Madewell Fair Trade jeans (size 30)
Organic by John Patrick potato sweater (many many years old…) | LOTS of
Organic by John Patrick sweaters secondhand at The Real Real
Vince Blair sneakers
I had pretty much given up wearing jeans for the duration of my pregnancy – the ones I have just are not comfortable, even unbuttoned and kept closed with an elastic tie. And I did try a pair of J Brand maternity jeans that came through for slowre but they are just way too stretchy for my taste, which it seems most maternity jeans are. I get that 100% cotton jeans aren’t ideal for pregnancy, but 2% spandex or elastane or whatever is the MOST stretch I can handle.
I miss wearing jeans though, so I went on a field trip to Nordstrom a couple days ago to try on these Eileen Fisher PULL ON JEANS, but they weren’t very cute on me at all. Then, I wandered through the rest of the store and picked up some regular pairs of jeans to try on, just in a size or two up from my regular.
Then I noticed that they had some of Madewell’s fair trade denim at Nordstrom which I was keen to try anyway. Incidentally my Madewell store didn’t have a great selection, and this particular pair is not on Madewell’s site in their “Fair Trade Denim” section, which is weird. They definitely have a “Fair Trade” tag inside, along with a hang tag – I checked for the tag inside, because I’m cynical. haha. On Nordstrom’s site, there’s no indication AT ALL that they’re fair trade; I guess they don’t think we care. Hm. Frustrating.
Side note: about Fair trade certification –
When you see a product with the Fair Trade Certified™ seal, you can be sure it was made according to rigorous social, environmental, and economic standards. We work closely on the ground with producers and certify transactions between companies and their suppliers to ensure that the people making Fair Trade Certified goods work in safe conditions, protect the environment, build sustainable livelihoods, and earn additional money to empower and uplift their communities.
The fair trade certified jeans from Madewell (and J Crew) are manufactured at the Saitex factory in Vietnam, the same factory Everlane uses for their “clean” jeans:
1.5 liters, that’s how much water we use today at SAITEX versus the industry standard of 80 liters per jean. Thanks to our closed water system, and jet washing, each year we are able to save 430 million liters of water – equal to the annual water consumption of 432,000 people
Hopefully this new fair trade initiative from J Crew/Madewell will lead them to manufacture more of their jeans this way (I mean, why not?), but that’s only if we show demand for it. The jeans seem to be just a bit more expensive than their regular jeans, so I don’t see price point as an issue.
It’s been a very long time since I tried a pair of Madewell jeans (I’ve never owned a pair), so I don’t know how to compare these with others, but at first glance and after wearing at home, I think they’re very good. That said, I’m probably going to take them back because after wearing at home for a couple of hours they stretched so much, something I really hate about stretchy jeans. I may just go a size down though. We’ll see.
I definitely recommend them if you’re in the market for a pair of jeans, and some “cleaner,” affordable denim that you can try on in person (unlike Everlane) if you have a Nordstrom or Madewell store nearby. I know ethical consumption isn’t going to solve all our problems, but I do think that throwing our support behind initiatives like this that help advance sustainability in the fashion industry is very important, and the least we can do. If we are looking for a new pair of jeans anyway…
Has anyone else tried a pair of the new Fair Trade jeans from Madewell? What did you think? What about Everlane’s jeans? Does anyone have them and love them? I wasn’t a fan, and have continued to hear mixed reviews.
I bought a pair of the Madewell fair trade jeans and think I can at least partially illuminate the tagging issue. According to the sales clerk at my store, they were already producing some jeans at Saitex under an “eco” label, but then J Crew Inc. paid to have Saitex fair trade certified, so future jeans produced there should have a fair trade label, as well. The ones I bought actually didn’t have the fair trade label yet either, but they said future shipments of that style would. I like the jeans I bought, but they are a bit loose at the waist. The style and fabric are really nice, though, and quite different in terms of silhouette than Everlane.
Oh interesting. Does that mean everlane can use the fair trade logo on their jeans now too? Does it matter who paid for the certification?
I have two pairs of Everlane jeans, and quite like the fit of both (cheeky straight and authentic stretch cigarette). I really appreciate that they’re both available in ankle lengths, as I like to wear my jeans fairly cropped. For me, its hard to find slim-straight denim that isn’t skinny, but also has a slim enough fit in the hips and thighs, and I do think the authentic stretch cigarette jeans do that well. One note is that I had to size down i a Everlane denim—two sizes down for the cheeky straight and one size down for the authentic stretch cigarette. But generally I’ve quite liked their denim.
