custom denim, the perfect gift

The coolest Christmas gift I received this year was a gift certificate for a pair of custom jeans made at a shop called Viktor . Justin got the idea from a co-worker who was like "Dude, I found this great place for custom designer jeans. You should try it out." It's laughable, trying to picture Justin getting measured for a pair of custom fit jeans. The same man that has been happy with relaxed fit Gap denim for the past two decades. I love my husband's comfortable style, he's just not the kind of guy who wears designer jeans. My husband did however take his friend's recommendation and apply it to gift giving this year. For that I am wonderfully grateful.

We tried, as a family, stopping by Viktor on Saturday after our early bird dinner. That was a bad idea. We quickly tried to back out of the store while I yelled over my shoulder "I'll be back. Sans children. Next week!".

I went back in today, wearing my favorite 7 for all mankind jeans as the "standard". Sydney, the guy working the store at opening was there to serve me and only me and we got right to work. He told me to pick out the style and pockets from the jeans hanging on the walls. I explained that I was wearing the basic style I wanted (with a few changes in mind). I then picked the pocket shape and style from a booklet. On to the fabric. I was disappointed slightly with the choices they had for blue denim. I wanted something distressed and worn looking, not too light and not too dark. Most of the denim choices were dark or very dark, grey, black or shades of black. I ended up with something darker than I wanted but the lightest I could go without using the baby blue shade they had as an alternative. Next, came the stitching color, rivets and leather accents (in the mustard soft leather furthest to the right-awesome). We discussed the pair of jeans I was wearing (my first and only pair of designer jeans-the softest and most comfortable pair of jeans on earth). Next, came my changes to my favorite jeans.

1. Shorter. I want to wear these jeans with heels and flats. We started with an inch shorter than the jeans I had on for the measurements.
2. Smaller circumference for the calf. I want something in between a straight leg and boot cut. I want to be able to wear these jeans in boots and out over shoes. Not too much flare is the key.
3. Higher waist line. I can't possibly be the only woman tired of jeans so low you have to get smaller undies to fit bellow the waist line. I want a mid rise jean. Not too high, not too low. We added two inches to the front and back of my 7 jeans.
Sydney then became the second man, after my husband, who has seen my belly button since I gave birth to Arabella. When he started to do the measurements and asked me to raise my shirt and show him how high I wanted the waistline I was really wishing I would have worn my swim suit underneath my clothing today.

I'm not thrilled with how those few inches of my stomach fared during my pregnancies. Addie said it best the other day during a game of belly button hide and seek the three of us girls were playing. When it was my turn to reveal my button, Addie asked, "why is your belly button junked up Mommy?" Ugh... more delicately than she had stated the obvious, I explained that those months that Mommy looked and felt like a manatee while pregnant with her and her sister were the reason Mommy's belly button was "junked up". Sadly, she's speaking the truth. Everything went back to where it belonged except that poor skin.

When I pointed to right underneath my belly button, and told Sydney I wanted to cover up the area that chronically suffered from my gestating two darling little girls, I cringed a little bit. I hadn't flashed that part of my body in daylight, to a stranger, for years. I guess I was nervous because I started chattering about how it would be nice to own a pair of jeans that are stylish but still comfortable and practical for having to bend over and squat down with young children without my underwear hanging out all over the place. I'm sure it was too much detail for Sydney, my custom denim tailor. "But, mam, you are still sexy for these jeans." he pipped up. Well thank you Sydney. Thanks for looking at the three inches of my body I dislike and still offering up a compliment. He must have sensed I needed it.

Anyway, we finalized some details. We talked about starting big and making changes as we go during the fittings. He asked about shoes and again about the boot cut v. straight leg. We decided to error on the wider side to begin with. Better to have too much fabric than not enough. We said we'd see one another next week and I was off.

I found this sign strange for a shop that apparently has more female customers than male.