VINTAGE THE DENIM GOSPEL

ACCORDING TO HANNAH HENDERSON She owns more than 50 pairs of jeans and sells a lot more at her LA boutique General Store – meet the vintage-denim agony aunt of our dreams

HOW MANY JEANS SHOULD WE REALLY OWN? It’s quality over quantity. My go-tos are mid-rise, straight-leg vintage Levi’s 501s. Mid-rise skinny jeans are good to have as they just work better with certain shoes, plus high-rise skinnies, not too skinny though. The latter two don’t seem to exist in the vintage world – gotta go new. WHAT’S THE MOST POPULAR STYLE AT YOUR STORE? 501s – they’re classics. When they fit well and are worn in just the right way, nothing is better. WILL OUR BUTTS EVER LOOK GOOD IN JEANS? Yes! Every pair of jeans is different, just like every woman’s body, so finding a match is magic. I never buy a pair of jeans unless my butt looks great. If it doesn’t, you’re not going to feel the way you should in jeans. The right pair is out there for you, just keep trying. ANY TIPS FOR HOW WE CAN FIND THIS MAGICAL DENIM MATCH? If you can, go somewhere you can try on a lot of pairs. A lot. If you want a fitted pair, buy them really tight, because they’ll stretch out a lot (assuming they’ve been washed). The length doesn’t matter so much because you can always chop them or have them hemmed. Having said that, I’m not a fan of taking in old denim or altering the shape – keep on trying. SHOULD WE REALLY AVOID WASHING DENIM? Yes, wash it as seldom as possible. It will fade fast and get weaker. I only wash jeans frequently if they’re a bit big and I want to shrink them in the dryer. AS SOMEONE WHO OWNS A LOT OF JEANS, HAVE YOU DISCOVERED A UNIQUE WAY TO STORE YOUR DENIM? No, it’s a mountain of disorganisation!