Madewell just recently branched out into plus sizes, but none of their Fair Trade denim seems to be included yet. Hopefully, they’ll add it soon! However, they do have a lot of denim pieces that I am eager to try, Those jeans look awesome on you and you totally have pregnancy glow!!
Thanks for this review! I have two pairs of Madewell jeans and wear them exclusively every day. I’m curious to try out the fair trade pairs, too, eventually. I have found that the Madewell slim boyjean doesn’t stretch out very much compared to Eileen Fisher’s, and they are lasting much longer before wearing holes in the inseam, too. I don’t feel guilty about buying the regular jeans, since they last a LONG time.
I’ve also tried and loved the Everlane authentic stretch high waist cigarette jeans. I have a thicker waist and slimmer hips than most, and high rise pants are usually a tough fit on me. If they fit my hips, they’ll cut in at the waist. If they fit my waist, I’ll have too much material at the hips. (I assume this is a problem for first and second trimester bodies too) The Everlane jeans had a little extra room in the waist so they were great on me. I got two pair — one in my normal size and one in a size down. The size down actually fits better but my normal size looks more like what Madewell intended with their “slim boyfriend” cut (which is way too baggy on me), so I wear both for different looks. The Everlane jeans feel thick to the touch, like real jeans, but there is definitely stretch there so if you hate stretch it may not be right for you.
I also just got (yesterday!) a new pair of the Madewell “eco” jeans. It’s a stovepipe cut with distressing up toward the front of one of the hips. I could have done without the distressing but it’s not a deal breaker. It definitely felt a bit big in my usual size but it was so nice and soft. Very comfortable. Beautiful medium blue wash. I haven’t worn them yet but I was thrilled trying them out of the package last night. I hope they hold up to a few wears without bagging out. We’ll see…
I recently needed a new pair of jeans and looked at Madewell but wasn’t a fan of the washes available there (I wanted grey/black jeans). I live in NYC so I ended up at the Everlane store to try some on! I previously owned some Everlane high-rise skinny jeans and I felt kind of meh about them. But this time I tried on the new high-rise skinny button fly jeans. I LOVE THEM SO MUCH. Jeans are often a tough fit for me because I have a wider waist than average and relatively smaller legs. These jeans fit really nicely and are so comfortable. They have a bit of stretch to them (they’re called ‘authentic stretch’ but I’m not clear on what that means) but I’ve worn them a couple of times without washing and they aren’t baggy or loose. The grey wash has a nice worn feel to it. And it feels like actual denim rather than the plastic-y stretch material I sometimes encounter in stretch jeans. They are my new favorites. I’m interested to try the Madewell Fair Trade denim — will have to go by the store and have a peek.
I had just bought Madewell curvy skinny jeans in black a few months ago and they lasted only 7 wears! Yes I keep track, no they were not too tight. Hole in outside seam. I swear by Kut from the Kloth Catherine jeans, they fit my curvy body super well and the washes are great. But…. these jeans do look great on you Grechen! Tempting…
Fern, you sound like my denim fit twin! I’m tall, and I have the same fit problem you do. I’m going to try the Everlane cigarette Jean.
Kate, where is their store in the city? I’ll drop in the next time I go to visit (I live in the Hamptons area). The grey jeans sound like just what I’m looking for.
I bought the J Crew Tall Vintage Straight Eco Jean with Button Fly (that’s a mouthful!) (https://www.jcrew.com/p/womens_special_sizes/tall/denim/tall-vintage-straight-eco-jean-with-button-fly/J9757?color_name=medium-worn-wash) and I love the fit on me! I spotted them on a curvy blogger on Instagram and they looked so good. They’re made at the Saitex factory. And only $89, which I think is a steal! I have worn them several times and haven’t noticed any significant stretching (which would’ve been ok with me after my huge Valentine’s lunch!)
Their store is in SoHo on Prince Street, near McNally Jackson. They don’t have everything in-store, but they have a good selection and jeans and shoes, plus some tops/dresses/sweaters! It can be busy during peak hours (like … people waiting to get into the store busy) but it’s definitely worth it on a weekday or if you really need to try something on!
Oh my! When you don’t live in the city you get so unused to waiting in line! I’ll go early on a weekday. Thanks for the info!