Merry Christmas!

Somehow denim Santa does not look as jolly???

I wanted to wish you a very Merry Christmas, I hope the real Santa delivered everything you wished for and more! May you have a Happy New Year filled with great adventures!.. XXX

Virtual Rising...

I have booked the day off work today. My mission is to complete ALL Christmas shopping, so why am I still sat here in my pyjamas?? Answer: There is no chance I am going to traipse around London in the rain, fighting the crowds when i can sit here in luxury (cup of tea in hand and cat on lap!!) in front of my mac, browsing the world wide web! What a miraculous discovery!!..

Anyone working in retail will know internet sales are growing year on year. With the new generation of social networking- Facebook/twitter/tumbler/blogs its easier than ever to spread marketing campaigns and sales promotions which of course reflects the traffic to our sites and subsequently our sales!.

Top 5 retailers on Facebook:

Zara= 10,738.378 fans

Burberry= 9,945,914 fans

H&M= 8,847,902 fans

Gucci= 5,730,092 fans

Louis Vuitton= 4,541,963 fans

Wow.. right!?!!!.. There is huge potential to build further, as long as you have the newest App to send out! As a complete technophobe my mind boggles as to what else can be achieved but one thing is sure, invest in a computer whizz if you want to beat the competition!!

No matter how nice it is to shop from home, I do worry for the future of our British high street, yes you can get everything delivered at a touch of a few buttons but wont we miss the whole store experience? Trying on clothes/feeling the quality checking out the visual merchandising and generally getting inspired? Where else is better than London at Christmas??.. Got to run, off to Liberty... Wish me luck!!

the elusive pair..

Back in the day, in one of my former lives, I was a 'fit' model... which basically means a clothes horse so to speak for brands that needed a certain size to build a block, arrange a pattern and get a PERFECT fit. Sounds easy right?..   
In my role as a denim buyer I can appreciate the importance in every measurement, a slight tweak to the height of the waistline or leg opening will mean a good pair of jeans or a great pair!.

Quite a statement huh!!.. 

 

Achieving the 'Worlds best fitting jeans' is quite simply an impossible task! Its a very arrogant brand that will profess to such a feat!! (and they do... tut tut). The reality is every one of us is a different shape, unique, special and defo cannot all fit into my perfect jeans no matter how much I wish you did!..

Levi has at least tried to remedy this with their 'Curve' collection. Its a good idea, if only the styles were a little more sexy??..

My advise to you guys would be go searching, its out there I promise! If you want a 'boyfriend' block- buy a pair of actual boy jeans, if you want a 'slim slouch' buy your usual skinnies but one size up, if you want a pair of cool 'high waists' go vintage!..  Good Luck xxx

Denim PV

I am extremely lucky to travel around the world in search of inspiration for work. Last week I was in gay Pareee.. Such a beautiful city, it always inspires me and looks amazing in December covered in Christmas sparkle!
 Twice a year we pop over for a denim trade show, exhibiting all the new fabrics and trends for the coming seasons.. A little sneak preview so to speak! The warehouse is filled with the biggest mills presenting their latest development, its a denim geeks version of a SciFi convention only we think we are much cooler!?

Without giving too much away, there were a few boys that stood out from the crowd of course! Leading the pack with innovative new techniques were Isko, well done guys! Unfortunately for the purists out there we are still a few seasons away from bringing back denim with true character. The trend continues for clean colour, flat washes, new coatings and compact power stretch, as they say- if its not broke why fix it??..

PS- Loving your work Fabio, have never enjoyed the VIP lounge as much, Yummy!!

Cut off....

Whoop whoop... I have just finished packing my bag for my holiday!! I am a very lucky girl, in 4 days I will be heading off to paradise for some much needed R&R.......

There is only 1 thing a denim geek should be packing besides the bikini and snorkeling gear, and that is of course.. the vintage cut offs!!..

See you in a few weeks folks!.... xx

Casual Depression...

Don't worry, I am not going to turn all doom and gloom on you now! However, the global recession is very much here to stay and its getting harder to keep any motivation when the world is in economic crisis! Anyone else bored of the new pop phrases being thrown about 'current economic climate', 'credit crunch', 'double dip'-- (and no, we are not talking about indigo here people!!)...??
 

Wish we could get lunch for $5 in London!!..

