Why Girls Are Going Boyish When it Comes to Jeans
From the time he was cutting too-big vintage jeans down to stylish size to wear himself, Boyish Jeans creative director Jordan Nodarse knew he was a blueblood.
Since then, he’s been bringing that passion for denim to the world, leaving his touch on brands and businesses all around the world.
Now his attention is focused on Boyish and making men’s style jeans made to fit women.
Carved in Blue caught up with Jordan to get a glimpse into his indigo world.
Carved in Blue: How did Boyish Jeans start?
Jordan: Boyish was an idea that sparked from girls wearing men’s jeans but still looked cute and sexy. We wanted women to not just have their butt feel amazing in our jeans but also have jeans that made you feel good for supporting in respect to our social and environmental efforts.
Carved in Blue: What’s the latest that Boyish Jeans is working on?
Jordan: Currently, we are taking our technology of blending recycled cotton and spinning it with TENCEL™ Lyocell with REFIBRA™ technology to create the world’s most sustainable and circular yarn. We recycle all our cutting scraps back into our fabrics when we remake them.
Carved in Blue: What’s the appeal in vintage silhouettes?
Jordan: The last 15 years of jeans has been stretch and these materials that feel more like sweatpants than denim. We wanted to make authentic jeans that made girls booties look and feel amazing! All our fits are inspired by vintage jeans we find at flea markets from the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA to the Rag Houses in South LA to the Chatuchak Market in Bangkok. Another big reason for us looking to vintage garments for inspiration was the sustainability of denim prior to plastics entering the yarn. We focus on 60+ percent of our collection being 100 percent natural and cellulosic fibers. We look to make seasonless, well made, long lasting denim that can one day be recycled back into new jeans.
Carved in Blue: How important is sustainability to what you’re doing?
Jordan: Very important! However, design is always at the forefront of our ethos. We will never made a product that isn’t sustainable and eco-conscious but we also won’t make a product that is sustainable and eco-conscious without it looking and performing well. Our mission is to make great jeans and be as transparent as possible about everything we do so other brands can learn to make their jeans better. We hope that our customer learns from us and hold other brands accountable to make similar efforts.
Carved in Blue: What’s next for Boyish jeans?
Jordan: We are currently working on some of the softest, sustainable eco-conscious knits. We will be launching T-shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants and dresses in our new knit fabric that is composed of recycled cotton and TENCEL™ Lyocell with REFIBRA™ technology.
Carved in Blue: What was your first pair of jeans?
Jordan: My first pair of jeans was probably Baby Gap jeans but my first pair of jeans that I remember falling in love with was a pair of Levi’s medium stonewash jeans. Wore them to death!
Carved in Blue: When did you first know you were a blueblood?
Jordan: Probably at the point that I went to the extent of going down to the Goodwill and Plato’s Closet to buy $5 Levis jeans then cut and sew them to fit like tight fitting Bruce Springsteen jeans.
Carved in Blue: What’s one trend in denim you’d like to see go away?
Jordan: Plastic based fibers (nylon, polyester, etc.) so that we can stop all the microfiber pollution. There is currently 1 ton of micro-plastics in the ocean per person on the planet. That’s ridiculous. All because consumers would rather spend a few dollars less on their clothes they will only wear for one season.
Carved in Blue: What’s missing from the denim industry today?
Jordan: Conscious consumerism and one non-bias, non-profit agency to fully inspect a products entire supply chain back to the ground that the fiber was grown.
Carved in Blue: What does Carved in Blue mean to you?
Jordan: It’s a great place for up to date information on the most current denim innovations as well as a great tool to find leaders in the industry that are making great strides in conscious manufacturing. In a deeper meaning, I like to think Carved in Blue stands for each individual’s personal love for denim and how they carve out their style to show it each day.