The Right Denim

I posed the question recently “what is your personal backstory on denim?” Everyone has one. Sometimes it was when they first encountered denim - for many Europeans (my husband included) it was romanticizing everything a pair of Levis stood for - from James Dean to Madonna. For others, it was warm and nostalgic - the worn in pair from a first love, a grandfather’s pair he wore working on his farm. Many wrote that denim was the first time they associated a piece of clothing with making you feel just so damn cool - whether it was the OG Calvin Klein ad, a friend’s pair of Guess jeans, or the introduction of Seven jeans in the early 2000’s - all of this era dependent yet the emotion the same. One individual wrote me and summed it up perfectly:

 

Well, this certainly explains the large section of my closet dedicated to denim. The area that I try and weed and recognize that what I toss is rarely anything I wore a lot - but rather a mistake I made in the original purchase.

More than any other items in the closet, denim seems to bear a tremendous amount of responsibility. It’s not there to make you look (slim, curvey, tall, etc.) it’s there to give you a true visceral feeling, affirm a memory the way a familiar scent does, make you stand taller or slouch confidently. Damn, that’s a lot of accountability to assign to a piece of clothing.

And this got me thinking…..about when I got it right versus wrong. “Right at the time yet ultimately wrong” was usually when I fell for a trend, it “looked good,” but I inevitably never “felt good, or felt in fact anything” in them. Or when I didn’t know enough about the item to realize it would never perform to my expectations. Maybe I thought the jean would go with everything, but more often than not it got siloed to a specific look and vibe.

We hardly have time to try on every pair of jeans out there, but I’ve done the good hard work here by experimenting, dissecting, and discussing ad nauseam with our team (all three of us) why something we designed really worked and why others did not. We want to understand why what we designed and thought we would wear all the time, we did not. And conversely what made a pair of jeans deliver on all our outrageous demands.

The commonality of any jean that found a permanent home in our closet followed our 3 adjectives straight up (Chill, Modern and Classic p.XYZ in BOOK). BUT this requires an understanding of what makes something CMC. And even then, once you’ve established your descriptors have been met, you have to understand if the denim has the ability to deliver. Think of it as interviewing an applicant for a job. You have to have clear roles and responsibilities for the (candidate/denim) and you need the tools to assess if the (candidate/denim) has the ability to perform at expectation.

In other words, you need to know what to look for in order to make the best decision.

I can help you here.

The factors that play in to decision making include:

* the “wash” - this refers to the “look”of a jean that is achieved through a washing process. There are also different dyes and treatments that give different effects - we will keep it simple here because the point is to understand how each illicit a different outcome in wearability for you - depending on your need.

*the “fit & shape” - knowing how these contribute to functionality and perform as different tools in your closet.

And while one can have an urge to make it more complicated and scientific than this, I will note, because that would be rude.

If you refer to the “constructing the closet” good ick - we discussed understanding mindset, then lifestyle, then need in that order to choose best. To determine what wash and what fit/shape makes sense for you:

* the mindset - this is how you move through your life. Be aspirational here - it’s okay to shoot for the mindset you hope to have (“chill”) rather than your often daily reality.

* the lifestyle. Confirm the realities of your day. If half your time is spent with a toddler or working from home or in a corporate office, or all three, acknowledge that this is your life - and each moment in our life is worth living and feeling like yourself. This isn’t about wearing sequins at the playground - it’s about having your personal style run through all the facets of your life - and specifically the one you live.

*the needs. Not upcoming events, not imaginary ones, but the real ones that read like “something to wear at the grocery store where I feel chic but utterly appropriate in the chips aisle.” When you feel like yourself throughout your life, you will feel calmer. This is my form of meditation and I now know from thousands of you that you feel the same.

(NOTE kayla please have Reed shoot flats -

SHOW FLATS HERE)

Regular:

The need- Refinement AND Chill. Undeniably classic it’s the wash that says “no fuss here.” Worn with a suiting blazer the look comes down a few notches, but with the addition of hose and heels it plays the role of “irony” and can attain elevated satus. The coloration often keeps it out of more formal arenas strictly speaking, and that’s ok.

The consideration: trainers and sweats often feel too literal - playing in to opposites gives this jean the emotion you seek.

Black:

The need - Elevated WITH Ease. Inimitable dresses up the pieces in your closet - a plain tee and the right earring takes you nearly anywhere. Paired with an elaborate top, it’s the jean that lets you hedge your bets when a dress code has not been identified.

The consideration: a mix of textures and proportions give loads of depth. Take a look at your favorite screenshots of someone in all black - furry, fuzzy, sheer, skritchy - all these surfaces feel far more interesting paired with black. And proportions? Lean hard on big/slim/skin when you’re toying in the closet.

Raw:

The need- Irony WITH Classicism. The OG of denim plays the antonym to any hyper modern or uber sexy items giving balance with the heritage of this denim. Any items that lean more trendy become much more familiar with this classic.

The consideration: if you ever feel to straight up traditional try it on with the most unexpected piece in your closet. It will be good, promise.

Bleached:

The need- Casual BUT Thoughtful. All those super casual pieces in your closet, so perfect for a busy or quiet day, get the right style lift that keeps it steeped in your personal style but fully appropriate for the moment you are in.

The consideration: proportions and the good strange are critical here. To do the hard work, the shape needs a point of view when the wash says decidedly casual.

Dyed:

The need- Special WITHOUT Fuss. When you crave the piece that gives a bit more, decidedly “fashion” sans the capital F. Some of us like a bit of color, when it’s denim it gives functionality. You’re not wearing a cream slack around town, but a cream denim? It’s the piece that can make you feel dressed, but can get trashed and thrown in the wash. No care label needed.

The consideration: having the colorwheel on hand (PAGE IN BOOK HERE) lets you experiment whilst maintaining the good chic.

Acid Wash:

The need: Modern AND Effortless. All those pieces in your closet that are pure and refined, like that crisp poplin top or the refined wool sweater take on an entirely new vibe mixed with the friction of this wash. Don’t you find sometimes the polished silk top feels a little too….polished….with a sleek bottom? This is when acid is the hero - it’s the personification of the good ick.

The consideration: The wash packs a lot of texture, if you pair it with something highly textured you may find yourself craving the balance of something sharp and clean for contrast.

I’m going to keep scratching at this itch to create the ultimate denim guide, so stay with me here on this journey. They’ll be more GOOD ICK’s to follow - but it’s a process. Stay tuned.