Talk about a common thread. Blue jeans have permeated culture and style since their inception in 1873. From nostalgia to novelty, and everything in between, we have all found our place on the indigo spectrum at some point in our lives.
Denim is also the kind of fabric that tells a story, so in the spirit of the tried and true we asked some of Vancouver’s fashion industry insiders to share their favourite moments, memories, and icons.
Jason Trotzuk, creative director of Fidelity Denim.
What do you love about denim?
Jeans are the only thing someone can put on that is an instant statement of who you are. Denim has always been about rebellion. From the time James Dean and Marlon Brando put on denim for work wear and wore it out on the street. That was about rebellion. Hippies wearing ripped jeans at Haight, and then the punk era with the Ramones wearing super skinny jeans. Then in the eighties, Bruce Springsteen wore 501s on the cover of Born in the USA. Then, grunge died and jeans became high-end. Jeans are part of a movement—a fashion statement or a representation of an era. Jeans are what I feel most comfortable in and are the one thing that will never go out of style.
Do you remember the first pair of jeans you loved?
In 1984 I took a trip to Seattle and the guy I was staying with gave me my first pair of Levi’s 501. I never took them off. I swear I wore them for three years every day. It was back in the Michael J. Fox days, when you would wear puffy Reeboks or high top Nikes and tuck them into your jeans.
Who is your denim style icon?
Keith Richards in the seventies, early eighties. Just check out the Rolling Stones documentary Crossfire Hurricane. It was during the peak of the Stones and everything was about wearing a great pair of blue jeans, old faded blue jeans. He was the men’s style icon of the time.
Reid Stewart, co-founder of Lifetime Collective.
What do you love about denim?
The history.
Do you remember the first pair of jeans you loved?
My first pair of Levi’s as a kid,the first pair of 501s. They beat sweatpants!
What is your current favourite pair of jeans and why?
I have a pair of Lifetime jeans I really like. They stand up to the wear and tear of the daily grind. And they’re black. I like black denim.
Who is your denim style icon?
Johnny Ramone.
Rebecca Rawlinson, owner of Rebecca Bree Boutique.
What do you love about denim?
Everything. I am completely obsessed with denim and have over 20 pairs. There’s nothing quite like a well-fitting pair of jeans to make you feel amazing.
What jeans are you loving right now?
My grey R13 skinnies. They feel like a second skin and haven’t changed shape since the day I bought them.
Do you remember the first pair of jeans you loved? Tell us about them.
They were a pair of high-waisted (and I mean super high-waisted) flared jeans by Luscious. I bought them when I lived in Montreal. They were a gorgeous dark denim and I felt like a seventies rock star in them. I would wear my huge platform shoes, my hair all wild and crazy, and I would dance the night away.
Eric Dickstein, owner of Dutil.
Who is your denim icon?
I would have to say Levi Strauss himself. Anybody who can create a commodity that is synonymous with their brand is a genius to me.
If you had to choose: Classic style or designer collaboration?
Definitely classic style. In 100 years what will still be relevant is a pair 501 jeans, a white T-shirt, Chuck Taylor kicks and Ray Ban 2140 sunglasses.
Michelle Rizzardo, owner of One of a Few.
What do you love about denim?
Funny question for me as I have been known to never wear a basic blue jean, for at least the past six years. But when I really break it down and think about it, I have always loved denim. I don’t think I can ever think of a time that my closet didn’t have at least one vintage blue Levi’s jacket, a white denim jacket, and some jean cut-off shorts.
What is your current favourite pair of jeans and why?
Hope jeans have always been good. They have made a boyfriend style for the last couple of years called the Stay Jeans. My other favourite is the boyfriend done by Won Hundred. I am not a big fan of ripped up denim, it has to be good for me to like a rip, and these ones have stolen my heart. Objects without Meaning makes a high-waisted denim that does not have a super tight leg but is slim. The bum looks great and the bottom can be left long or either rolled for the summer.
Do you remember the first pair of jeans you loved?
The first pair I can remember were my Guess jeans. I never looked as hot as Claudia Schiffer did in their advertisements, but they made me feel pretty good. High waist, slim leg. Almost exactly like today except they had the triangle on the back pocket. The triangle—who could forget it?
