What started as a long distance romance is now a celebrated engagement for Lindee and Phil. Love has come a long way for this bride to be and her patience has finally paid off in other ways too. Being nearly 6” feet tall, Lindee has the typical problem of a long legged girl—she couldn’t find jeans with a long enough inseam. Petite women have the luxury to hem their jeans, but the tall ones don’t have it so easy. In addition, Lindee also has a problem finding jeans that are lean through the hips and thighs and then sit perfectly on her waist.
After years of searching, she discovered INDI jeans. “I have struggled my entire life to find jeans that fit my waist and my 37” inseam. I literally hated jean shopping before finding INDI. Now, I love it!” says Lindee. She is hardly alone; on average women try on 13 pairs of jeans before finding a single pair that fits.
After sharing her excitement (both about her jeans and her engagement) on our Facebook page, we wanted to share her story. It makes us happy when our customers contact us to share their personal stories. And as for Lindee, she’s not keeping the news to herself. Aside from posting her engagement pictures wearing her INDI jeans, she’s also recommended us to her twin sister!
So from all of us here at indi, Congratulations to Lindee and Phil!
If you’d like to shop Lindee’s jeans, click on our design vault here.
While browsing various denim-related topics I came across this Discovery Channel video on how jeans are made. If you have 4 minutes of spare time I highly recommend checking out this video, it clearly shows the automated processes that go into creating mass production jeans. It really is amazing how many specialized machines there are simply for producing jeans.
However, what struck me the most about the process were the differences between their method and ours at indi. Since our jeans are custom patterns created from the fit measurements entered by each individual customer our jeans are cut one at a time. By contrast, at the company profiled in the video a whopping 350 jeans are cut at once. Another example of the custom process versus mass production is in the back pocket, whereas this company cuts 20 pockets at a time, with our various options on back pocket style and embroidery we obviously cut these individually.
That’s not to say at indi we don’t try to be efficient when possible. Orders with the same wash, (for example vintage tint) we batch together when it comes time for laundry so this step can be completed as quickly as possible for our customers. Also, similar to the denim company in the video, many of our steps are automated. On the other hand, since our jeans are custom and therefore have different measurements and stitches required, each one is hand sewn.
This video is a fascinating look at how modern factories operate and also goes a long way to explaining how off the rack jeans are truly one size fits all body types. Here at indi we know that your body is unique and sometimes mass production, while efficient, doesn’t always cut it.
posted by: Bonnie Coombs on March 8, 2011 at 12:54 pm
filed under:Denim 101Misc Musings
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Valentine’s Day. Depending on your mood it is either the best, worst or most irrelevant holiday of the year. Trust me I’ve thought all 3 at various points in my life. Now I choose to think of Valentine’s Day as a great excuse to dress-up and surprise the people in your life who think you live in cardigans and flats. But honestly, the one thing in my wardrobe that I pretty much do live in are my jeans. So how do you dress up your jeans for that Valentine’s night out? Firstly, a little red or lace to be festive isn’t a bad way to start. Just keep it subtle or run the risk of looking like the doily Valentine’s you made in elementary school. Floral is another nice, feminine detail that works great for this holiday but should be kept understated.
So now that there are some ideas on what to wear to be festive, how do you put this together into a coherent look? If you’re not going to a super fancy wear-a-cocktail-dress-or-else dinner than a dark wash jean is a great place to start building your outfit. For a more formal meal I chose a rinse trouser jean because the looser leg style is a classic silhouette for an evening out. Instantly dress up your trouser jeans with a beaded vintage-look top and a pair of delicate sparkled heels. Grab a red purse and favorite special occasion earrings and you’re ready for a nice Valentine’s Day dinner out, without a single heart in sight.
If you’re headed out to more low-key dinner but still want to dress up (I mean it is a holiday) I would again suggest starting off with a dark wash jean. Since the setting is less reserved I opted for a skinny black jean to start my look. Pair a floral silk top with a hint of red as a nod to the holiday. With a bright statement belt and a chunky chain necklace you won’t need any more accessories. The finishing touch is a pair of funky suede platforms in a reddish tone to echo the blouse and complete your Valentine’s Day outfit.
As we get into January it’s easy to give up on style. The holiday parties are over, the days are cold and gray, being comfortable and warm become the only priorities. But believe it or not, if you keep a few key accessories around, spicing up your wardrobe can be done in the amount of time it takes for your car to warm up. Here are some sets we made with indi jeans on Polyvore to illustrate just how easy it is to stay fashionable without sacrificing comfort through all these cold days. Starting with the basic after the holidays jeans and do-I-look-thin-in-this-black-shirt here are some ideas to help you get through till spring.
Rather than settle for your classic black or navy (or charcoal gray etc.) peacoat, opt for something with a little more flair. There are so many options out there in every price range, it’s easy to add some fun to your errand runs with a statement coat to chase away the winter blues.
