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Jeans Brand Nostalgia

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

A trip down memory lane.

My first pair of jeans were Texwood (The Apple Jeans) in the '70s. I also had a pair of Jordache. Wrangler, Calvin Klein and Gloria Vanderbilt jeans were all the rage - didn't have those. Living in Hong Kong at the time.

In the early '80s I barely wore jeans. I was into pants and dresses and not denim. Living in HK and Cape Town at the time.

The Levi's 501s brought me back to loving jeans in the late '80s - of which I had many pairs. Living in Cape Town.

I wore Levi's into the early '90s along with Emme, Lucky, Guess, Morgan and Lee jeans. Living in Cape Town and France at the time.

From the '00s and till now I wear an assortment of jeans brands - both premium and non-premium. I'm not loyal to any brand. I wear what ticks off all the boxes when I'm refreshing my capsule. Living in the US now and probably forever.

Over to you. Lets hear all about those vintage brands of jeans! xo

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57 replies

Latest reply was from rachylou

RobinF

Veteran

Ahh memories! I don't pay a lot of attention to brands these days but back in the 90's I had some super light wash Calvin Klein jeans that I loved. They were slightly tight but I wore them anyway, that is how much I loved them!

Colette

Veteran

I cannot remember my first pair of jeans but I definitely had Jordache, Calvin Klein, Gloria Vanderbilt and Levi's. Levi's were my favorite. Oh I had Guess! as well.

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

Early '80s, definitely those colored Gloria Vanderbilts. And then I really liked the Girbaud jeans with the low slung pockets.

Laura

(website)

Veteran

Oooh! It's interesting that you mention a bunch of brands that are not familiar. It reminds me that thirty years ago, brands were not as global as they are now.

Did anyone have jeans from Marithe and Francois Girbaud? I had a couple of pairs starting in the early 80s. They were known for the white tag sewn on the fly.

taylor

Veteran

Trying to remember ... Levi’s in the 70’s and I think Jordache in the 80’s . After that I didn’t wear denim much if at all because of work and lifestyle, mostly legging for a good while . I wore GUESS in the 90’s

When things turned to premium denim and everyone wore denim everywhere I indulged . True Religion, Hudson ,Tagg and such.
I haven’t bought any denim in many years because I have plenty, but like you I own and wear non premium as well .

I don’t have a favorite brand anymore . But I do have a few favorite pair because I love the fit ....they are my Zara , and Loft.

LaPed

Veteran

Well, the first piece of clothing I ever loved was a pair of "Devil Dog" jeans from the thrift store when I was about five years old. My style really hasn't changed one bit! Did a bit of sleuthing to make sure I wasn't imagining my old "Devil Dog Dungarees":
https://greyareanews.com/featu.....dungarees/

After that, I remember wearing Lee carpenter jeans in elementary school, and in high school and college I favoured bootcuts from Lucky and Red Engine (all bought secondhand); I also had a great pair of bootcuts from American Eagle and a pair of trouser-style jeans from Banana Republic that I loved. Like Angie, I've never been loyal to a single brand.

After all my bootcuts had worn out and the only thing available at retail was skinnies, I became a devotee of vintage Levi's, mostly 501s, though I've also had 505s, and some similar button-fly straight-leg jeans from Lucky. Last spring I added a pair of classic light-wash Calvin Klein mom jeans and have been enjoying those as well (I bet they're RobinF's old pair!).

The only non-vintage jeans I have right now are two pairs of Everlane "Cheeky Straights" which are a vintage-inspired style with a high rise and a straight leg.

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kkards

Veteran

I loved these....and I had a pair of red Benetton corduroy pants in a similar cut...still miss them

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Diana

Veteran

Fun memories! I too have lots of very distinct jeans memories.

For context, I was born in 1980.

So, in the early to mid-80's my mom mostly dressed me and she definitely was not into jeans (she is much more the frilly dress type), so nothing then.

Late 80's and early 90's when I first started choosing my own clothes, I had some super skinny Jordache jeans that I looooved, they were peach with zips and bows at the ankle. I think I also had CK and Gloria Vanderbilt.

