The ‘Oh Yeah!’ Denim Overshirt
Winter 24, Puddle cottage, Cornwall
I love shirts. Blouses with a difference make up a good portion of my wardrobe. How to bring denim into the closet? In September ‘23 I bought a pattern for the Olya shirt from Paper Theory. It had mixed reviews as being fiddly to sew as it has an unusual design where the sleeve and front yoke are all one piece (dont panic-that’s where the technical part of this blog ends) This gives the shirt a contemporary cut and great fit. Making the shirt requires cutting14 individual pieces. This is ideal coming at it from a recycling angle, as there aren’t too many large pieces of cloth to find. Tricky when cutting up jeans which are made up of essentially 4 long thin pieces of fabric with awkard pockets and thick seams.
The shelves in my studio were starting to bulge with donations- clearly people loved the idea of getting rid of their old jeans somewhere useful. Accompanying notes thanking me for ‘turning these into something beautiful’ didn’t quite offset the somewhat oppressive ceiling-high stacks of folded jeans waiting to be transformed.
The first shirt I made is the one I’m still wearing. It used 4 and a bit pairs of jeans, one of which had adorable DIY repair patches which became a feature at the shoulder. It WAS fiddly. But it was also VERY cool. It was also comfortable, practical and surprisingly cosy as a mid-season layer. Aside from hearing the phrase ‘Canadian Tuxedo’ for the first time (‘Double Denim’ to you and I) I was extremely happy with my new look. I made quite a few adaptions to the original pattern to make it unisex and more streamlined to sew and Olya became Oh Yeah!
With 4 to 5 pairs of jeans in every shirt, the opressive piles started to go down, rapidly. The first sales at markets were a thrilling relief and customers were genuinely delighted with their new shirts. Even Sean was a convert, having been adamantly anti denim jacket.
But these are not denim jackets as you know them. Unisex, stylish, functional and entirely unique. A nod to the original jeans they are made from, these show an appreciation for the design details and faded hues, the strong stitches and softened seams. Would it go too far to say they honour the original jeans; the craftsmanship, tradition and thoughful, individual design? Maybe. But what they are NOT is a bag made from the arse of a pair of jeans (shudders! - sorry it’s just not my thing!)
(Brief tangent: If Im really honest, I strongly dislike the aesthetic of the vast majority of recycled jeans products. I find them crude, obvious and tacky. I love denim and the way it ages. It is wonderful to reuse because of its inherant strength and longevity yet ability to be repaired. I try my best to recycle old jeans in a way which is thoughtful and subtle. Some re-cycled jeans creations make me die a little bit inside!)
Each shirt is a marvellous puzzle. 4-5 pairs of jeans are chosen for their hues, weights and different details. This could be classic blues with just the faintest difference betwen them, or full contrast of hue. Top-stitch thread colour or a particular patch or paint spatter. One detail can inspire the whole garment. The jeans get laid out on the floor in the shape of a shirt, to get an overview of which pair might get used for which pattern piece, hoping that the pieces will fit where I want them. (I’m yet to develop a more exact science here) Once I’ve fiddled around a bit I’ll cut out, being open to changes or mis-calculations. The richly creative opportunity in each shirt is something I enjoy, and something I have been willing to compromise the selling price for. Each one takes me over a day to complete which therefore doesnt pay me minimum wage. But it’s swings and roundabouts in the creative industries!
Ive experimented with very distressed jeans, already repaired jeans, paint covered jeans and nearly new jeans. Every re-made shirt is different with its own unique aesthetic.
I’m now going into (I cant believe this) year 5 of Jeanie&Me and the Oh Yeah! Shirt is what I would consider my most successful re-make. In terms of my original ethos it hits the button. It’s a beautiful, circular garment that encapsulates what I hoped to achieve with this micro-brand. Jeans are bought new or second hand, they are worn, they are enjoyed, they are repaired. They are worn and worn some more and then they are donated. They are re-made into a shirt, enjoyed, repaired, worn & enjoyed and so its goes on.
Everything for me comes back to the environment and nature, and it feels like this product gets it right. Low impact, low waste, natural materials.
The myriad of little lovely details can’t be fully appreciated in a product listing. If you purchase a shirt you’ll be delighted to keep finding new intricacies with every wear. Or come and say hello at a market, and find the one which speaks to you.
You can find full details on donating your jeans here.