But once you get to your (hopefully warm) destination, wearing a bold piece layered over your black shirt will keep you looking put together. Choose an accessory you are comfortable wearing that also makes a strong statement. Whether it is a printed wrap or a waist defining belt with fun detailing, accessories can instantly up your style factor.
Don’t limit your creativity to the ideas listed here. These are just a few examples to get you back into your style groove. Mix things up with some jeweled or feathered headbands, or a boldly detailed handbag. So don’t surrender to winter, experiment with layers and have fun with eye-catching and colorful pieces!
How do you keep your style going in the winter months?
posted by: Bonnie Coombs on January 18, 2011 at 4:18 pm
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With the beginning of 2011, we should all take a moment and reflect back on 2010 denim trends—both good and bad. To give you a quick recap, we’ve compiled a list of denim worthy moments…some we think are inspiring, some we think are intriguing and some will keep us coming back for more.
Expanding our Denim Horizons
The best trend by far this year would be the look that flatters your body the best. In the 2010 denim world, anything goes as long as it works for your body—skinny jeans, flare jeans, boot-cut jeans, trouser, etc. This notion prompted many denim brands to introduce various jean options after realizing that every body is different and not every style is intended to fit everyone. An influx of petite and tall options for women also have popped up at larger retailers like Gap and Banana Republic.
Of course, this isn’t anything groundbreaking. In fact, some of us have known this for quite some time. As you know, we’ve made it our philosophy to create jeans that are made to work for your body. And it’s nice to know that some brands are catching on to this philosophy by finally creating more sizes and more styles for everyone.
Another big trend this year was printed denim, which certainly expanded everyone’s denim horizons to include animal prints, flower prints, you name it. Not flattering for most, but certainly a trend worth mentioning.
The Big Comebacks
Everyone loves a comeback story. Some denim trends that were left behind in the past have made their big comebacks in 2010. Denim trends in the past are not always bad—some just need to be updated in order to look fresh and modern. Case in point: the denim on denim look. By wearing distinctly different denim top and denim bottom, you can create a classic American style that looks put together without trying too hard. Cargo jeans are also another big comeback this year. This time around however, the cargos are skinny, not baggy and wide, with smaller pockets on each side for a more feminine silhouette.
Which is not to say, of course, that wide leg jeans didn’t make their very own come back. Wide-leg jeans, from low to high rises, was a huge 2010 denim trend as well.
Odd Denim Sightings
During the winter Olympics past February, the US snowboarding team was spotted crossing the finish line wearing denim jeans! This is definitely an odd place to wear jeans but its presence in sports, especially snowboarding, has only cranked up the denim’s cool factor.
And finally, in the era of the snuggie where comfort rules, someone invented jeans that are supposedly made for comfort…in this case, maybe a little too much comfort. The “pajama jeans” are made out of cotton and spandex, but was designed to look like jeans and of course, feel like sweat pants. Everyone loves clothes that are comfortable but when your jeans start resembling sweat pants, we doubt that you’re actually making a conscious effort to look nice so we should draw the line here people and leave this trend behind.
Whatever caught your attention in 2010, we know that this New Year will bring more note-worthy moments in the denim realm and we’ll be here, waiting to write about it. With that said, Happy 2011 Denim Lovers!
posted by: Eunice Tanos on December 30, 2010 at 3:28 pm
filed under:Misc Musings
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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 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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Here’s a fact: it’s not very often that Bay Area sports teams make it all the way to the playoffs each year. We are not spoiled like the rest of the cities out there so when something big happens, you better believe that we show our full support. This season, the San Francisco Giants secured a spot in the playoffs.You can rest assured (if it weren’t for the sky rocket ticket prices) that there isn’t any other place I’d rather be than watch them play at AT&T park.
This notion however got me thinking…if I were to go see the Giants play in person, what would I wear? Of course, jeans would be my personal go to ticket item. Nothing could be better than wearing some comfortable jeans for those moments you have to stand up and sit down repeatedly to see Cody Ross hit that home run or Tim Lincecum strike others out. Besides, it would be a little ridiculous to wear a dress or a skirt to a baseball game anyway. However, it’s just as important (at least for me anyway) to still balance my blaring orange attire and baseball cap with a cute combination of accessories and good taste. To give you a better idea, I made my own outfit Polyvore set that you can check out to inspire you to be sporty chic too here :
Sporting an overwhelming amount of orange and black (for the Giants and Halloween of course), the accent piece here is my asymmetrical leather jacket. Casual enough for a game with some fashionista flare, the jacket balances the casual nature of my comfortable black bootcut jeans and converses. The key here is to wear what you would normally wear to a game, but keep your apparel well-fitted (no frumpy jeans, ladies) and pick one classier accent piece to set the outfit off.
So to all you Bay Area sports fans out there, just like us at indiDenim, we’d like to say Goooo Giants! And good fashion choices…
posted by: Eunice Tanos on October 20, 2010 at 5:55 pm
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