A Short History of Custom Denim

Though the original custom credit has to go to your local tailor, the history of custom denim in its retail form has its beginning (where else!) but with Levi Strauss.

In 1997, Levi’s launched the Personal Pair program. It consisted of an in-store fit specialist, armed with tape measure and access to a few jean styles and expertise on how to make your denim work for you. Customers tried on jean after jean until they found a style they liked and a hip measurement that fit. The fit specialist would then determine what changes needed to be made to the jean waist and inseam length to maximize that custom fit. New jeans arrived in-store a few weeks later.

Drawbacks of the program included the fact that it was a mostly manual, time consuming process, and centered only on fit rather than complete customization of both fit and style. Customers could only choose from pre-created denim styles sold from Levi’s and had the option of fabric, washes, and leg styles.

Improvements to the custom denim program were made with the opening of the San Francisco Levi’s store in 1999. The entertainment-filled, mega-flagship store featured four variations of customization—-Original Spin total custom and “Modify an Authentic”, Embellishment additions, and shrink to fit. 

Original Spin was the new and improved Personal Pair custom program.  The customized program expanded the size offering and added more fabrics, finishes, and leg styles.  Customers could get that perfect custom fit by stepping into a body scanner.  The scanner used white light to take customer’s measurements in a fitting room. The downside? The person being scanned had to wear a skin tight leotard for their measurements to be accurate. Not exactly what I call fun.

Another added feature to Original Spin was “Modify an Authentic” which offered the consumer a wide range of waist sizes and inseam lengths that were not available off the shelf.  So if you could never wear 501’s because your 40” inseam was not available now you could.

Even though customer demand was high, Levi’s eventually discontinued its Original Spin program in 2004. Nevertheless, the program and its scanner pioneered a field that would give indi its future success.

There was also an Embellishment station where customers could take their newly purchased Levi’s and “funk them up” with a selection of embroideries, screen prints, hem treatments, and patches, holes, and tears. While this aspect of custom denim is a definite entertainment attraction, customers were stuck with their (sometimes amateur) designs for better or worse.

The next way customers could customize their jeans came in quite unconventional form; Customers bought a pair of “shrink to fit” jeans and sat in a giant copper tub filled with water and a special shrinking agent. They would then step into a waist high human blow dryer until their new jeans hugged every body curve. Unfortunately this was a 3-4 hour process and your skin and underwear would be tinted indigo blue from waist to ankles until you showered!  Not to mention, your once-white undies would be blue forever!

In the year 2000, the US National Size Survey launched as an anthropometric research project, gathering information that would eventually help the clothing industry find out just who they were selling to. The survey lasted three years and scanned over 10,000 subjects. The data gathered is still used for fit algorithms across the mass-customization industry today.  Since then, custom fit technology has been near-perfected by the Intellifit Corporation. Working with the same concept as the [TC]2 scanner, Intellifit’s Virtual Fitting Room (VFR) uses low-powered, safe radiowaves to detect a customer’s measurements accurately down to a centimeter without removing a single piece of clothing.

Other developments in the evolution of the custom jeans included the emergence of websites like zafu.com. These sites ask customers questions about their body. Using that information, a list of products that would complement their shape is generated. It’s not quite custom fit (more like a great personal shopper), but the concept is solid in its attempt to pair customers with jeans that fit their body.

Finally, 10 years after the first custom jean idea made it to the mainstream comes indiDenim. indiDenim is the first company to put all the elements together—a special fit algorithm based on statistical data that can accurately predict measurements such as waist, hip and inseam so customers don’t tie themselves silly with tape measurers, over 90 million style combinations (with more options added every day), a fit profile that lets customers describe their body in a simple, intuitive way, and even the utilization of Intellifit’s VFR (if you can make it to the office in Emeryville, CA).

With all of these features, indi has put itself at the forefront of custom jeans by giving customers the most accurate fit while providing infinite style options—giving people a look that is truly their own. Oh and don’t forget lovely blog writers!

posted by: maggie on March 13, 2009 at 1:57 pm
filed under: Denim 101 | comments (7)
TAGS: custom jeans, history of jeans

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On 04-14-2009, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) said

I can’t wait to order my first pair!  What a fantastic idea…  I own wayyy too many pairs of jeans but I’m conviced it’s because I can’t seem to find any that fit me very well.  I wouldn’t consider myself an ‘irregular’ shape so I’m constantly trying on jeans that “look” like they might fit well…

If they fit me well I will be saving a lot of money buying all of my future jeans from indiDenim… if I could only take back all the money I’ve spent trying to find the perfect look/fit…!!

On 04-30-2009, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) said

Hey Mon,

We are happy to help!

On 06-19-2009, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) said

About 2 years ago, on ebay, I found a seller that made these custom jeans. These were jeans altered to a two peice combo. The top was almost like daisy dukes. The bottom was the rest of the modified jeans in a ‘stockings/leggings’ look. They took the button flaps in the front and folded them outward to attach to the legging part. Much like classic lingerie, but made out of jeans for a edgey look one could wear dancing, halloween, or to be a bit naughty.

On 07-28-2009, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) said

Custom fit jeans are a whole new item compared to the standard jean. I bought my first pair earlier this year and I don’t know if I will ever go back. I pretty much wear them daily. 

On 07-29-2009, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) said

A big thanks to indiDenim. I really love wearing custom Jeans.

On 07-31-2009, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) said

I found your blog on Google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Keep up the good work. Look forward to reading more from you in the future. Thanks for the informative post.

On 08-03-2009, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) said

Denim jeans are probably the most comfortable and inexpensive pants out there.  Nice work on the history.