Trend ALERT! Her name is Janet. Janet Jackson and she is making my life worth it! She wears some of the most amazing jeans -- and shoes, but we're not going to talk about that. I don't know if she has a great stylist, great taste, or simply a banging body, but she looks amazing in all the jeans she picks out. Curvy women -- take notice, skinny women do the same. She isn't afraid to wear different styles, from boyfriend jeans to skinny jeans. She picks out the best pair for her body and I am in love! We can all learn something from Ms. Janet. Thanks a bunch lady.
The first ever (soon to be annual) Boutique Week is finally here. But what the heck is it? Boutique Week is a shop-a-holic's best friend, a whole week of discounts. America's boutiques are brought together giving savings of at LEAST 25% off -- only at participating boutiques of course. Co-founders Olga Vidisheva and Polina Raygorodskaya have put this together to give fashionistas access to the best of the best clothes for a low price.
Participating boutiques are in Boston, New York and Los Angeles. Here are a few stores to check out:
Boston - Karmaloop Boston, National Jean Company and in-jean-ius (cool name!)
New York - Variazoni, National Jean Company, and New York Look
Los Angeles - New York New York (yes, this is in LA) and Koromo
Don't forget to sign up to get your access code! Let me know what you find. Sales end on Halloween.
Ever wonder what you can do with an old pair of jeans besides donate them? Apparently there are lots of things you can do and all you need is an idea and a sewing machine- or a good tailor (for folks like myself). I stumbled upon a blog that listed 65 things you can do with denim. Most of the suggestions were lame, but I found a couple of great ideas. Put your creative hat on and try some of these out! Here are my top and bottom five.
The Good Stuff
Make a jean skirt-This is great, your high-water or over warn jeans have done their job now onto another, hugging your curves in a skirt or shorts. The skirt they have shown on this website is hideous. I suggest leave the extra (ugly) girly fabrics out and go for something simple, or use more denim material.
A bag made of overalls- If you actually own a pair of overalls this is a good way to use them- instead of wearing them, unless you live on a farm of course (just kidding, I love overall shorts). This bag is adorable and sturdy- two handles!
Zippered travel pouches- You may need to be a sewing machine expert to pull this off but wouldn't it be great? It's original too. I know I haven't seen one of these. If you want something bigger a make-up case or shaving kit would be interesting to try too.
Eye glass case-Sunglasses or reading glasses, whichever you use you can always use an eye glass case at one point. You don't need too much material to make this, so make two or three for you and your friends. Plus this is a non-expert sewing task. My kind of gig.
Make a hot-pack- I have a bean bag hot pack and it is a life-saver. This is something that can be done so easily with one leg of your old jeans. You can fill it with rice or beans and your good to go. If you don't want to use it as a hot-pack-well at least you will have a bean bag.
I have to admit, it was extremely hard to choose the bad ones, because there were so many! Here are the winners, or losers rather:
Please Don't Try This at Home
Table runners- Now I don't know where you live, but a denim table runner just isn't classy. In this case keep the denim on your jeans- not your table.
Make slippers- I realize you wear slippers in the comfort of your own home, but denim slippers? That's just unnecessary.
Patterned vest- A denim vest is a fashion statement of its own. To add a pattern is a problem. Also, I can't imagine where you would start in creating a vest out of your jeans. Non sewing experts please step away from this idea- ASAP.
A casserole carrier- First of all I didn't know there was such a thing. Denim just doesn't belong in the kitchen or the living room, period.
Waste basket cover- I'm not going to even get into why a waste basket needs a cover, but no, no, no. Don't do this- please!
There you have it, the do's and dont's of how to resuse your old denim. If non of this sparks your creative interests you can stick to the good old donation method. Whichever you choose it's a good deal.
Denim lovers, denim likers and denim wearers. Stay tuned into the Denim Lounge for all your denim needs. But, there are some other great blogs that can keep you updated as well. Check them out.
Keeping you in the know: Share your passions and connect with mentors at Levi's new site Shape What's to Come.
7 for All Mankind sample sale is still going in Chicago starts in two days! RSVP, don't miss out!
Also, the results of the last poll: What do you think of men wearing skinny jeans?**** 66% hate it, 38% are indifferent, 11% love it, and 5% would wear it. Thanks for voting. No prizes this time, just the satisfaction of knowing what everyone else has been thinking about men in skinny jeans.
Mark Brewer is a 20-year-old student, and raw denim lover. He's not going to have a machine break in his jeans, he prefers to do it himself, even if it is going to run him $350, it's worth it.
When did you first get involved with buying Japanese denim?
I got involved with Japanese denim pretty recently; within the past couple years. My brother's friend had a pair of Fullcount contest jeans and they looked so much nicer than any other pair of denim I had ever seen before.
Why does buying Japanese denim interest you? Why is it better than buying anything else?
Japanese denim interests me because GOOD Japanese selvedge denim has a quality of the construction to it that no other mainstream brand be it diesel, true religion, lucky, or seven could even think about matching. With Japanese denim, minor details aren't over looked and they don't skimp out on any pair.
