My Denim Love Story

I had a conversation with a stranger 30 years ago about her denim jeans, and it stuck with me. She was wearing a pair of Z Cavaricci’s, dark denim, faded from wear. She’d had them for years yet had never washed them. “I’ve never washed them,” she says. A true lover of denim knows you never wash your denim jeans until it’s absolutely necessary.

There is something romantic about denim’s history. Denim’s roots were entirely utilitarian until the 1950s during the rebel era when James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, and a few others who will remain nameless (see: abusers) wore them on the big screen. The visual catalyst was James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause and Marilyn Monroe in The Misfits. It wasn’t until 1853 the U.S. began manufacturing denim locally. Prior to that it was solely a European textile worn by miners, farmers, sailors, and railroad workers.

James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause

Marilyn Monroe in The Misfits

There is of course some dark history tied to the denim industry in the U.S. Given the timeline it shouldn’t be glossed over that chattel slavery was the main source of labor used to harvest cotton fields in America. However, this wasn’t unique to the U.S. It wasn’t even unique to colonialism. Chattel slavery was a key component of almost every empire there ever was, but I digress. Even in the dark threads of my love for denim I can appreciate its history.

The U.S. had been the leader in denim production since the inception of Levi Strauss in 1853, but as cultural hegemony cycled, Japan took the baton and elevated the denim game. Today, Japan makes some of the most beautiful denim in the world. Japanese denim, hands down, is my favorite denim because of how it’s constructed. The hallmark features of Japanese denim are the selvedge edge, ring-spun cotton, which gives its softness yet is very durable, a fabric weight range of 14 oz to 21 oz per yard, and authentic indigo dye. There was a time when the U.S. produced slow denim, but some of the leading brands at the time became greedy and opted for cheaper production. Well-made U.S. denim now comes with a hefty price tag that most of us just aren’t willing to pay. Not only is Japanese denim better made, but its price point is also much more affordable.

My passion for denim goes deep. I’m still honing my skills and at the moment I’m looking for the perfect Japanese denim for my next pair of jeans. It’s the kind of denim that you generally never find at a local fabric store. Luckily, there are a few places you can order luxury denim online which has a variety of options from around the globe. If you want to have a peek at one of my favorites, check out pacific blue denims (not an affiliate). They are a family-owned business based in Los Angeles.

I searched the internet for those vintage Z Cavaricci’s that sparked my love for denim 30 years ago but alas I could not find them, sad face. However, I did find her twin sister and as you can see, they have the classic 90’s vibe. My taste in denim has definitely evolved. I was a teenager at the time just trying to find my personal style. The funny thing is I remember asking the woman wearing them at the gas station where she got them. She told me on a trip she took to Europe. Turns out Z Cavaricci’s was a U.S. label that barely made it out of the United States. That’s not to say she didn’t buy them in Europe because a few cities like London and Milan did sell them, but could you imagine buying something you thought was unique to Europe only to discover their origin was American?

From my seam ripper to yours, ciao for now. 😉