Caring for your Denim

04/10/2012

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  I have only two days left of my "30 Days of Denim", but I decided to interrupt my calendar to bring you information on the care and feeding of your denim. 
  Some of us have jeans that we have had forever, they are probably our most "go-to" items in our closet. The older jeans get the more care they need, but so do your new ones need loving care. Come on, jeans put in a hard day's work , if you prone to wearing them a lot. So like you they need some tender loving care too.
   Here is some great information.
   1. Jeans can be worn 5-10 times before being laundered unless they are used from some pretty grimy work. 
   2. When you do wash your jeans turn them inside out, make sure you have zipped them up and buttoned them at the waist. 
   3. I usually use very little detergent (I do have a front load washer, which typically uses less ). If they are brand new I will put about a half a cup of white vinegar in the wash as it helps to set the indigo dye. Woolite also haS a dark wash product that works well. USE ONLY COLD WATER.
  4. After they have washed pull them out, straighten the legs and hang from the waist. I let my jeans air dry until there is just a little dampness left, then they go in the dryer. It helps so they are less stiff. Do it for just a very few minutes.   Drying is  hard on jeans. 
  5. Jeans should be hung straight, I hang mind from the hen as it helps to keep them wrinkle free and may be just maybe helps to lengthen them. 
  6. This is the most wonderful tip of all, if you don't want to launder your jeans yet wrap them up and put them in the freezer overnight to kill any bacteria, you think they may have. 
    TOMORROW HOW TO WASH SELVEDGE VINTAGE JEANS. 

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Day Eighteen of "30 Days of Denim"

05/09/2012

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 Menswear dressing for fall is really hot stuff. I personally love it, as I am way more tailored then "girly." So here are some tips for wearing this look. My jacket is a bit over sized but not by much, it's double breasted too so that makes it seem a bit bigger. In order to control the look and make it not look sloppy I wear a white shirt (you can add a lace cami, or a ruffled blouse) that fits me closer to my body. My jeans are straight legged Levi's 506 and for sure I would wear a belt probably a colorful one or one with some detail like studs. The pearls are rather tongue in cheek, adding a little swagger. I would definitely roll the sleeves up along with the shirt sleeves as added attitude. So roll to the jean hem again a little more feminine. 
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I love either of these bag and shoe options although I can think of a lot more I could do. These however, add color and a little touch of "she's a girl."
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Day Ten of "30 Days of Denim"

21/08/2012

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  Today I was feeling old, I had just gotten several fashion magazines and it made me feel old. I thought why am I writing this, why do I care, is anyone even looking at this. Then I snapped out of and realized that there a lot of women of a certain age, that care, about how they look. Not so much if they are "in fashion" but whether they look great, age appropriate and feel amazing in their own skin and the clothing they are wearing. So I carry on sharing my ideas and sense of style. The bonus at the end of this photo session you will see a photo from the new J. Crew catalog, it's Linda Rodin a famous stylist, fashion icon, and now the owner of a beauty line. She's older and she cares, and she wears J. Crew and Levi's. 
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I made this jacket out of a couple of men's cotton knit tees that were on sale. I used ideas and directions from one of the Alabama Chanin sewing books, It's verse applique. The shirt I made too, it's a small lightweight cotton print. The jeans are Levi's 505. Red belt from J. Crew.
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This is a detail of the sleeve and part of the back. I used the tee shirt design printed on the front and embroidered around them.
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The jacket is sorta casual and sweatshirt-ish. so I would wear it with boots.
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Linda Rodin for J. Crew.
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Day Three of "30 Days of Denim".

15/08/2012

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  As you go through this journal of denim styles here are some things to remember to make it pertinent to you. First of all I only buy styles that look good on me and that look like my personality. I only buy clothes that fit, if they don't I have them altered by my good friend Marina. I have a color palette that is kind to my skin tone that I stick to, a lot of khaki brown, grey, soft pinks, red, and white. I stay away from a lot of black it' does not favor my skin color. Everything in my closet for the most part goes with at least three other things . I have three summer purses and four winter purses, which is not a lot by today's standard. I do have a lot of jewelry and a small scarf collection. All my accessories look like me, tend towards fashion more than not and add that extra punch that I so love.
  

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Chambray over shirt can be worn alone or with a shirt underneath. I copied a J. Crew item. Another pair of 506 from Kohl's and the famous J. Crew red skinny belt. White J. Crew Blouse.
  I  made this over shirt, I love to sew although I have been making more simple things. I use to sew for the Guthrie Theatre, I would even make my own coats. I don't do that so much anymore. This shirt is great I can wear it as a top or as pictured here over a shirt, almost any shirt in my closet will work. I would put a simple two roll at the bottom of the jeans for this look, keeping it simple and classic. I can wear just about any combination of purse and shoes that I have to this outfit, because it's so simple, classic and the fabrications go with anything. 
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Black Marc Jacobs Purse, Red vintage Banana Republic heeled shoes.
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Day One of 30 days of Denim.

13/08/2012

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   This is a great outfit for all year really. Here in the land of ice and snow I would probably wear a cotton camisole underneath, for added warmth. The top is from J. Crew a few seasons ago, but it's still very relevant very French. I have a skinny red belt with the jeans but it won't show as the top is longer. I have added one of my favorite necklaces it's a J. Crew Bubble Necklace in red. The jeans are 505 from Kohl's they are in a dark wash, which I love (I think it makes me look skinnier). The roll at the bottom of these jeans would either be the fold over twice roll with the heels and then depending on where the hem hits for the ballet flats I would do the softer, less structured roll.  I would then add my red HOBO bag and either the red high heels or the black ballet flats. Tres Chic and appropriate for almost anywhere, shopping, work (if you can wear nice jeans), dining, theatre, out and about. 
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Denim for men

14/12/2011

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 Because most of my clients are over forty years of age and this website is devoted to the over forty crowd, here are my denim recommendations for men.
 1. Do not wear a light wash in jeans, they are barely attractive on the young and they are especially not attractive on an older man. 
2. As men age they lose their behinds. Having jeans with extra fabric hanging back there, only makes matters worse. If your jeans hug what you have it's much more attractive than all that baggy denim.  
3. Your denims can be altered to fit, just like anything else. Big sloppy, stretched out jeans are not attractive, have your jeans altered to fit you.
4. Stick to a straighter leg, it much more flattering than a wider leg. 
Here are some examples of good fitting jeans. They have a comfortable feel but fit and give the guy some shape. Older men you could wear them just a little tighter for a more dressed look.
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J. Hilburn
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Banana Republic
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The Gap
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