There is however a small silver lining to this very gloomy cloud, history proves that Denim sales grow in a recession (or 'depression' as it was called back in the day). Big Whoop Whoop for us dudes!!.....

It is very clear to see that spending patterns of the average consumer will change, the focus moves from high fashion to staple pieces that will last us through the dark days! No longer will we be parading around like a peacock with all our finery on display. No one wants to 'show off' their money in such an obvious way when we should be lucky to have wages to spend at all!

Ummm.. they are hardly average consumers!!..

Our style becomes more sombre, conservative, casual, step up a pair of 5 pocket jeans. Our savior in a recession! Chin up people, it will blow over soon enough and we will surface with integrity, wisdom and a thirst for the drama that is true couture fashion... In the mean time, go and buy yourself some good jeans....

The Cats Whiskers....

Firstly.. only slightly off topic, meet Murphy my gorgeous cat... now here are some good looking whiskers!!

'Whiskering' in the denim world is a procedure that helps us launder our jeans to look more authentically aged. check out the video and you will get the gist...

It is extremely hard to look real, taking years to perfect and I have a real bug bear when I see jeans on the market that are flat with extreme stripes, like this for instance...

AWFUL!!... There is nothing authentic about these jeans, I mean, the whiskers look like bleached stripes, the brushing down the thigh is sooo extreme, I have no idea what you would naturally need to do to get it that bright besides continuously rubbing sandpaper down your legs??? Don't get me started on the 'cat' scratching on right thigh, you have met Murphy above, he is a big boy but does not have the claws to cause these marks... you would need to be wrestling with a tiger to get such damage!!.. grrrr

My advise to you, buy a rinse wash indigo pair of jeans and wear them in yourselves, its much more satisfying when you see the affects that your life has on your blues! Beautiful..

Respect your Elders...

I sat opposite a gorgeous old couple on the tube last night. Both impeccably dressed, the quintessential English couple..

 

 

I have always thought, as true 'grown ups' (65+) they have the pick of all the incredible fashion era's that they have lived through and finally decide on their own style in retirement.

Now, although I have only lived through 3 decades.. (a mere baby some might say)..

1980's- well, i was a child so it does not count (mum dressed me!!)

1990's- apart from a slight 'blip' in styles when the spice girls got me to buy cropped tops, hotpants and platformed buffalo's.. (tragic!). ..I was a grunge girl at heart! Music & 'My so called life' were my inspiration.

2000's- My years on the buying floor. There have been sooooooo many trends, some flash in the pan and some with a little more longevity. But there has always been one constant for me, jeans and a tshirt. Nice and simple and I can't see me changing anytime soon.

I wonder what the future generations will think of us, sat on the tube (hopefully we will have a nicer way to travel then?? space pods??).. in our vintage jeans and breton stripes, I cant wait to see this!

Don't get me wrong, i am not wishing my life away.. I have a few more mountains to climb first!

Happy Halloweeeeennnn!!.... X

Androgyny...

 I have long been a champion of this trend, if you work in the world of denim its almost your daily uniform- button up shirt, rolled up jeans and brogues... However my poor boyfriend is getting a little miffed as to why I feel it necessary to wear his shirt/jeans.. (cant get away with the shoes!)
I can now put it down to the fact it is 'on trend"!! To dress like a boy is cool people.. Designers and high street brands alike have pushed this in a big way for AW11, referencing Teddy boys, Psychobilly & New Mod subcultures. Sorry boys, not only will your wardrobes be a little light of clothes over the next few months but you can say good bye to the short skirt/heels combo I know you love so much.......

SELVEDGE... a geeks obsession

This one is hard to explain.... but I will try.

Finding Selvedge as you roll up the hem of a vintage pair of jeans is like realizing the tooth fairy has come when you were a kid... Pure joy! This may be a geeks obsession, but its a quest I will never tire of.
 Of course brands offer selvedge in their range new and I would defy anyone not to be seduced by the authentic nerdiness of such a purchase. But for me, its all about getting dirty at a flea market and hitting the denim jackpot!.. LUSH..

RESPONSIBLE PRODUCTION.

