Thoughts on Jeans

Jeans - not my favorite subject. When i was a kid, I was 16 before I had a pair... yeah, there is a story behind that and I'll tell it over cocktails someday. Anyway, I remember when the first designer jeans came out. Jordache was the first real brand that hit Michigan with any major impact. I can't remember what they cost but they did look good on some guys... ok, one in particular, but again, I digress. Calvin Klein ads really revved up the the visibility of jeans. In my mind, jeans became more entrenched than any previous time. I think because of the higher price tag (which added to the desirability), and seeing the Vanderbilt name on your ass gave one some kind of credibility. The “I'm in with Gloria V.” cache. The social anarchy of the 60 and early 70's melted away and was replaced with respectiblity.
I know that worn out jeans are kind of the thing. That appeal of having a pair of pants so worn in that they fit like a glove is appealing however...
Ask yourself these simple questions.

When a guy wears a dress shirts get has a dirtly ring around the collar and the armpits get a yellow stain from perspiration, does that make him more sexy?

When a guy's tighty whities get dingy grey from laundering and perhaps get a skid mark or two, and the waist band can't seem to hold them up, does that look make him look more sexually appealing?

If a t-shirt on a guy has an gravy stain or a hole in it, and perhaps the ribbing at the neck is pulled out of shape, does that make you drool with excitement and anticipation?

If a guy wears a suit to a club that is full of holes, is distressed and looks like he just crawled out of a box (that he perhaps calls "home"), does that just make you swoon with desire and yell "TAKE ME NOW! RAVAGE ME!" ?

Somehow, I think not. So why do we make the exception with jeans?
I think the denim industry is very good at selling a concept. Somehow, with the purchase of a pair of $200 (to perhaps, $775) jeans, we too can be rockstars. That a pair of Rock & Republic jeans makes a guy look way too hot for words is, in my mind, absurd.
At their best a pair of jeans can look great if they fit, but soooooo many times I see jeans on men that sag in the ass, expose a crack or worse, show me too much information. I don't dislike them so much as I think they are the Garanimals of the clothing world. Some how guys think they are appropriate for everything. Simultaneously, they think that because the jeans happen to fit around the waist (or what they see as their waist), they must therefore fit. They are so wrong. But again, I digress.
So, here we are looking at jeans. I have covered the history of jeans a couple of times before. OK. 3 times. I could choke. But in my construction and tailoring studies, has anyone ever addressed how to make a pair or what makes them fit. Simple answer. No. So with this frustration in mind, I took a seamripper to a pair of $200 jeans that were left over from a photoshoot. What I found was very interesting with respect to construction. They are so basic, it made me ponder how quickly they could be made. I went looking and this is what I found at www.jeansinfo.org.

• Jeans have about 15 pattern pieces in them.
• The average factory makes 2500 pair of jeans a day.
• A pair of jeans takes about 1.6 meters of fabric.
• It takes roughly 15 minutes to make a pair and roughly 12 steps. From my ripping apart a pair, I guess about 5 of those steps are doing the fly. Also, the fly construction is really simple when compared to a standard pair of dress slacks.
• 150 pair of jeans takes approximately 150 lbs of pumice stone and 750 liters of water to age.
• The fit comes from the yoke, the depth of the crotch (which is shallower than normal trousers) and at times the leg is cut on more of an angle than a standard pair of pants.
• All this aside, one of my next sewing projects will be a pair of jeans.

So again, I ask you. What is the real value of a garment that requires less than 2 yards of distressed cotton and is made with less than 20 minutes of labor?
Finally, where are jeans going? It seems that from a fit standpoint, many designers are trying to transition men into trousers that have the look and feel of jeans. The cut is more fitted and the designs more casual as to accomodate that yoke that is in the back of a pair. Many cities are trying to get away from the ultra-low hung pants and jeans. See the attached article from the NY Times and chart from the Flint, Michigan Police. I hope that is a trend that will go away. I don't think the marketing appeal will be there for jeans to be distressed after this recession is over. I think many folks will be quite happy to not be spending extra for something that is already worn out.
http://theboard.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/14/the-latest-in-law-enforcement-the-pants-police/?apage=2

More Draping vs Tailored garments.

How does one begin to make a garment? The body is a three dimensional form. If a designer were to break it into shapes, one has two cylinders rising out of the ground. It is topped with a small box. On top of this small lower box (or pelvic girdle) sits a larger, trapezoidal box. Sprouting out of each side of this box are two cylinders and a post sticks out of the top for a head. This crud analogy does not do justice to the beauty of the human form… much like some clothing.

