Seeking A Mean (Green) Jean

I had a “shopping report” due today for one of the fashion design courses in which I’m enrolled. Oh drudgery of all drugeries, actually being required to shop. (Can I be enrolled in fashion design courses forever? Please?) So that I wouldn’t be tempted to chalk up a massive price-tag, I decided to keep with a recent theme and chose to investigate sustainable jeans. (Having bought a pair of Eduns a few weeks ago, I knew I would not be able to come with any excuse to purchase another pair, and that this topic was therefore safe ground.) The assignment was to search for a specific product in three different types of stores-- boutique, specialty store, department store. My investigations admittedly only scratched the surface, and the process of writing the report made me realize that there are dozens of potential postings on this complex subject. For now, though, I’ll be lazy and excerpt for you a few of my musings as they appeared in the report which I would be more than happy to have assigned to me on a weekly basis.

"Jeans have come a long way from the intentionally hard-wearing (and therefore heavy and stiff) work uniform of the American West. These days, jeans are no longer a symbol of working-class status; rather, they are softened and faded with toxic chemicals to create desirable and flexible styles... Many consumers who would not usually spend more than one hundred dollars on just any pair of pants are willing to “invest” in a pair of jeans. While the jeans we buy these days may be pre-worn paper-thin, the conception of jeans as long-lasting and durable endures. Coupled with the idea of jeans as a supremely flexible and fundamental element of one’s wardrobe (they can be dressed up or dressed down; worn both to the farmer’s market and to dinner at a fancy restaurant when paired with different shoes and tops), jeans become a very legitmate wardrobe “investment” for a broad base of shoppers in American culture. Sustainable fashion designers, therefore, have a vested interest in overcoming the “sustainability” challenges of jeans production in order to reap the benefits of this lucrative industry. While there are many “pending projects” of this nature (a few chronicled in the article “It’s not Easy Being Jeans” in the Sustainable Style section of this May’s Vogue), relatively few such products are available on racks in Portland stores.”

I don’t want to bore you with tome after tome on jeans, so instead I’ll give you a brief synopsis of the 1600 words that followed these in my report. At Greenloop (see my initial posting on the sustainable boutique just below), I tried on a pair of tapered Anna Cohen jeans made of extremely raw (and therefore very dark) denim.
They had only one pair left, which perhaps was why they fit me funny (I wasn’t paying attention to size at all, and they were perhaps not meant for my body in the least) but they do indeed look smashing on both the ladies in this shoot (above).

Greenloop also stocks San Francisco-based Del Forte, which, while quite sumptuous to the touch (and perhaps the closest to what one might expect from a more mainstream jeans company), were sadly a little too flared for my personal style (pictured here). My interest is piqued though—they certainly have an impeccable hand, and now I’m on a rampant search to see what their other offerings are in terms of cut. Of all the denim I put on at Greenloop, a pair of Loomstates was the greatest temptation. The “Pelagic Maiden Jeans” were the first pair of wide-leg jeans I’ve tried in quite some time that were actually flattering. (For this reason, I don’t think I’ve worn wide-leg jeans since junior high). The black and white polka-dot pocket lining was of course an added bonus, given my minor recent obsession.

My inquiries resulted in visits to Saks (to check out “Citizens of Humanity”) and American Apparel as well, but Saks was a stretch, and any discussion of American Apparel is opening a lengthy (if insanely interesting) can of worms—a can of worms I will indeed open, it’s just too late for it tonight. But soon…