For years petites have had to take their ready-to-wear clothes to the tailor. Problems with petite jeans usually consist of too long an inseam or too much gaping at the waist. Since many mainstream designers didn’t focus on their petite jeans, the stress of finding appropriate jeans for petites was extreme. There are now many more options in the market and petite jeans are thankfully not as rare as they once were.
Petites should keep a few basic fit concepts in mind to keep them from looking stumpy or childlike. Petite jean styles should not be too baggy (avoid extreme flares or wide leg jeans), which can make you look like you’re swimming in fabric. Instead choose trouser, straight-leg or even skinny petite jeans with the correct inseam (most petites have around a 29” inseam, unlike the standard 33-35” inseams found in most stores in similar sizes). All of these styles look great with heels, another way to elongate the figure and look taller.
Petite jean styles should not include anything that is cuffed, cropped or flood (a high-rise ankle look) because it makes the leg appear shorter and ill-proportioned. Capri petite jeans also have this affect on the petite’s legs. On the other hand, petite jeans should not bunch around the ankles either, which makes the legs look too short. The perfect length for petite jeans are when they just touch the top of your shoes, making you look taller and well-proportioned.
Now, with all the different styles and washes, it’s easier than ever to find a flattering petite jean in a style you like. There may still be some tailoring or customizing to get the perfect fit, but by remembering what works best, petite jean shopping should become less of a dilemma.
posted by: evan on October 14, 2010 at 2:11 pm
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Calling all pear-shaped women: designing your own custom jeans just got easier. We know how difficult it is for all women to find the perfect jeans for you body type, so we decided to make videos filled with style tips for designing custom jeans based on body type.
Even if you’re just looking for tips on how to flatter your figure, our body shape videos will help you accentuate your best features while balancing out your problem areas. First video: How to design jeans for a Pear Shape, including the fabric, rise, finishing treatments and more that are perfect for your body type. Enjoy!
Not a Pear shape? No worries! We’ve got plenty more videos coming your way. If you have a video in mind, email us at service @ indicustom.com.
posted by: evan on October 12, 2010 at 10:20 am
filed under:Denim 101
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pear shape
In fashion circles there has long been a fierce debate over the origin of jeans. After all, since jeans are popular almost everywhere in the world, who wouldn’t want to claim them?!?! However, the dispute over the two commonly accepted homeland possibilities for jeans - Nimes, France, “de-Nime” became denim, or Genoa, Italy from the French name “genes” - is heating up. Currently, husband and wife fashion designers, Francois and Marithe Girbaud, are partnering with the Parisian-based Canesso gallery to try and answer this age old denim question. On display at the Canesso gallery is a recently discovered painter from Northern Italy, one who depicts the everyday lives of 17th century peasants as they go about their chores, but dressed in denim! This new painter has been dubbed the ‘Master of Blue Jeans’.
Take a look at the woman’s skirt on the left and the boy’s jacket on the right, according to researchers these are denim
Courtesy of France24
This is the earliest visual record of a jeans-like fabric. Up until then written accounts, like those of a 17th century English tailor, were the only evidence of the existence of a denim-like fabric from Genoa. But the discovery of these paintings seems to prove, once and for all, that the Italian fabric predated the French. While there will continue to be arguments among scholars over the true source of denim, us jeans-wearers can just be content that this comfy, durable material came into existence at all!
It’s safe to say that photo courtesy of Cone Denim
Ring spinning is the traditional way to produce yarns for weaving. But by the 1960’s, new spinning methods were developed to manufacture yarns more quickly and cheaply. Denim experts typically turn their noses up at these new “open end” spun yarns which have neither the quality nor aesthetic properties they crave.
Specifically, ring spun yarns are both softer and stronger than open end spun yarns. Yes, just like fancy cheese, denim can be both soft and strong. Additionally, ring spun yarns have a much desired uneven thickness. When woven into denim, this uneven thickness produces fabrics with delectable variations in texture recalling vintage denims.
Unlike its higher quality counterpart, open end spun yarn is rough, resulting in a denim with a fuzzy/hairy look. So, next time you’re starving for a new pair of jeans, may we recommend a tasteful ring spun denim?
posted by: danielle on September 30, 2010 at 10:15 am
filed under:Denim 101
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ring spun denim
indiDenim is on YouTube! This video is a quick how to on measuring your inseam. Because we ask you to input your measurements and makes custom inseams depending on what you enter, it’s important to get this number right! And, if you’re going to wear different heel heights or just want to make sure you know how to correctly measure your inseam, be sure to watch. See below for the transcript on how to measure your inseam. Enjoy!
Transcript:
Eunice: Hi my name’s Eunice!
Bonnie: And I’m Bonnie and we’re interns at indiDenim. And today we’re going to be showing you how to measure an inseam of a pair of jeans.
What you want to do is take your best fitting jeans and lay them out on the table. The inseam measurement is from the crotch seam down to the ankle. So what you want to do is measure down that seam slowly to ensure accuracy.
