10 June, 2015

Perfect pairing: RE/DONE jeans + modified Margiela

My best ever denim discovery was the in-house hem shortening service at the Levi’s flagship store. My second best could well be RE/DONE, the L.A denim brand that does the modifying for you.

I’m old enough to have a deep connection to Levi’s 501s, the iconic jean that hooked me in the 80s, hung on in the 90s, slightly lost us in the 00s and is back and thriving in 2015. But while the market for new or new-old is healthy, it seems there’s still a hunger for genuine, aged, lived-in Levi’s jeans, which is where RE/DONE comes in.

Founders Sean Barron and Jamie Mazur handpick the jeans from their secret suppliers, then with the expertise of their tailor, unpick the seams and restitch them into modern, more flattering cuts. It’s a labour intensive process and so a costly one, but it’s for a specific, discerning customer who wants her jeans to fit just so. In the UK, Selfridges has a selection and as you can see, the modified cut is pretty spot on. You can go for a slouchy boyfriend fit or a slimmer cigarette, or you can try the new-for-summer shorts versions (I love the loose knee-length shorts, but would rather they weren’t quite so distressed).

And to go with the RE/DONEs? I have just the thing. I’m the lucky recipient of Mr DRG’s favourite old Margiela sweater, the one that he recently grew out of, so shrunk in the wash especially for me. The resultant boiled wool effect makes it thicker and cosier, plus – bonus eco points – the leather elbow patches were added by his local dry cleaner, who upcycled them from an unloved Calvin Klein coat. It all chimes nicely with the eco-aware credentials of both Margiela and RE/DONE. Gotta love a happy accident…