September 11, 2017

#DANNIJOVINTAGE: SHOPPING DENIM 101

I sat down with myself and asked all the hard hitting questions... you tell me which one of us is the expert...

-xx Danielle-

Narrow Down Your Options

If someone has never bought vintage denim before, what's the number one thing they should know before they go shopping for it?

Have an idea of what style you're looking for (i.e. what cut is best for your body type) so you're not overwhelmed. Choose cut (bootleg, straight, boyfriend etc) and if you want light or dark denim. That will help you narrow down your options.

Aside from Levi's, are there any other brands that are worth keeping an eye out for?

Wrangler and Lee are my two other favorite old denims to buy. Sometime you find a no-name that fits like a glove! You never know, that's what's fun about the hunt.

Why do you think so many fashion-forward women are opting for vintage denim over new denim? What makes vintage so special?

Vintage denim makes you feel so much cooler -- like you're wearing a remnant from the past that's tied to another person, place and time. It's an unparalleled fashion feeling. It's just unique.

How Pricing Works and When To Spend

What's the deal when it comes to pricing of vintage denim? To the uninitiated, it can seem like it's all over the map. Some pairs are 25 bucks, while others will run you upwards of 300 dollars. What factors go into determining pricing and is there a way to tell if you're paying for quality versus a crazy mark-up?

Pricing depends on a number of factors: where you're buying it, rarity of the denim, etc. What's most important, though, is that you love how a pair fits you. If you wear them all the time then it's worth the $300; if you never wear them then they weren't worth even $25.

It seems like the older a pair of jeans are, the more expensive they are, especially when it comes to vintage Levi's. Is this true?

Age and wear gives the denim character which makes them more desirable and ultimately makes them pricier.

Vintage Denim Fit and Sizing

Is there any easy way to figure out what size you'll be in vintage jeans based on your usual denim size? One thing we've heard is that people get frustrated because they have no idea what size to look for, and that sometimes it even varies by cut. Are there any tricks for figuring out whether a pair of jeans will fit you before you actually try them on?

Unfortunately you just have to eyeball it. Most of the dealers are pretty good at guessing though you ultimately have to just try them on. One of my favorite denim dealers is Collection LA - Elizabeth is really good at picking out denim for her customers. She also happens to have epic taste.