In the 90's as a teenager similar to you I wore a lot of Guess, Lee, and Lucky. I also had Pepe and Mavi jeans. And probably others that I can't remember right now. Levi's were cool but never fit me, even back then.

I got on the premium denim bandwagon pretty quickly in the 00's. Back then 7 for all Mankind was like the epitome of cool. My favorites were from a brand called Red Engine that I never see around any more. I also had Diesels, and more Luckys (back then they were more premium than they are now) and various other brands.

In the late 00's and early '10s I played around with more mid price denim and was very fond of KUT for a while. I still have a couple of pairs of them that I like. I also still have a couple of pairs of Gap jeans from that era, but am not loving their current offerings. I do still love premium denim most though. I was very fond of Vince denim for a few years, but again am not crazy about the current cuts or fabrics. Ditto for Citizens. My current favorite is Rag and Bone.

Joyce B

Veteran

Laura, I also had Marithé François Girbaud jeans, they had the best fit.
Also Gloria Vanderbilt.

Kate

Veteran

Levis were my first jeans (early 70s), and I can remember breaking them in by soaking them in the river, then scrubbing them all over with handfuls of sand, and laying them out on the bank to dry in the sun. Sometimes I would just swim in them, then do the sand scrub, and sunbathe while they dried on me. It was the best way to break them in. Nobody wanted to be caught wearing a crisp pair of jeans. Worn in was the coveted look. Good memories!

In the 80s, I had a much loved pair of straight legged Calvin Klein jeans that I wore until they were pretty much a series of holes connected by strips of denim. I still miss those jeans.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

SO MUCH FUN. You're making me smile, ladies. Lots of Levi's, Guess and Lee back in the day.

Taylor, my Guess jeans were glitzy. Were yours?

Kkards, HOW COULD I FORGET. I had the best pair of jeans from Benetton. I wore a lot of Benetton actually. My colours.

Laura, Joyce and UmmLila, Girbaud is a new to me brand. American?

La Ped and RobinF, do you remember how Brooke Shields was the face for CK jeans in 1980?

Diana, Pepe jeans. YES. I think I had a pair at one point.

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Elizabeth P

Veteran

Did nobody have any Pentimento's? The were IT when I was in high school.

I had lots of Levi's, esp 501's. Kicking myself, as I actually only got rid of them a few years ago, when I decided higher rise and that type of leg was NEVER coming back. Had no clue there was actually a market for them. They did still fit when I got rid of them! Also had Lee's and Wranglers.

Anonymous

Oh this is SO fun! Thinking about those days...

I remember Lee jeans, with the coveted leather patch - circa early 70's? Then Wranglers , and Suzy Creamcheese's crazy big bell bottoms with a big star embroidered on one back pocket. CC mid 70's? I can't come up with what jeans I wore in high school - I was more into Tribal's "dress pants" - as we called them (eye roll). Levi's weren't a thing in my group - maybe for the boys, but not for any of us girls. Gloria Vanderbilt, Jordache cc early 80's. Have no recollection of what jeans I may have had in University - maybe didn't wear them a lot. Kind of a blank until GAP entered my world and I stopped experimenting then Yes, call me stuck in the 90's . Lol. Oh , yes, Guess jeans - which I think I had a pair or two of....loved the ankle-zip skinnies.

Sara L.

Veteran

I wore Levi's 501's in high school and college (late 80's/early 90's). I distinctly remember because they were the first jeans that fit perfectly. Since then, I've worn many brands and I'm not loyal to any particular one.

Anonymous

Elizabeth - oh my god! Pentimento's ! How could I forget! I can't conjure up the look, but the name sure brings back memories.

