500 Days

There is barely anything that can be said about Matt & Carrie Eddmenson's love for denim that hasn't already been said a thousand times. And the fact that they make the most incredible, perfect fitting, perfect wearing jeans around (as everyone who has bought and worn-in a pair will tell you) is a testament to that love.

Simply put, my Imogene+Willie Barton Rigid jeans HAVE become, in the last 500 days, my second skin. In those 500 days since Carrie measured/fit myself in the I+W pop-up shop at El Cosmico in Marfa, Texas, I have worn them every single day. In that time, the 29" waist X 32" length (rolled up several times to create a two inch cuff) jean has been through one wash and two soaks in Dr. Bronners Magic Soap. They have taken on an amazing color transformation. Every bend I've made, every spot that has been touched over and over, every time my wallet, notebook, keys and bandana has been put in and taken out of the back pockets, every time I've sat and crossed my legs has left a mark, a mold, a perfect variety of indigo shades.

I met Matt and Carrie shortly after they opened I+W four years ago in Nashville. Before then I held true to Levi's 501's, which I still love dearly. But there was one thing about Barton, and the rest of the I+W denim line that drew me in - it's simple, classic design. Wearing a jean with no leather patch and no stitch markings on the back pockets really made them feel more personal for some reason. There was no pretense to them, I could wear them and make them my own - which I have for the past 500 days.

I keep finding myself about to order another pair, but I just can't imagine taking this pair off and starting new. I would feel like I was betraying something that has become a part of me. This may be the biggest problem Matt & Carrie have created. Their love for their jeans is passed on to you once you put on a pair, and that love becomes worn into your soul.