do.)

Bonus points for ethically made, environmentally sound companies that can do this without breaking the bank (say, $100 a pair, if that's not completely unreasonable). I'm not against ordering online if the sizes run similar to every other pair of pants I've owned, unlike H&M. A few pairs of dress pants in black, gray, etc. would be nice, too.

Help me find some cute jeans!

Precision — Tue, 12 May 2009 13:00:51 -0800

Looking for some stylish, slim jeans for a 18 year-old male, very slim college student. I'm an even six foot (or maybe 1/16" off), and weight about 133-135. Yeah, pretty skinny. I'm looking for some good jeans that fit well. My current favorite pair is a pair of "Levi Signature Authentics" or something that I bought at Target, reeeeeeeally cheap. They're "Slim Straight", but Target has since switched to selling "Vintage Straight" which, well, aren't slim enough.

I like fairly close-fitting clothing, my wardrobe consists mainly of small concert tees, hollister/american eagle shirts/sweaters/polos, and anything else that I like. I wear 30/32 jeans (usually). My price range is preferably $40-60, but I could be convinced to go outside that. Looking for a dark-ish blue color. Not black, not navy. I kind of like the look of these: as a reference. It's an hour's drive to the nearest large-ish city (Tucson), so not a wide assortment here. I drive into the city sometimes, though.

I am *not* looking for those "skinny" jeans that the wannabe skater kids wore in high school. I'm fine with paying more for a decent pair that will last a while, I wear jeans probably 335 days out of the year. I have very little experience with buying jeans, and none with buying decent jeans that aren't Levi's. I just always wore whatever my mother bought me until I started carrying, then whatever pair of random slim levi's I found.

Picky, I know, but thanks!

Moon over Parma, find me a freaking tailor I can trust

chesty_a_arthur — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 13:00:12 -0800

Cleveland fashion help: awesome shoestore and a decent tailor. While Nordstrom's has its place for shoes, I wonder if there are any cool local Cleveland shoe stores, preferably on the East side (but distance is no object!) ... and while you're at it, can you recommend a tailor who can hem jeans the right way (i.e. so they look like a jean hem, not regular pants)? I've been burned by a tailor who shall remain nameless (rhymes with Schmeits, on Schmoventry) and my jeans look dorky.

High Tops and Pants.

hapticactionnetwork — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 17:24:29 -0800

What kind of jeans/pants should I wear with high top sneakers? And how should I wear them? Hi Metafilter!

I want to buy some awesome high tops like this because I think they're totally awesome. But I don't know what kind of pants to wear with them. I usually wear regular, sort of baggy jeans, and i feel like they'd cover up the whole shoe (and then what's the point?). I don't really want to wear skinny jeans, but I will, if that's what it takes to show off my awesome shoes. Do you have any suggestions?

Pictures of how you rock your dope high tops would be appreciated.

I am a guy. By the way.

Distressed about denim.

Gordion Knott — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 03:36:16 -0800

How can I break in a new pair of selvage jeans to achieve the proper distressed look? At the beginning of January, I bought a pair of 21 ounce Naked and Famous raw selvage jeans. I've followed the advice on various sites on breaking in the jeans, which suggest that they be worn continuously for six months without washing. However, three months have elapsed and the jeans look brand new, apart from several barely visible creases in the pocket area.

Assuming that I wash the jeans three months from now, will they emerge from the washing machine with worn and faded areas, "whiskers," and the other earmarks of naturally distressed denim? Is the natural distressing process occurring, even though there are no visible signs? Or do I need to roughen up the jeans by wearing them more aggressively, perhaps during hiking trips?

If more roughing up is required, what's the easiest and least time intensive way to do this?

Casual (but stylish) clothing blogs for aging hipsters?

MeatLightning — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 17:20:05 -0800

Casual (but stylish) clothing blogs for aging hipsters? I'm looking for some blogs that feature cool clothes that you can actually buy. Like HYA meets Etsy but for stuff beyond Ts and hoodies. Whatup green!?

I give up... I can't find any clothes I like. I've been digging for ages now. Occasionally I'll find a shirt or two from the usual suspects (Urban, AA, H&M, etc) every now and again... but my success rate is low. Like 75% of the crap I end up with doesn't fit right or is boring or both.

I'm looking for some blogs that I can frequent to find cool clothes. Like HYA but for stuff beyond Ts and hoodies.

For style background, I'm basically looking for stuff built from solid fabrics (I love seeing the weave - like linen or canvas) in earth tones with some kind of flair (like cool buttons or epaulets or interesting cuts.... nothing crazy). Sort of one part military, one part Marxist, one part haute couture... Does that even make sense?! Fsssh... no sense at all... maybe that's the problem. Ugh!

Anyway, help!

Please?

