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Introduction
I am new to the world of slim jeans. But after having tried on some slim fit jeans from Mott and Bow, I have grown to like the style. In this blog post, I will cover my reviews of the slim fit jeans that I own.
Denim Manufacturers for Mott and Bow Jeans
According to the Mott and Bow website—
We source from some of the most well-respected denim mills in the world – Orta Anadolu in Turkey and Candiani in Italy – and buy their most premium denim. This high quality cotton not only looks better; it also performs better. The pricier denim is robust, keeping its shape and aging well over time; unlike cheaper denim that lacks the ability to bounce back after wear. Our goal is to make all our jeans like the vineyard’s finest bottle, and we don’t cut corners to get there, but we’ve set up our business in a way that allows a fair price.
Orta Anadolu
Orta Anadalu, according to its website, started as a spinning and weaving company In 1953. In 1985, the company transformed into a denim manufacturer.
Denim Production at Orta
Orta Anadolu describes its denim production process at its website. The process starts with raw material (cotton, Tencel/Modal/viscose, polyester/Elastane)). Then these materials go in the spinning process (blowroom, ring spinning machine). Next, the indigo dye is applies (rope dyeing, slasher dyeing). Sizing follows, then weaving, finishing, quality control, and denim service where Orta works with their customers (businesses) to combine designs and fits with washes using Orta’s fabrics. Finally, the fabric is shipped to customers.
Candiani Denim
Candiani Denim, according to its website, is a family-owned business, which started in 1938 in Milan, Italy.
The company describes is sustainability goals at its website.
The blog, Green Matters, describes Candiani’s sustainable denim fabric production process.
Denim Production and the Environment
Denim production has a definite effect on the environment at each stage. A report by the International Solid Waste Association discusses this point in more detail. [upload document]
Elastane and Denim
The addition of Elastane, a fabric that has some elasticity, to men’s clothing was once controversial, according to an article in the Atlantic Magazine. Elastane or Spandex was associated with female clothing. Men appear to have had concern about clothing showing their body. SAs a result, clothing companies associated Elastane with athletic activity, as gym clothing already had Elastane in it, for example, compression shorts.
When Elastane is combined with cotton, the resulting fabric cannot be recycled. In particular, blended fabrics, accessories (zips, buttons, and stitching threads) prove to be difficult for cotton recyclers, according to an article by Adrian Wilson in the International Fiber Journal.
Yet when it comes to recycling, blended fabrics – as well as accessories, such as zips, buttons and stitching threads – can prove highly problematic, which is why most recycling programs for cotton generally concentrate on pre-consumer waste and those for polyester prefer to recycle polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles rather than post-consumer clothing.
Most denim mills are keen to highlight the use of recycled PET in their ranges, yet these are inevitably in blended fabrics, putting limitations on further recycling in the move towards achieving truly closed-loop manufacturing systems.”
Mott and Bow jeans have some (2 percent) Elastane in them. Mott and Bow’s denim is made to a standard that can help denim recycling process
The Jeans Redesign project of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation states that denim fabric should be 98 percent by weight of natural fibers and no more than 2 percent of plastic-based fibers, according to a Fast Company article.
What is LYCRA/Elastane/Spandex?
According to Sewpoint, Elastane is the generic term (used in Europe) for the synthetic fabric with the trademarked name LYCRA. Another generic name for LYCRA is Spandex. The owner of LYCRA’s trademark is the LYCRA Company.
Elastane is made from polyurethane. The fabric is elastic and can withstand high temperatures.
While Elastane was developed in the United States, most Elastane is made in China.
Review of Slim Fit Jeans
Mott and Bow
As stated earlier, I have bought several pairs of jeans from Mott and Bow. I own the slim fit in the Mercer, Mott and Bow’s summer weight denim, and Stone styles. Initially, I found out about the company with a Facebook ad, which led me to the brand’s website. I signed up for the email list. I bought the Stone in grey first to replace a pair of grey jeans.
Mott and Bow’s slim fit jeans have a mid-rise and zipper fly. The fit is straight through the hip, slim through the thigh, and has a 15.5 inches (39.4 cm) leg opening.
During the summer time, I received a brand email informing me about the jeans for the summer, the Mercer brand. I tried one in the slim fit, liked how it felt and bought two more pairs.
Mott and Bow Customer Service
I had to contact Mott and Bow’s customer service for one of the Mercer jeans. An olive pair of jeans developed a situation where the zipper came loose from the pants. I emailed the company about the situation in order to exchange the jeans. I was contacted by one of the customer service representatives who asked for a photo of the issue as well as the inside label.
After I had sent it, the customer service representative sent a replacement pair of jeans and since the same color was not available, the representative included a free t-shirt, which was a nice gesture.
Conclusion
In writing this post, I was able to learn more about Mott and Bow, a brand that I have bought from. I have been enjoying the jeans I have bought.
Let me know about your experiences with slim fit jeans, with Mott and Bow or another men’s jeans brand through a comment or through an email, info at menswearnews.com.
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