The search for that all-elusive pair of perfectly-fitting jeans can be a real challenge, often involving countless visits to brightly-lit changing rooms or ordering multiple sizes online, only to be sent back again. You might settle for a pair that isn’t quite right, and then start the search all over again.
Thankfully, E.L.V. Denim is on hand to help with all your denim needs, via its newly-launched bespoke service that will not only help you find your perfect fit, but also reduce textiles waste in the industry by making use of pre-loved jeans.
“When I started E.L.V. Denim, it was actually a made-to-measure brand,” founder Anna Foster tells Vogue, describing how she would cut up vintage jeans and fit them to people who came into her studio. “Then I met wholesalers and they couldn’t get their head around the idea of having a rack of completely different items.”
The new made-to-order studio – which has been made possible thanks to a British Fashion Council grant – consists of three main services: pre-order (for styles that are sold out in your size, made-to-measure (for the perfect fit), and bespoke (giving you the chance to bring in an old pair of jeans to be upcycled, or to choose pieces from E.L.V. Denim’s own vintage collection).
“So many people struggle to find a pair of jeans that fit – we want to make that possible for them,” Foster explains. “They can pick from our core colourways, we fit a toile on them and see what needs to be taken in, and then we have an amazing team here that can put that jean together for them.”
The new made-to-order service aims to give customers one-off pieces that they will cherish forever. “It’s really about letting that customer have something really special,” the designer continues. “We had a client who had a pair of paisley jeans her mum had given her but in their current shape they weren’t what she wanted. But [there was] so much emotion in this garment that she wanted to make it into something that she’d wear and love.”
Allowing customers to come into the studio and understand the story behind E.L.V. Denim undoubtedly adds extra value to the jeans, too. “They can see how it’s made – I always say that I’ve touched every single piece about four times before it leaves here,” Foster says. “Customers come to us because they want to be conscious consumers.”
Given the amount of waste that exists in fashion, the designer is determined to help reduce the problem. As well as sourcing vintage and pre-loved jeans to create the designs, the brand also offers repairs and alterations, meaning E.L.V. Denim pieces really can last a lifetime. “We want to allow someone to come back and make that jean live again, whether it’s replacing a panel, or having it taken in or taken out,” she says.
Despite only being a small team of four, E.L.V. Denim wants to play its part in creating a more circular fashion system – including eventually giving customers store credits when they send their old jeans to them. “As we grow, we want to become fully circular,” Foster concludes. “We’re a small business, but we’re [always] thinking about the future.”