Would you say you are a part of the raw denim lifestyle? Does it just stop at jeans for you?
I would say that I’m a part of the life style because I hate buying clothing that's pre-distressed, I think it ruins its uniqueness and cheapens the garment. Even boots, i won't buy boots that are pre-broken in or sand-blasted boots.
How do you afford this lifestyle?
I am able to afford it because I’m a student with a part time job who currently has no bills to pay.
What are some of your favorite denim brands and why?
Samurai denim- because they are known for having really heavy weight denim, like 15-23oz weight denim. And then either Eternal or Warehouse denim because I haven't seen a pair of worn jeans from those brands that I haven't liked, while I have seen pairs from other brands that don't look good.
Are there any brands you think shouldn't be getting the hype that they are getting?
I think people should stay away from Diesel, Lucky, 7 For All Mankind, and True Religion those brands will not last you like true Japanese selvedge. Also Evisu's that you see are most likely not legit, I like Evisu but the only place to get the real Evisu's is a store called Blue in Green or go to Japan and buy. Even the Evisu's sold in Barney's are cheap and made in china (even though they say made in Japan, only a portion of the garment is actually made in Japan).
What is the longest you have worn your jeans without washing them?
I would guess that I’ve gone about 5 months as the longest without washing.
Have you ever had to give in and just wash your jeans before you felt they were ready?
Sometimes they just smell so bad that mentally I have to wash, or if something spills on them I’ll wash.
How many pairs of raw denim jeans do you have?
I’m still relatively new to denim compared to some people so I only have two pairs, but I’ve heard that the owner of Self Edge in San Francisco has over a couple hundred.
Talk a little bit about your most recent adventure in breaking in your new jeans.
When I break in my denim I only do a hot soak for two hours, then hang dry (remember keep inside out) and then wear them normal. I don't do anything crazy in them because I want my jeans to be me, not me trying to do crazy things to break them in. The denim will break in without sleeping in them or going into the ocean with them.
So Lauren Conrad, former "The Hills" cast member, knows something about jeans. She was on the Rachel Ray Show, busting myths and styling different fits of jeans. She didn't really say much of what I didn't know already, and I am speaking from the point of view of an average jeans shopper. But here are some of her tips:
You don't have to be skinny to wear skinny jeans
Yea, I know. "Skinny jeans," is simply the fit of the jeans. I'm a skinny person and I actually can't fit into the skinniest of skinny jeans, because my ankles are smaller than my hips (but aren't all of ours?)
Bootcut jeans are flattering on almost any body type, the flare at the bottom balances out hips
I love bootcut jeans for a clean casual look, it's a bit of an older look for me, but still a great look in my book.
You can wear boyfriend jeans with a flat or a heel and a blazer
Boyfriend jeans are so sexy. Who would have thought not showing off all your curves could make you look even sexier? Boyfriend jeans are great because they are so versatile, and trendy!
Thank you Ms. Conrad. And how can we forget Rachel Ray, she is a riot. I love the interaction between the two. Sorry Rachel, no matter how much preparation you did before the show, you still don't know anything about jeans.
Anybody interested in getting some jeans, on sale? It's a celebrity favorite, 7 For All Mankind, premeium denim line. People in Los Angeles, San Fransisco and New York have already been able to experience, The Warehouse Sale, Chicago, it's your time.
The Warehouse Sale is the nations largest traveling fashion sample sale. It carries a wide variety of your favorite brands, styles and products. Why not get something you and your fellow celebrity friend loves, for cheap. Here at the Denim Lounge, we're talking jeans of course.
Chicagans get ready for greatness coming to The Great Hall at Union Station, October 22-24. You have to RSVP, so reserve your spot as soon as possible. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, jeans are starting at $65, $55 and $45 respectively. That's pretty amazing when a pair of Seven jeans can run you about $225.
The fun may be coming to Chicago, but New Yorkers you still have until tomorrow (at the Metropolitan Pavilion) to get your Seven jeans, so get out there and get shopping.
7 For All Mankind or Seven, hit the map in 2000, remember the craze? They have a huge variety of jeans, skinny leg, straight leg, cuffed, all the washes, blue jeans, black jeans, grey jeans, pretty much anything you could ask for. At this sample sale you will be able to shop for jeans, jean shorts, tees, skirts, shirts and outerwear. I say, stick to the jeans. Rack up on a couple of your favorite pairs, because this is your last chance!
Happy shopping!
(Celebrities known for wearing Seven jeans: Ben Affleck, Angelina Jolie, Kim Kardashian, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jessica Alba and Cameron Diaz).
The Denim Lounge is your go to place for all your denim needs. Now open late night! Here you will learn about the past, present and future of denim! Throughout the years there have been many different denim trends and there are more to come. The Denim Lounge will keep you updated on new denim initiatives, denim news and the most unusual in the denim world. There is a reason why denim has been so popular over the years and here at the Denim Lounge you will find out why.
