Upcycled Jeans
Taking a trend one step closer to perfection.
Everyone is talking about ‘pieced’ jeans right now – pairs made from sewing the parts of different jeans together. I reported on this look in my latest Jean Files dispatch for for Vogue.com because some of what were arguably the best collections in Paris earlier this month – Undercover, Chloe, Lutz Huelle – had them.
Coincidentally (or not), jean queen Malin Dyer wore a ‘cut' ‘n’ shut’ shirt for me before we saw these shows. (‘Cut ‘n’ shut’ is American slang for a car that’s been welded together with the halves of two different vehicles; imagine that, for denim.) When the world mourned the loss of Jane Birkin eight months ago we fell in love with her patchwork bellbottoms all over again. I believe the pull towards pieced jeans has been in the air ever since.
One need not wait for next season to wear this trend – plenty of pieced jeans are available to buy now, and better yet, many of them are upcycled from old jeans or deadstock fabrics. Today, I’m dedicating my letter to these champions of sustainable denim design, many of who have been at it for years. Honestly, it’s probably about time we caught up.
E.L.V. Denim: The Freya Slouchy Wide-Leg
I first wrote about E.L.V. last summer. Quick recap: E.L.V., which stands for East London Vintage, is a line of upcycled clothing designed by stylist-turned-designer Anna Foster, who takes old jeans (and other discarded textiles materials), and re-cuts them into cool, new fits with mis-matched pockets and just-off-enough seams. The system is undeniably effective at reducing garment waste.
Anna is meticulous about how she organizes her inventory (by wash) and mashes two pairs into one (by measure). It’s quite the puzzle. And a fun one. Recently, she launched a lower-rise, belled style called the Freya. “They are supposed to be worn on the hips and they have a deliberately wide leg, so if you need to [shorten] them you can and still maintain the wideness,” Anna told me over WhatsApp.
The pair I purchased are very light and broken-in, with a pale blue top stitch on the front and back panels. The pocket lining inside suggests they are LVCs (Levi’s Vintage Clothing), though I can’t be entirely sure of it. Top button, rivets, and back patch have all been swapped with something new. I love the interrupted butt pocket (still functional), and the wash reveal where the second pocket used to be. The darker spots of blue at the hip pick it up and give this Freya the three-dimensionality needed to look properly vintage.
A step hem is often inevitable when sewing two pairs of jeans together, unless the inseams are identical. See the the Footnote1 on how it works out, plus the shoe I recommend wearing with a foot-swallowing leg like this one. (Hint: It’s long in the toe and flat, flat, flat.) I’m 5’4” and a 29” inseam hits the floor if I wear these jeans low and let the crotch drop.
Shopping Bits & Other Upcylers of Note:
• A pair of Lutz Huelle boyfriend jeans on Vestiaire Collective (size 29) have the inkiest wash and nice wear on the knees.
• B Sides has a Slouch Vintage style made from used Levi’s 505s that visually resembles the Undercover Look 3 jean with the white inserts.
•. A reader recently told me about Future Love in Margate, U.K., where designer Emma Stordy will customize patchwork pairs to fit your measurements. Follow @futurelove.uk.
• Another reader told me about her brother Ian McIntyre (@_ianmyintyre) who makes quilted jean shorts for guys using Good Will scraps. Watch the videos on his Instagram, they’re fun.
• Marlow “Fox” Hole at Foxhole in L.A. will rework, repair, and repurpose anything denim. Follow @thefoxholela.
• I visited The Future Past when I was in San Francisco two weeks ago – another reader share, you guys are the best. More about this gem of a shop is coming soon, but I couldn’t not include it here. Owner Lindsey Hansen revives vintage pieces and does expert denim mendings and alterations. Follow @_the_future_past_.
• Does buying used patchwork pieces on TheRealReal count? Because this Kapital Katmandu shirt (size XL) is special.
Jean of the Week: Erin Beatty
Designer Erin Beatty launched Rentrayage, named for the French word for mending that means “to make whole again,” in 2019 using all kinds of pre-existing textiles, denim being one of them. “With denim, even the most dressed up pieces feel grounded in something essential,” she told me. “I love that.” And I love how Erin turns patchwork – which can go really crafty, really quick – into an elevated expression of sustainable design. (Have you seen this denim bustier blazer?) On Friday, Erin’s latest jean – a sweat-like style with an elastic waist and balloon-y leg – will be available online. Not jeans, but her table linens are also very beautiful and on my personal wish list.