Staysfit

Veteran

Levi's, Wranglers, Lee, Jordache, I wore them all. I remember the infamous Calvin Klein jeans commercial with Brooke Shieds and thinking that if my mom saw it I would never be able to convince her to get me any. I was correct. In my college years I wore Eddie Bauer and then moved to J Crew. Now I wear whatever fits, which seems to be primarily be J Brand and Rag & Bone. However, I also wear J Crew, Joe's, Hudson, AG, Simon Miller, Paige, and rarely Frame. My legs are just a little longer than normal and I have had luck with these brands being long enough.

rachylou

Veteran

Ohmigosh. All those old brands. Jordache, Calvin, Gloria Vanderbilt... Lee! I’d forgotten about all those. 501s were really IT in my school, but I remember those others. And oh gosh, I remember when a certain girl could not get back in her jeans after swim class, they were so tight. There were tears and missed classes and a cadre of teachers down to the gym to help...

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

Levi’s were too pricey for us when I was a kid but I think I had Lee, and probably Wrangler. What I remember is jeans being so uncomfortable until they broke in - a combination of ill fit and heavy 100% cotton, no spandex.

Gap really was a revelation in the 90s - they had a literal wall of cuts and styles in all sizes, and the prices were reasonable. And they went up to a size 14 - I was always too big (and tall) even as a teenager for stuff like Guess and Jordache.

AviaMariah

Veteran

I didn't wear jeans until I was in my early 20's (in the 90's). The first ones I remember wearing were Levis and Bongo. No I'm all over the place thanks to the internet!

Gaylene

Veteran

Men’s Levi 501 bootcuts were my jeans throughout the 60s and 70s. I used to steal them from my boyfriends after they had been broken in from ranch work. The occasional Wrangler snuck into my wardrobe that way, but NEVER a Lee!

In the 80s I tried Calvins and Glorias, but the fit was always too curvy for my shape so back I went to my 501s, except, by that time, I was living in a houseful of males who refused to let me raid their closets. I broke in my 501s by laundering, bleaching, and assorted other torturing. The entire Jordache bling and designer jeans trends left me cold.

In the late 80s and early 90s, I switched to the 100% cotton, traditional straight-legged Gap jeans so as to eliminate the break-in period. The stretch infection of the late 90s and early 00s dismayed me—I hated those jeans with a passion. Fortunately, by that time, my son was into Japanese denim which he thoughtfully handed down to me whenever he wanted a new pair.

My “poisoned eye” for stretchy denim jeans got even worse when artificially distressed, skinny jeans with strange washes flooded the market so I hung on to my old jeans with a passion. Fortunately that Japanese denim wears like iron.

It was only last few years that I have finally succumbed to wearing jeans with spandex, but, to me, they aren’t REAL jeans because they fit too much like a legging or yoga pant. My passion for a well-broken-in, men’s, straight-leg, Levi 501 has endured for over half a century and I doubt it will ever fade.

Sal

Veteran

Aside from home made denim pants my first jeans were Skin jeans - dark with white piping down the side. It was 1982.

In the rest of the 80s I recall pastel dungarees, knickerbockers, stretch cords, pink jeans and paper bag waist jeans- also bubblegum pants? Those were super tight and corrugated.

In about 1990 I discovered 501s and wore them incessantly as jeans and cut offs. The rest of the 90s were bootcuts and moleskins. And cargo pants.

Since 2002 I have worn lots of jeans - Levi's, Mavi, wrangler, Superdry, Nobody and local brands like Workshop. In the 00s True Religion were huge here despite astronomical prices.

I certainly recall seeing ads in magazines for Calvin Klein, Jordache etc...

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

OOOOH. All these brands I don't know like Pentimento and Suzy Creamcheese, Lisa p and Elizabeth. I had ankle zip Guess ankle zipper jeans too. We probably had the SAME pair.

Sara L, Levi's 501s were just. so. meaningful.

AviaMariah, from no jeans to lots of jeans. NICE.

Staysfit, maybe you can get a pair CK's NOW just for the sake of it

Gaylene, are you wearing 501s again?

Laura, I'm glad you brought up the Gap. They were instrumental in providing the world with affordable jeans across all sizes and lengths.

Rachy, we rolled around on the floor and bed to get skinny jeans on in the early '80s. No stretch!

