Imogene & Willie

While in Nashville, a must-shop is Imogene & Willie. I had read about them a few years ago but hadn’t actually made it to Nashville to check them out until last week. It’s not a huge shop but they pack in lots of great stuff. From the semi-custom jeans they are known for to Warby Parker glasses, homewares and more recently Shinola products (like that orange bike) from Detroit. I picked up a toothbrush made out of charcoal that is supposed to make my teeth pearly white, a field guide of Nashville, a super cute bandana and of course, some super cool jeans. It was a good day. :)

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tags / bespokedenim, customdenim, denim, detroit, eat+drink, eatplusdrink, imogene, imogeneandwillie, imogenewillie, jeans, nashville, otisjames, shinola, tannergoods, tennessee, vintage

April 02, 2012 / Heather Somaini / Source

Den.m Bar in Downtown Los Angeles
Bespoke EVERYTHING is all the rage these days and I LOVE IT! Can’t get enough of it. I signed up for Bespoke Post and got my first product email today - it’s SALT - brilliant, awesome salt that Tere an… — **Den.m Bar in Downtown Los Angeles**

Bespoke EVERYTHING is all the rage these days and I LOVE IT! Can’t get enough of it. I signed up for Bespoke Post and got my first product email today - it’s SALT - brilliant, awesome salt that Tere and her chef girlfriends are going to oooh and aaah over. It’s going to be awesome.

I find that although I’m not a GIANT or have three arms or anything, my body type is slightly more unusual than the usual fare at the mall. I love to be comfortable and don’t think I should suffer for beauty. To that end, I’m always looking for someone who is making clothes for ME and not for every woman on the planet.

This is where the den.m bar comes in. I’ve posted about them already from some swanky site but now you get my bird’s eye view of it as I walk through their process. First off, I emailed them about 10 days ago and Derek emailed me back fairly quickly to let me know that because of recent demand, he couldn’t set an appointment for a couple weeks. We emailed into the evening as he burned the midnight oil on his new business. Sure to his word, he emailed me about a week later to let me know we could set a time this past Saturday.

I arrived on time to Steve who quickly helped me walk through all the options that lay before me. I was measured, leg widths and lengths were discussed and soon Steve was swiping my credit card on the store’s iPad.

*And now we wait for them to be made! I will be back soon to tell you how they turned out - with PICS!!*

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tags / den.m bar, jeans, denim, bespoke, handcrafted, fashion, design, los angeles, LA, downtown LA

March 27, 2012 / Heather Somaini / Source

I’m going to den.m bar in downtown LA on Saturday for my jean fitting! Soooo excited and will tell you all about it next week! :) Just in case you missed it, i posted about den.m bar about a week ago. — I’m going to **den.m bar** in downtown LA on Saturday for my jean fitting! Soooo excited and will tell you all about it next week! :) Just in case you missed it, i posted about den.m bar about a week ago.

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tags / denmbar, den m bar, jeans, fashion, la, los angeles, bespoke

March 26, 2012 / Heather Somaini / Source

Don’t get me wrong, I WANT to spend $1200 on a pair of jeans…I just can’t do it!
3x1 Denim
Man, a lot went down over the weekend.You polished off the very last thing on the menu at UMAMIcatessen. Don Draper’s wife sang that crazy … — *Don’t get me wrong, I WANT to spend $1200 on a pair of jeans…I just can’t do it!*

**3x1 Denim**

Man, a lot went down over the weekend.

You polished off the very last thing on the menu at UMAMIcatessen. Don Draper’s wife sang that crazy French song. Somebody wore the same jeans as you.

[*record scratch*]

Let’s make sure that last thing doesn’t happen again…

Give a hearty welcome to *3x1*, the SoHo-based house of denim finally importing limited-edition quantities to our coast, available now at Barneys and Ron Herman.

If you didn’t hear, a guy from Earnest Sewn opened a fancy SoHo factory last year called 3x1—the kind of place where you can go in and drop $1,200 for a pair of jeans so custom that they pump out the scent of bourbon when you’re feeling sad. Or something.

