We mentioned them a while back…but now they are becoming a reality! The NEW WASHES are here in the office! All of us here at indi are now busy taking photos and getting ready to revamp our jean builder to reflect all the cool new options. After many months of development, we’re proud to give you a sneak peak of our final washes below:
In addition to new washes, we’ve simplified the denim design process for you. The first step, choosing the fabric, will now include several different washes and distressing options combined with your fabric choice. You’ll also be able to see an entire jean in your fabric and wash selection, giving you a better idea of how your finished jeans will look throughout the design process. And, based partially on popular demand, we’ve now added the choice between gold or charcoal as your thread color to give you more customization options.
And listen up men: we’re really excited to add raw denim to the fabric options list for men. Raw denim means the fabric was not washed after production. This leaves the fabric very rigid and dark. Since there is no pre-wear on raw jeans, over time the denim will wear and become personal to you and your lifestyle. Many of our male customers have been requesting a raw option, and we think you’ll love our new raw denim.
So take a peek at the new washes and make sure to check back soon to design your own pair of indiCustom jeans in our brand new washes!
posted by: evan on December 15, 2010 at 7:36 pm
filed under:Happenings at INDi
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Shopping online has become an increasingly popular way to buy presents, especially during the holidays (personally I love the mall this time of year, but I know most people would think I’m crazy!) According to IBM Coremetrics, online sales for 2010 were up 15% over Black Friday 2009 and 19% over Cyber Monday 2009. Bottom line: shoppers are choosing spend their dollars, even on traditional in-store retail days, online.
So what are the benefits of buying online?
1. Convenience. One of the obvious benefits of online shopping is convenience. No lines, no driving, no waiting. Also, what about lugging all of those heavy packages for friends and family? Rather than pay the extra baggage fees on the airline, shop online (especially at retailers like us that include Free US shipping…) and get gifts mailed to your holiday destination. They’ll be there waiting, ready to gift wrap
2. A wider variety. Who wants to hear that the perfect gift they found in-store is “out of stock”? Online shopping gives you access to a wider variety of gifts all within the comfort of your own home. And, at custom retailers like indi, ““out of stock” doesn’t exist: we make every order from scratch.
3. No sales tax. Guess what? If you live outside of the state in which an online store is based, you get to skip sales tax altogether. Hooray!
4. Comparison Shopping. Lugging between stores to look for the best price is a drag. It’s hard enough to do shopping in-stores in the first place. Online you can compare prices of a single product across multiple sites. Remember to shop around!
5. Deals, Deals, Deals. One of the biggest reasons for an increase in online spending this holiday season are online deals, especially amidst the group buying sites like Groupon and Gilt offering as much as 70% off designer goods (much better than any store deal).
At indi, we’re offering a FREE fit kit with every gift card this holiday season (see below), which includes a personalized gift card in any amount, a measuring tape, and a variety of swatches of our different denims or shirt fabrics all packaged in an adorable holiday case, perfect for gift giving or stashing under the tree.
6. Returns/Exchanges. Many brick and mortar stores have rigid holiday return policies, and even the ones with good policies are a hassle. After the hustle and bustle of holiday shopping, who wants to take all of their gifts back to stores? At indi, which is pretty rare for custom retailers, we adhere to a 100% satisfaction guarantee, allowing customers to exchange their purchase for any reason and re-order online.
7. Shop alone. Avoid the pushy store clerks, relentless mall vendors, and friends and family that can distract you from the task at hand. In the comfort of your own home, the most aggressive attacks you’ll have to avoid are pop-up ads (just click X. You’ll be ok).
So remember to get the best out of your holiday shopping this season, and look online first. Happy Holidays!
posted by: evan on December 9, 2010 at 12:00 pm
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In cities all over the world, the Americana trend is taking off. Americana is defined as a collection of “books, papers, maps, etc., relating to America, esp. to its history, culture, and geography.” (Random House Dictionary 2010). More and more current trends are reflecting this nostalgic feel, a “Depression-era” aesthetic with workwear and military influences. Also the fashion pendulum is swinging back, after several years of dark washes, fashionistas are returning to the medium to light wash. While dark denim, with its body flattering properties, will never be out of style, lighter denim in a modern cut is one simple way to update your wardrobe without breaking the bank. We made some sets on Polyvore to illustrate some ideas on how to wear both trends, without looking like you stepped out of history!
