San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
NEW DENIM AGAIN PLAYS IT FORWARD
One thing you can say about denim: It never rests. As fashion’s great equalizer, it’s continually morphing to suit our changing body types and tastes. Stiff denim gave way to stretch, then to skinny jeans (and jeggings), before the pendulum swung back to flares and high-waisted styles. For 2019, expect to hear more about a bootcut reboot (one that women might actually want to wear). On the cusp of the new year, here are a few noteworthy developments on the local jean scene.
Selvage matters: Kiya Babzani, founder of Self Edge, was one of the first retailers to bring Japanese denim to the U.S. in 2006. Donwan Harrell, founder of denim brand Prps, is known as the guy who single-handedly ignited America’s lust for Japanese luxury jeans almost 20 years ago. Together, after a year in the making, they launched a new women’s collection: Prps for Self Edge. It’s crafted from selvage denim developed by Japan’s famed Kaihara mill and includes two jean styles (high-rise tapered and slim classic) in two indigo fabrics and a denim jacket — a take on one of the retailer’s bestselling men’s jackets. Although Babzani’s stores cater to men, he thought it high time the ladies got some love: “Believe it or not, the items we’ve released don’t really exist anywhere in the world. It’s hard-core Japanese denim but fit for the Western woman’s body. These jeans are as solid and unique as the best coming out of Japan,” he says proudly. Jeans are $335; the jacket is $425. Self Edge, 714 Valencia St., S.F., www.selfedge.com
Bespoke blues: Tired of trying on piles of jeans only to settle for a pair that’s good enough — even as your waist gaps or your calves feel like sausages? Denim Unspun understands this frustration and has the answer: custom-fit jeans. The San Francisco brand recently opened the doors to its Potrero Hill flagship store, which is where we spied co-founder Beth Esponnette on a recent Wednesday. What exactly is the process for getting a pair of $280 bespoke jeans? “Customers come in, choose their favorite jean styles and then get a state-of-the-art body scan, and our tech builds a custom-fit pattern that’s sewn into perfect-fitting jeans right here in San Francisco,” she explains. Denim Unspun’s cutting-edge 3D scan captures more than 50,000 data points of body measurements, including muscle mass, and also offers customers a chance to see what they look like as a point cloud, or virtual avatar. The real magic happens when an individual scan comes together with the company’s proprietary algorithms and a one-of-a-kind pattern is created. In about two weeks’ time, denim dreams become reality. 300 De Haro St. (Suite 352), S.F., https://denimunspun.com
American Giant genes: Having worked to perfect the hoodie, jogger pants and T-shirts, S.F.’s American Giant has finally turned its attention to women’s jeans — and they went skinny. “Like the pant collection for women that came before it, the 218 Skinny went through numerous fabric iterations and phases of product testing to ensure that the jeans looked and felt exceptional on all women,” the company said in a news release. Particular attention was paid to the “hook” — also known as the backside. Style tried a pair, and found them to be a solid entry into the stretch jeans pantheon. The Mountain wash is a dark, non-distressed, office-appropriate color, and with just 56 percent cotton (the rest is Tencel, polyester and Spandex), the fit accommodates curves. At $148, 218 hits the sweet spot between qualitychallenged cheaper options and the ever-morphing $200-plus premium market. And, of course, they’re made in America. Sizes 25-33, www.american-giant.com