You still have to go to SoHo for all that, but they came up with some limited-edition jeans to ship this way—just a few slim-but-not-too-slim styles made solely for Los Angeles, in navy blue and light gray. The kind of sleek, unadorned jeans you can dress up with a blazer for a party in the hills, or… dress down with a T-shirt for a party in the hills.

And depending on the style, there are only eight, 12, 16 or 24 pairs made. Which means the odds of another person copying your look are incredibly slim.

But not too slim. Buy them here.

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tags / urban daddy, denim, jeans, bespoke, fashion, soho, nyc, new york, barneys

March 19, 2012 / Heather Somaini / Source

I’ve already called to make an appointment…
Den.m Bar
You’ve heard it before, and you’re about to hear it again.Everything that’s going on below your waist is truly one-of-a-kind.Thanks, custom jeans.Welcome to Den.m Bar, a sleek factor… — *I’ve already called to make an appointment…*

**Den.m Bar**

You’ve heard it before, and you’re about to hear it again.

Everything that’s going on below your waist is truly one-of-a-kind.

Thanks, custom jeans.

Welcome to *Den.m Bar*, a sleek factory in Downtown where you can make your own blue jeans, now open by appointment only.

Think of this like pants shopping in the future. Instead of going to a store and hunting fruitlessly for something that fits properly, you’ll enter a sleek white modern cube. You’ll see an orchid. A couple of sewing machines. And some generally pants-related art on the walls, captioned with words like “skinny” and “slim tapered.” To begin: pick a style that looks good.

Then, choose your denim and get measured—they’ve usually got about eight rolls, mostly Japanese selvage, but you might see some Italian and North Carolina stuff, too. (No one does denim like Greensboro.)

Now, the overall goal here is to build you a perfect pair of dark navy jeans, with a flattering made-to-measure fit, in just a few days. Nothing crazy. But… if you want paisley lining, colored stitching or a couple of secret pockets, they can absolutely make that happen.

Yes, your secret pockets can have secret pockets.

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tags / urban daddy, denim, jeans, los angeles, LA, custom

November 21, 2011 / Heather Somaini / Source

Bonobos just came out with JEANS for you or your man….awfully cute!
Bonobos Denim
Cone Mills makes some of the best denim in the world. They’ve been doing it for over a century and the operation is still based in the US. There’s a laundry lis… — *Bonobos just came out with JEANS for you or your man….awfully cute!*

**Bonobos Denim**

Cone Mills makes some of the best denim in the world. They’ve been doing it for over a century and the operation is still based in the US. There’s a laundry list as long as your arm with reasons to get jeans made with Cone denim and one reason not to—price. Somehow, Bonobos managed to make even price not an issue because you can slip into something a little less comfortable (be honest, if you had your way you wouldn’t ever wear pants) for the ridiculously low price of $125. We know $125 isn’t exactly cheap, but think about what you’re getting. The quality of the raw materials means these pants will last as long as you fit in them. The Bonobos name means you know they’re going to be well designed and manufactured. What you’re actually getting is a $300 pair of jeans for $125. **$125**

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tags / bonobos, jeans, pants, men, men's fashion, fashion, cool material

September 19, 2011 / Heather Somaini / Source

This is a brand I could seriously get behind…gorgeous!

It’s been a long time since we felt comfortable spending over $200 on a pair of jeans. Even the trend setting bloggers on the Internet have taken a step back when it comes to ridiculously overpriced denim in favor of companies like Levis that have introduced new cuts to their iconic jeans that you can slip into and roll up for less than $100. Those jeans are great – unless you’re riding your bike. Rapha has developed denim designed specifically for riders that we would actually have no problem spending over $200 on. What’s worth $200 you ask? It’s made of a nylon, cotton and elastane blend which means the crotch won’t blow out and it’s easy to ride in. Offset inseams prevent chafing. High-backed waist and a lower cut front with comfortable belt loop positions. Redesigned pockets for security and comfort. Best of all, no need for reflective tape because it’s built into the inside seams. All you have to do is roll. $236