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Is it ever too early to early to start thinking about Holiday shopping? The folks at Artists & Fleas in the Chelsea Market in the NYC Meatpacking district don't think so. E&P founder Julia skipped by to visit her friend Jeff Zhang, founder of men's online brand Shop Spectre. His "Shirt Shop" has been quite a hit, and, while working on the floor, he met Andrew of Curated Basics. Together they're making gift sets that include a shirt, pocket square, and socks - the perfect gift!
As I go around town showing off my E&P jeans, a lot of questions turn to denim care. Here are a few answers to the most common jeans care questions:
How should I wash my jeans? And how often?
We rinse our Eva & Paul jeans before sale, so they're not "raw" like many other premium jeans on the market these days. Because of this, feel free to wash them. But, according to our resident denim expert, Christine Rucci, make sure you wash them inside out so there's no abrasion to the denim - this will keep them looking dark and clean.
Won't washing the jeans make them fade?
Our jeans do fade with wash, but not a ton - after wearing my jeans for 33 days straight during Kickstarter and washing them four times, they still look really dark, just slightly more worn.
Can I put the jeans in the dryer?
You can put them in the dryer, but they will shrink a bit, so it's better if you let them mostly drip dry. To get that nice cozy dryer feel, though, feel free to stick them into the dry cycle for the last 5 minutes or so.
What's this about putting your jeans in the freezer?
Some denim brands, especially "raw" denim that hasn't been washed in the manufacturing process, recommend not washing your jeans at all. Instead of washing the, you put them in the freezer between wears to keep odor-causing bacteria from growing in the meantime. Then they spot-clean the jeans over time. As a resident of Greenpoint Brooklyn with a tiny freezer already full of food, there's no way I could do this. And to tell you the truth, I don't want to. I'd rather wash my clothes every few weeks, merci.
Do you wash your jeans in the bathtub?
I don't think my roommate would approve of my washing my jeans lying flat in the bathtub, as apparently die-hard denim heads do. I also don't think it's necessary given that we've tumble-washed our jeans in the manufacturing process. But if you want to give it a try, feel free! Let me know if it works!
Would dry cleaning be better?
One of my best friends from college sent all her jeans to the dry cleaner. They came back stiff with a crease down the front. This isn't really my style, but I don't think it does the jeans any harm.
Why is it easier to care for Eva & Paul jeans than jeggings?
Great question! We use heavier-weight fabric for our jeans than many of our competitors that allows our jeans to stand the test of time. Also, using too much polyester and Lycra sometimes causes "jegging" style jeans to stretch out over the course of the day, so you have to wash them more frequently to get them back to the original size, causing the fibers to come out in the wash and the jeans to quickly disintegrate. Our jeans keep their shape, so you don't have to wash them as often!
Fashion Week wouldn't be complete without the Eva & Paul team attending a show or two - catching a couple of boutique events across the city to scope out up and coming trends.
Julia Kastner, CEO & Founder of Eva & Paul
Julia Kastner, Founder of Eva & Paul, attended New York City's 'Fair Fashion Runway' last week at WIX Lounge to get up-close and personal with emerging eco-friendly and fair trade brands.
Perhaps one of the biggest concerns voiced from eco-friendly shoppers is finding apparel, shoes and accessories that are also fashion-forward and trendsetting. After attending this event, Julia is proud to report that this doesn't have to be the case.
Julia was excited to see the line LEOTA by Sarah Carson Cloud, which boasts a complete line of tailored dresses. Like Eva & Paul's jeans, their dresses are sewn in NYC.
"This dress felt classic with a fun and flirty print. I love the design details across the top, which flatters and enhances your curves," says Julia. She liked the character of 50's glam from the dresses to the cheeky poses of Leota's models.
Model above features Leota's upcoming collection.
Julia also watched how eco-friendly brands are tapping into Avante-garde styles and versatile silhouettes. ReciclaGEM, another featured local brand, showcased innovative designs. "This particular design of a cape with tailored collar was by far my favorite. It was very structured and clean but playful with vibrant prints.
Overall, it was a great night for meeting like-minded entrepreneurs and experiencing memorable fair design.
Model above features a piece from Recicla GEM's upcoming collection.
It's Eva & Paul's favorite time of year again - we've been patiently waiting for cool breezes, long walks, and most importantly, fall fashion!
