The excitement of the stylish black and white box that arrived on my doorstep containing every woman’s holy grail – a pair of perfectly fitted personalised jeans. How did we reach this fashion nirvana? Denim was firmly at the top of our shopping list during our NYC trip and when the Wallpaper guidebook directed us to 3×1, we needed little further invitation.  This little gem, in Mercer Street from the brains behind the Earnest Sewn, promised jeans to your exact specification from the weight of denim to the detailing.  As a pear shape with a small waist, jeans and trousers always need to tread that balance to be not too tight across the hip but at the same time not leave a gaping expanse at the waist. I was hooked with the thought of somewhere that could magic this problem away.

Proclaiming it’s status as “one of the top 10 denim stores in the world” made a promising start. Entering the shop you are met with walls adorned with ready to wear jeans in limited edition styles, a huge glass worktop and rolls of demin in a range of weights and every colour from true faded to darkest indigo. The atelier which produces the creations is enclosed in glass to the rear of the shop. Where to even start? Luckily we were guided by the delightful Raymond Yook, who explained the options from bespoke -where you select every single detail from scratch –  to custom where you decide on the details to be added to one of 3×1 limited edition designs to off the peg – if you are lucky to fit into one of their ready to wear collection.

I wanted to go for something other than a skinny jean, based on this Raymond made some recommendations and even though I was sure I wanted a dark denim, I actually fell in love with these mid rise boyfriend cut in fleet wash,

Even better was that, Raymond was able to offer to adjust them to allow for the fact I fell between sizes. At the same time I got to add a custom detail in the form of rose gold hardware. This pair was ready for pick up within a couple of hours.

However that was not all before leaving I spotted a pair of “gaucho pants” (or denim culottes if you will) high waisted, tailored and offering so much versatility, I hadn’t seen anything that came close to how these looked. (The Karen Millen denim culottes I had my eye on at home paled into insignificance). I wasn’t sure about the colour – no problems said Raymond I could  pick a denim and the details wanted. Perfect. I set to work selecting denim, thread and hardware. I opted for a lightweight indigo denim to preserve the tailored look.

I really wanted to go a bit different for stitching and hardware so plumped for a strong burgundy. Raymond said that he would normally steer clients to the metallic hardware but actually approved of my choices.

Decisions made, all I had to do was wait the 4 weeks for denim alchemy to occur. They arrived last week

I am definitely in love, thinking might need another pair in a black denim. Would love to know what you think.

A massive thank you to Raymond for making my 3×1 experience one I definitely want to repeat. Visit Raymond if you are ever in New York or int he meantime you can check out the 3×1 website

If you find it difficult to find trousers or jeans to suit you, get SYW on the case.  We can recommend styles to suit your budget and shape, just get in touch by e-mailing or calling.   Quote “Blog15” to get 10% discount on any consultation or styling session taken by end of January 2016.

Tags: best denim ever, blog, custom denim, Denim, fashion, gaucho pants, jeans, New York, NYC, top 10 denim store