by MakeYourOwnJeans | denims |
Michael Allen Harris isn’t your typical businessman. This adventure-seeking entrepreneur has come up with a bold new way to earn money: he “mines” vintage denim and sells them to collectors for a profit. As first reported by TheGuardian, Harris began his venture by collecting scraps of old denim that were scattered across the blistering-hot deserts of the Southwest. Harris would travel to California, Nevada and Arizona alongside his father-in-law, whom was a geologist. While his father would collect samples of rocks and survey landscapes, Harris was busy collecting worn and battered pieces of denim. You might be wondering why Harris — or anyone for that matter — would actively seek out pieces of worn and damaged denim. After all, can’t you just buy new denim at your local apparel store? Harris didn’t just uncover any type of denim. The denim he found was some of the oldest specimens in the world, often dating back well over a century. You have to remember that the Southwest was an area characterized by the Gold Rush back then. During this time, Levi Strauss would sell his jeans and other equipment to the miners here. Just how much money are these early-model Levi jeans worth? In his interview, Harris said he recently sold a pair for $30,000. He also claimed to have received an offer of $100,000. Now those are some expensive jeans! Digging up the old vintage denim is easy the part. It’s finding a buyer that’s difficult. After placing several pieces up for sale on eBay, Harris eventually came into contact with a Japanese collector. Harris sold the collector a vintage...
by MakeYourOwnJeans | jeans |
Jeans — like all garments — will gradually fade after months and years of use. The original “indigo” color, for instance, may turn into more of a light blue. While there’s no way to completely avoid fading, you can mitigate its impact by following some simple steps. Wash Them Inside Out This tip is pretty much self-explanatory: washing your jeans inside out will protect the exterior denim fabric from fading. The only downside to this technique is that stubborn stains and dirt may not be cleaned as easily. Assuming your jeans are relatively clean, however, you can flip them inside out before washing to help preserve their color. Wash With Color Water Another helpful tip to preserve the color of your jeans is to wash them with cold water. Warm water is more effective at removing dirt and grime, but it can also strip away color from your jeans and garments. For this reason, it’s recommended that you wash your jeans in cold water if you wish to preserve their color. Setting your washing machine to the “cold” setting will go a long ways in preserving the original color of your jeans and other garments. Use Color Guard Of course, you can also use special color guard laundry detergent or additives to help preserve the color of your jeans. Products such as this contain compounds that work to protect the color of your garments in the washing machine. It’s not going to prevent all fading and bleeding from occurring, but it will certainly help. Try to get into the habit of using a color guard product when washing your...
by MakeYourOwnJeans | Uncategorized |
Tired of wearing the same indigo-colored jeans day after day? While there’s certainly nothing wrong with wearing traditional colors such as indigo and navy, denim is available in dozens of other colors as well, including black. Black jeans can open the doors to a whole new world of fashion possibilities. Whether you are going out for drinks with friends, running errands around town, or even attending a semi-formal event, black jeans offer the perfect combination of style and comfort. Skinny or Straight-Leg Jeans When choosing a pair of black jeans, consider the cut and how it will impact your appearance. Skinny and straight-leg cuts are generally the preferred choice for black jeans, simply because the dark color enhances the wearer’s appearance to make him or her appear thinner. Of course, the cut is ultimately a personal preference, so don’t feel like you must choose between either skinny or straight-leg. Feel free to try on several different cuts to see what works and what doesn’t. Don’t Wear Brown! If you are going to wear black jeans, be sure to avoid wearing ANY brown in your outfit. This includes your shirt, shoes, belt, and other accessories. Going back to the basics of fashion 101, brown and black do not mix. You can wear either brown or black, but you cannot wear them together — not if you want to look good, at least. So be sure to check your outfit to ensure it doesn’t contain any brown when wearing black jeans. What About the Shoes? Don’t make the mistakes of wearing black shoes with black jeans. This may seem harmless enough,...
by MakeYourOwnJeans | Fashion, jeans |
While fashion trends come and go from year to year, jeans remain the single most popular type of pants among both men and women. Of course, there’s a good reason for this trend: denim is strong, durable, resistant to wear and tear, and stylish. With that said, you’ll want to avoid making the following fashion mistakes when wearing a pair of denim jeans. Wrong Cut We’ve talked about this before on the MakeYourJeans blog, but it’s worth mentioning again that jeans are available in more than a dozen different cuts, ranging from boot cut and relaxed fit to skinny leg and straight leg. When choosing a new pair of jeans, consider how and when you”ll be wearing them. If you plan on wearing them with boots, for instance, you should probably stick with boot cut — unless you intend to wear your boots over your jeans, in which case skinny or straight leg will work. Too Baggy There’s nothing wrong with wearing a pair or loose-fitting jeans. In fact, many men and women prefer this style due to the increased comfort. However, jeans that are overly baggy will have a negative impact on your appearance. A pair of properly fitted jeans should remain on your waist without requiring the assistance of a belt or suspenders. If your jeans have a tendency to fall down, you may want to get them tailored so they fit better. Distressed in the Wrong Areas Distressed jeans have become increasingly popular in the past decade. Manufactured using special “distressing” techniques, they feature a vintage, worn-in look that many men and women prefer. If you...
by MakeYourOwnJeans | Jackets |
So you’re in the market for a new pair of jeans? There’s no denying the fact that jeans are one of the most versatile pants on the planet. You can dress them up, dress them down, or wear them for everyday casual use. But not all jeans are the same, which is why it’s important to choose the variety that’s best suited for your needs. Wash One of the first things to consider when shopping for new jeans is the wash. Denim jeans are available in numerous washes, some of which includes indigo, faded, stone-wash, etc. A good rule of thumb is to choose a darker wash for jeans that you intended to wear for formal occasions, and a lighter wash for casual occasions. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t wear light jeans for formal occasions, but darker washes tend to look the best. Cut Something else to consider when shopping for jeans is the cut. We’ve talked about this before on our blog, but it’s worth mentioning again that denim jeans are available in dozens of different cuts. From boot-cut to skinny and straight leg, there are plenty of different cuts from which to choose. Think about the way in which you’ll be wearing your new jeans and choose the cut that’s best suited towards your needs. If you plan on wearing them with boots, for instance, then boot-cut would obviously be the better choice. But if you plan on wearing them with tennis shoes, straight-leg might work. Size Of course, you should also consider the size when choosing a new pair of jeans. There’s nothing more...
