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For SkinnyJeans founder Catherine Hart, the desire to create jeans that made her look thinner led her to disrupt the world of denim with her patented SkinnyJeans, a revolutionary denim line produced here in the USA that ‘actually makes women look slimmer.’ Tired of ill-fitting designer jeans, Catherine, a self described ‘recovering lawyer,’ jumped into the denim business with a mission to prove that jeans could be both slimming and stylish. And what a statement she has made! After endless samples, Catherine and her team produced a cut, pattern and fit that has taken fashion by storm and won the praise of celebrities, fashion insiders and women across the country.
Within weeks SkinnyJeans was receiving press from the likes of Oprah Winfrey, CBS Evening News and the New York Times for their innovative approach, quality denim and their commitment to manufacturing in the United States.
Modavanti is thrilled to be partnered with SkinnyJeans and their mission to help women look good (and thinner) and feel good about their jeans. Below is our interview with SkinnyJeans founder Catherine Hart:
1. How did SkinnyJeans get Started?
Years ago I was getting ready for a party in East Hampton, gussying up in a pair of $200 jeans. I was looking at the jeans and thinking I don’t look as slim as I could look or really as slim as I was because the jeans had so many ‘style’ attributes that, while they may have made the jeans look expensive, they also actually made me look worse! I realized that with a few very simple changes to my designer jeans I could take advantage of those
style attributes to make me look thinner and stylish. So in 2006 I took the plunge and started trying out samples and patterns. In 2007 after trying many styles and working with several pattern makers we settled on what has become SkinnyJeans. I was thrilled what a huge difference they made! Immediately we got so much national print and television media because SkinnyJeans were the first jeans that actually made you look thinner! It was then that we received several high profile news features that I knew we were onto something big.
style attributes to make me look thinner and stylish. So in 2006 I took the plunge and started trying out samples and patterns. In 2007 after trying many styles and working with several pattern makers we settled on what has become SkinnyJeans. I was thrilled what a huge difference they made! Immediately we got so much national print and television media because SkinnyJeans were the first jeans that actually made you look thinner! It was then that we received several high profile news features that I knew we were onto something big.
2. How do these jeans make you look thinner? What are the slimming features in SkinnyJeans?
The first fattening thing I noticed about my expensive jeans (which seemed to be
shared by most premium brands I checked) was the fading or whiskering pattern.
All premium jeans were ‘faded’ to look original and authentic-aged by using
large white patches on the thighs and rear and wide horizontal lines at the
hips. This may have mimicked an authentic wearing in pattern but had the net
effect of making your thighs look bigger, your butt bigger and your hips wider!
Unwilling to look fatter so my jeans could look properly worn-in, we instead
took advantage of the fading pattern and used it to make us look better, not
worse. We took the whiskering and made it narrower, finer and higher so that it
created the illusion of narrower hips and longer legs because the leg break
appeared to start higher than the natural leg break.
shared by most premium brands I checked) was the fading or whiskering pattern.
All premium jeans were ‘faded’ to look original and authentic-aged by using
large white patches on the thighs and rear and wide horizontal lines at the
hips. This may have mimicked an authentic wearing in pattern but had the net
effect of making your thighs look bigger, your butt bigger and your hips wider!
Unwilling to look fatter so my jeans could look properly worn-in, we instead
took advantage of the fading pattern and used it to make us look better, not
worse. We took the whiskering and made it narrower, finer and higher so that it
created the illusion of narrower hips and longer legs because the leg break
appeared to start higher than the natural leg break.
We also use the most universally flattering cuts to balance the shape of the
thigh to the ankle so that the leg appears as thin and long as possible.
Finally, we use a special power-stretch denim that functions to ‘girdle’ the
body.
thigh to the ankle so that the leg appears as thin and long as possible.
Finally, we use a special power-stretch denim that functions to ‘girdle’ the
body.
3. SkinnyJeans are so unique. Are there any special care instructions for SkinnyJeans?
It is best to wash your SkinnyJeans inside out in cold water to preserve the deep indigo color and to line dry to preserve the amazing stretch. Hot dryers tend to break down the stretch in the fibers so to keep your SkinnyJeans in the best possible shape and deepest color it is best to wash this way.
Also we discovered that if you can’t wash your jeans for any reason just stick them in the freezer overnight and it kills all the bacteria in the fibers so that they are fresh the next day! (believe me,we have done this more than once!)
4. What is your ‘Team Colors’ line and how did it come about?
A few years after we began, everyone started copying us. Jeans manufacturers started making jeans called ‘secretly slimming’ and ‘oh so slim’ and premium denim began adopting our clean look and altered lines. Around 2009 I wanted to stay ahead of the game and branch out so I started experimenting with colored denim and tried hundreds of fabrics but couldn’t find anything good enough. We finally came up with the idea to base the colors on college and sports team colors but what does the female fan wear to the stadium? A baggy jersey over old blue jeans? Two of the girls working in our office were from Alabama and wished they had crimson jeans to wear to support the Tide. It was then we realized we were onto something and got to work developing colors for college and professional sports teams in the United States. It took two years of work to get all the colors for every school and team and to make a perfect universal-fit jean.
5. Tell us about your commitment to sustainability and being produced in the USA?
Our entire Team Colors line is produced in Los Angeles using high quality denim milled in the United States. Producing here in the States is an important commitment for us. We want to support local manufacturing and by producing here in the States and saving on shipping everything from overseas we are able to cut down on our carbon footprint. We also have a Green Jeans line that uses a unique air washing technique that saves on hundreds of gallons of water each year by using high-powered air and grit instead of water. These jeans allow you to be lean and green!
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