Pair these light wash jeans with a plaid shirt and lace up boots and you’ve got an all-American look for winter that’s simple and, while on trend this year, will remain a classic look.
For cold days a Fair-Isle sweater, one with a colorful geometric design named for one of the Shetland Islands in Scotland, is a piece that will be right at home with the vintage country trends for this winter. This design was first popularized back in the 1920s when it was worn by the Duke of Windsor. Since you probably aren’t going for the great-grandfather look the key is to keep the vintage silhouette slim. Make sure that either the jeans or your top (or both!) are body-conscious to keep the look modern.
Elbow patches on sweaters, jackets or shirts are also a workwear trend that is resurfacing. These patches were originally worn to extend the life of clothing after the elbows wore out (or preemptively sewed on to prevent this occurrence). Adding this small detail is a fun way to try out the trend without taking it too far.
Here at indi, we love all things denim. Well, we love denim jeans, and denim/chambray shirts, denim skirts and the well-styled denim vest or jacket. But even we draw the line sometimes - not all things were meant to be given the denim treatment. So we present a list of the 5 denim trends not to adopt, in no particular order.
1. Denim Boots. Yes, denim is a comfortable, versatile material, but that doesn’t always translate to stylish, especially when you turn it into footwear.
2. Denim Gown. Denim can be dressed up, a dark wash paired with a feminine blouse and blazer and some killer heels will always be in style. Even a flirty little denim dress paired with the right accessories can look great. But a denim ball gown? This might be the perfect example of a good idea taken too far.
3. Denim Romper. I know I know! There’s plenty of fashionable gals out there who look great in denim rompers. But maybe not denim rompers with cutouts, strange buttons and flaps as well as an oddly light, distressed wash. Erin Wasson we love you. But this design? Not so much.
4. Winkers. Maybe you’ve seen these posted else where…they’re the jeans that “make your butt wink when you walk.” Is there really anything else to say?
5. Knee-less jeans. And last but not least, these monstrosities. Yes, distressed denim is in, but the complete removal of a crucial part of the pants leaving only the inseam and outseam to hold them together seems like overkill.
For those who knew the above information, I hope you were amused. For those of you that are cleaning out your closet, I hope you feel better informed. Try your hand at designing a pair of custom jeans that won’t scare anyone (including yourself!) at indi next time, ok?
posted by: evan on November 18, 2010 at 11:53 am
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denim disasters
We’ve got some really exciting news for you: now you can shop custom shirts and custom jeans all at the same site!
You’ve probably noticed that the URL above has changed to indiCustom.com, which is our new home. You may also know that we sold shirts at indiTailored.com. Now indiDenim and indiTailored have merged into indiCustom, allowing you to shop custom jeans and shirts under the same domain.
So why did we make this change? As a premium retailer of custom products, we are expanding our offerings (ladies, get excited). While indi’s core products, our men’s shirts and custom jeans, still remain the same (your past orders, the shopping experience, etc.), soon we will offer a wider variety of products to choose from. You’ll be able to build upon your custom patterns and experience with us to shop more custom products that fit your body perfectly.
Welcome to the new indi!
posted by: evan on November 16, 2010 at 1:10 pm
filed under:Happenings at INDi
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When shopping for jeans, what kind of fabric should you look for? Learn how to choose your denim fabric when designing your own custom jeans at indi or shopping for jeans anywhere. Watch our video below:
Transcript:
Eunice: Today we’re going to talk about the difference between stretch and non-stretch denim.
Bonnie: Stretch denim is any sort of denim that contains a synthetic such as lycra or spandex. Stretch denim gets kind of a bad name but actually a lot of premium denim retailers do use it because of its benefits such as it’s more comfortable, it contours to the body a little better, and it’s a lot more forgiving, so it’s good for styles like jeggings or skinny jeans.
