Obsessed: Indigo Proof Denim Repair & Restoration

Breaking the Fast Fashion Cycle

Committing to sustainable models of fashion consumption doesn't only mean shopping with sustainable companies with quality goods, there are two other major tenets of the commitment to decreasing the harm Fashion Industry does to the planet: buy pieces second hand (don't sleep on EBay and The Real Real) and maintaining your pieces. 

Yes, just like a car, your clothes need special maintenance if they're going to last you any amount of time. When they ask for it, take pieces to the cleaners instead of washing them then having to throw them out when your machine shrinks, transfers dyes or ruins your garments. Clean your shoes, use trees or news paper to ensure that they keep their shape and loose the odor, so you don't have to buy a new pair as often. And mend pieces when they rip, don't just go and get another $20 pair of jeans.

Denim Repair

There are a number of denim brands run by bearded men in cuffed jeans and wing tips sans socks that do denim repair around the country. And they're fine. But if you want your jeans to look BRAND NEW without being able to tell work was done, take them to Rain at Indigo Proof. Hands down, the best denim repair in the United States. No contest.

Indigo Proof does AMAZING repairs

What Is Darning?

When clothes get holes, the yarns that make the fabrics itself have been worn down from friction which means that a sewing machine won't be enough to fix it- you can't simply sew the hole shut because there is no longer anything to sew.

Many people use patches to replace the lost fabric when repairing jeans, but they don't look that great. I mean, people aren't nicknamed Patches because of how elegant they look. (see this song, too). 

Similar to patches, darning replaces old fabric, but it is woven into place, essentially creating fabric where there is no longer fabric. With certain fabrics, this can be done by hand, but there are special machines for this process with denim. 

Seamless Repair

Like I said earlier, there are certainly services, likely in your area, that offer darning, but from what I've seen, it is all very conspicuous. The amazing thing about Rain's work is that her stitching blends so well into the existing fabric. She's a true master.

So! if you have denim you need repaired, join me on her wait list and let's become those people that have (and wear) jeans for decades.

Donate

And! If you are ready to move on from a pair, instead of throwing them out, donate them to an organization that will do something great with them. Madewell make it easy to recycle your denim- just drop off in store!

Perfection: YSL Tribute Flat Sandal in Amber

Can we talk about how lovely this shoe is?

This sandal, to me, is a sandal that a 21 year old daughter would find in her mother's closet and steals for the summer. Her dad sees her wearing the shoes and shows her old pictures of her mom wearing the same shoes next to her cherished VW while on a road trip up and down the Pacific Coast in the late 70s with her friends from Brown.

I think that means that I find it to be timeless, the squared toe-box is a very stylish detail that sets this aside from just any other flat leather slide. The fun interlocking detail looks like every shoe I've loved at a thrift store, but the construction is an elevated form of lattice detailing.

And the color! Ohh, that rich brown matches absolutely every skin tone and any outfit you can dream up.

I am very into this shoe.

Practice: Technical Sketches

I never really liked drawing.

It always seemed like something people were either good at or not. But! We know that's not true. It's something you can improve with practice, just like any other skill in life. And, at this point, not being able to articulate my vision is becoming a hindrance and, really a nuisance. 

There are so many intricate parts to constructing a bag- are the sides and bottom one piece? What's going on with the pockets in the lining? Is the zipper attached directly to the top of the self or is it a down zipper with a lip in the lining? There's so much to say!

B Design Studio & Mercedes Castillo make frequent appearances on my illustration Pinterest Board.

You know I love me a vision board, so I've got a few brands and illustrators I look at. Specifically, B Design Studio and Mercedes Castillo's illustration styles. They're just so clean, dynamic and informative.

That's the goal. 

Mission: White Mom Jeans

Y'all.

I have been on a mission for a pair of white pants since before the writing was in the wall (in blood and a bold type face) for American Apparel.

White Jeans: An Annual Tradition.

Since I was 15 my routine had been to buy a couple pairs of Slim Slacks at SXSW when they'd have the pop up warehouse sale, get one white pair and one colored pair. With the white pair specifically, I'd wear them for several months, then dye them olive, then a brown, then black. Then I'd crop them a bit and wear them like that for a while. Then cut them to the knee for the summer.  Then cut them to the thigh for the dog days of summer. Then start hunting for my next pair.

Then, in 2014, I went to American Apparel to get a pair and I couldn't find them. At that time, there were two stores  within a mile of each other. I went to both with no luck. Then I walked all of North Park in search of a white jean. The way these hunts go is pretty formulaic by now. In the first few stores, when she sales associates say "Can I help you find anything?" I just say "oh, I'm just browsing" even though I know what I came in for. Then around the third store I'll say "Do y'all have any white jeans in store right now?" but by the last few, their casual and non-committal "Is there anything we can help you with?" is promptly answered with an exacting "Yes, I'm looking for a white high-waisted, straight leg boyfriend jean in a heavy twill (about 10oz or more), with very little stretch that isn't distressed. Do you have anything like it?"

They never do.

I Give Up

The white flag metaphor isn't lost on me. I haven't had a pair of white jeans since 2013, and while I really would love a pair (oh, the possibilities) I've just given up all hope for now. So maybe I'll just be content with this skirt in the meantime.*

*of course I won't

Project: A Camera Bag

Some years ago, my buddy Jefe asked me to make him a camera bag. And I, being the unsure, nervous, and honestly forgetful mess that I'd been, took about a year and a half to get around to making it. 

Just a simple bag that would fit the body of the camera, an extra lens or two. I had to make it sturdy- I'm not sure if you knew this, but cameras are very precious. Up until this point, I'd only made soft goods canvas bags lined with canvas- a defined shape but not much structure. That meant finding a material with which to line the self of the bag (attaching to the lining wasn't an option because it was going to be a washable Nylon, which would leave an unsightly impression)

I've got a little video here, compiled from Instagram stories, of the process, which only took a weekend after I finally decided to stop finding excuses not to make it. 

Some highlights of the construction process there, including me forgetting to put the straps on before I put the panels together and had to re-do everything. But! That's why we keep a seam ripper within arm's reach, innit? You don't sketch without an eraser, and you don't sew without a seam ripper. 

Here's the final product but I still haven't managed to get a photo of it. I really need to learn to photograph things in studio before I send them out into the wild. Oh well, lesson learned.

Maybe some day I'll make beautiful videos. 'til then you just get this video taken at night in the most unnatural of lights.