A Match Made In Denim
Kirk Norris is an advertising professional and writer living in Columbus, OH. His goal with “Fly on a Dime” is to document his quest to build a champagne inspired young professional’s wardrobe on a malt liquor budget. He doesn’t take himself too seriously, but hopes that you can.
You know that feeling when you just find the perfect match? You meet for the first time and something clicks. You have the same tastes and style, and somehow you just “get” each other. Everything just seems to fit.
Yeah, I love finding a great pair of jeans too.
Jeans are one item of clothing that I don’t mind splurging on.
It might seem pretty ridiculous to spend $100 or $200 on a pair of jeans, but in my opinion, finding one or two pairs of jeans that are great are better than a closest full of mediocre jeans. If your wardrobe is an NBA team, would you rather shell out the cash to get LeBron or D. Wade, or pick up a couple of guys like T-Mac and Vince Carter? Sure there’s some flash with the latter two, but do you really want them on your side come crunch time?
Okay so maybe that’s an extreme example (plus Vince and Tracy aren’t all that cheap), but what I am saying is that when it comes to denim, I go for quality over quantity. A good quality pair of jeans can last you a really long time. I have a pair of Levi’s that I’ve had for six or seven years and they are still going strong.
So how do you get the diamond in the rough, top shelf, free agent to sign without giving away the farm? Well I am glad you asked.
In previous columns I’ve mentioned sites like Gilt and RueLaLa. These online stores are overstock sites that hold daily sales of all types of designer brand clothing and accessories. In order to be a member you have to either apply or get invited by someone who is already a member. Sales are frequently 50% off or more, so as they say, membership has its privileges. Getting a $160 pair of jeans for $80 makes you feel like you got away with an elaborate bank heist. Also, once you are member you can invite your friends to join. Going forward, any time one of your invited friends makes a purchase the company will give you credit towards your next transaction, making shopping like this feels even more illegal.
EXAMPLE: Gilt offers $25 credit to you every time one of your invited friends makes a purchase. So say you find a $200 pair of jeans that are 50% off and you’ve had two different friends make purchases ($50 credit), that’s $50 out of pocket or 75% off original price. Lookout Danny Ocean, there’s a new sheriff in town.)
I have bought two different pairs of jeans using sites like these now, and I’ve been very happy with the results.
Of course, a downside to buying jeans online is that you can’t try them on beforehand. That’s tough. One way around this is to try the same pair on a store first so you make sure you get the fit right. Most designers will have pretty consistent sizing throughout their brand. I know that I wear a size 34 in Seven For All Mankind, so I can shop online without worrying if the jeans will fit or not.
As for buying offline, look for end of season sales from retailers or other discount options like Groupon. Groupon is another membership website that offers daily discounts to different retailers around your city. I recently picked up $100 credit for an in-store purchase at National Jean Company for $50. Not bad.
(One word of advice, Groupon doesn’t solely offer clothing discounts. They offer everything from discounts to restaurants, to whitewater rafting packages. So you’ll just have to keep your eyes open for the retail sales.)
There’s a ton of brands out there but here’s a few that I like. 
In addition to the Seven’s I already mentioned, I’m really into Rock & Republic and Joe’s right now. Levi’s are always a solid choice too.
As for the style, I personally like a slim, straight cut or a narrow bootcut. I buy jeans that fit pretty snug; a) because I like the look and b) because it motivates me to stay in shape.
But enough about me, this is about you and finding your perfect denim mate. Find a pair that matches your style and compliments your look. You’ll know it when it happens, it’ll just feel right.
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