Jean Shop - Where the Real Jeans Are
For almost 150 years, blue jeans have played an iconic role in defining America and its values. From their initial inception as a durable and reliable clothing option for American workers to their current role as the world's most popular garment, jeans have always been associated with America and freedom. So it is fitting that our quest to reveal that endangered item, the American made product, has finally brought us to the topic of the blue jean... the quintessential American pant.
Levi Strauss, the San Francisco company who first manufactured denim with cooper rivets in 1873, enjoyed a long run as the dominate producer and seller of blue jeans in America and beyond. For a long period, their jeans were regarded as work clothes, usually worn by laborers in factories and mills. But jeans soon expanded their role as an industrial staple, taking on a variety of social and fashionable roles that have come to symbolize freedom, choice, and style. Today, it is difficult to imagine going somewhere in the world and not being able to find a pair. Jeans are globally ubiquitous. During the last decades of the cold war in the 1970's and 80's, many Russians paid top dollar for illegally imported American jeans, donning them for a taste of American democracy and rebellion. As early as 1995, when I lived Osaka, Japan, there was a burgeoning demand for Levi's vintage American made jeans, appealing to those seeking American style and individuality, in what was then, a conservative and homogenous society. As global demand for jeans increased, hundreds of new and established corporate players entered the denim market, most of whom would choose to outsource production overseas... far away from the California birthplace of the jean. Not surprisingly, quality was sacrificed in favor of high margins. My own expensively stylish arsenal of denim, purchased throughout the past 10 years, is mostly frayed, unwearable, or outdated.
So on a twofold quest to rediscover the truly American jean and update my personal jean inventory, Michelle and I dropped by the Jean Shop ( 435 West 14th St. NYC 10014 ), located in New York's famed meatpacking district. I've heard great things about the store and their jeans from New York Times and New York Magazine, and I was interested to learn more about how they managed to recently nab Zagat's "Extraordinary to Perfection for Quality" award. We entered the store to the sound of Jose Gonzalezes mellow cover of "Teardrop", by Massive Attack. The warm acoustic guitar perfectly complementing the stores interior, a cross between a clean barn and windowless warehouse apartment... lots of aged wood and brick adorned with rows of denim.
I was drawn to one of the few vacant areas of wall space where a "Made In America" mural was boldly painted.
I immediately recalled, somewhat shamefully, the overly stylized boutiques and designer stores I had unwittingly flocked to over the past decade as I sought the latest jean. The Jean Shop is in stark contrast to those places. It conveys a sense of character and staying power, with an ultimate focus on quality. The presence of Jake Clemons, the renowned sax player and recent member of Springsteen's E Street Band, perusing jeans, underscored the rock n' roll vibe the store exudes. The Zagat rating was already starting to make sense... It was time to find some jeans!
As we perused the store, we were fortunate enough to speak with the stores extremely helpful and knowledgeable sales staff, along with owner Eric Goldstein, a 20 year veteran of the denim industry with firms such as Ralph Lauren and the Gap. They told us how the Jean Shop was founded in 2003 by Eric, and Barry Perlman and Gene Montesano, founders of Lucky Brand jeans, to provide authentic and classic quality American jeans. As we contemplated the Rocker and Classic jean cuts, Eric explained how Jean Shop sourced only the finest raw selvedge from Japan, where the original Levi's vintage shuttle looms are now located, weaving premium denim that is cut, riveted, and then sewn in California.
More than just an interesting marketing term, selvedge (or selvage) is an important process that self-finishes the edge of the fabric preventing unraveling and fraying. The process can be seen and felt on the jeans' interior linings, instilling confidence that these jeans can survive the tests of time. It did not take me long to identify a pair of Slim Fit jeans. I selected the "raw" style, opting for the privilege and responsibility of breaking in a brand new pair.
For those seeking a more worn in or custom look, Jean Shop offers professional in-house washing, distressing, and coloring services. White jeans await those with the creative passion to customize their own bespoke pair of jeans. The options are infinite and a successful outcome inevitable, with Eric and his teams deep knowledge and understanding of all things jean.
Before trying on the 34" waist jeans I'd selected, the sales associate knowingly took them from me and replaced them with a 32" waist. She explained that Jean Shop jeans should be about two sizes below your waist size to eventually ensure a better fit. After 5 days of use, I happily concede that the experts were right. Mich tried on an extensive variety, fortunately for once during one of many shopping excursions, I was preoccupied gaining a strong knowledge in the history of jeans!
The first day wearing my pair, the jeans felt stiff and slightly constraining when bending my legs... this soon gave way to a more relaxed fit. Today, they bend in all the right places, and are my go to jean for work and play.
After serious contemplation, Michelle chose the women's grey skinny stretch jeans.
As we continue to seek American made fashion to dominate our wardrobes and learn more about American manufacturing, we are grateful to Jean Shop for opening our eyes brighter to the world of jeans. They are right to be proud of their exceptionally crafted jeans. I am proud to be wearing a pair. My only regret... I did not find the time to sample the store's famous tequila station. Guess I now have one more reason to drop by again!