To cover the body, the designer must approach the body in two ways. He or she can decide to drape large pieces of fabric directly to the body. This fabric is then cut to fit and many times stitched or tied in place.

A second option would involve taking measurements, drafting a pattern block, then cutting and sewing fabric to fit each piece of the body. Both methods of making clothing have been around for quite some time. Each approach has reoccurring design themes that have inspired designer to reformulate some into some new and original thought or creative point of view. Here are just a few reoccurring themes of fashion.

Tailored Examples in Fashion History.

The roman chest piece could arguably be one of the first tailored pieces of clothing. Originally made of leather or fur, then metal than fabric, it seems to be reinvented periodically. But one may wonder “why?” Because it looks pretty damn hot! It gives an anatomy enhancement where the real wearing may be underdeveloped. It provides a symbol for masculinity or femininity in a modest (or at times, not so modest) way. It can look both powerfully fierce and sexually alluring/enticing at the same time. But also, it is custom made-to-measure. It therefore is also a symbol of affluence. One can not “just” purchase a breast plate “off the peg”.

Designers such as Alexander McQueen, Yves Saint Laurent, Hussein Chalayan have taken this roman influence to heart. One can hardly forget Grace Jones wearing her Issey Miyake chest piece to the Oscars.

The t-shirt. OK – so one does not think “tailored clothing” and “t-shirt” in the same sentence, but it falls in the category of measured and knit/cut to fit. It was not originally draped on the body. In early fashion history, it was part of the “union suit” — a garment with long underwear and top knitted connected together. It had buttons/ closures and was worn for years. It evolved into a two-piece set in WWI and in the Spanish American War. It is also here that American soldiers noticed the European soldiers were wearing undergarments made of cotton not wool. While cotton had been around forever, this was a new use for it. By the 1920, the “t-shirt” was listed as an official word in the dictionary and by 1955, it was acceptable to wear the t-shirt as an outer garment. So one must also realize that the t-shirt as we know it is really very new in the complete fashion history. T-shirts with contrasting neck and arm elastic are only 50 years old. In the sixties, plastisol (a stretchable ink) was perfected. Screen-printing and tie-dyeing became the rage. Today, it is (alas) a staple for many people’s wardrobe.

And what goes better with the t-shirt? Jeans. Like other clothing trends, jeans did not start out being a fashion garment with a ridiculous price tag. The word “jeans” comes from the French word “bleu de Gênes” which translates into “blue of Genoa” or the color of the uniform cloth for the sailor pants of Genoa, Italy in the 16^th Century. The fabric has always been cotton. The fabric structure evolved over time as did the color. The California gold rush increased the demand for clothing and pants that did not tear. The fabric needed to be quite strong.

In 1853, Leob Strauss (he later changed his name to Levi) founded a company to supply just such garments. Jacob Davis came up with the idea to use rivets to attach pockets on jeans. Together they made a fortune. Because the company was in close proximity to Hollywood, jeans appeared in Westerns and were a staple on many movie lots and dude ranches. Each generation since has taken a hold of jeans to symbolize a plethora of meanings. From anti-establishment hippies to nouveau riche silicon valley corporate giants, jeans reinvent themselves. Even in this recession, the US jean market for women’s wear alone grew to a staggering 8.03 billion in sales.

Draped influences in fashion.

When I mention draped garments, most instantly think of the latest Versace gown worn by some starlet who graces the pages of Vogue. But lets take it a step back… WAY BACK. Draped garments also included such things as loincloths, skirts, saris, ponchos, cloaks, shawls and scarves. In essence, it is fabric draped on the body. And as history tells us, the first fabric was fur pelts. So when I mention scarfs, I am not thinking silk, I am really meaning Draped fur scarves... I swoon at the thought of it. A favorite fabric of mine, fur is a fabric media that evokes glamour and sophistication. It is practical in cold winter climates and wonderful to wear. Many people’s connotation of fur is that of a coat… usually a pastel mink from the 50’s worn by their mother or grandmother. And usually that coat would be made to measure… however fur, like any fabric, can and is draped.

It makes beautiful scarves, shawls and throws. It is a fabric that wears well and holds up for years. It was the reason we even have cities like Chicago, Minneapolis and the US went forward with the purchase of the Northwest Territory. I am posting some of the most beautiful draped fur creations I have found.

Think of the crinoline as not just a garment but as a shape. It accentuates the woman’s waist, many times utilizing some kind of corset/waist-cincher, and exaggerates her hips. The garment falls into a bell shaped cone making the wearer appear as if she is floating across the room when she walks in. It is immeasurably elegant and over-the-top romantic.

