Believe it or not, the United States is still the world’s #1 manufacturer. But you wouldn’t know it by looking at the tags on your clothes. Even blue jeans, the most American of all garments, have become a part of the current unbalanced manufacturing state of the garment industry.
Todd Shelton’s small but spot-on line of jeans is one of the extremely few options for Made in the USA denim. Hell, they might also be your only option for made in America jeans that not only look terrific, but aren’t priced completely out of reach for many of us.
Banana Republic’s denim runs $80 and at last check is made in China. Brooks Brothers has a line of made in the US Levi’s for $150, but even then the fabric is imported. Todd Shelton denim is made in California of fabric sourced from either North Carolina or Georgia. All for just $20 more than the Banana Republic imports.
They’ve got everything you want and nothing you don’t. The Watts Dark Rinse is simple, cut almost exactly like a 501, and the hardware is great. (Click here for a few up close pics). Available in two fits, a few different washes, and for an extra $30 you can get selvage. Zip fly, and the inseam is finished at 34″ so you can get them hemmed for a true custom fit. The pair I received didn’t have any stitching across the back pockets, and they can easily be paired with a blazer, sweaters, t-shirts, etc… Look for long term test updates in the months to come.
Is $99 for one pair of jeans an investment? Absolutely. But well worth it to support not just an independent American based label, but one who’s fiercely committed to making great looking clothing in the US.
Look for the Todd Shelton Watts to appear in our Best from the US feature, coming up on Monday….
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Here’s how to enter: Leave a comment below, letting us know where your favorite jeans happen to be made. It’s a bit of an experiment to see how truly rare a pair of American made jeans are. Feel free to share this contest with others. Facebook, twitter, email, etc. One winner will be chosen at random from the comments field (one entry per person) and they will be awarded a standard pair of Todd Shelton Watts or Plainview in their waist size. Deadline for entry is 1/23/11 at 11:59pm ET. Good luck!
UPDATE: Congrats to Dennis, aka user Notyracademy, who was our winner in the random drawing for the Todd Shelton denim. He’s going with a pair of the Watts in the dark rinse. A terrific choice for sure. Thanks to everyone who entered, and especially Todd Shelton for wanting to partner up for a giveaway.
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