I love jeans. They're by far the most versatile item in my closet, and my personal favorite too.
Shhh... don't tell the shoes! But my AG Jeans have blown every other pair out of the water. I could list the dozen or so brands left pouting on the shelf since the AG's moved in, but I'll save them the embarrassment. AG has everything I'm after... fit, lift, comfort, and they are without a doubt, the softest, most beautifully flattering denim I've ever owned. Unless it's a serious crisis-of-a-laundry-day, I don't see myself wearing any other brand any time soon.
But that's just scratching the surface of these amazing jeans and the company behind them. I can feel good in them for so many reasons, not least of which is the moral and ecological commitment I'm making just by wearing them.
Ok, ready for a little shop talk? Here's what I know about AG Jeans:
Did you know that in Los Angeles County, a woman stitching a pair of jeans earns as much as $15 an hour? While in China, her counterpart pulls in 68 cents to 88 cents. Los Angeles— the largest clothing manufacturing hub in the nation, and mecca for high-end denim manufacturing— is no stranger to the tumultuous forces of globalization. With China, Mexico, and even tiny Mauritius nipping at their heels, domestic manufacturers have been left little choice but to take their business overseas in effort to compete with an ever-increasing demand for lower manufacturing costs. The innocent casualty of all this?
QUALITY.Premium denim has been a rare hold-out in the crumbling domestic apparel market. Why? The big "Q" of course... In Los Angeles, experienced sewing contractors are absolute
masters of their trade. They know how to make lifting darted back pockets— giving the appearance of a lifted derriere. Local laundries are also adept at expertly shading jeans so that legs appear longer and thinner, and at hand-sanding "whiskers" (light horizontal lines in the zipper area), so that hips appear narrower. They also employ what's called the "all in" method; which means using all techniques available, including grinding, stonewashing, baking, and applying oil stains and cigar burns to achieve an authentic worn-in look and feel.
Another advantage to buying domestic (and yet another reason to love AG), is the keen eye L.A.'s manufacturer's have kept on the environment. The routine process of obtaining those tricked out washes you love on your denim, is eco-destructive beyond your wildest nightmares. AG Jeans found these outdated and toxic practices unacceptable and in recent years, has led the pack in developing a new "clean denim” by overhauling their manufacturing process using organic and sustainable top quality fabric choices, and employing "Ozone Technology".
Wait,
ozone? Isn't that just in the air? No, my friends, your jeans are now eco-friendly!
Ozone is a process that significantly reduces water consumption, use of chemicals and dirty energy. Normally jeans are rinsed with large amounts of water to rid them of excess indigo, and toxic chemicals are applied to create fades while cleaning up indigo bleeds on pocket linings. When a jean is "ozonized" however, those processes are drastically reduced- if not eliminated, greatly lowering water, energy and chemical usage.
Thanks to a vertically integrated factory and 100% control of their wash processes (unlike other brands), they are one of the ONLY denim brands using this process on 100% of their products. The happy bi-product of supporting this process and striving to buy domestic, is a subtle but steady push for change from governments
and our favorite clothing companies. It would be tragic if fashion and economics continued to come at the cost of our natural resources. Finally, we can be cute
and eco-friendly. Responsibility and compassion looks great on you!
Experience this premium brand now @ Hop Sing!!!