If you get a measurement that for example is 30 1/4, just go ahead and round it up to 30 1/2 to ensure that the jeans will be long enough. And if the jeans you’re measuring aren’t normally jeans you wear with heels, just take the side of the heel, measure it, and just add that to the original inseam length. That’ll solve that problem!
And for more styling tips go to indiDenim.com or email us at service “at” indicustom.com.
posted by: Bonnie Coombs on September 14, 2010 at 12:01 pm
filed under:Denim 101
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how to measure your inseam
We all remember the painful fashion moment when Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears went out in matching bedazzled denim on denim outfits complete with cowboy hats. So it may come as a surprise that one of this year’s trends is, well, pairing denim on denim. Just not like this:
Designers this year have been influenced by the economic news, many of them are taking their cues from classic American staples, such a denim jeans and button up shirts. So the long time fashion don’t of denim on denim is getting a boost.
Photos courtesy of style.com (L to R , Diesel Black Gold Fall 2010, Helmut Lang Resort 2011, William Rast Fall 2010)
I do want to give Justin Timberlake some credit here, the look on the far right is from his clothing line (William Rast), so he obviously learned something from his earlier denim on denim debacle. Of course, as with any trend, denim on denim can be worn a variety of ways. Celebrities, stylists, and bloggers have all embraced the denim on denim trend and have their own opinions on how it should be worn. But really there are just a few general rules to keep in mind to give the denim on denim a modern twist.
In order to pull off denim on denim:
1. The top and bottom should be two distinct pieces - you don’t want to match the color exactly (refer to the picture of Britney above to see why). For example, wear a light colored top over dark jeans or vice versa.
2. Mix up the textures - wear a soft chambray button up over stiff, dark wash denim with neutral accessories.
3. Break it up by wearing a belt that clearly separates one piece from another.
4. And finally - keep it simple! Choose solid or slightly distressed denim and leave it at that, no need for acid wash or tie dye when pairing denim on denim.
Denim on denim is a neat trend that easily updates your wardrobe without having to go too far out of your comfort zone. Have an opinion on denim on denim? Vote in our poll from our last denim on denim entry here!
posted by: Bonnie Coombs on August 26, 2010 at 9:19 am
filed under:Trend AlertDenim 101
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denim on denim
There are only a few days left for some (if not all) until class is officially back in session. In preparation for this madness, we at indiDenim feel compelled to give students everywhere a lesson in back to school style. While most of us no longer get to pick back to school ensembles for ourselves, we still know a thing or two when it comes to styling and wearing your basic Back to School Jeans.
So take good notes and listen up as we’re about to tell you how to make the grade in denim style.
For your Everyday School Jeans Cuffing your school jeans creates a cool yet effortless look for class.
For school days where you just don’t feel like dressing up but you still want to look like you’re put together, pick school jeans with a relaxed cut and a rise that sit comfortably on your hips and waist. Pair your school jeans with a vibrant top, along with a structured jacket and a statement necklace; you’ll be looking cool and comfy in no time.
School Jeans for a Study Date
Dress up your everyday school jeans and give it a more polished look by picking a sweet blouse to wear along your medium to dark wash jeans. You can choose to wear a knit sweater over it to give your outfit an overall feminine feel. An outfit suitable for a study date isn’t complete without universally flattering school jeans.
We suggest that you pick bootcut jeans since this cut looks sophisticated and slims every figure.
School Jeans for the Head of the Class
For a streamlined appearance, pick a chic button down shirt to pair with your school jeans. Skinny jeans are a great choice for this look. Pick a pair that’s fitted but not skintight, in a rise that flatters your shape. You can pair your look with skinny jeans tucked inside your boots for those fall or winter months of school.
posted by: Eunice Tanos on August 24, 2010 at 1:09 pm
filed under:Denim 101
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school jeans
Stretch denim has been hugging our booties since 1978 when Peter Golding designed the first stretch jean. Before the invention and inevitable popularization of stretch denim, denim lovers who wanted a tight fit were forced to squeeze into stiff, uncomfortable jeans. How did they ever survive?
Of course, stretch denim wouldn’t be stretch denim without our BFF, spandex. Spandex is a marvelous invention—each fiber is made from alternating stiff and soft segments. The soft segments allow the fiber to stretch and the stiff segments help the fiber snap back to its original length. This allows spandex to stretch up to four times its length and then retract. You go, girl!
Not all of spandex’s traits are desirable—spandex does not take dye easily and it’s not comfortable against the skin. But when combined with its soulmate, cotton, spandex is almost unstoppable. Spandex fibers are wrapped in cotton to create cotton/spandex yarns. When these yarns are woven into a twill, the resulting fabric is (you guessed it!) stretch denim.
Stretch denim, you’ve come a long way since 1978. Today’s fabric designers have created new breeds of stretch denim by adding additional fibers, such as polyester, and by inventing new yarn constructions. These new stretch denims have unmatched recovery and threaten to eradicate jeans that stretch and then stretch out. Bye-bye baggy butts!
Stretch denim means that denim lovers never have to choose between fashion and comfort again. As designers continue to enhance denim, jeans may become a regular at yoga class.
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