This is our pacifica dark denim and as you can see it has quite a bit of stretch so it gives a lot.
Eunice: This is out non-stretch denim. It’s made from 100% cotton and is called the Montara fabric. Non-stretch denim is actually great for relaxed styles like the wide-legged jean and the boyfriend jean. It’s a lot more rigid and a lot less forgiving than stretch fabric. If you like a heavier denim then non-stretch denim is probably for you. For more style tips go to indiDenim.com or email us at service “at” indicustom.com.
Here in San Francisco, along with an awesome World Series win (Go Giants!), we are enjoying some lovely 75 degree November days; which then drop to 50 degrees at night. This makes jeans the perfect item to wear at any time of day. I know many other places experience this weather as well, so how do you style jeans to go from one extreme to the other?
Jeans are a current staple in most women’s wardrobes. But, most importantly, it’s about as easy to style jeans as it is a plain white t-shirt. First, choose what style jeans you like best, from there you have a blank canvas on which to create plenty of outfits. I created a few sets on Polyvore to demonstrate how to style jeans several different ways. I chose skinny jeans because I consider them my most basic style jeans, but any pair you prefer will do.
Pair whatever style jeans you choose with a blouse with fun detailing, like these horizontal stripes, and then add heels for height and a neutral jacket for a put together, grown up look. On you way to work you can wear the short sleeve blouse and (since I do a lot of walking) the skinny style jeans are perfect for a little cuff to make them more warm-weather friendly. By the time I head home, the temperature is rapidly cooling, so the jacket and the jeans uncuffed are perfect.
Another way to style jeans to take you from warm days to cool evenings is an oversized sweater over a loose printed tank top. This is one of my favorite ways to be weather appropriate because it is so comfortable. Again you can choose whatever style jeans you prefer, but because of the bulky proportion on top, a leaner look on bottom would be a nice contrast. During the day wear the tank top (long and loose so you don’t look like you’re in high school) with some nice statement jewelry and some polished flats, a nice dark wash-style jeans will also keep this look from being too young. When the weather cools down, pull on the over-sized sweater (I prefer a slightly shorter, cropped sweater to showcase the tank top) and a loose knit cap, and you’ll be ready to go.
Any way you choose to style jeans to be weather appropriate, keep in mind that layers are the easiest and most flattering way to be ready for any temperature. Try designing your perfect style jeans for this time of year at indiDenim.
posted by: Bonnie Coombs on November 4, 2010 at 1:50 pm
filed under:Denim 101Misc Musings
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Tall jeans can be hard to find. Any woman with an inseam outside of the regular range (32”-34”) has hunted for a pair of tall jeans, for a pair that won’t make them look like they’re preparing for a flood. But in addition to worrying about the inseam, tall jeans need to be fashionable too.
In general, tall women can get a way with more looks than petite women. Petites tend to focus on wearing jeans that make them look taller, tall jeans wearers have a little more leeway, since they’ve already got the height. Basically, tall jeans should emphasize the long legs of the wearer, and the hem should fall all the way to the heel.
Tall jeans also need to be bought with the torso in mind. If your torso is short, go with mid to low rise tall jeans in order to lengthen your torso. A long torso, on the other hand, should stay a way from lower rises, they will make your torso look longer.
Tall jeans that are bootcut or straight leg show off the legs. Dark wash tall jeans will also highlight long legs. Tall jeans should not be loose fitting because they will make you appear wider than you are. Pair tall jeans with a heel and your legs will look like they go on for miles. If you don’t necessarily want to accent how tall you are, cuffed or boyfriend jeans make the leg look shorter. Distressed and light wash tall jeans will also take the emphasis off your legs.
Tall jeans can be hard to find, let alone design yourself! We hope that with these tips you’ll feel well-equipped to shop for tall jeans or start designing your tall jeans with confidence.
posted by: Bonnie Coombs on November 2, 2010 at 11:02 am
filed under:Fit Jeanious
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