We can all breathe a brief sigh of relief now the global cotton prices are stabilizing, i can tell you, the last 18 months have not been pretty people!!
However there is no rest for the wicked and the new buzz word in the Denim industry is Sustainability!..
Denim production is seen as one of the worst contributors in greenhouse gas emissions and water waste. In the UK alone an average person owns 7 pairs of jeans, (I am way passed the average.. eekk..!) we all need to be accountable, from my seat as a buyer to you guys as consumers! We already have Organic, Recycled, Better cotton initiative available from the denim mills which are proving popular with some leading denim brands- Nudie, Seven- for all mankind, Monkee jeans all working with 100% organic cotton for every pair of jeans they produce... I have no doubt more will follow in the next few seasons.


However this does not help our water issue, it takes thousands of Litres to authentically launder 1 pair of jeans!! Its really shocking figures and although all ethical laundry units will recycle their water within production there is still so much that can be done!.. Step up Levi Strauss & co, launching a new initiative this year with their water-less range:

 Japan Rags have gone one further with NO water in their production!! Amazing....

This is only the start, its going to be a very interesting year in denim! Responsible production is the future provided we maintain a wanted product at the end.. I know my customers are not going to be tempted in a crisp stand on there own pair of starched jeans, if we do not hold the interest of our fashion forward consumers we will not have a market for which we need sustaining!.. WATCH THIS SPACE!

The Classics....

My advise to Levi... raid your archives guys and pull out the classics!! You have soooo many amazing ads, dust them off and bring them back out to play! Re-launch them on a Saturday night (ideally on an X factor ad break... sad, but true!), sit back and reap the rewards!!!! Trust me...

         They do not make them like they used to......

The Campaigns....

Its obvious to say when a brand hits a good marketing campaign sales will rocket... Simple.
On the old school brands the formula has been the same for yearssssss... Ripped hunk of a man with a nubile, hot, sexy girl draped over him with little else on but the jeans they are selling.
Sexual imagery in advertising is a very powerful tool, and where better to place it than in the world of denim....

                                                                             NUFF SAID!!...

However.... the times are changing. The use of increasingly explicit imagery no longer shocks the consumer, its almost become commonplace and for me.. Its getting tired! We are not all sat at home drooling into our Grazia's!! Are we???
There are brands out there that let the product do the talking.. and how refreshing is that!!

Current Elliot

Nudie

PRPS

And it must be said.. I'm a sucker for a beard right now!.. Loving your work dudes.

The power of stretch..

The battle of the skinny jean has long been fought across premium brands & retailers. Long gone are the days when a slight comfort stretch will satisfy the silhouette our designers are trying to achieve!
 And so to another fight.. The denim mills have been flexing their muscles to provide a quality that will suck you in, stay strong and of course.. have the flexibility to perform your Saturday night party tricks!
Keep up the good work boys...

The skinny is born!

In 1964, denim evolved to add Lycra through the cotton, and subsequently the Skinny jean is born! Can you imagine your life without them? As a buyer I have a real fear of the day the trend will wane, its been running strong for 5 years now which in the fashion world is a life time! No other trend on my buying floor has lasted this long. But we all must remember, the denim world is not driven from the catwalks, our runway has always been the street... When you find a style that works all you can do is look to build on it- the trend has evolved of course in the denim washes /colours and prints as seen in stores today.
Long may it continue I say!!

Check out this Wrangler ad, what can I say.. it all comes back round in the end! The must have trend for denim AW11 is garment dyed (coloured) jeans. Every good store out there will have at least a couple of the key colours from berry reds to heathered oatmeal. I personally have my fair share folded in my wardrobe, but I would love this mint pair for ss12 please!!..

The Introduction

...I have set up a blog!!
Now for those that know me, I am slightly technically challenged but have a willingness to learn..
I am a denim buyer of womenswear (I will not reveal the brand as its much more fun for me if you guess!). I love my job! I am a very happy girl, so lucky to work within this community of absolute geeks.. believe me, our joy of all things indigo is contagious.. It's been said before, but denim truly is a religion, one that I practice with faith and belief.
This blog is exactly as the title states, a diary of denim, I will try and share all the highlights of my travels, the good, the bad and the ugly!
Here are a few images that got me hooked, starting from the beginning...

We must pay homage to Mr Levi Strauss. It all started innocently enough with work wear pants for minors & cowboys... Now of course Levi jeans are the staple of all wardrobe around this small globe of ours- you have a pair right??!

Denim worn by sailors in WWII

The working women from WWII

The one and only.. James Dean! What a dude.

Marilyn, the girl we need to thank for showing the world how sexy a girl can be in jeans..