Sal, you and I could have shared an '80s and '90s jeans capsule

Staysfit

Veteran

Lisa P, my best friend wore Gloria Vanderbilts! I had completely forgotten about them! There was a GV store in the local mall and we “had” to go there every time we went shopping together. She and a group of my friends also purchased the Donna Karan Jersey capsule pieces when they came out and used them as their first career wear. I don’t recall denim pieces, but they mixed the tops and jackets with their jeans. I couldn’t afford Donna Karan because I was still in school at the time, and borrowing money to pay hefty tuition. I was stuck wearing my Eddie Bauer jeans, whatever cheap tee or sweatshirt I could find, often freebies from DH who was on the crew team, Birkenstock’s, and scrubs. I owned one dressy outfit, and I may have inherited it from my mother. I was so unfashionable!

Gaylene

Veteran

Yup, Angie, back into my 501s, preferably with buttoned flies.

And laughing at Staysfit’s flashback to Donna Karan’s jersey capsule! I wore my pieces into the ground! Donna Karan was THE designer who tapped into how I wanted to dress back in those days. Loved those Seven Easy Pieces!

Helena

Veteran

Oh, I love this thread!! The only jeans I remember from the 80s (my primary school years) were an acid wash, high waisted, wide elastic banded baggy pair that I 'borrowed' from my sister's closet, rolled up the hems and LOVED, as well as a similarly styled pair in black (no idea the brand).

In the early 90s (high school) I loved baggy Pepe jeans (hemmed slightly short and worn super-low with Brogue Doc Martins and a super-baggy button-up) and high-waited Buffalo jeans that are surely mom jeams if ever there were a pair. Towards university (mid-90s), I switched to straigher Levis in a light wash, then went off jeans during the stirrup pants and black skinny pants years, coming back to a darker wash, straight-moving-towards-bootcut style in the late 90s/early 00s, in Calvin Klein or Guess (of course the waist started getting lower and the bootcuts bootie-er around this point). Once I left work after DS was born, I started wear jeans a lot and trying some less expensive brands (American Eagle, Gap, ON) as well as some more premium (to me at least) ones (J Brand, Liverpool) - how I live and die by my dark-wash skinnies, but am looking forward to the next leg of my jeans journey!

MsMaven

Veteran

Gloria Vanderbilt.

Dittos.

One style of Levis for women that was discontinued. Perfect fit for the body I had then. Back in the 80s I think.

Dianna

Veteran

I remember wearing CK and Gloria's in the late 80s; GAP, Guess, and Cavaricci's in the 90s, then I started wearing Lucky's and Diesel. When low rises were all that was found at retail, I stopped wearing jeans at all, since I couldn't find a pair that fit. Now I wear whatever brand that fits.

Runcarla

Veteran

Boarding school and old-world old-school parents - so no jeans for me until I was on my own.

Pic 1 - HASH elephant leg star jeans were all the rage and my first pair of denim in the '70's.

Pic 2 - Dickies painter pants - I had the cream, dark Jean, and faded Jean versions. Pic 3- Also Levi bib overalls in Jean and green corduroy in the '80's

Pic 3 - Wrangler regular straights or Levi 504 straights were the only jeans I wore for a long stretch (good fit)

No pic - last 5 years Hanna Highrise (straights and baby bootcut) from Marks Work Wear House due to high cotton content 99/1 or 98/2 when so many others were going with synthetics, and good fit for my body. I'm off the HH's since the fabrication has changed. I just can't abide stretchy jeans so read the labels for high cotton content.

My curremt faves are from Calvin Klein and JBrand.

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Gretchen

Veteran

Elementary - Wranglers
Jr High - Guess Ankle zips
High school - Men's Levi 501 button-flies, or super acid washed Guess
College - GAP
Post-college - maternity jeans, then started exploring different specialty stores. Skipped the low rise trend, but bit hard on bootcuts/flares
Last 10 years - Brand matters less than fit. Skinnies ftw, and loved finding NYDJ
Now (post post post-college) - Ready to retire skinnies unless worn w boots. Focusing a lot on details - seaming, embroidery, buttons, etc.

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