How can I prevent crotch wear and tear?

Anonymous — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 12:31:32 -0800

I seem to always wear out the crotch in my jeans. I just noticed another hole in my brand-new (as of 12/31) pair of jeans from the Gap. What can I do about this, other than having them repaired? First off: my thighs touch and I bicycle to work every day so I suspect this has something to do with it. I'm not fat, so losing weight isn't an option. This has been going on for ever.

I know about Denim Therapy from a number of other threads. However, my jeans are pretty utilitarian -- mostly from the Gap, some from H&M. I'd really rather not spend a huge amount of money on repairing these, as the jeans are pretty inexpensive to begin with. Does anybody have any good ways to either prevent this from happening in the first place or mend the jeans on the cheap? I have a basic knowledge of sewing, but little gear.

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.

Bad Idea Jeans

namewithhe1d — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 11:57:11 -0800

Bad Idea Jeans could easily be one of my favorite commercial parodies of all time. Did they exist in real life? Is the reference on the bottom of this page real? I would love to see the actual commercial of this if it exists...

help me locate this belt

raphael19 — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 23:28:44 -0800

Can you help me find online a belt (for jeans) i saw on a magazine cover? Hi,

I supply an uploaded photo. On the buckle, the script reads as either "tough" or "rough". (If you know something similar it is all right too...)

Thanks in advance...

http://img258.imageshack.us/my.php?image=27122008669aw1.jpg

Can't find stylish denim in size 42

PetiePal — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 13:03:50 -0800

I'd love to own a nicer pair of jeans like Diesel, Lucky or Rock and Republic. However I can never seem to find my sizes... I'm 26, 6'4" and I have a 42 waist for pants. I've found it very difficult to find stylish jeans.

I have been working out again and running, planning on losing a little weight, however I'm not really that overweight to begin with and I figure anything I lose won't really affect my waist size for pants.

Most companies seem to cut off at either 38 or at the most 40 for waist size. I've been looking at jean companies like Howe, Lucky, Diesel and Rock and Republic. None of them seem to go higher than those sizes. Are there any good options out there I could look into? I feel like I'm severely limited in my choices and I'd like not to have to wear Old Navy jeans for the remainder of my life lol.

Help me find my abused clothing a new home

gc — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 01:47:02 -0800

What to do with my scrap clothing in Seattle? I have a bunch of clothes -- jeans, shirts, pants -- that are in some way or another useless to me, but I feel it would be rude to leave them with Goodwill. Most of them have holes in them, or are beyond repair, but still have what appears to me to be large, usable pieces of fabric left. Some are bleach-stained. I just don't want to throw them away. Is there a place in Seattle that would take my scrap clothing?

How to work with Strechy Fabric?

cmchap — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 15:04:24 -0800

For a friend: What kind of thread do you use to hem stretchy pants? Any pointers on this would help. My friend is a glorious 5-foot 1-inch tall, and has to hem her jeans. Are there special sewing skills/materials/tools that go along with hemming/sewing stretchy fabric?

What are popular stores to buy jeans and sweaters as a gift for a 14 year old boy?

Caz721 — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 13:45:41 -0800

What are popular stores to buy jeans and sweaters as a gift for a 14 year old boy I've never met? I am participating in a charitable "Secret Santa" program at my office, through a local charity we work with. My letter is from a 14 year old boy, who asks for, among other things, jeans and sweaters. The organizer in our office doesn't have any further information from the charity as to preferences, and the kids I'm related to are all a bit younger than 14 and still more interested in toys than clothing.

I'm in Manhattan and happy to go into a store or order online, though I'd like to include a gift receipt in case he needs to change the size or absolutely hates what I buy so I guess places that have a NYC store would be best.

All I know about him is his age (14), that he's living in the Bronx, and that his size is 18 (which appears to be the upper edges of boys' sizing, though if I'm reading sizing charts wrong, please let me know). I'd like to get him clothing he'd actually like, so if anyone has recommendations for where 14 year olds boys would like to shop, I'd appreciate it. Thanks for your help.

Honey I shrunk the jeans!

bitteroldman — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 18:19:04 -0800

How can I stretch my jeans that shrunk after I washed them? So I bought 2 pairs of jeans and was told by several people to buy them a size smaller because they will eventually stretch. Fine.

So I wear them, tolerating the discomfort, knowing that in a while, they will feel just right!

I put them in the wash. Wash in cold. Since hot water might shrink them... Hang them to dry, since the dryer might shrink them...

Put them on - I can barely get them over my a$$.
To make matters worse, the legs are now shorter than when I bought them so I look like a total dork with pants that are too tight and too short.

Am I screwed? What if I keep them in the bathroom while I shower - will the steam have any kind of effect?

What future precautions must I take to prevent this from happening again?

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.