Plaid is trending again and we're especially excited because plaid makes a perfect pairing with denim. Last fall, we saw many too-boxy looks that cover up figures and widen body frames - not at all our favorite. This year, we decided to hunt for new, sleek designs that show off jeans and flatter figures rather than hide them.
Here are a few designs we thought might inspire your search for finding a fitted plaid look - elegant silhouettes for all of you plaid lovers out there. These brands make the play on plaid a little more fun!
Photos sourced from julesb.co.uk
Vivienne Westwood's 'Windmill Jacket' offers a more fitted and demure take on big plaid. Hitting right at the waist, you'll show off your curves while keeping your look's sophistication. The best part of this jacket is that you can wear it two ways - with the collars flared up or down.
Photo sourced from www.farfetched.com
If you like zippers and leather, then Junya Watanabe's 'Notched Collar Jacket' is the perfect balance of plaid. This jacket is slightly edgier with a city flair - fashionable to hit the streets.
Photo sourced from www.revolvingclothing.com
Sometimes, a gal just needs a lot of pockets. It helps when jackets are both functional and fashionable. Smythe's 'Boucle Jacket in Navy/Splice Plaid' has many pockets for all of your city essentials: Metro card, lip gloss, i-phone and keys. We particularly like the 3/4 sleeves for extra freedom to move!
Shopping for eco-friendly products can be daunting, especially when a lot of new brands are promising quality or comfort. Learning about eco-brands has been Julia's passion for quite some time, so she'd love to share with you some of her favorites and why they're worth checking out. She hopes to inspire your style ideas for Fall.
THE CATRINKA PROJECT
Photo sourced from thecatrkinaproject.com
Before their first photoshoot, Julia met the founder of The Catrinka Project, Megan Reilly Cayten, through mutual friends. Julia immediately felt that the sleek and subtle design of their bags combined with their social mission supporting artisans fit perfectly with Eva & Paul jeans. She knew this was the start of a great partnership for future styling sessions. “The reason I like their brand so much” says Julia, “is that they share our passion for supporting local artisans using fair trade practices.” A portion of their proceeds support educating young girls in the countries where their bags are made. The Aziza bag would be a great accent for Fall to pair with our dark indigo denim.
HOLSTEE
Photo sourced from http://shop.holstee.com/collections/print
Julia met the founders of Holstee at a company lunch, invited by her friend Dierdre who is their chief of staff. She also attended their Kickstarter event at their amazing new studio in Gawanus Brooklyn. Holstee takes pride in design and production. They create interesting and unique products and they have a positive universal message which has built the core of their brand, truly inspiring and motivating friends and fans. We particularly love their Up-Cycled wallet made using recycled newpapers from New Delhi as a city chic accessory for Fall.
HIDDEN BABY
Photo sourced from https://www.facebook.com/hiddenbabylove
What an interesting name for a socially conscious brand. Julia met the lovely founders/sisters of Hidden Baby, Kelsey and Courtney Montague at a social innovation conference in New York City called ‘The Feast’. Julia looked them up online and learned that they founded the brand after traveling to Kenya to shoot a documentary film, which opened their eyes about the living conditions of babies who don’t often have what they need. They decided to join and promote this mission by designing bags with a hidden baby looped in their design. A portion of their proceeds are donated to organizations dedicated to serving babies-in-need globally. Julia loves this brand because it was built out of their personal life experiences and a need to contribute to a meaningful social cause. We particularly like their canvas floral design as a classy look for Fall.
It’s great to see so many new eco-friendly companies combining an eye for design with supporting great initiatives - impact without sacrificing style.
It's that time of year again, towards the end of summer, when hot days are followed by cool nights. You’ll want to finally leave those shorts in the drawer and pull out your denim instead to keep you warm at night, but it’s still so hot by day that you’ll reach for casual tanks to keep you fashionably cool in the sun.
We found some fun and fresh looks to inspire your style and help keep the spirit of summer alive through its final days..
Eva & Paul is revolutionizing the denim industry by making better-fitting jeans using organic cotton, fair trade fabrics, and made in the USA. Our jeans are flattering and comfortable for diverse body shapes. Unlike other brands that target only the smallest sizes, E&P makes jeans for the actual shapes of real women using different proportions for each size based on 3D body scanning data. We are a premium lifestyle brand focusing on fit, comfort, social mission, and international experiences.
175 Varick Street, New York, NY 10014, USA
