When it comes to shopping for clothes, a struggle I think we can all agree on is shopping for jeans. Sizing, cut and fit vary heavily between brands, and shopping sustainably can be even more difficult. Denim is one of the largest contributors to clothing pollution due to the large use of cotton (which is one of the worst offenders of social and environmental impact) and hefty water waste over the years. Luckily, we have seen a major shift from the fashion industry in recent years to push for more sustainable and ethical denim. At the front of this movement is Jordan Nodarse, founder and creative director of Boyish Jeans.
Founded in 2018, Boyish Jeans is a fairly new company, and while the brand is still in its starting phases, its founder is far from being a rookie in the game. Jordan Nodarse has worked in the sustainable fashion industry for a number of years, helping to start sustainable denim lines for both Revolve and Reformation. Nodarse prides himself on finding an agreement between looking good and feeling good by working with high quality design and fully sustainable, fair trade materials. With his background working in other major brands, Nodarse has been able to use his marketing know-how to gain influencer presence on Instagram, helping to bring awareness to the sustainable denim movement. This quick rise to the top by Boyish is both impressive from a marketing standpoint and from an ethical standpoint. As we’ve seen time and time again, sustainable brands often take years to gain a following and often stay in more niche crowds. Boyish on the other hand, is a sort of enigma, gaining notoriety and praise from an influencer community that often falls to the hands of fast fashion empires like Fashion Nova and Dolls Kill. While most of this credit can fall to Nodarse, the company has largely gained a following by providing comfortable denim *(no seriously, this denim is like butter)* for all body types with classic & vintage designs.
Although Boyish Jeans may sound too good to be true by maintaining fashion and sustainability integrity, all of their claims are backed by their extremely transparent supply chain and production standards. When a consumer first reaches the website for Boyish Jeans, the site immediately lists up to date statistics on their environmental impact including water saved and trees planted to offset their carbon impact. Their website is full of transparency from their sustainability reports to facts for consumers to learn about the environmental impact of the denim industry. In this essence, Boyish Jeans is the perfect first step for consumers new to the sustainable fashion industry. A consumer can use their “About Us” page to learn about not only Boyish Jean’s techniques, but standards for the industry in plant based dye, water consumption, deadstock fabrics, Oeko-Tex standard, and a number of other processes clothing can go through to limit ultimate waste. Best of all Boyish Jeans are being sold at a number of big box retailers like Nordstrom, Free People and Anthropology--bringing in a whole group of consumers that may have not even considered the impact of their clothing before.
Boyish Impact example
REVIEW by Sophia: Jeans are a staple item, and definitely an item in your closet that you will wear time and time again. I recently purchased a pair of Boyish jeans (The Ziggy in Sunrise), and I have never been happier with the fit, length, and fabric. They run true to size, and are my go-to when choosing out a pair of my ~many~ different denim choices. They are so soft (no stiffness here) and I would seriously consider them a pair of jeans that I would want to lounge around in. I usually thrift my denim, which means I will find something that fits my waist, but not my legs (tall girl problems). For any of you that are 5’9+ the Ziggy are for you. They are the perfect full-length pair of jeans. Lastly, Boyish is on the pricier side; but once you think about what you are paying for (quality, durability, fair labor, etc.) they are worth the investment. Think about it as a replacement for purchasing 3 different pairs of jeans from GAP. (How much denim do we really need anyways?) I highly recommend Boyish, and love seeing a sustainable company making cute and trendy jeans!