What are you wearing and what makes it special?
I'm wearing two pieces from our Spring collection that just launched. An upcycled vintage short sleeve Gondola Top and our new Silverlake Jean, arriving on March 22. They're both perfectly oversized and ideal for traveling. The jean has an elastic waist and is full through the leg, showing just enough ankle. It feels like you're wearing a sweatpant, but looks like this pulled-together pleated pant. I'm completely obsessed with it and so excited for it to finally launch!
What do you love about working with denim as a designer?
I think it's that denim can go both ways – you could throw this on with sneakers and a sweatshirt and still look pulled together. Or, you can wear it with heels, a button down and a blazer and go to an office. That's what I love about denim: The non-fussiness of it. I hate feeling overdressed more than anything – to me that feels very uncool.
Where do you typically find your denim?
Much of our denim is deadstock or upcycled from vintage. In the future I would love to do styles with recycled denim as well (where the fibers of the fabric were actually recycled), but that will come.
Tell me more about this new jean. The inspiration. The attitude.
I found myself bored with the denim in my closet. Nothing felt special – everything was the same fit, a similar wash. I really wanted to explore creating different shapes and styles in denim. These were inspired by a vintage chino I had. Fitted at the waist, oversized through the leg and cropped at the ankle. We worked with my friend in LA to get them made. We use either a stock or a deadstock denim, a sustainable wash house, and we try to keep all the cutting, sewing and washing within a 10 mile radius. These are 100% cotton. I can't stand denim with Lycra, but wanted these to be the most comfortable jeans you've ever tried. They come in the light blue denim and a stone washed grey. I'm thrilled with them.
Tell me about a pair of jeans you love most.
After SUNO closed, when I was trying to figure out what to do with my life with two baby boys at home, I would buy vintage denim from eBay and work with a tailor to rework it. I remember fighting with this tailor in order to get exactly what I wanted, forcing him to pull things apart and reconstruct where he said it was impossible. I love those styles. They just remind me of a time in my life that was hard, emotional, and oddly inspiring.
Generally, what do jeans mean to you?
I wear jeans nearly everyday. To me, they're quintessentially American, fashionable, and timeless. Other things go in and out, but jeans somehow always feel right. Also, they're blue - so you can never go wrong.
Erin Beatty is the Founder and Creative Director of Rentrayage, a clothing company based in Brooklyn, NY. She lives in Bantam, CT with her husband and their two boys Laszlo and Ezze, and their dog Monchi.
That’s (almost) all for today – keep scrolling for the Footnote. I’ll be taking two weeks off because new stuff is coming at The Only Jane in April; my childcare situation is spotty for a bit; spring break, plus my son’s 3rd birthday (!) is soon… life is full and messy and great. I’m thankful for jeans (they help, I swear), my husband (he helps a lot), and all of you. Your comments, DMs, paid subscriptions, likes, shares, chat threads, and interest in my work are everything. Thank you.
Jane
More to read…
Barrel Jeans: The origins of a trend.
7 Great Jeans: To end the year.
Other People’s Jeans: I’m envious.
Footnote. I’m lifting my jeans up to show you what’s happening beneath the Freya’s big bells. As with any broad-hemmed jean, I like a flat, long-toed shoe that won’t get totally lost; the Freda Salvador ballet is, and doesn’t. I think all the angles – the weave, the jean’s step hem, the socks’ trellis-like grid – play so nicely here. Yes, those are vegetables embroidered in each square. My preferred local purveyor of fancy socks, +Coop, has them in stock. Lately, ‘Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright’ by Bob Dylan is the song I sing when picking my socks for the day. What better advice for heartbreak and hosiery, honestly? Forgive it all, just get dressed and go.
I have been wearing the b sides vintage lasso nonstop for years now - with everything from t shirts to Chanel jackets. Love my upcycled pieced-together denim!!
Your newsletter is my obsession! I can’t get enough of your posts. Honestly, I could read about denim each and every day. Your guidance has me down a crazy fun rabbit hole of vintage denim. I was in London a couple of weeks ago and trekked vintage shops to find two amazing pairs of Levi’s (501, and reengineered). Now, I’m having an email exchange with Junkyard Jeans for another pair of 501s. And after today, you’ve got me thinking about upcycled wide legs!! Love!
How about hosting an Insta live through your closet?? 😜