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The Language of Jeans

June 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment
A pair of Blue Blood jeans

Image via Wikipedia

Jeans are as American as apple pie, baseball and the Fourth of July.  We all have them.  We all love them.  And from time to time we are all baffled when it comes to the terminology of jeans.  Jeans have their own language.  So until Babelfish.com recognizes it as a language, here is a basic language guide.

Words describing the denim fabric

  • Acid wash – the denim fabric will have vivid white portions. This is accomplished in the manufacturing process by scrubbing the denim with chlorine soaked pumice stones.
  • Creased – once meant that someone ironed the jeans.  Now it means that a tiny white stripe down the front of each leg has been added in the manufacturing process to give the illusion that the jeans have been ironed.
  • Dirty wash – are jeans that are manufactured to look dirty.
  • Stone wash –similar to its acid wash cousin, stone wash fades the jeans more evenly.  This manufacturer uses pumice stones, sand and enzymes to achieve the look.

Words describing the style of jeans

  • Boyfriend—are jeans from the men’s department that are slightly too long (so you must roll them into cuffs) and slightly too big, particularly in the waist.  A belt is mandatory.
  • Bootcut –are jeans with a wider cuff, never to be confused with “bell bottoms” which were jeans with a very wide cuff.
  • Cargo jeans—loose fitting jeans with a lot of pockets on the legs.
  • Trouser jeans—are fitted at the waist and hips and fit more loosely along the thighs and legs.

The language of jeans like the pants it describes is constantly changing. For fashionistas, it is a full time job.

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The ins and outs of a designer

March 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment

In order to become a successful designer you must have an eye for detail.  If you are wanting to become a designer you must have an outstanding desire to correct problems as they arise as well as effective communication.  Communication is a crucial part to this industry.  You must have an artsy ability.  An ability to be able to sketch, draw, compose different materials.  With the help of a computer you can get to where you need to be to be successful in designing and creating all different articles of clothing.  As you move along in your schooling keep a clean portfolio of all the work you have done.  A decent collection of work just might land you the job you’ve dreamed of all along.

Not only do you need to have an eye for detail, but you must also know the ins and outs on how to sew.  Understanding how to sew is crucial in giving instructions to the person producing your garment. It’s a good idea to have very strong selling techniques and be able to give phenomenal presentations in order to get potential clients and retailer’s to purchase your items.  Excellent communication is prime as in this business if you want to keep your business growing and gain that expierence you will be responsible for maintaining contact with suppliers, manufacturers and buyers from around the world.

If you are just staring out, you will most likely start out on pattern making or becoming an assistant to a designer and assist with his or her sketches before being considered moving to the higher levels.

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Becoming a Designer

March 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

If you are seeking employment in the fashion industry as a designer you might want to think again if you do not have a 2 or 4 year degree.  Employers are looking for those who know about fabrics, trends, patterns and the like.  You will first have to establish a degree in fashion design.  Most fashion designers have a degree in marketing or business for those who plan to operate their own business.

Becoming a fashion designer requires you to know the ins and outs of the industry.  While in school you will learn colors, fabrics, the designing software on the computer, as well as the difference between clothing and footwear.  Most schools that offer programs in design do not allow entry into a credited course until all the prerequisites have been met.  More often then not you are required to submit designs of your own to see what you are capable of doing in order to be accepted into the credited course.

For those interested in getting into the field, you might want to check in to doing an internship with a design or manufacturing firms.  You can also get experience and knowledge from working in a retail store or by becoming a personal stylist.  This is a way to boost your sales and to market your ideas to prospective clients.  To boost your chances of working permanently in a firm, while in school you should consider entering your designs in a contest. Too make your experience that more appealing to potential employers, try working in one of the top fashion areas of the world like Paris.

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