As promised, here is what happened with my makeyourownjeans.com: (http://www.makeyourownjeans.com/) order. I should start by saying that I decided to go the "custom" way, because of the recent changes at LB, which left me....well...pantsed. Since for me, LB was a source of all my jeans, I was in a blind panic. So, I looked into getting some custom made. In Europe, this was a pretty common thing to do. No biggie. USA, on the other hand, well, not so much. It is not as easy to locate a tailor who does "from scratch" work, and most that do, seem to consider themselves haute couturiers, and charge accordingly. At least, in my experience.
When I learned about MYOJ, I was sceptical, so I decided to do some research. From all the reviews, opinions, etc. that I read, it looked as though it was a legit company, and that most people were satisfied with their purchase. It was also apparent, that the first pair of jeans ordered, although a pretty darn good fit, was rarely perfect, and so the measurements required tweaking for any subsequent order. It also looked to me as though many people did place multiple orders, which is always a good sign. I finally decided to go for it, and I ordered a bootcut jean in Deep Indigo Hard Wash Denim ($45 + $15 shipping), because I like very dark blue uniform wash jeans.
View attachment 27577
The photos on the site are largely there to get the idea of the type of denim you will be ordering. They do not really show a style, because each type of denim (and there are dozens), can be ordered in many different styles from bootcut to skinny, etc. Each style can be infinitely tweaked to have pretty much any feature you desire. Super low cut in the front, high cut in the back, larger or smaller flare, buttoned pockets, regular pockets, zip or button fly. Whatever. Choices are a great thing, as long as you do have a fairly good idea of what it is you need. If you have no clue what happens if you increase or decrease certain measurements, well...that might be a problem.
Back to my order. I received it today. Exactly 17 days after placing it online, which I think is pretty amazing. Now for the important thing-the fit. Putting the jeans on was a bittersweet moment. Yes, they were my size. But as all of those opinions I read pointed out, there is tweaking to be done.
The things I love: the color, the fact that they are long enough, the fact that the thighs do not have the dreaded "flaps" of extra material. The things that need improvement: somehow they are actually too long, even though I was very careful when taking measurements (this is actually very minor), the waist sticks away from the back, and cuts in a bit in the front (this happens with all my pants), knee felt slightly too tight, and back pockets were spaced very far apart (looks extremely unflattering).
OK. These are my first impressions. I have started to shorten the jeans, but haven't washed or worn them yet, so I will get back to you all with my final verdict. I have contacted the manufacturers by email to find out how can I address my fit concerns (above), should I want to place another order. I think the length, the knee circumference, and even the pockets can be fixed fairly easily, but the waist thing is another matter. I don't really know how to address that on the order form, and for me it is a big deal, because as it is right now the front of the jeans is somewhat uncomfortable. I will wait for the reply, and report back to you all with what was suggested, and with other updates.
In the meantime, if anyone decides to order, make sure you take your measurements OVER a pair of good fitting jeans. Do not make the mistake of measuring yourself in underwear, unless you want skin-tight jeans.
Chris
When I learned about MYOJ, I was sceptical, so I decided to do some research. From all the reviews, opinions, etc. that I read, it looked as though it was a legit company, and that most people were satisfied with their purchase. It was also apparent, that the first pair of jeans ordered, although a pretty darn good fit, was rarely perfect, and so the measurements required tweaking for any subsequent order. It also looked to me as though many people did place multiple orders, which is always a good sign. I finally decided to go for it, and I ordered a bootcut jean in Deep Indigo Hard Wash Denim ($45 + $15 shipping), because I like very dark blue uniform wash jeans.
View attachment 27577
The photos on the site are largely there to get the idea of the type of denim you will be ordering. They do not really show a style, because each type of denim (and there are dozens), can be ordered in many different styles from bootcut to skinny, etc. Each style can be infinitely tweaked to have pretty much any feature you desire. Super low cut in the front, high cut in the back, larger or smaller flare, buttoned pockets, regular pockets, zip or button fly. Whatever. Choices are a great thing, as long as you do have a fairly good idea of what it is you need. If you have no clue what happens if you increase or decrease certain measurements, well...that might be a problem.
Back to my order. I received it today. Exactly 17 days after placing it online, which I think is pretty amazing. Now for the important thing-the fit. Putting the jeans on was a bittersweet moment. Yes, they were my size. But as all of those opinions I read pointed out, there is tweaking to be done.
The things I love: the color, the fact that they are long enough, the fact that the thighs do not have the dreaded "flaps" of extra material. The things that need improvement: somehow they are actually too long, even though I was very careful when taking measurements (this is actually very minor), the waist sticks away from the back, and cuts in a bit in the front (this happens with all my pants), knee felt slightly too tight, and back pockets were spaced very far apart (looks extremely unflattering).
OK. These are my first impressions. I have started to shorten the jeans, but haven't washed or worn them yet, so I will get back to you all with my final verdict. I have contacted the manufacturers by email to find out how can I address my fit concerns (above), should I want to place another order. I think the length, the knee circumference, and even the pockets can be fixed fairly easily, but the waist thing is another matter. I don't really know how to address that on the order form, and for me it is a big deal, because as it is right now the front of the jeans is somewhat uncomfortable. I will wait for the reply, and report back to you all with what was suggested, and with other updates.
In the meantime, if anyone decides to order, make sure you take your measurements OVER a pair of good fitting jeans. Do not make the mistake of measuring yourself in underwear, unless you want skin-tight jeans.
Chris
