Jeans are one of the most universal items of clothing today. Almost everyone would like to have a pair of jeans that feels like coming home...comfortable and familiar. Lots of us would also like those jeans to also make our butts look great. :) I won't say that the search for a perfect pair of jeans is easy, but at least it can start fair. Denim manufacturing is becoming a little more common in the USA again which doesn't make it inherently fair, but it is something. The farming of cotton, manufacturing of the fabric, + the garment sewing are being increasingly done domestically. These practices still represent quite a small segment of the denim market, but it is pretty exciting to see!
As usual, I'm going to put a damper on this jeans-o-rama party before it really gets started...'cuz...do you or I really need another pair of jeans? We can answer that for ourselves. It might even be possible to take a pair of jeans from our own closets and make them them into the jeans of our dreams. You, a friend, or a tailor might be able to take the legs or the waist in a bit or patch/mend an existing pair.
There are literal tons of jeans out there already, so thrifting is a great next place to look for jeans. Denim is durable stuff, so there are lots of perfectly good pairs of jeans in every thrift store waiting to be loved again. The prices are outta sight (like $7-$12 where we live), but you have to be willing to search. Flea markets can be great places to find vintage denim. Etsy and Ebay offer searchable size + brand results. Two of my favorite, well-curated shops on Etsy to look for jeans are shoplaflor + fairseason, but their prices reflect the fact that they've done the legwork. Get inspired to see thrifted jeans as treasures by perusing Bliss + Mischief and B-sides. With a little ingenuity, almost any pair of jeans can be reworked into a masterpiece (as shown by Martha- dang!).
As always, each of the brands pictured above sees ethical and/or fair in a different light. It would be amazing if every brand was committed to organic denim grown, manufactured, and sewn locally, but many brands are being thoughtful + creative. There are various styles offered by most of the brands, so take your time and investigate.
It was cool to see that Nordstrom sorts jeans according to "Made in the USA". I've been wishing for this feature elsewhere...and this search currently brings up 1188 results! You can further search plus-sized, men's, petite + more. (Also, many of the brands above offer men's jeans as well as women's styles.)
If you are super adventurous, you may even want to try your hand at making some jeans. There are some great sewing patterns, along with in-depth tutorials, out there. Closet Case offers two styles...as does Named Clothing...+ there are many more patterns to find. Thread Theory makes some incredible men's patterns too.
This is just a sampling, so search for "organic denim" or "Australian jeans" or whatever makes jeans fair to you...and then please let us know, if you find (or already know of) some jeans brands that you love! Happy jeans hunting!
Love,
Jane
All photos via links.
As usual, I'm going to put a damper on this jeans-o-rama party before it really gets started...'cuz...do you or I really need another pair of jeans? We can answer that for ourselves. It might even be possible to take a pair of jeans from our own closets and make them them into the jeans of our dreams. You, a friend, or a tailor might be able to take the legs or the waist in a bit or patch/mend an existing pair.
There are literal tons of jeans out there already, so thrifting is a great next place to look for jeans. Denim is durable stuff, so there are lots of perfectly good pairs of jeans in every thrift store waiting to be loved again. The prices are outta sight (like $7-$12 where we live), but you have to be willing to search. Flea markets can be great places to find vintage denim. Etsy and Ebay offer searchable size + brand results. Two of my favorite, well-curated shops on Etsy to look for jeans are shoplaflor + fairseason, but their prices reflect the fact that they've done the legwork. Get inspired to see thrifted jeans as treasures by perusing Bliss + Mischief and B-sides. With a little ingenuity, almost any pair of jeans can be reworked into a masterpiece (as shown by Martha- dang!).
As always, each of the brands pictured above sees ethical and/or fair in a different light. It would be amazing if every brand was committed to organic denim grown, manufactured, and sewn locally, but many brands are being thoughtful + creative. There are various styles offered by most of the brands, so take your time and investigate.
It was cool to see that Nordstrom sorts jeans according to "Made in the USA". I've been wishing for this feature elsewhere...and this search currently brings up 1188 results! You can further search plus-sized, men's, petite + more. (Also, many of the brands above offer men's jeans as well as women's styles.)
If you are super adventurous, you may even want to try your hand at making some jeans. There are some great sewing patterns, along with in-depth tutorials, out there. Closet Case offers two styles...as does Named Clothing...+ there are many more patterns to find. Thread Theory makes some incredible men's patterns too.
This is just a sampling, so search for "organic denim" or "Australian jeans" or whatever makes jeans fair to you...and then please let us know, if you find (or already know of) some jeans brands that you love! Happy jeans hunting!
Love,
Jane
All photos via links.