Is it practical? I should think not. Is it a fire hazard? Most definitely depending on the media used in the construction. What is remarkable is that it is not totally a European or Western phenomena. It had been found in Tahiti as far back as 1784. Yes, it used to be de rigueur for court fashion. The width of the crinoline was an indicator of one’s status/social position and wealth. As with then, as it is now. It is a design shape that does not seem to disappear but more/less, reinvents itself.

Finally, what conversation about tailored vs draped clothing (especially with how it applies to dress) would be complete with a discussion about the loincloth. All this discussion about under garments, t-shirts and crinolines and we have not one mention about the lowly loincloth? Oh contrare! Say it isn’t so! Sacrilege. Our conversation would not be complete without it.

The prosthetic extension, expression and ornamentation of the penis has occurred in many ways. Of course, there was the cod piece in the early mid-evil and renaissance periods. Suits of armor had “protection” as well as the clansmen and folks for New Guinea tribes but one must think of these as “tailored” as they were measured and cut to fit. The loincloth on the other hand was draped. These sexy LITTLE numbers are most certainly part of early fashion history.

They are, of course, still worn for native dress in many countries. They are still required for covers of many romance novels. They are the costume of choice for all Tarzan movies. That this garment has never crossed over into the mainstream just boggles my mind. Of course, with the explosion of obesity and out of shape couch potatoes, one does have something to give thanks for in this up coming holiday season. And, it goes without saying but I must mention it, we can all give thanks for Fabio.

PelliceMode. BE-MA Editrice, Milano, Italy May/June 2009

Extreme Beauty, The Body Transformed. The metropolitan Museim of Art, NY, NY 2001

Breaking the Mode. Contemporary Fashion from the Permanent Collection, Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Kay Durland Spilker & Sharon Sadako Takeda. Skira Editore 2007

www.style.com CondeNast Publications, NY, NY 2009

Jeans: A Cultural History of an American Icon. Sullivan, James. London: Gotham Books.

Jeans, Wikipedia 2009, Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.

Abercrombie & Fitch.com 2009

Loincloth.com 2009

The blue jeans story, New Internationalist, June 1998.

Tailored vs. Draped Garments

I consider the question of draped verses tailored clothing a method of approach for the person doing the work. When i working on a garment, i prefer to go to the fabric store and play with the fabric. How it drapes, handles, the transparency or surface texture is important to me. I get inspired by the feel of the fabric. I like simple fabrics. I am not big on prints but have a real appreciation for people who can work with pattern and not have it come off as too busy. The fabric is a starting point and how I think it will work around the body. I don't usually have an idea in mind for the garment and then find fabric to fit the construction process. I start with the fabric and see what it will do.

Aspirational quality has something to do with it. Growing up, the more glamous people seen on television wore clothes that were draped or had a draped influence. The garments were usually one-of-a-kind like most draped garments are. The garment was unique therefore the person must be unique to.
Tailored garment came across as restrictive, forbidding and cold. I think I saw too many conservative ministers in dark suits. Tailoring was the "men's wear" and tailored garments ment business, restriction and conformity. I think that is why I seemed to rebell against them. As I have gotten older, I view tailoring as a technical challenge and a level of craftsmenship that is dying. The knowledge of how to padstitch, fit a sleeve, interface and cut appropriately is kind of lost and being replaced with fusible interfacing and down-&-dirty sewing gimmicks. It is easier and less costly to do tailored garments than draped, but without the skill behind the scissors, tailored clothing can be really boring.
I think a designer chooses the path of their creativity. Some designers like John Galliano can straddle both paths easily. Others like Raf Simons use a more tailored approach and have the skills to execute tailored garments well. People like Vivienne Westwood I find amazing. She can come up with punk clothing and be very much on the edge but she knows how to straddle that line of fine draped wear with edgy freshness to make a traditional ballgown attractive to a young women of today. My favorite dress of hers is this over the top ballgown... it was cut on ONE piece of fabric. It is a draped confection that is technically amazing. Constello Tagliapletra can make draped clothing for the masses palletible for the average American. There draped garments are conservative yet fresh. They are not too out-of-the-box so that the average woman who wants to fit-in with the crowd can wear a garment that will also help her to stand out from the crowd... again, it is about straddling a line. I also ad to my collection of designer favorites Rick Owens and Limi Feu. They seem to be able to construct cloths that use techniques from both camps. The garment the make have a draped quality but are probably constructed by 2D tailoring. They are fresh and edgy but allow the fabric to move about the body without causing constriction or restriction.
When looking at the photos, see if you can pick which designer goes with with garment. I think you will be able to tell which approach they prefer.