Stories

Headed for the Frisco Bay

The birthplace of blue jeans, the main hub for the American poetic avant-garde in the 1940s, and currently the haven for tech savants and creative agencies - San Francisco. We chatted with Jeffrey Lee of Doublewood Denim to find out more about the city that inspires all these artistic and intellectual leaps.

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The Fifth Pocket

It all began in 1873, with the birth of the original blue jean by Levi Strauss & Co. Born with it was the fifth pocket (back then known as the fourth pocket as there was only one back pocket on a pair of jeans) or "coin pocket".

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What’s the Deal with Jean Jackets?

It’s time for the denim jacket to come back into full force as our outer layer of choice before the vortex of cold awful (AKA puffy jackets that make people look like a bag of packing peanuts). As of late, many of our customers have been coming into the shop looking for the perfect one, (and by denim jacket, we’re talking about the 20th century ‘trucker’ style made popular by Levi’s and the Marlboro Man – you know: boxy, raw or stonewashed, button-up, welt/side pockets and chest pockets); it is pretty much a failsafe wardrobe piece. Why, you may ask? For one, it’s heavy enough to protect against that nip of wind, but still light enough for the day. This is obvious. So apart from this, there is no real reason why we should be drawn to this jacket, right? Technically, if we’re being really honest, the jean jacket is not THAT cute. Who even uses chest pockets? And to do up all those buttons every day is like, “OKAY, SURE”. Nevertheless, this very curious denim piece is even more curiously never going out of style. Maybe its lack of cute or cool is the appeal – it’s almost boring! This makes […]

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That’s So 80’s – Acid Washing

Acid Washed 80’s Style Jeans                       Fade February Fact #21: We’re all big fans of raw/dry denim, that’s why we’re doing Fade February, but there are many other ways you can wash and wear your jeans. Maybe some of you remember the 80’s? Acid washed jeans were quite the thing. Acid washing started in Italy in the 1980’s. To get the snowy aesthetic, pumice stones are soaked in bleach and tumbled in a wash with the jeans. The washing technique is still used today, but the tailoring of our jeans has since evolved.

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Why Jeans?

Map of Genoa                     Fade February Fact #18: The word ‘jeans’ is derived from the French phrase ‘bleu de Genes’ . The literal translation for that is ‘the blue of Genoa’, and with time was shortened to what we now know as ‘jeans’! Now you know ‘why jeans?’.

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The Oldest Jeans in the World (We Think)

Levi’s Oldest Jeans               Fade February Fact #17: Denim has been around for a long time, which can lead you to wondering how old the oldest jeans in the world might be. The oldest pair of blue jeans in the world are Levi’s from the year 1879 making them 133 years old, and they’re still in pretty good shape (featured picture). The jeans are a classic blue and worn at the knees.  They’re said to be valued at approximately $150,000.

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How Did Denim Get Its Name?

Have you ever wondered how denim got its name? If so, you’re in luck today. Fade February Fact #2: Originally, our favourite textile started out in Nimes, France. It was thought to have been produced by the Serg family, and was referred to as “Serg de Nimes”, and later on shortened to “de Nimes’. And now, denim!  There’s much more where that came from, stay tuned for some more denim facts.

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