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From the fit to the feel to the wash, there’s nothing quite like finding a pair of holy grail jeans. Just ask Jane Herman, who’s spent the last 20 years—as an editor, writer, and designer—figuring out all there is to know about denim, both new and vintage. So what makes a great jean? What’s the difference between selvedge and raw denim? What details set a pair of Big Es (a sartorial white whale!) apart from all other Levi’s made after 1966? You could spend hours combing through online threads to figure it all out, or you can lean on Jane’s jeanius. Each month, Herman will decode all things denim. Welcome to Jean Files.
For the past two decades—if not my whole life—I’ve been talking about jeans. (I took a brief hiatus to start a family and make jumpsuits, but generally, it’s all denim all the time with me.) Through my latest project, a Substack called Jane on Jeans, I frequently invite readers to send in requests. The question I get asked the most: Where to shop for vintage?
As a native Los Angeleno, I grew up going to the Sunday $1 sale at Jet Rag and circling the racks at Aardvarks on Melrose. (Do I date myself? I do!) A lot has changed since then: The landscape of LA retail and the major players in it, sure, but also my ability to recognize real, authentic vintage versus a pair of used jeans. Big difference.
Levi’s considers vintage to be anything made before 1971. The consensus among those I’ve talked to is that vintage must be 30 years, or older. Personally, I struggle to call jeans from 1993 vintage because so many of the great hallmarks—selvedge denim, antique hardware, button post numbers (on Levi’s) and Blue Bell labels (on Wranglers)—were cut out of production at these companies in the ’80s. Truthfully though, the more I learn, the more I believe that vintage is mainly, and most importantly, about a story. Any jean in circulation long enough will eventually have a good one. (And a smaller impact on the environment, to boot!)
Though I’ve written extensively about where and how to buy vintage Levi’s online—what to ask an Etsy seller and how to spot a fake, stuff like that—it had been a minute since I surveyed the stores in my hometown. Let me tell you, I was impressed. Some of the originals are still nailing it (Denim Doctors, Mister Freedom), but a new generation of fit experts have opened doors in Studio City (Lenny) and the Arts District (Foxhole) as well. One of Hollywood’s most beloved repair shops, Denim Revival, has been, well, completely revived by a bright, young enthusiast. There’s an argument to be made for doing vintage jean shopping IRL—every pair is one-of-a-kind and fits so differently. At these nine stores, the odds of finding something special or tailor-made are in our favor.